Nuclear fusion: World-first reaction achieved by Oxford-based start-up April 5, 2022 The crown jewel of energy production, nuclear fusion using a projectile, may have been cracked in a major scientific breakthrough by a start-up in Oxford. First Light Fusion (FLF) was praised by business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, after it announced it had achieved the reaction in its Kidlington laboratory. The experiment fused two atoms [...]
UK faces supply crunch as gas and nuclear power plants close, warns Drax as it halts key biomass project March 21, 2023 The UK is facing a significant shortage in power that can be brought online at times of peak demand, warned Drax.
Johanna Kyrklund: Putin and the Fed remind us what risk looks like February 22, 2022 Ski holidays are not relaxing at the best of times, especially with children. There is the fretting about injuries – I am thankful when we finish each day unscathed. There is the infuriation of getting children into their clothes and ski boots each day. That’s not even to mention the pain of Heathrow passport control. [...]
The Russia–Ukraine war and other geopolitical risks April 5, 2022 The war in Ukraine is dominating the headlines. For now. But the conflict’s indirect reverberations will ripple far beyond the borders of its combatants and their allies. Indeed, they could give rise to new and varied geopolitical risks throughout the world. The war’s potential effect on the global grain supply and food inflation is especially [...]
Biden rules out military action in Ukraine despite deepening Russia tensions December 10, 2021 US president Joe Biden ruled out using American troops to defend Ukraine earlier this week, despite the looming threat of a Russian invasion.
Airspace closures hit air cargo operations leading to more supply chain issues March 1, 2022 The Ukrainian conflict has hit air cargo operations worldwide, creating even more supply chain issues, analysts and companies said. Following the EU’s decision to close its airspace to Russian aircraft and the Kremlin’s retaliation, both passenger and cargo routes have been severely disrupted. Some of the biggest airlines in Europe – including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM [...]
Johnson says sky-high inflation is ‘big chance’ to fix cost pressures and ‘do things differently’ as PM denies being complacent June 30, 2022 The Prime Minister said today there is a “big chance” to fix unnecessary cost pressures for people and businesses across the UK as Boris Johnson denied that his Government is being “complacent” about spiralling inflation. Speaking at a press conference at the close of the Nato summit in Madrid, Johnson said the “very, very tight [...]
What impact is “greenflation” having on commodities? March 24, 2022 Under-investment in the supply of commodities across energy, metals and agriculture, as a result of policies to mitigate climate change, is limiting supply growth and driving prices higher. Commodities outperformed bonds and equities for the first time in almost a decade in 2021. Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, these trends looked set to [...]
Breezy does it: Wind output pushes down power prices while diplomacy causes oil and gas to falter February 18, 2022 Power, gas and oil prices all stutter amid stormy weather and increased hopes of diplomatic solutions to geopolitical tensions.
Shell restarts LNG shipments from giant floating gas site April 12, 2022 Shell has restarted shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Prelude, its massive floating plant off the coast of Western Australia.