Energy

East Asia has continued to import fossil fuels from Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Ukraine war

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan buy $5.5bn of Russian fuel: think tank

East Asian powerhouses keep importing even as others shun Russian oil and gas

23 August 2022
Wind power is highly reliant on weather conditions, and its intermittent nature poses challenges to China's electricity grid.
Caixin

Sichuan power crunch sparks calls for rethink of coal in China's energy mix

Soaring temperatures and drought cripple hydropower stations

23 August 2022
Chinese solar panel manufactures are rushing to expand production capacity.
Climate Change

China has 340 reactors' worth of solar cell plants in the pipeline

Global decarbonization push sets stage for aggressive investments

23 August 2022
People attend an exhibition displaying destroyed Russian military vehicles in central Kyiv.
22 August 2022
Analysts say an EU ban on Russian seaborne oil, set to take effect on Dec. 5, gives the bloc added incentive to secure a deal that would ease sanctions on Iranian oil.
Commodities

What an Iran nuclear deal would mean for strained oil markets

1 million barrels per day of Iranian output would spell relief for the EU

21 August 2022
Russia on Aug. 5 established a new domestic company to operate the Sakhalin-2 LNG project.
Energy

Japan's Mitsui to keep Sakhalin-2 stake under new Russian operator

Moscow has final say over who remains in LNG project vital to Japanese supply

21 August 2022
The liquefied natural gas plant on Russia's Sakhalin Island.
Energy

Japanese buyers renew LNG contracts with new Sakhalin-2 operator

Tokyo Gas and JERA keep access to Russian energy ahead of winter squeeze

20 August 2022
 As energy prices soar, rates for stranded customers in Japan fell below market levels. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Inflation

Tokyo utility TEPCO ups rates 30% for companies stranded by power providers

Japan electricity market exodus makes customers seek contracts of last resort

20 August 2022
A trial ammonia power system operated by IHI. (Photo courtesy of IHI)
Energy

Japan's IHI to burn ammonia with coal at Indian power plant

Joint project with India's Adani aims to reduce emissions with cleaner fuel

19 August 2022
Singapore uses rooftop solar panels, but their generating capacity is limited.
Energy

Singapore opens taps on renewable-energy imports with Laos deal

Far-reaching strategy stretches to Australian desert, but carries risks

18 August 2022
A liquefied natural gas storage facility east of Tokyo. Japan relies heavily on LNG imports for power.
Energy

Sakhalin-2's new operator keeps same LNG terms for Japan buyers

Clients receive notices following Russian project's reorganization

18 August 2022
PTT expects Thai consumers to be uniquely open to vegan meat products. (Photo by Kosuke Inoue)
Food & Beverage

PTT ready to bring plant-based meat treats to its gas stations

Thai oil company challenges country's food majors with soy nuggets and gyoza

17 August 2022
JERA's stake in GEC will give the Japanese company a further 190 megawatts of renewable power generating capacity, bringing its total to 1,900 MW. (Source photos from screenshots of JERA and GEC websites) 
Energy

Japan's JERA to buy 35% stake in Vietnam renewables operator

Companies will consider joint solar, wind projects in $112m deal

16 August 2022
Toyota has a plant in Chengdu that it operates through a joint venture with a Chinese company. It has been instructed to suspend operations until Aug. 20.
Supply Chain

Toyota, Apple suppliers hit by China blackouts amid heat wave

Sichuan authorities order factories to halt operations through Saturday

16 August 2022
A wind turbine is erected in China's Jiangxi Province in July 2020: The country is home to six of the world's top 10 wind turbine makers.
Energy

China drives global renewables spending to record 1st half

Sector unhindered by rising costs, but Beijing's lead in wind, solar grows

16 August 2022
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would be the first Japanese leader to visit the Middle East in over two and a half years.
International relations

Japan PM Kishida eyes visits to Kuwait and Qatar this month

Leader to engage in energy diplomacy amid rising prices

16 August 2022
With air pollution getting more serious in India, the government is encouraging the sale of vehicles powered by compressed natural gas, as they emit less harmful substances in their exhaust.
Energy

Osaka Gas eyes $3bn investment to boost gas sales in India

Environmental concerns expected to stimulate demand for cleaner fuels

12 August 2022
TotalEnergies, like many of its peers, is speeding up its shift into renewables as the future for fossil fuels looks increasingly bleak. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Energy

France's Total to build solar panels in renewable-hungry Vietnam

Deal to generate 51 GWh of electricity a year as companies seek alternative energy

9 August 2022
A tanker loads LNG from the Sakhalin-2 project in October 2021. President Vladimir Putin has handed control of the energy project partly owned by Japanese companies to a Russian company.
Energy

Russia's latest move on Sakhalin-2 energy project: 4 things to know

As 1-month countdown ticks off, concerns mount over Japan's LNG supply

4 August 2022
A Japanese liquefied natural gas carrier is anchored near Sakhalin. The Sakhalin-2 project is responsible for around 10% of Japan's LNG imports.
Energy

Russia readies new Sakhalin-2 operator, putting Japan's stake on the line

Mitsui and Mitsubishi face decision on whether to stick with energy project

4 August 2022
Asian LNG buyers are competing with European purchasers reeling from Russia's move to tighten supplies in July.
Energy

LNG price spike causes energy crises in strapped Asian nations

Pakistan deals with power shortages and production cuts amid tenfold jump

3 August 2022
An employee of Sakhalin Energy stands at the Sakhalin-2 project's liquefaction gas plant in Prigorodnoye.
Energy

Mitsui, Mitsubishi slash value of Sakhalin-2 stakes by $1.66bn

As uncertainty spreads, Japanese trading houses shoulder the burden

2 August 2022
PTT, a Thai state-owned enterprise, has to comply with the government’s environmental targets, which include reaching carbon neutrality in 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065.
Energy

Thailand's PTT pulls out of coal mining through $471m asset sale

Offloading of business in line with government's 2065 zero-emissions target

2 August 2022
A Kobe Steel works in Kakogawa, Japan. Home to many carbon-intensive businesses, Japan has advocated for a transitional approach to decarbonization.
Climate Change

Japan plans green transition road map for emissions-heavy industries

Government encourages investors to ditch all-or-nothing view on decarbonization

2 August 2022
A coal depot at a coal-fired power plant in Japan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Russian sanctions threaten to make coal dirtier, more costly

Global trade reshuffle adds up to more inefficient and expensive coal transport

1 August 2022