Category: Energy and Power

Swiss-based global energy technology firm ABB Inc.

is upping its greatly expanded investment in U.S. manufacturing by another $110 million this year to strengthen research and development around advanced electrification for the commercial and industrial sectors.

the latest manufacturing investment follows ABB’s $170 million commitment to its U.S. facilities two years ago. Those include projects around motor drives in Wisconsin and manufacturing, robotics, and other services in New Mexico, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

this month’s investment expansion could create nearly 200 new jobs in products serving growth industries such as data centers and the power grid.

the International Energy Agency and other forecasters, such as Goldman Sachs, are predicting significant demand growth driven by artificial intelligence and cloudbased computing, as well as industrial and transportation electrification.

the $110 million new investment will help create a new production line in Mississippi for ABB’s Emax3 circuit breakers.

the capital will also be spent to double the footprint of ABB’s power quality and protection equipment manufacturing in Richmond, Virginia, which is opening later this year.

Nuclear energy represents a $10 trillion potential market opportunity that could hold ‘the answer to the world’s power shortages,’ according to a new report from Bank of America.

to meet the growing demand for global electrification stoked by energy-intensive projects like the data centers underpinning the AI arms race, global nuclear capacity will have to triple by 2050, the firm estimated.

investment is expected to reach more than $3 trillion in the next 25 years. ‘This potential [for nuclear energy] has more momentum than before,’ Timothy Fox, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners said. ‘Data centers are looking for firm, dispatchable, and clean generation, and nuclear power can cover that.’ Rising demand, combined with strong support from the Trump administration and a public narrative turning positive after years of a dour outlook on the sector, has given a share price boost to companies operating throughout the nuclear sector supply chain in 2025.

Once again, conspiracy theories are thriving in Bangladesh.

it has spiraled since the chief adviser’s firm announcement that the next national election will be held by the first half of February next year. No force on earth can compel the interim government to change its election resolve, vow several government leaders. Yet again, another set of government leaders warns against any plot to foil the election plan.

the main political stakeholders of the election are also issuing warnings against anti-election conspiracies being hatched by forces at home and abroad. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has been in charge of governing the country since August last year, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. From day one, he has made three promises: reforms, trials, and elections. He emphasizes reforms in the constitution, judiciary, and the Election Commission to make the next polls as free and fair as possible. He has set for himself a big dream: overseeing the country’s freest, fairest, and peaceful election. He has also set in motion the trial of former Awami League ministers, including Sheikh Hasina, on charges of murdering protesters during last year’s student-led mass upsurge. Former police officials of her administration have also been brought to the dock of the International Crimes Tribunal to answer charges of mass murder. Prosecutors expect the trial to be completed with verdicts in some of the high-level cases, especially those against Hasina, who is now living in India. Some progress in the process of trial has been visible, but not so in the efforts at reaching a political consensus on reforming the constitution and the election system. While there has been a general agreement on having an Upper House of the legislature, key political actors – BNP, Jamaat, and NCP – disagree on how it will be elected. BNP stands firm against Jamaat’s stand of getting the Upper House elected through proportional representation (PR) of the votes gained by different political parties. Jamaat is campaigning for the introduction of a PR system in electing the lower and upper houses of the legislature. The consensus commission formed to thrash out the differences is struggling to get its act together. Without any consensus on this issue, the next election seems to be in trouble.

to press for its demands, Jamaat and several other parties have taken to the streets. Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP), widely seen as a party close to Prof Yunus, is about to get its registration with the Election Commission, but it has vowed protests unless it gets Shapla (water lily) as its chosen election symbol.

it has become a matter of concern as the EC has turned down NCP’s plea, saying Shapla is not even in the EC list of election symbols. The law and order situation is another major concern for the government and other stakeholders of the election. Mob violence is yet to abate.

extortion continues unabated. Political murders have always been an issue in Bangladesh, and it is likely to rise as the election coming closer to the voters’ doorsteps. By an executive order, the interim government has banned all activities of the fallen Awami League and its front or associated bodies.

the party’s registration with the EC has been suspended along with its election symbol, Boat. Despite the ban, activists of AL could manage to bring out lightning processions on the streets and Dhaka and some other cities. Hundreds of arrests have been made in an attempt to stem such protests amid stern warnings from the law-enforcing agencies. Will AL be allowed to take part in the February elections? If not, what happens with the supporters/voters of the disgraced party? These and other issues need to be dealt with through politically correct steps from the current administration. No conspiracy theories will work.

The global wind turbine market was valued at USD 151.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2025 to 2034, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc. Wind turbines are essential devices that convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy, which is then used to generate electricity.

this renewable energy source is crucial in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and addressing the challenges of climate change.

the increasing integration of wind energy with storage solutions and the rising focus on sustainability by corporations are key drivers of market growth. Wind energy is becoming a cornerstone of global decarbonization strategies as countries implement ambitious renewable energy targets. Developers are prioritizing environmentally sustainable wind projects, adopting certifications and best practices to promote eco-friendly construction and operations, further boosting the adoption of wind turbines. By axis type, horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) are expected to dominate, with USD 303 billion by 2034.

their efficiency, scalability, and adaptability across various applications contribute to this growth.

The residents of Sylhet city are facing a severe electricity crisis as frequent load -shedding has caused immense suffering recently amid sweltering heat. Large parts of the city plunged into darkness, leaving residents struggling to cope with.

the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in Sylhet said the country is experiencing power cuts due to several major plants going off suddenly because of mechanical failures. BPDB officials, however, expressed the hope that the situation may improve within two to three days.

officials in Sylhet said multiple outages are being carried out both during the day and night owing to a shortage in the national grid.

the crisis could ease if supply from the grid increases.

Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) has cancelled its long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contract with Summit Group, almost a year after scrapping the company’s second floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) project. Bangladesh had signed four long-term LNG supply deals effective from 2026 – with Qatar Energy Trading LLC, Oman’s OQ Trading Ltd, US-based Excelerate Gas Marketing Limited Partnership, and Summit Oil and Shipping Company Ltd. Summit Oil and Shipping Company Limited (SOSCL), a subsidiary of Summit Group, was notified about the cancellation on 1 September this year, according to official sources.

under a 15-year Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed on 30 March 2024, SOSCL was to supply 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG, about 24 cargoes annually, at $10.428 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) starting in October 2026.

earlier, on 7 October last year, Petrobangla cancelled the second Summit FSRU deal, citing failure to deposit the performance bond within 90 days as stipulated in the agreement. Petrobangla said the supply deal was tied directly to the commissioning of Summit’s second FSRU, for which the Terminal Usage Agreement (TUA) and Implementation Agreement (IA) were cancelled last year over failure to deposit the performance bond. ‘Since the TUA and IA with the second Summit FSRU have been cancelled, Article 3.3 of the LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement is no longer binding,’ it stated.

China, the world’s biggest source of planet-warming gases, has for the first time committed to an absolute target to cut its emissions.

in a video statement to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping said that China would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 7-10% by 2035, while ‘striving to do better’.

the announcement comes at a time when the US is rolling back on its commitments, with President Donald Trump recently calling climate change a ‘con job’. But some critics said China’s plan did not go as far as hoped to keep global climate goals in reach. ‘Even for those with tempered expectations, what’s presented today still falls short,’ said Yao Zhe, global policy adviser at Greenpeace East Asia. While the year’s big gathering of global leaders will be at COP30 in Brazil in November, the UN meeting in New York has extra relevance because countries are running out of time to submit their new climate plans.

these pledges – submitted every five years – are a key part of the Paris climate agreement, the landmark deal in which nearly 200 countries agreed steps to try to limit global warming.

the original deadline for these new commitments, covering emissions cuts by 2035, was back in February, but countries are now scrambling to present them by the end of September. Speaking before the meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the pledges were critical to keep the long-term rise in global temperatures under 1.5C, as agreed in Paris.

French energy multinational TotalEnergies and German energy group RWE have won a contract to build a large offshore wind energy project with a potential to supply the equivalent of one million households with electricity, the French government said recently.

the project, called ‘Centre Manche 2’, will be France’s largest-ever renewable energy installation.

totalEnergies in a separate statement put the overall investment at 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), making the deal the company’s biggest French contract in three decades.

the offshore farm is to go onstream in 2033, and will take France’s total wind energy production, either already in operation or in development, to 7.8 gigawatts, the energy ministry said. France’s four currently operational wind farms each produce under 500 megawatts, the same output level as the two wind farms currently being built. France hopes to generate 45 gigawatts in offshore wind energy by 2050.

Woodside Energy and Petronas have formalized a 15-year LNG supply agreement, which may include volumes from the recently sanctioned Louisiana LNG project. Woodside Energy Trading Singapore Pte Ltd (Woodside) and Petronas LNG Ltd. (PLL), a subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), have finalized a fully termed sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the supply of 1 million tonnes/year (tpy) of LNG to Malaysia from 2028 for a period of 15 years.

this finalized sale converts the non-binding heads of agreement (HOA) signed in June 2025 into a binding commitment, which will see Woodside supply LNG from its global portfolio, which may include volumes from the three-train, 16.5 million tpy Louisiana LNG project in the US, sanctioned earlier this year, the company said in a release Sept. 10.

the Louisiana LNG development has expansion capacity for two additional LNG trains and is fully permitted for a total capacity of 27.6 million tpy.

Youth for NDCs and its partners recently handed over a document titled ‘NDC 3.0 for COP30 – Stakeholder Recommendations’ to Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan at a ceremony held at Pani Bhaban in the capital. The recommendations, prepared ahead of Bangladesh’s submission of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC, set out 14 actionable proposals in four priority areas: energy, agriculture, forestry and urbanization. Receiving the recommendations, Rizwana Hasan said the young generation can feel the urgency of the climate crisis more strongly than others and will face the greatest impacts in the years to come. She emphasized values, honesty, and long-term thinking in addressing climate change. ‘Governments often become comfortable in their own policy processes.

that’s why initiatives emerging from society, especially youth are so important,’ she noted.