Energy

When it comes to achieving affordable, environmentally sustainable and secure energy systems, a group of small economies is quickly accelerating away from the rest of the world. The top 20 performers in the fifth annual Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2017 have achieved twice the average increase in their score compared to that of all other countries.
The report, developed in collaboration with Accenture Strategy and launched on Wednesday at the European Commission, ranks 127 countries based on their ability to provide energy across three dimensions of the “energy triangle”. It finds that the highest performers, which are primarily smaller countries and advanced economies, can overcome constraints if supporting policies are in place.

An analysis of the fastest growing sectors of renewable energy, finance sources in this sector and live examples of the Argentina’s companies operating in the renewable energy sector.

A conversation with Mr. Pablo Castagnino, Secretary Embassy of Argentina in Brussels, Head of the Economic Section, about current and future development of renewable energy sector in Argentina.

ABB has won a $75m order to supply advanced converter transformers for a high voltage direct current transmission link in Brazil.
The 800kV Belo Monte connection will transmit renewable energy generated in the north of the country to the southeast, the Swiss company said.

The 2,518 kilometre (km) link will transmit clean power generated in the north of Brazil, from the Xingu substation, to the Rio Substation in the southeast. It will be capable of transporting up to 4000 megawatts (MW) of electricity – enough to meet the needs of around ten million people. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2016.

How will the commodity market look in 2017?

Eleven more oil producing nations have agreed to cut their production to try to boost global crude oil prices. The deal follows an announcement by OPEC 11 days ago that its members would collectively cut production by just over 1 million barrels a day.

Large oil exporters, including Russia and Mexico, said they would mimic the Opec protocol agreed at the end of November and adjust their own production to 300,000 and 100,000 barrels a day respectively from the start of 2017. Oil prices have languished at less than or around $50 a barrel since the US became largely self-sufficient on shale from 2014 onwards; but with Opec’s announcement that production would be cut on 30 November, prices recently surged more than 15 per cent, rising last week briefly above $55.

General Electric (GE) and Baker Hughes (BHI) will combine to form a $32 billion oil and gas group, the two companies confirmed in a statement Monday. The combination will create the second-largest player in the oilfield services industry in terms of revenue after Schlumberger.
The move comes just a few months after Houston-based Baker Hughes’ nearly $35 billion acquisition by Halliburton was nixed by the Justice Department because of anti-competition concerns.

The oil trend is still fluctuating. According to Claudio Descalzi, Eni CEO, although the cost per barrel suffers decided fluctuations, the price remains in continuous ascent: "It grow up by 33-34 dollars per barrel and reached 50 and this is combined with the fact that the offer, then the production, was down compared with the demand. "