Our Scans · (LF.7) Affordable and Clean Energy · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• [New] Under Brazil's energy roadmap, biodiesel content in diesel is meant to increase by one percentage point annually, reaching 20% by 2030. Seneca ESG
• [New] Hybrid semi-solid versions could appear in the premium residential niche around 2029-2030, but their advantage over optimised LFP (such as Leapton with integrated heating + safety) will be marginal for stationary storage, where energy density is not critical, unlike in mobility. Wattuneed
• [New] The combination of soaring demand from restarted nuclear plants and a ban on Russian imports is putting immense pressure on the handful of western enrichment facilities, raising fears that a lack of nuclear fuel could derail the planned energy renaissance just as AI needs it most. Dedicated Follower of Tech
• [New] Centrus Energy, one of the largest US suppliers of enriched uranium, is warning of a looming supply crunch. Dedicated Follower of Tech
• [New] To compete with China's advances in energy storage innovation and deployment, the U.S. will need to ramp up both investment and policy support. Bitget Exchange
• [New] As nuclear and renewable energy decline in cost and the world continues to diversify its energy sources, China will come out further and further ahead. Washington Examiner
• [New] Governments promoting electrified transport and grid decentralization will reinforce long-term adoption curves, making lithium energy storage a permanent foundation of global sustainability. paiseec-us-store
• [New] More than half are expected to be lost by 2030, with the NTIA citing a perfect storm of post-pandemic debt, increased energy bills, rising rents and conflicts with developers. City AM
• [New] Transforming the global economy from one dominated by fossil fuels to one led by renewable energy will require scaling up the production and international trade of several critical raw materials. OECD
• [New] According to the U.S. Department of Energy, non-food biomass such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husks, and corn stover could supply over 1 billion tons of renewable feedstock annually without competing with food production. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Offshore resources will continue to serve as a critical component of the global energy landscape, balancing traditional energy needs with evolving sustainability objectives. openpr
• [New] The International Energy Agency projects global electric vehicle battery demand will increase from approximately 300 GWh in 2022 to over 2,500 GWh by 2030, corresponding to a seven-fold increase in cobalt requirements. Discovery Alert
• [New] A20 Pro is expected to become Apple's first chip built on a 2 nm process, promising a major leap in performance and energy efficiency. Vietnamnet.vn
• [New] Microsoft is investing heavily in nuclear energy - from a power purchase agreement that will bring Three Mile Island back to life, to a purchase agreement with a new fusion company. Valley Times-News
• [New] The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) plant will use magnetic confinement fusion, in which two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme temperatures and fused to create helium and release energy. Nottinghamshire Live
• [New] Saudi Arabia could use its vast experience in project management and execution in the traditional energy sector to become a leader in green hydrogen production. ArabNews
• [New] Saudi Arabia, having set its net-zero target for 2060, has been heavily investing in the renewable energy sector, and with the world's largest green hydrogen plant, located in Neom, set to become fully operational in 2027. ArabNews
• [New] Worldwide demand will climb by 25% in 2026, a significant signal for the energy transition sector. Yahoo
• [New] In 2026 alone, the Department of Energy projects 24.3 gigawatts of new battery storage installations - more than twice as much as new wind power and almost quadruple the new gas-fired generation capacity. Fortune
• [New] Long-duration storage technologies like pumped hydro will become increasingly vital as the global shift to renewable energy accelerates. Bitget Exchange
• [New] The US-Israeli attacks, and Tehran's retaliation against American military bases in several countries, raise the risk of a wider war in a region that's key to global energy supplies. financialpost
• [New] Risks to global energy markets came into focus as oil and gas tankers increasingly avoided the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the open seas. financialpost
• [New] If the energy transition is to happen fast, electric smelters will be needed to utilise the mainly low-grade iron ore deposits found globally, with direct reduction-grade ore availability limited. EUROMETAL - The Voice of European Steel, Tubes and Meta

Last updated: 09 March 2026