Latest news with #energySecurity
E&E News
3 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
DOE issues export approval for Texas gas expansion project
The Department of Energy issued a key authorization Thursday to an expansion of a natural gas liquefaction facility in southeast Texas, the first final export approval since President Donald Trump returned to office. In a 74-page order, DOE authorized the second phase of the Port Arthur LNG project to ship liquefied natural gas to countries that lack a free-trade agreement with the United States — a bucket that accounts for the majority of countries worldwide. On Thursday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the second phase of the Port Arthur project turns 'more of the liquid gold beneath our feet into energy security for the American people.' Advertisement Under Trump, Wright added, the department is restoring the United States' role 'as the world's most reliable energy supplier.'
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Merz says Germany will ‘do everything' to prevent Nord Stream restart
BERLIN: Germany will 'do everything' to make sure the damaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia will not resume deliveries of natural gas to Europe, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday. 'We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia,' Merz said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. 'We will do everything in this context to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation.' The Nord Stream 2 gas link connecting Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea was damaged in September 2022 by huge underwater explosions, said to be an act of sabotage. The explosions destroyed one of the two pipes of Nord Stream 2 and both branches of its controversial sister pipeline, Nord Stream 1. While Nord Stream 2 never went into operation, Nord Stream 1 for years shipped cheap Russian gas to Europe via Germany. Critics have argued the existence of the pipeline left Germany and the rest of Europe overly reliant on fossil fuel deliveries from Moscow. German and British media have recently reported that Washington and Moscow had discussed the idea of reviving the Nord Stream 2 project during talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Senior political figures in Merz's own party had also expressed tentative support for restarting gas deliveries via the pipeline from Russia before the chancellor definitively ruled out the possibility. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month the bloc was working on a new set of sanctions that would include measures against Nord Stream 1 and 2, pre-empting a restart. Explaining the measures, EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho said, 'the idea is to dissuade any interest, and notably interest from investors, in pursuing any activity on Nord Stream, also in the future.'
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Japan probes Chinese solar panels over hidden device fears, power disruptions
Japan has launched an investigation into Chinese-made solar panels over fears they may contain hidden communication devices capable of disrupting the nation's power grid – a security concern that analysts say could accelerate a shift towards domestic clean-energy technology. Advertisement The inquiry follows recent findings by authorities in the United States and Europe earlier this month, who uncovered suspicious equipment embedded in these panels not listed in the official product specifications. The components were found in power inverters – devices that connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids and allow remote access for updates. However, this equipment from at least two Chinese companies was not listed in their technical details. Experts quoted by Reuters said the unlisted equipment provides a communication channel unknown to the operator, potentially allowing remote circumvention of security firewalls. Allowing an external entity to remotely control inverters could disrupt power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and cause blackouts, threatening national energy security. In conflict, the ability to cut or reduce the power supply becomes a powerful weapon. Advertisement The Japanese government has started examining imported solar panels to determine whether similar undeclared equipment has been added to units sold in the country.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK's largest natural gas storage facility to shut down without government help
The UK's largest natural gas storage facility will be 'decommissioned' without Government support, its operator Centrica has said. British Gas owner Centrica said earlier this month that it remains in talks with ministers about government cooperation to expand and revamp its Rough facility off the coast of Yorkshire. The facility in the North Sea is the largest of its kind in the UK, but Centrica stopped filling it with natural gas last month amid concerns over its financial viability. The company usually starts injecting fuel into the Rough site by spring, but it had not done so by mid-April, according to reports. Asked by the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme why Centrica needed government backing, the company's chief executive Chris O'Shea said: 'We are a big business, but this asset will lose probably £100 million this year because the cost of running it is over £100 million. 'If we were to simply spend £2 billion redeveloping this field and the summer-winter gas price stays the same, then we will lose that £2 billion and we'll lose the cost of operating the facility. 'It's just not sustainable.' Mr O'Shea said the company was 'not asking for any government money'. He added: 'What we're asking for is simply for the Government to help create the conditions which will unlock £2 billion of investment and it will create thousands of jobs in the construction phase, and it will safeguard the jobs of very highly skilled colleagues.' The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the future of Rough was a 'commercial decision for Centrica', but the Government remained 'open to discussing proposals on gas storage sites'. While the UK does not rely heavily on gas storage compared with other countries' energy systems, the Rough site comprises about half of its storage capacity, and acts as a buffer when the weather is especially cold and demand for gas spikes. Asked what would happen to the facility without government support, Mr O'Shea said: 'So inevitably what will happen is that this asset will be decommissioned. 'It will be shut down, and we will remove everything that we've got here. We'll make it like it was never here, and we'll lose this resilience.' Mr O'Shea said the site could become 'the world's single largest hydrogen storage facility', adding that there was a 'huge saving to consumers' of having the facility remain open. The Centrica boss said Germany, France and the Netherlands had 'more than 100 days of gas storage' compared to the UK's 12 days, which would go down to six days if the Rough facility closes. Centrica faced a shareholder revolt earlier this month over executive pay, after nearly 40% voted against its directors' pay packets at the energy firm's annual general meeting. The British Gas owner has faced criticism for how much it pays chief executive Mr O'Shea in recent years. Mr O'Shea was paid £4.3 million last year, about half of what he earned in the previous 12 months including bonuses and share-related pay. But his annual basic salary rose 29% to £1.1 million. Asked how he could justify the salary at a time when people were struggling to pay their energy bills, Mr O'Shea said he did not set his own pay. He added: 'Look, I think it's really difficult. I am unbelievably fortunate. 'I have a job where the market rate is more than I ever thought I would earn.' Mr O'Shea said the UK will have 'failed' if it has a 'clean energy system where people can't afford to pay their bills'. The Centrica chief executive added: 'The energy transition is a huge economic opportunity. 'The thing that frustrates me is that we will have people that will give soundbites, but they might not be backed up by fact and you see this becoming a left versus right thing. 'What we need is an energy system which is clean, that's resilient, and it's always available, and it's affordable.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: 'As shown by the National Energy System Operator's independent report, our mission for clean power by 2030 is achievable and will deliver a more secure energy system, which could see a lower cost of electricity and lower bills. 'The future of Rough storage is a commercial decision for Centrica, but we remain open to discussing proposals on gas storage sites, as long as it provides value for money for taxpayers.'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
China has installed kill switches in solar panels sold to the West
Engineers have discovered 'kill switches' embedded within Chinese-manufactured parts in American solar farms, raising fears that Beijing could manipulate power supplies or even 'physically destroy' grids across the US, UK and Europe. Energy officials are now assessing the risks posed by small communication devices discovered inside power inverters - an integral component of renewable energy systems that connects them to the power grid. While inverters are built to allow remote access for updates and maintenance, the utility companies that use them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication back to China. But rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some solar power inverters by US experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues, two sources told Reuters. Using these devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilise power grids, damage energy infrastructure and trigger widespread blackouts, experts said. 'That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,' one of the sources declared. The discovery has raised fears that Beijing may maintain the capability to wreak havoc on power grids across the Western world, including in the UK, such is the reliance of Western renewable energy systems on Chinese-manufactured parts. British solar panels use parts manufactured in a variety of countries, including China. It is not known whether the Chinese 'killswitches' are present in any power converters installed in wind or solar farms in the UK. But shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie yesterday called on Labour's Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband to carry out an 'immediate pause and review' of its efforts to transition to green power. The two Reuters sources declined to name the Chinese manufacturers of the inverters and batteries with extra communication devices, nor say how many they had found in total. But the existence of the rogue devices had not previously been reported, and the US government has not publicly acknowledged the discoveries. Over the past nine months, undocumented communication devices, including cellular radios, have also been found in some batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers, one of the sources said. 'We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption,' said Mike Rogers, a former director of the US National Security Agency. 'I think that the Chinese are, in part, hoping that the widespread use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue.' Asked for comment, the US Department of Energy (DOE) said it continually assesses risk associated with emerging technologies and that there were significant challenges with manufacturers disclosing and documenting functionalities. 'While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received,' a spokesperson said. Work is ongoing to address any gaps in disclosures through 'Software Bill of Materials' - or inventories of all the components that make up a software application - and other contractual requirements, the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: 'We oppose the generalisation of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China's infrastructure achievements.' Meanwhile, the British Government is conducting a review of Chinese renewable energy technology in the energy system, but is still pressing ahead with its efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie told The Telegraph yesterday: 'We were already aware of concerns being raised by the Ministry of Defence and the security and intelligence services surrounding possible monitoring technology on Chinese-built wind turbines.' 'Ed Miliband's (pictured) Made in China transition – clean power at the expense of everything else – is a threat to our national security and makes a mockery of his claims on energy security. It is essential that an immediate pause and review is carried out to ensure the safety and security of our energy system.' It comes as an energy minister pledged earlier this week to put solar panels on 'every possible rooftop right across the country'. 'If there is a rooftop that we can put solar panels on, we are keen to do so,' Michael Shanks told the Commons, as he claimed the public are in support of solar. The Government announced plans to create 'solar carports' earlier this month, with supermarkets, offices and shopping centres required to install solar panels over their car parks. Housebuilders will also be forced to fit solar panels to all new properties by 2027, under Government plans. Chinese dominance in the manufacture of renewable energy technology - particularly power inverters - is stark. Huawei is the world's largest supplier of inverters, accounting for 29% of shipments globally in 2022, followed by Chinese peers Sungrow and Ginlong Solis, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Huawei and Sungrow together were reportedly responsible for manufacturing more than half of the world's power inverters in 2023. Since 2019, the US has restricted Huawei's access to technology, accusing the company of activities contrary to national security, which Huawei denies. But, while Huawei decided to leave the US inverter market in 2019 - the year its 5G telecoms equipment was banned - it remains a dominant supplier elsewhere. Philipp Schroeder, CEO of German solar company 1Komma5, said that Chinese influence over Europe's energy network was now a serious security concern. 'Ten years ago, if you switched off the Chinese inverters, it would not have caused a dramatic thing to happen to European grids, but now the critical mass is much larger. 'China's dominance is becoming a bigger issue because of the growing renewables capacity on Western grids and the increased likelihood of a prolonged and serious confrontation between China and the West,' he told Reuters.
