The price of emissions in the world’s largest compliance carbon market –the EU’s Emissions Trading System– has fallen sharply so far in 2024, driven by economic uncertainty, weaker industrial activity and lower gas prices.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Eklavya Gupte, Coralie Laurencin, Michael Testa and Scott Chen discuss the reasons behind this decline, the outlook for EU ETS prices, and what this slump could mean for short- and long-term climate and energy policy.
Related price assessment
EADLP00 - EU Emission Allowance Nearest-December
Read further on our:
Specifications Guide Carbon Markets
Carbon in the Atlas Of Energy Transition
As the dust settles after COP28, with world leaders finally agreeing to shift energy systems away from fossil fuels, scrutiny of the climate impact of energy policy is set to intensify in 2024.
The thorny issue of finance is likely to dominate the climate debate this year, and with economic and geopolitical uncertainty still dominating the headlines, energy markets are in for a bumpy ride.
In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Anna Mosby, Sara Giordano, Agamoni Ghosh and Eklavya Gupte take a deep dive into some of the key outcomes from COP28 and how they might affect climate policy moving forward.
Further reading:
COP28: An in-depth review
There's just over a year to go until the EU introduces its sustainable aviation fuel mandate. S&P Global Commodity Insights' Seb Lewis, associate director for biofeedstocks and biofuels consulting, speaks with Stephen Li, associate director for biofuels research and analysis, and Simone Burgin, associate editor for biofuels pricing. The team discusses the current state of the SAF market and HEFA fuels, developments in advanced biofuels and PtL pathways, feedstocks, and the current state and future paths of SAF pricing.
Related prices:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel CIF ARA Premium $/mt (AJNWF00)
UCO (RED) FOB ARA $/mt (AUCOA00)
Waste feedstocks in the form of Used Cooking Oil and Palm Oil Mill Effluent have been hitting headlines in the biofuels sphere – touted as the next generation of energy feedstocks. Feedstock flexibility appears to be a dominant trend over the next few years, and legislations across many countries look set to propel demand of waste-based feedstocks.
In this podcast, Asia’s managing editor Takmila Shahid, markets editor Nurul Darni, together with Head of Asia agriculture and metals news team, Rohan Somwanshi, and biofuels analyst Chua Wei Jun, discuss the rising appeal of UCO and POME as the coveted biodiesel feedstocks, recent market trends, trade flows and legislations that drive demand for these feedstocks.
The growing use of renewable energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels is creating a large flexibility gap that needs to be filled by clean technologies such as energy storage. Long-term storage technologies are critical to solar and wind power, addressing the challenge of intermittency.
While lithium-ion stands as the incumbent, scaling it for extended durations proves costly. Alternative solutions poised to fill this role will need to demonstrate scalable manufacturing and large-scale deployments to meet soaring demand.
In this special miniseries of the Platts Future Energy podcast, metals engagement lead Jesline Tang and energy storage analyst Susan Taylor join metals markets reporter Euan Sadden to discuss the evolving landscape of alternative long-term storage technologies, their impact on the battery sector, and how they compare to existing lithium-ion battery systems.
For more information, visit https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is seen as an essential enabler of international emissions trading, providing countries and businesses with a key pathway to meet and accelerate their climate goals.
However, many key decisions and rules around the use of Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 need to be clarified at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in order to move carbon markets forward.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Dana Agrotti, Vandana Sebastian and Eklavya Gupte explore some of the complexities of Article 6 and its implications for both the compliance and voluntary carbon markets.
Related price assessments:
CNHDD00 - Platts Household Devices
ANBAA00 - Platts Nature-Based Avoidance
CNRED00 - Platts Renewable Energy
Related podcasts:
ESG Insider: What to expect from COP28, the UN’s big climate change conference, with president Saugata Saha.
Future Energy: Carbon credits seek to regain credibility amid growing scrutiny
Video series: What is the voluntary carbon market?
Further reading:
Conversations at COP28 (Vandana Sebastian)
UN Article 6.4 body fails to finalize carbon trade text, new meetings planned (Eklavya Gupte)
Crunch time for UN carbon body to deliver clarity on Article 6.4 (Eklavya Gupte)
COP28 presidency working to drive demand for high-quality carbon credits (Eklavya Gupte)
INTERVIEW: COP28 director-general says progress on carbon markets needed to accelerate climate action (Eklavya Gupte)
In this series of podcasts, we explore and compare different battery chemistries against the dominant lithium-ion battery sector.
Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a strong competitor to lithium-ion batteries, particularly in the energy storage sector. Some have even hailed it as a game-changer in the entry-level or low-cost EV segment, and that it could threaten the long-standing dominance of lithium-ion batteries in the EV sector.
In this episode, battery metals experts Euan Sadden, Leah Chen and Henrique Ribeiro explore the technical differences between sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, the pros and cons of sodium-ion batteries, and whether it ultimately plays a competitive or complementary role to lithium-ion batteries.
Further reading
Lithium price rally opens door for sodium-ion batteries
Lithium demand destruction looms as project delays, cost pressures mount
Related price assessments
BATHY04 - Lithium Hydroxide DDP China Yuan/mt
BATCA04 - Lithium Carbonate DDP China Yuan/mt
BATLH04 - Lithium Hydroxide CIF North Asia $/mt
BATLC04 - Lithium Carbonate CIF North Asia $/mt
Against the backdrop of Europe’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a self-imposed deadline for a US Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum, American steelmakers are stepping up investments in clean energy and working to ensure efforts to produce lower-emissions steel are recognized on the global stage. So how will policymakers view their initiatives, and will end-users be willing to pay more for material with a reduced-CO2 profile?
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Christopher Davis, regional pricing director for metals in the Americas, talks with head of Americas metals news Justine Coyne and low-carbon electricity analyst Danylo Babkov about these topics and more.
Related prices:
Platts European HR Carbon-Accounted Steel Premium Eur/mt (EHRSA00)
Platts Northwest Europe HRC Carbon-Accounted Steel Price Eur/mt (EHRSC00)
Platts Ni-Co black mass DDP US $/mt (NBNED00)
Related podcasts:
How is Europe’s steel industry rising to the challenge of energy transition
Decarbonization efforts in India: how ready is the steel industry?
How will the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism affect global trade and carbon pricing?
Voluntary carbon markets are facing a critical moment in their short history. Questions about the integrity and effectiveness of many carbon projects have led to a sharp fall in prices and liquidity. However, a series of quality and transparency initiatives are being adopted to restore confidence in offsets.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Eklavya Gupte, Dana Agrotti and Silvia Favasuli discuss the road to recovery for the VCM as it seeks to rebuild credibility and trust.
Related price assessments:
Hear more on the latest developments in the carbon markets by attending the Global Carbon Markets Conference taking place on November 6-9, 2023 in Paris.
And you can watch our latest videos explaining what determines the price of a carbon credit and the pricing structure in the VCM.
The hefty premiums paid by BP and TotalEnergies in Germany’s latest offshore wind auction reflect the value these companies place on diversification – but do the economics stack up?
Competition for offshore concessions has been fierce, but the sector is also under extreme cost pressure from stressed supply chains and rising inflation.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ news editors Henry Edwardes-Evans, Andreas Franke and Alex Blackburne discuss these issues with S&P Global analyst director colleague Coralie Laurencin.
Explore our interactive Renewable Energy Price calculator
Related price assessment:
WDETF00 - German Offshore Wind Renewable Capture Price
Related stories:
Germany sells four offshore wind concessions for $14 bil to BP, TotalEnergies
Germany awards 1.8 GW offshore wind concessions for Eur784 million
Offshore wind industry weighs consequences of 'seismic' German auction
Renewable Natural Gas – also known as RNG or biomethane — has gained attention in recent years as a lower-carbon replacement for conventional fossil natural gas. Rising demand for RNG has helped push prices for the associated environmental attributes up to anywhere from five to forty times the price of physical natural gas. As the market has grown, so has the need for transparent pricing. In response, S&P Global Commodity Insights launched first-of-kind pricing for landfill gas RNG for the California and outside-of-California markets in May.
What supports those premiums for RNG and how does S&P Global see demand for this low-carbon gas alternative developing in the future? Kelsey Hallahan, team lead for low carbon commodities, discusses with low carbon pricing analyst Hope Raymond, senior biofuels analyst Jamie Dorner, and senior director for the S&P Global Hydrogen and Renewable Gas Forum Alex Klaessig.
Inflation Reduction Act: A Pragmatist's Guide
Prices in this episode:
North America Renewable Natural Gas Premium (California) - AEWAA00
EU Biomass Guarantees of Origin (GO) Current Yr Eur/MWh -- EBGY200
Low Carbon Fuel Standard Carbon Credits Front Quarter -- AAXYA00
India has an ambitious target to double the steel production capacity by 2030 from current levels. While the steel industry gears up for this expansion, concerns of higher carbon emissions loom large amid India lacking a distinct roadmap for decarbonization and its carbon neutrality target set as far ahead as 2070. At the same time, Europe is gearing up to implement the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is expected to affect the sources and prices of steel imports.
How is Indian steel industry going to be impacted by CBAM and how is India faring in its decarbonization journey? S&P Global Commodity Insights Senior Editor covering the Asia ferrous metals market, Rituparna Nath spoke with Rohan Somwanshi, Managing Editor for Asia Metals News, Agamoni Ghosh, Managing Editor of the Global Compliance Carbon markets and Paul Bartholomew, Senior Metals Analyst to discuss.
Related content: How is Europe’s steel industry rising to the challenge of energy transition
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The European steel industry is at the forefront of developing a market for lower CO2 emission steel. New production processes are being implemented, new products are being offered, but the green steel market is lacking standardization at the same time. Standardization of carbon-accounted products is one of many items on the European Commission’s energy transition to-do list. The next action item is going to be the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is expected to affect the sources and prices of steel imports.
What do we know about the CBAM and how is Europe’s steel industry navigating the uncharted waters of green steel trading? S&P Global Commodity Insights Managing Editor Ferrous Metals EMEA Laura Varriale spoke with Senior Editor Flat Steel Europe Maria Tanatar and Head of Future Energy Outlooks Roman Kramarchuk.
Related content:
EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to raise $80B per year by 2040
Europe's decarbonization focus sets region's steel sector in motion
Related price symbols:
EHRSA00 - Platts European HRC Carbon-Accounted Steel Premium Eur/mt
EHRSC00 - Platts Northwest Europe HRC Carbon-Accounted Steel Price Eur/mt
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Amid global efforts to decarbonize, US President Joe Biden's administration has set an ambitious goal to have 50% of all new vehicle sales in the US be electric by the end of this decade. However, making this shift will be heavily reliant on securing supply of battery metals. As countries around the globe are racing to electrify, Latin America, with its rich mineral reserves, is set to play a critical role.
In the second episode of this special two-part series, S&P Global news and analytics experts Jared Anderson, Justine Coyne, Adriana Carvalho and Jay Hwang discuss Latin America and the role it can play in the US reaching its decarbonization goals.
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Amid global efforts to decarbonize, US President Joe Biden’s administration has set an ambitious goal to have 50% of all new vehicle sales in the US be electric by the end of this decade. However, making this shift will be heavily reliant on securing supply of battery metals. As countries around the globe are racing to electrify, Latin America, with its rich mineral reserves, is set to play a critical role.
In the first episode of this special two-part series, S&P Global news and analytics experts Jared Anderson, Justine Coyne, Adriana Carvalho and Jay Hwang discuss the state of lithium and battery metals supply and pricing, power pricing impacts, and the outlook for the US reaching its goals.
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Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) were born out of Europe's desire to wean itself off renewable energy subsidies.
PPAs are now becoming more common across the region as more companies use them as a key risk hedging and decarbonisation tool.
From a very niche industry, PPAs are becoming mainstream, with companies now having entire PPA departments, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
Henry Edwardes-Evans, Head of Gas and Power News, discusses the fundamentals and potential of the European PPA market with Kira Savcenko, Senior Power Editor, and Diego Ortíz, Principal Research Analyst in the Gas, Power and Climate Solutions team.
Related analysis by speaker Diego Ortíz: European PPA market continues to grow in the first quarter of 2023
Related interview with Pexapark: European PPA market could see record deals in 2023
Price assessments:
Platts-Pexapark Germany Solar 10 Year Pay-as-Produced PPA Index
Platts-Pexapark Germany Onshore Wind 10 Year Pay-as-Produced PPA Index
Platts-Pexapark Spain Solar 10 Year Pay-as-Produced PPA Index
Platts-Pexapark Spain Onshore Wind 10 Year Pay-as-Produced PPA Index
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With investors, importers, and the public paying more attention to greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel production, US natural gas producers have increasingly turned to third-party certifiers to attest that they are responsible operators. Wyoming gas producer PureWest Energy has been on the forefront of the emerging certified gas market, having certified 100% of its production through Project Canary and as a founding member of the Differentiated Gas Coordinating Council.
PureWest CEO Chris Valdez joins S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Kelsey Hallahan to share his insights on the development of a certified gas market and the state of emissions transparency in the US gas industry. Afterward, SPGCI senior emissions analyst Emmanuel Corral and low carbon pricing analyst Hope Raymond share some key highlights from a new report on this emerging market.
Learn more about the market origins of certified gas, the current state of affairs, and where it could go from here with SPGCI’s Producer Certified Gas Special Report.
Battery production offcuts and end-of-life batteries are collected, dismantled and shredded to produce black mass from which critical materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese can be extracted. The recycling of black mass has become increasingly important as a supplement to virgin material supply and to reduce the carbon footprint of the battery supply chain.
Platts, part of S&P Commodity Insights, has launched the publication of daily black mass assessments, which will provide greater transparency and understanding of how the market actually operates, especially as there is currently a lack of standardisation and comprehensive coverage in the black mass market.
This episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast aims to explore the challenges and opportunities facing the market, unpack these new price assessments, and answer the question of whether black mass has the potential to address the looming supply deficits.
In a time of geopolitical strife, economic uncertainty, and energy transition, nuclear power is edging more and more into the spotlight. Countries are looking to decarbonize, boost their energy security and adjust to shifting trade flows.
In the second episode of this special two-part series, S&P Global nuclear news and analytics experts Bill Freebairn, Morris Greenberg, Dr. Jone-Lin Wang, and Mason Lester discuss new developments in infrastructure and markets as fleets age out and more countries expand their use of nuclear power.
Register for the Platts Global Power Markets Conference here
In a time of geopolitical strife, economic uncertainty, and energy transition, nuclear power is edging more and more into the spotlight. Countries are looking to decarbonize, boost their energy security and adjust to shifting trade flows, with nuclear power seen by some as a way to advance on all these fronts. Policymakers are dangling attractive incentives in many countries for the energy source.
In the first episode of this special two-part series, S&P Global nuclear news and analytics experts Bill Freebairn, Morris Greenberg, Dr. Jone-Lin Wang, and Mason Lester discuss the global state of nuclear infrastructure and markets in 2023 and beyond. Tune in next week for part two of the discussion, focusing on future outlooks.
Register for the Platts Global Power Markets Conference here
The European Union’s implementation of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to support its industry’s efforts to decarbonize and prevent carbon leakage is likely to have far-reaching effects on global trade and the wider energy transition.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Eklavya Gupte, Coralie Laurencin, Michael Evans and Paula VanLaningham take a deep dive on CBAM, examining its potential impact on a range of industries, political alliances and its influence on carbon pricing and regulation.
NOTE: ‘CBAM CO2 emissions data referenced in this podcast relate to emissions modelling totals between 2026-2040’.
Click here to access prices, news and analytics relating to carbon markets on Platts Dimensions Pro
Join S&P Global experts from our Commodity Insights and Mobility divisions as they delve into the potential roadblocks facing the electric vehicle market in 2023. From fluctuating lithium prices to the phasing out of government subsidies, learn how these factors may impact EV sales and the battery metals market. Stay ahead of the curve as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the ever-evolving EV industry.
Related price assessments:
BATLC04 - Lithium Carbonate CIF North Asia $/mt
BATLH04 - Lithium Hydroxide CIF North Asia $/mt
Green ammonia is a leading contender as a hydrogen carrier for the energy transition, providing a ready end market and a means of transporting the product over long distances.
S&P Global Commodity Insights energy transition reporter James Burgess talks to hydrogen analyst Matthew Hodgkinson and pricing managing editor Mario Perez to explore ammonia’s energy transition potential and the latest green hydrogen developments in Europe.
Related price assessments:
Renewable power-derived ammonia:
GADAL04 - EC Canada Renewable derived Ammonia Dlvd into Northwest Europe
GADAF04 - Middle East Renewable derived Ammonia Dlvd into Northwest Europe
GADAJ04 - US Gulf Coast Renewable derived Ammonia Dlvd into Northwest Europe
Carbon-neutral H2:
HYNWA00 - Carbon Neutral Hydrogen Ex Works North West Europe
HYMEA00 - Carbon Neutral Hydrogen Ex Works Middle East
Despite serving multiple purposes in the energy transition, batteries have their own footprint, and downstream players want to have that addressed. With automakers on the driving seat, ESG requirements over the battery supply chains have been spreading out, despite the lack of standardized guidelines.
In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, metals editors Henrique Ribeiro and Leah Chen discuss the main ESG challenges faced by the battery industry and what steps are being taken to mitigate the risks.
Related price assessments:
BATLC04 - Lithium Carbonate CIF North Asia $/mt
BATCA04 - Lithium Carbonate DDP China Yuan/mt
BATLH04 - Lithium Hydroxide CIF North Asia $/mt
BATHY04 - Lithium Hydroxide DDP China Yuan/mt
BATSP03 - Lithium Spodumene 6% FOB Australia $/mt Wkly
BATCO04 - Cobalt Sulfate 20.5% CIF North Asia $/mt
BATCS04 - Cobalt Sulfate min 20.5% DDP China
BATCH04 - Cobalt Hydroxide CIF China $/lb
Gulf countries attending the ADIPEC conference in October made it clear that oil and gas will be needed for decades to come, and the region has the least carbon-intensive barrels to fuel a global economy seeking to lower its emissions. How does this play against the United Nations’ assertion that new hydrocarbon investments are incompatible with credible net-zero targets?
S&P Global Commodity Insights news editors Dania El Saadi and Henry Edwardes-Evans compare notes.
Plug Power, one of the leading green hydrogen companies in the US, has put a lot of investment and attention in the European green hydrogen market over the years. But its attention is now expected to shift back to the US side of its business following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and its generous hydrogen tax credits. There’s broad consensus that the IRA makes US green hydrogen far more competitive than before, but can it now outcompete EU hydrogen?
Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh joins S&P Global Commodity Insights reporter Brandon Mulder to share his insights on the IRA and what it means for the US market. Then SPGCI hydrogen analyst Brian Murphy and pricing reporter Santiago Canel share their thoughts about the US’s green hydrogen export potential.
Learn more about regional differences in hydrogen prices around the world with SPGCI's Hydrogen Price Wall, and analysis of global hydrogen news and developments with the quarterly Hydrogen Market Monitor on Platts Dimensions Pro.
With geopolitical and economic pressures altering the context dramatically since the last meeting in Glasgow, S&P Global Commodity Insights tackles the most pressing questions ahead of this global climate gathering.
Vandana Sebastian speaks to Roman Kramarchuk and Dan Klein on what to expect at COP27, whether countries can reach a consensus on climate goals, the significance of decarbonization in a world of evolving energy priorities, and the relevance of COP27 amid the global energy crisis.
Australia has accelerated its climate ambitions with a new commitment to cut emissions by 43% by 2030, which translates into having about 82% renewable power in its energy mix. Alongside that, the 2019 National Hydrogen Strategy aims to position the country as a top global exporter of the energy carrier. Demonstrations, pilot projects and hubs are being developed around the country, such as the first international pilot to export hydrogen.
In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, Ruchira Singh discusses the contours of the Australian government’s climate policy measures, and the considerations around hydrogen for the nation’s decarbonization journey with Mendo Kundevski, Ankit Sachan and Anton Ferkov.
Related price assessments:
- Hydrogen Western Australia SMR with CCS (inc. CAPEX) A$/kg (HYAAZ00)
- Hydrogen Western Australia Alkaline Electrolysis $/kg (HYAES00)
- Hydrogen Queensland PEM Electrolysis (inc. CAPEX) $/kg (HYABR00)
- Hydrogen South Australia PEM Electrolysis A$/kg (HYABW00)
- Japan Hydrogen Alkaline Electrolysis (incl CAPEX) $/Kg (IGYFU00)
Nickel and cobalt chemical prices have traditionally been determined by their respective finished metal prices, but lately they have shifted towards each being priced independently. Both nickel and cobalt metal are not driven by battery demand, so participants in the chemical products markets are seeking alternatives.
In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast Scott Yarham, Jesline Tang and Michael Greenfield explore what the current state of play is and the reported move by the market to seek alternative pricing practices.
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In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, Varaleka Pant and Arsalan Syed discuss with Deb Ryan the importance of evaluating the carbon intensity for crude and some of the major global crude grades, and explain the need for standards in this space to ensure consistency in low carbon crude trading.
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Attempts to overhaul the EU Emissions Trading System have entered a crunch period as the European Parliament and European Council aim to finalise their negotiating positions by the end of June. The EU Parliament rejected draft legislation proposed by lawmakers in its plenary vote on June 8, but is preparing for a second vote on June 22. EU ETS revisions are being considered against a backdrop of very high energy prices, surging inflation and a military conflict on Europe’s eastern flank.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Frank Watson and Michael Evans take a deep dive into the key elements in the negotiations and why they matter for carbon prices and other energy commodity markets in Europe.
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As the US ethanol industry pursues carbon capture and sequestration projects, producers are looking at the effects of lower carbon intensities in markets with low carbon fuel standards and in future industries like sustainable aviation fuel produced from ethanol. The voluntary carbon credit market for technology-based carbon capture could also attract interest given high prices but hurdles could keep ethanol producers focused on regulated markets.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Americas biofuels manager Josh Pedrick talks through the evolving CCS interest in US ethanol with low-carbon lead Arsalan Syed and biofuel analytics manager Corey Lavinsky.
This Future Energy podcast was produced by Felix Fernandez in London.
China's "zero-COVID" strategy saw the country entering multiple provincial lockdowns. While this has hit electric vehicle production, the impact on battery materials production has been limited.
Prices of battery metals, especially lithium, have fallen for the first time in 18 months.
What implications do such events have on an already stressed supply chain, EV production costs and overall EV adoption?
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Henrique Ribeiro discusses these issues with pricing specialist Leah Chen and analyst Lucy Tang.
Related feature: COVID-19 outbreak in China dents battery metals demand
When Putin invaded Ukraine in February, the industry wondered whether it would set back Europe’s ambition to develop a low-carbon hydrogen market. Already, we have seen quite the opposite. The EU, member states and other countries are doubling down on clean energy commitments, with hydrogen at their heart.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ James Burgess discusses recent developments with pricing specialist Jeff McDonald and analyst Matthew Hodgkinson.
Learn more about our Hydrogen Markets Europe Conference in Amsterdam this September on: https://plattsinfo.spglobal.com/HydrogenMarketsEurope2022.html
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Methane is everywhere, but it poses a particular problem in natural gas production. Head of Low Carbon Commodities Deb Ryan is joined by Emmanuel Corral and Paula VanLaningham to discuss the unique problems posed by methane emissions in the fight against climate change, and S&P Global Commodity Insights’ new Methane Intensity assessments.
Using a top-down approach to measuring methane intensity through satellite data and the pricing transparency generated by the Methane Performance Certificate market, Commodity Insights has brought new transparency to the cost of methane emissions generated through natural gas production.
Global demand for lithium and other materials used in electric vehicle batteries, consumer electronics and myriad other applications is rapidly increasing. And as demand for those commodities grows, so do prices. An orderly energy transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy resources will require a steadily rising supply of critical metals to keep pace with demand and keep prices at affordable levels.
S&P Global Commodity Insights writers Jared Anderson and Nick Lazzaro speak with EnergyX CEO Teague Egan about the tech company’s plans to increase lithium supplies with an innovative extraction technology that could also be used to increase lithium-ion battery performance. They also sit down with S&P Global low carbon transportation analyst David Capati to discuss supply, demand and pricing dynamics unfolding within these metals markets.
This Future Energy podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
Asia’s carbon markets are on a trajectory of rapid growth as demand for carbon offsets rises and regional governments work towards net-zero commitments. While turmoil in global energy markets has temporarily shifted attention to energy security, commodity trading hubs like Singapore are pushing ahead with plans to become a carbon trading powerhouse. Eric Yep and Roman Kramarchuk of S&P Global Commodity Insights discuss with Mikkel Larsen, CEO of Climate Impact X, a Singapore-based carbon exchange, on what lies ahead for Asia's carbon markets.
Battery metal prices have been escalating, placing price pressure on battery pack costs and overall EV adoption. Furthermore, buying practices and the make up of long term contracts have experienced radical changes in the past 18 months, including the adoption of indexation mechanisms.
In this episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights pricing specialists Scott Yarham, Henrique Ribeiro and Michael Greenfield explore the lithium and cobalt markets, with both exhibiting their own unique dynamics and signs of breaking from traditional practices.
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The addition of nuclear and natural gas to the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy provoked a furious response from dissenting quarters. S&P Global Platts analysts detail the proposals, discuss their likely significance and crucially, look at future gas and nuclear investments through the prism of today’s highly unstable markets.
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For the first time in over a decade, battery pack costs started to increase —even in the low cost segment. Battery packs are the main cost component in an electric vehicle (EV), meaning that this uptrend should either squeeze manufacturers’ margins or lead to higher EV price tags.
Henrique Ribeiro (S&P Global Platts) and Alice Yu (S&P Global Market Intelligence) discuss how surging battery metals prices, particularly lithium, are playing a key role in the recent battery market developments.
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The growth in renewable generation is the central plank in meeting Europe’s 2050 carbon net-zero targets, but as more wind and solar assets come on line and as more are exposed to merchant prices, the price cannibalization risk for these assets increases.
In the latest episode of the Platts Future Energy podcast, our experts take a closer look at both Platts Historical Renewable Capture price index and Platts Analytics’ new European wind and solar capture price forecasts. They discuss how these innovations will track the level of price cannibalization as it evolves in Europe’s largest power markets and what the outlook is for the relative profitability of merchant renewables in the coming years.
S&P Global Platts Renewable Capture Price indices provide the market with an independent and transparent view on how merchant renewable revenues are changing through time as the energy transition accelerates and wind and solar plants make up a greater share of the generation mix.
In addition to powering electric vehicles, batteries will play an essential role in the energy transition story by optimizing intermittent clean energy sources such as wind and solar. But what happens to batteries in their end-of-life? Although it can still be optimized, battery recycling technology already exists; but despite its potential to alleviate battery metals’ tightness in the future, can it really replace lithium, cobalt and nickel mining?
Hydrogen has received extraordinary policy support over the past year, with nations worldwide racing to publish national hydrogen strategies. These roadmaps provide a decade-long pathway to developing wide-scale utilization of low-carbon hydrogen as a means to achieving deep decarbonization in otherwise problematic sectors.
In this episode of the S&P Global Platts Future Energy podcast, our experts discuss the hurdles hydrogen still faces on the path towards a future fuel.
Recycled plastics has become a hot topic recently with soaring demand driven by legislation, corporate commitments and increasing consumer awareness across the globe. There are raising questions on how the current recycling mechanisms could cope with such rapid-changing market dynamics to drive the sustainable growth of recycled plastics industry. Which option is better – mechanically or chemically recycled plastics?
In the latest Platts Future Energy podcast, our experts take a closer look at both plastics recycling mechanisms, how they work, and what what role they play in the industry at large.
The landmark Paris Agreement was agreed back in 2015 with 29 different Articles. Almost all have been fleshed out, agreed upon and finalized - but Article 6 has not – given ongoing debates. And this Article’s text will prove critical to how international voluntary carbon markets develop going forward – with these markets seeing unprecedented growth and interest as corporates take steps to address their carbon footprints.
As London International Shipping Week 2021 begins, Platts Analytics discuss the major shipping fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In the final episode of the series, Platts Analytics reviews our outlooks of top line shipping demand by category - while laying out different expectations around turnover of the fleet – and the technologies, fuels and adaptations in play.
Ahead of London International Shipping Week 2021, a six-part S&P Global Platts podcast miniseries looks into the pricing of alternative marine fuels for the global shipping industry. In each episode of Marine Fuels of the Future, Platts editors investigate the current state of the major fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In episode five, Platts energy transition reporters look at the practical and economic complexities of using ammonia or hydrogen to power the fleet.
Ahead of London International Shipping Week 2021, a six-part S&P Global Platts podcast miniseries looks into the pricing of alternative marine fuels for the global shipping industry. In each episode of Marine Fuels of the Future, Platts editors investigate the current state of the major fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In episode four, we look at whether those caps can be met with existing fuels or with innovative vessel optimization technologies.
Ahead of London International Shipping Week 2021, a six-part S&P Global Platts podcast miniseries looks into the pricing of alternative marine fuels for the global shipping industry. In each episode of Marine Fuels of the Future, Platts editors investigate the current state of the major fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In episode three, we look at methanol – a cleaner-burning hydrocarbon that is proving popular amongst shipowners.
Ahead of London International Shipping Week 2021, a six-part S&P Global Platts podcast series looks into the pricing of alternative marine fuels for the global shipping industry. In each episode of Marine Fuels of the Future, Platts editors investigate the current state of the major fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In episode two, we look at biofuels – a diverse energy source derived from vegetable oils and waste matter, rather than from traditional hydrocarbons.
Ahead of London International Shipping Week 2021, a six-part S&P Global Platts podcast series looks into the pricing of alternative marine fuels for the global shipping industry. In each episode of Marine Fuels of the Future, Platts editors investigate the current state of the major fuel alternatives, as the shipping sector seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of stringent caps in 2030 and 2050. In episode one, we start with one of the frontrunners: LNG.
Total renewables penetration targets in Europe require a "common currency" which provides a reliable price signal against which the cost of different technologies and renewable paths can be assessed.
Guarantees of Origin certificates could become this common currency, incentivising the use of renewable sources as part of corporate fuel mix disclosures, and promoting a net-zero culture.
In this Platts Future Energy Podcast episode, Glenn Rickson, Head of European Power Analytics, is joined by Energy Transition experts in the Platts Pricing team to discuss the scope of the Guarantees of Origin markets.
Electric vehicles have been trending as the primary choice to decarbonize the transportation sector worldwide. Although some could expect the EV revolution to disrupt all current technologies, existing biofuels can keep playing a key role where they are available.
In this podcast, Brazil is discussed as an example of where transitioning to EVs is not as urgent as in other countries since the wide adoption of ethanol is already yielding significant reductions in emissions at a competitive cost.
Today we are looking at how the energy transition to lower emissions and cleaner fuels will affect natural gas.
Editors from S&P Global Platts and Market Intelligence discuss the findings of their recent series of stories looking the natural gas sector in the era of Energy Transition.
From the burner tip back to the wellhead, natural gas interests will find that changes ahead bring risk and opportunity.
Voluntary carbon markets have seen significant growth in recent years and are expected to surge in the years ahead. But they have traditionally been seen as opaque, complex and niche. That is rapidly changing as a large range of companies start to engage with them.
In the latest Platts Future Energy podcast, Jonty Rushforth is joined by Paula Vanlaningham and Jeff Berman to discuss the ‘beauty’ of carbon credit markets.
Evolving choices around EV battery composition have altered price dynamics in the lithium market, with the two main forms, hydroxide and carbonate, now moving independently to each other, reflecting different use cases and trading patterns. LFP was considered by many industry participants to be a lower priority in the upcoming EV boom. This started to change with the gradual removal of Chinese EV subsidies, which lowered the incentives for local automakers to target only long-range EVs and increased the pressure to reduce costs. Moreover, improvements on the pack design, through the cell-to-pack approach, allowed a bigger portion of the battery pack to be filled with cells which significantly increased energy density.
In the latest S&P Global Platts Future Energy Podcast, Platts Pricing Director of Metals Scott Yarham speaks to Tianqi Lithium’s Sales Director Ron Mitchell and Platts Pricing Specialist Henrique Ribeiro to unpack these new trading patterns and what is emerging in the market.
China has laid out some lofty goals for its climate action. In September 2020, it pledged that it would peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and hit carbon neutrality before 2060. This was followed in December 2020 by an announcement to enhance its nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement for 2030, including increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25%. Earlier this year, it issued rules for its emissions trading scheme for the power sector and carbon trading is expected to begin in late 2021.
How realistic are these goals? How can China's climate policy align with its economic and social goals? And what is the role for fossil fuels in a carbon neutral China?
These questions are more are addressed on this episode of Future Energy Podcasts, with S&P Global Platts Editorial Team Lead for LNG and Energy Transition Eric Yep, Platts Analytics Lead for Global Coal Matthew Boyle, Platts Senior Writer Oceana Zhou, and Dr. Philip Andrews-Speed, senior principal fellow at the National University of Singapore's Energy Studies Institute
Dr. Andrews-Speed has 38 years of experience in the field of energy and resources, and his current research focuses on the low carbon energy transition in China and Southeast Asia as well as on the governance of nuclear energy. He is the author of the book China As A Global Clean Energy Champion, which looks at the institutions of governance that are shaping the trajectory of China's low carbon energy transition.
Get access to the Annual Guidebook mentioned on this podcast: Platts Future Energy Outlooks
The UK’s hydrogen production landscape is littered with big natural gas-based CCS projects – why is this, and what does it say about renewable hydrogen’s immediate prospects?
S&P Global Platts Zane McDonald, Jeff McDonald and Henry Edwardes-Evans discuss projects, prices and policies with a little help from Ryse Hydrogen’s Jo Bamford.
The recent plans announced by China's Tsingshan to convert nickel pig iron (unsuitable for batteries) into nickel matte (an intermediate for the production of battery-grade nickel sulfate) has shaken the market, causing nickel prices to pull the brakes on its bull run. The price uptrend was driven by the widespread belief that nickel demand for batteries would boom shortly, while supply of battery-grade material would not increase at the same pace. Tsingshan’s plans, however, could completely change the supply-demand landscape for battery-grade nickel, but not without a significant environmental cost that automakers might have to assimilate.
In this Platts Future Energy podcast Henrique Ribeiro discusses these developments with independent nickel specialist Lyle Trytten, Platts clean energy senior analyst Michael Mccafferty, and Platts metals pricing director Scott Yarham.
In the latest S&P Global Platts Future Energy Podcast, Roman Kramarchuk, Head of Future Energy Outlooks, is joined by Dan Klein, Head of Future Energy Pathways, to talk about the main takeaways of Platts Future Energy Outlooks Annual Guidebook, a comprehensive study that includes Platts oil, gas, and overall energy reference cases, along with long-term outlooks for global crude, regional crude and product markets, and regional natural gas markets. Discussion includes analysis around scenarios with emission levels consistent with limiting global warming to 2 degrees.
Ground is due to be broken on the UK’s first battery gigaplant, built by Britishvolt, in summer 2021, with the plant due to start producing batteries at scale by the end of 2023.
The gigaplant is an important step in shortening the UK’s battery supply chain and helping ensure that UK automakers comply with the Brexit agreement’s rules of origin standard, which dictates that at least 40% of the value of the parts in a finished vehicle originate in the UK, or face paying export fees.
In the latest of S&P Global Platts Future Energy Podcast, EMEA metals senior pricing specialist Jacqueline Holman speaks to Britishvolt’s Chief Strategy Officer Isobel Sheldon, and Chief Technology Officer Allan Paterson about the company’s planned gigafactory in Blythe, Northumberland, and the UK’s battery supply chain. They are joined by Mark Mozur, lead analyst of energy transition at Platts Analytics to provide insight on EV demand and whether there will be enough batteries produced domestically to meet this demand.
Explore now: The Platts Atlas of Energy Transition, your map to the sustainable commodity markets of the future
During the Trump years, the US issued an Executive Order to ensure the local development of critical minerals, but no material production was established after that. During his campaign, president Joe Biden stressed the importance of promoting clean energy, which is directly linked to the supply of key battery metals.
What will the new US administration bring in terms of policy and strategy around lithium and other battery metals? In this Platts Future Energy podcast Henrique Ribeiro talks to renown lithium guru Joe Lowry and Editor in Chief of Platts Metals Daily Anthony Poole to answer this and other questions.
Spain’s Repsol was the first oil major to set net-zero emissions to target in December 2019, and the company has pivoted fast to grow its low-carbon energy business launching a raft of wind, solar, biofuels, and green-hydrogen projects. The surge in clean energy projects will see Repsol's low-carbon spending jump to 40% of total capex by 2030, up from an already peer group-leading 25% in 2020.
Following an interview with Luis Cabra, Repsol's head of Energy Transition, Sustainability, and Technology, S&P Global Platts Robert Perkins and Roman Kramarchuk discuss the key points of Repsol’s low-carbon transition strategy and how they fit with the S&P Global Platts broader outlook of the energy transition landscape.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit many industries hard in 2020, including automotives.
Electric vehicles’ sales, however, grew substantially from 2019 -- and the trend should continue in 2021, supporting the demand for battery metals such as lithium and cobalt.
This edition of the Platts Future Energy podcast explains why EVs outperformed internal combustion engine cars and how the lithium and cobalt markets reacted to this increase amid the pandemic.
In the latest Platts Future Energy podcast, Janjoost Jullens, Energy Lead at the at the Blocklab innovation lab in the Netherlands, and James Rilett, Senior Director of Innovation at S&P Global Platts, tell Henry Edwardes-Evans about Platts AI trading platform Distro.
Rotterdam's blockchain-based microgrid has driven user costs down 11% and producer returns up 14% - now its developers are looking to extend its reach within the port and roll the system out elsewhere.
Cobalt is a pivotal metal for the batteries that underpin electric vehicles. Recent long-term supply commitments signed by battery makers suggest that cobalt is set to remain a crucial component for many years, as such understanding the market and pricing of this metal is critical.
In the latest instalment of the Platts Future Energy podcast, Emmanuel Latham is joined by Robin Tisserand, Cobalt Broker at SCB Group, to discuss the market, the major pricing issues and the risk management options available to the market and what this means for cobalt’s future as a key battery raw material.
The global steel sector accounts for roughly 7% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Blast furnaces, which process iron ore and coking coal, and produce most of the world’s steel, have a higher emissions intensity compared with mini-mills that melt ferrous scrap. Incorporating hydrogen and renewable power could help the sector lower its emissions profile as it looks for new ways to meet demand for greener steel.
S&P Global Platts managing editor Andrew Moore speaks with Platts senior editor for steel raw materials and metals analysis Hector Forster and Platts Analytics’ lead hydrogen analyst Zane McDonald on how hydrogen may help transition the steel sector away from emissions-intensive blast furnaces and more toward direct reduction iron- and scrap-fed electric arc furnaces.
The discussion covers global steel production trends, PCI coal substitution by hydrogen, power and hydrogen sources, carbon-based taxes on steel in Europe, and how demand for low emissions steel is already being seen in Europe.
In this first Platts Future Energy podcast, representatives from Analytics, News and Pricing discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Energy Transition, with a focus on: energy demand and carbon emissions, now and in the years ahead; recovery programs, whether supportive, regressive or ineffective; and finally, the technology pathways set to emerge strongest from the pandemic.
With an annual traded value of around $35 billion, nickel would probably be categorized by most as a medium-sized commodity. For the past few decades it has really had quite a low profile, perhaps due to its mainly industrial use as an alloying
agent in stainless steel production. But excitement and chatter has been building around nickel sulfate in particular, due to its critical role in battery chemistry.
S&P Global Platts Pricing Director for APAC Metal Markets Julien Hall talks to Platts battery metals experts Joyce Zhang and Jianong Ong for an overview of nickel use in electric vehicle batteries, the main fundamental drivers in the market, and how the pricing behaves, to get a better sense of how hot the nickel market really is.
Overall global EV sales have been weaker in 2020, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting sales in Asia, although European sales are notably up year on year, with European governments employing a number of incentives and subsidies to encourage car buyers to switch over to EVs. In the latest Battery Metals Podcast, S&P Global Platts senior pricing specialists Emmanuel Latham and Jacqueline Holman discuss the subsidies and incentives in place for electric vehicles and their impact on sales and uptake.
For some time, many lithium-ion industry participants believed LFP (lithium iron phosphate) would be progressively phased out from electric vehicles due to its intrinsic lower energy density compared with nickel-rich chemistries.
However, technology improvements -- coupled with the current market dynamics in China -- have put LFP back in the story.
Henrique Ribeiro and Emmanuel Latham discuss the implications of this trend to the battery metals space.
NanoGraf Technologies CEO Dr Francis Wang talks to S&P Global Platts senior pricing specialist Jacqueline Holman about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on China’s dominance in the battery metal supply chain, as well as the challenges and opportunities of the supply chain becoming more global.
The battery metals industry has welcomed China’s two-year extension of subsidies for new energy vehicles, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented EV sales from picking up as expected.
In this edition of S&P Global Platts’ monthly Battery Metals podcast, Jacqueline Holman and Henrique Ribeiro discuss how the new Chinese policy works and what can be expected for EV sales and battery metals going forward.
S&P Global Platts Battery Metals podcast looks at how cobalt markets are faring during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Emmanuel Latham is joined by Battery Metals editor Melvin Goh to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Chinese cobalt sulfate refining, the developing situation in the DRC, anticipated market developments and what this all means for cobalt prices.
Joe Lowry of Global Lithium -- known as "Mr. Lithium" -- forecasts lithium demand to fall in 2020 compared with 2019, the first annual decrease in many years.
Lowry examines the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on the lithium market with Henrique Ribeiro of S&P Global Platts.
In this episode of the S&P Global Platts Battery Metals podcast, Platts head of APAC Metals Insights Paul Bartholomew, analyst Lucy Tang, and associate editor Joyce Zhang discuss how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting China's automobile and new energy vehicle industry, and illustrate the details of the latest Platts survey on battery metals and lithium outlook.
The S&P Global Platts Battery Metals podcast kicks off 2020 with a deep dive into nickel. Platts Editor Henrique Ribeiro is joined by Jason Sappor, nickel analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, to discuss his expectations for the nickel market in 2020, the implications of the Indonesian ore export ban, and what this means for the EV battery industry. You can learn more in our quarterly Platts Battery Metals Insight.
