Exclusive: En+ chairman and former minister Lord Barker warns ‘don’t expect a big bang’ from COP26 November 14, 2021 Many eyes were on Lord Gregory Barker of Battle earlier this week, as ‘his’ global energy giant En+ was at the heart of COP26’s complex ecosystem of executives, government reps, lobbyists, NGOs and activists in Glasgow. Lord Barker was appointed independent chairman of the En+ Group board of directors in October 2017, just before the company’s [...]
Fuel Power: Ministers could gain control of downstream oil amid petrol price crisis November 12, 2021 A cross-party group of MPs has conditionally backed a government bill giving ministers control over the downstream oil industry. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee has lent its support to government plans allowing ministers to take control of importing, storing and supplying petroleum products in the UK. Powers include the right to request [...]
Belarus threatens to cut off Europe’s gas supplies November 11, 2021 The energy supply crisis has moved from crisis to crisis and tyrant to tyrant after Alexander Lukashenko threatened to cut gas into Europe via Belarus, if the EU imposes further sanctions on his country for its treatment of migrants. The threat was enough for prices to rise again following a brief reprieve earlier this week [...]
Zebra Power enters administration November 10, 2021 Zebra Power (Zebra) has entered administration, appointing PwC to guide the process. The energy retailer supplied gas and electricity to approximately 15,000 domestic consumers before it ceased trading earlier this month. Its stranded customers have been designated by Ofgem to British Gas through its supplier of last resort process. The company is headquartered in Manchester [...]
Utility Warehouse pays £1.5m to Ofgem fund after failing customers in debt November 10, 2021 Utility Warehouse has agreed to pay £1.5m for treating some of its customers unfairly, and increasing their financial distress. The money will go into Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund, which supports vulnerable customers and finances innovation in the sector. The energy supplier has accepted it failed to consistently provide debt repayment plans to struggling customers from [...]
Rolls-Royce gets £195m funding for reactor plan November 9, 2021 Rolls-Royce’s share price rocketed by as much as five per cent on Tuesday after the engineering company secured £195m in private funding for a small-scale nuclear reactor project in the UK. Shares in the jet engine maker closed up 3.6 per cent at 146p by close of play, also buoyed by the return of leisure [...]
Weir Group snaps up mining tech firm November 5, 2021 Glasgow-based Weir Group has boosted its technological capabilities with the expected acquisition of Motion Metrics for an initial £89m. The deal is likely to go through in the fourth quarter of this year, and it could increase by a further £59m by the end of 2024 depending on revenue and profit performance. Integration costs are [...]
Energy trust IPO raises £186.5m for Tesla powered battery plan November 5, 2021 Harmony Energy Income Trust has raised £186.5m through an initial public offering (IPO) to develop large-scale battery energy storage systems across the UK. The systems will be powered by Tesla technology. It has issued 210 million ordinary shares at a price of £1 each, alongside 23.5 million ordinary shares for the acquisition of its seed [...]
BEIS committee calls for sector deal to protect steel industry November 5, 2021 The government must establish a new steel sector deal to ensure the UK industry remains competitive, says the business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) committee. In its latest report, the committee argues it could resolve long-running issues in the sector such as high energy prices and barriers to supplying steel for major public projects. The deal could [...]
Number of UK gas suppliers almost cut in half by energy price crisis November 4, 2021 UK energy suppliers have nearly halved in number this year, as soaring wholesale prices wreak havoc with the struggling sector. New research from Cornwall Insights has revealed that the market has sharply decreased from 47 suppliers at the start of 2021 to 24 currently left operating in the country. The number of departures from the [...]