Category: Energy and Power

Japanese power utility JERA has signed longterm charter agreements with Mitsui O.S.K.

Lines (MOL) and NYK Group for four very large ammonia carriers to support the Blue Point ammonia project in Louisiana, United States.

Under the agreements, MOL and NYK will each provide two ammonia carriers, marking the world’s fi rst long-term deployment of very large gas carriers (VLGCs) dedicated to ammonia transportation.

The vessels will transport low-carbon ammonia from the Blue Point project, which is expected to begin production in 2029 with an annual capacity of 1.4 million metric tons.

JERA plans to use the fuel at its Hekinan Thermal Power Station to co-fi re ammonia with coal, supporting Japan’s decarbonization goals and the development of a commercial-scale lowcarbon ammonia value chain

Europe’s installed energy storage capacity has exceeded 100GW for the fi rst time, surpassing the region’s nuclear power capacity and marking a major milestone in the clean energy transition, according to the 10th edition of the European Market Monitor on Energy Storage (EMMES) released by LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe.

The report said Europe added a record 13.5GW/26.4 GWh of electrochemical energy storage in 2025, increasing total installed storage capacity across all technologies to 102.7GW.

Behind-the-meter storage reached 30.2 GW/46.2GWh, driven by strong demand in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and the United Kingdom.

The expansion has been fueled by rising adoption of solar-plus-storage systems, dynamic electricity pricing, and growing electrifi cation of homes and businesses.

Meanwhile, utility-scale, front-ofthe-meter battery storage climbed to 18.5GW/34.4GWh, with signifi cant growth in the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Spain through capacity markets and dedicated storage support schemes.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for coordinted international initiatives led by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to support B a n g l a d e s h and other delta nations, as well as countries highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change impacts.

He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with World Economic Forum President and Chief Executive Offi cer Alois Zwinggi at the Dalian International Conference Center in China recently.

At the beginning of the meeting, Alois Zwinggi congratulated the Prime Minister on assuming offi ce as head of government.

During the discussions, the Prime Minister appreciated various initiatives undertaken by the World Economic Forum to address climate change and stressed the need for a more coordinated global framework to support climate-vulnerable countries

ABB has re-entered the power electronics market with the launch of its new Proteus portfolio, offering advanced power conversion solutions for the solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) sectors.

The new product range follows ABB’s acquisition of Gamesa Electric and includes high-effi ciency 4.7 MVA central solar inverters with up to 99.45% conversion effi ciency, alongside bidirectional converter stations and advanced control systems for energy storage applications.

ABB said the Proteus portfolio is designed to support grid stability, renewable energy integration, and large-scale clean energy deployment.

The company plans to offi cially showcase the new solar inverter range at Intersolar Europe 2026 in Munich.

The launch marks ABB’s return to the power electronics business after exiting the sector in 2020, reflecting growing global demand for solar and energy storage technologies as the clean energy transition accelerate

Reconditioned vehicle importers have urged the government to review the proposed duty structure for automobiles , saying budgetary benefi ts for electric vehicles (EVs) could erode the competitiveness of hybrid and fossil-fuelpowered reconditioned cars in Bangladesh’s developing automobile market.

Abdul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (Barvida), made the call at a press conference at Dhaka Club recently.

The association said the proposed budget grants signifi cant duty benefi ts to EVs while raising the tax burden on popular reconditioned vehicles, particularly mid-range fossil-fuel-powered cars used by middle-income consumers.

The government is set to undertake a Tk4,973.73 crore project to strengthen electricity distribution systems in industrially developed areas surrounding Dhaka to meet rapidly growing demand from industries, businesses and households.

The project, titled ‘Capacity Enhancement of Electrical Distribution Systems of 13 Palli Bidyut Samities Around Dhaka under REB,’ will be implemented by the Bangladesh Rural Electrifi cation Board (REB) across 13 Palli Bidyut Samities in Dhaka, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts.

According to the proposal, the initiative aims to modernize and strengthen distribution networks in rapidly industrializing areas, particularly Gazipur, Narayanganj and Narsingdi, where large factories and economic zones have signifi cantly increased electricity demand.

Japan’s largest power generation company, JERA, has received its fi rst liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) cargo from the Barossa Gas Project in Australia’s Northern Territory, marking a key milestone in the project’s commercial operations.

JERA, which holds a 12.5% stake in the Barossa project, will receive around 425,000 tonnes of LNG annually in line with its equity share.

The gas will supply the Darwin LNG plant, extending the facility’s operational life after the depletion of the Bayu-Undan gas fi eld.

The company said the new supply strengthens its diversifi ed LNG portfolio and enhances Japan’s energy security amid continued volatility in global gas markets.

JERA also has investments in Australia’s Wheatstone LNG and Scarborough gas projects

Gas supply across Bangladesh was disrupted recently due to emergency maintenance work at a floating liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) terminal in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, resulting in low gas pressure for residential, commercial, industrial and CNG consumers.

In an urgent notice, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd said one of the floating storage and regasifi cation units (FSRUs) had been temporarily taken offline for repairs, reducing gas supply to the national grid.

Consumers in Dhaka and several other areas reported diffi culties in cooking and disruptions to business operations as gas pressure dropped signifi cantly.

Petrobangla offi cials said the maintenance work has further strained the country’s gas supply, which is already facing a defi cit against demand.

Bangladesh’s two FSRUs at Maheshkhali normally regasify between 950 million and 1 billion cubic feet of imported LNG per day to supplement declining domestic gas production.

Bangladesh must restore investor confi dence, cut red tape, and secure energy supplies to revive investment under the proposed national budget for 2026-27, said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the prime minister’s adviser on planning and economic affairs, recently.

The budget marks a shift towards a ‘new economic model’ focused on investment, jobs, and public trust, he said at a postbudget dialogue.

The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka, the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), and Standard Chartered Bangladesh jointly organized the event in Dhaka.

‘The fi rst question is confi dence,’ he said, adding that Bangladesh had overcome past economic crises by adopting homegrown strategies rather than textbook prescriptions.

Investors need policy continuity, deregulation, fi nancing, energy security, and connectivity, Titumir said, citing the proposed fi ve-year policy outlook as a key signal to businesses.

The United Nations has urged governments and international fi nancial institutions to signifi cantly increase investment in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure, warning that fi nancing gaps are slowing progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

In his latest SDG Progress Report, UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres noted that while global electricity access has reached 92 percent of the world’s population, nearly one in twelve people still lack reliable power.

The report also highlights that renewable energy capacity per capita grew by 14 percent between 2023 and 2024, reaching more than double its 2015 level.

Despite these gains, the report cautions that declining development assistance and weaker investment flows threaten further expansion of clean energy, particularly in developing countries.

Offi cial Development Assistance (ODA) fell by 6.1 percent in 2024, while foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing economies declined by 2 percent in 2025.