Energy / Automotive News Roundup; December 12, 2024 Latest
London, December 12, 2024 (Oilandgaspress) –- As the uptake of clean energy technology accelerates, critical minerals, such as copper and cobalt, are becoming ever more critical to supply chains. Massive amounts of investment are needed in new mines and refining capacity to meet the world’s growing demand. But new IEA analysis shows that the growth in new mining supply for critical minerals could be brought down by between 25-40% by mid-century by scaling up recycling. The first-of-its-kind Recycling of Critical Minerals report was requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy as part of its G7 Presidency in 2024, and shows how scaling up investment in recycling critical minerals can reduce both the environmental and social impacts of clean energy technologies. . Read More
EDF, Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity, has partnered with Pod Point, a leading provider of EV charging solutions, to secure its first Distribution System Operator flexibility contracts with UK Power Networks DSO.
Using EDF’s virtual power plant, PowerShift, EDF will automatically optimise the energy usage of customer’s EV chargers in response to flexibility demands from UK Power Networks DSO. The milestone paves the way for EV customers to not only lower their energy bills through payments for participating, but also contribute to building a smarter, more sustainable energy grid in the UK.
PowerShift is designed to unlock the optimal value of flexibility from both grid-scale and behind-the-meter assets, combining artificial intelligence, real-time data analytics, and sophisticated algorithms. This market-leading capability allows EDF to continuously monitor and optimise flexible assets ensuring swift adjustments to enhance performance and capture emerging opportunities in the dynamic energy landscape.
By leveraging PowerShift, Pod Point chargers can drive performance and unlock new revenue avenues while contributing to a more resilient energy grid. Read More
Delta, a global leader in power management and a provider of IoT-based smart green solutions, was selected as one of the “2024 Best Taiwan Global Brands” for the 14th year in a row, ranking among Taiwan’s top 10 global brands. Delta’s brand was valued at US $593 million, a noteworthy surge of 9% from 2023. “The Best Taiwan Global Brands” is organized by the Industrial Development Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and executed by Interbrand, an international brand valuation institution commissioned by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. Delta has participated in the UN Climate Change Conference for 17 consecutive times, and this year became the first Taiwanese company to receive observer status at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Today, the Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation has partnered with Singapore’s NParks, becoming one of the first enterprises to support the 100K Corals Initiative. The collaboration event in Singapore was hosted by Mr. Desmond Lee, Singapore’s Minister for National Development, and attended by the prominent conservation expert Jane Goodall, as well as Victor Cheng, Board Member of the aforementioned foundation. Mr. Cheng shared this milestone with audiences in Taiwan via a livestream. Going forward, Delta is expected to contribute its industrial automation expertise and solutions to the new coral culture facility at St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML) in Singapore. Read More
Delta Provides 3,500 High-efficiency PV Inverters to MOVE ON Energy for Europe’s Largest 650MW Solar Power Plant in Germany
Delta, a global leader in power management and a provider of IoT-based smart green solutions, announced today it has provided approximately 3,500 Delta M125HV PV inverters to MOVE ON Energy GmbH to power Europe’s largest solar power plant, the 650MW Witznitz Solar Park. Located near Leipzig, Germany, this landmark project collectively generates enough green electricity to power 200,000 households annually, translating into a reduction in carbon emissions by over 250,000 tons each year.
Delta’s M125HV inverters, designed to handle the complex demands of high-voltage grid integration, are a critical component of the solar park’s infrastructure. With a peak efficiency of 99.1 percent and features such as intelligent cooling systems and wide MPPT voltage range, these inverters ensure optimal performance even in harsh conditions. The M125HV is designed for 1500V DC and 600V AC systems with one MPP tracker, making it ideally suited for large-scale solar installations like Witznitz. Additionally, these inverters are certified according to VDE-AR-N 4120/4130 standards, crucial for feeding energy directly into the 380 kV grid.
The Witznitz Solar Park is not just impressive in scale but also in its logistical achievements and environmental contributions. The construction involved nearly 30,000 pallets of solar modules, 7,500 module tables spanning 440 kilometers if laid end-to-end, and up to 500 workers at peak times. The energy generated is transmitted through a purpose-built infrastructure that includes 207 transformer stations, ensuring the efficient delivery of power. The park’s DC cables alone extend approximately 550 kilometers.
Beyond energy production, the Witznitz Solar Park also emphasizes ecological sustainability. MOVE ON Energy has integrated various biodiversity initiatives, including nesting boxes for birds and bats, rock piles, ponds, and the cultivation of nearly 23 kilometers of field hedges. These measures enhance the local ecosystem, making the solar park not only a source of clean energy but also a contributor to regional biodiversity. Read More
Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors, is powering the shift to an all-electric future. There, in our joint venture manufacturing plants, Ultium Cells produces millions of battery cells with precision and quality – the building blocks of the battery systems powering General Motors’ diverse and growing portfolio of electric vehicles. Today, the pouch battery cells produced at these facilities go into everything from the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq luxury SUV to the powerful GMC Hummer EV, giving customers greater choice and access to EV technology. That’s why it was so special for us to be in Warren to celebrate the team behind Ultium Cells’ latest achievement: the 100 millionth battery cell produced at the Ultium Cells Warren plant.
Walking the floor of the Ultium Cells Warren facility, you can see how and why we’ve been able to establish an electrification powerhouse in concert with our joint venture partner, LG Energy Solution. Read More
The Cadillac VISTIQ will launch in early 2025 – joining the LYRIQ, OPTIQ, ESCALADE IQ, and CELESTIQ in the luxury brand’s growing electric vehicle portfolio. VISTIQ offers an advanced electric powertrain and a luxurious, tech-laden cabin – but its commanding exterior design will be the first thing drivers notice.
We sat down with Zhou Fang, lead creative designer at Cadillac, to discuss the VISTIQ’s striking exterior design – and how the brand applied signature Cadillac design cues to its first electric three-row SUV.
Bold first impressions
The VISTIQ’s exterior design starts with its bold, upright front end, Fang says. Even though it’s a segment below the full-size ESCALADE IQ, the VISTIQ sports the largest version of the Black Crystal Shield grille that now appears on all new Cadillac EVs. Like other Cadillac models, the VISTIQ will be available with two different grille designs – a pinstripe design for the Luxury trim, and a mesh look for the Sport trim. Read More
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $735M in Selections for Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles as Part of Investing in America Agenda
70 applicants tentatively selected to receive funding for over 2,400 zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, along with infrastructure and workforce development projects, to tackle climate change, reduce air pollution, and advance environmental justice
WASHINGTON — Today, Dec. 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that 70 applicants across 27 states, three Tribal Nations, and one territory have been tentatively selected to receive over $735 million to assist in the purchase of over 2,400 zero-emission vehicles through its first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will replace existing internal combustion engine heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, while also supporting the build out of clean vehicle infrastructure, as well as the training of workers to deploy these new zero-emission technologies. Together, the selected projects announced today will reduce harmful emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, support good-paying jobs, and improve air quality in communities across the country, particularly in those that have been overburdened by air pollution. Read More
The Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck is an all-electric workhorse. It’s built to handle the toughest jobs without compromise – or gasoline.
No surprise, then, that when Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, wanted dependable, zero-emissions vehicles for its service fleet, it chose the Silverado.
SCE will deploy more than 280 Silverado EV WTs into its fleet. The all-electric pickup helps advance the utility’s commitment to reduce fleet emissions and lower ownership costs. Southern California Edison’s deployment of these EV trucks aligns with its larger strategy to shift to a 100% electric light duty fleet. Read More
Chevrolet has rolled out a new in-person training program to its dealers to help them educate customers about electric vehicles – and to sell more EV cars, trucks, and SUVs. Chevy is targeting the program – which it calls “The Chevrolet Experience” – to more than 7,000 dealership employees spanning five major U.S. cities.
The program covers topics like battery range, vehicle value, and charging infrastructure. The company is training salespeople to help debunk EV myths while giving them hands-on driving opportunities with both Chevrolet and competitor EVs.The response from dealers has been overwhelmingly positive. As excitement around EVs continues to grow, many dealers are eager for more training to assist their employees and customers to better understand EVs and how they differ from gasoline-powered models.
The training program has already spurred improved EV sales at participating dealerships as salespeople leave the training with increased knowledge and EV selling confidence. Chevrolet captures feedback on salesperson confidence levels pre- and post-event. In discussing EVs, salesperson confidence grew 48 percentage points on average following the training program. After completing the course, many employees said their EV knowledge level matched their familiarity with Chevy’s gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.
When dealers fully understand Chevy’s EV technology, they’re better equipped to sell our electric vehicles. Real-world driving experience makes salespeople more knowledgeable about both our competitors’ cars and our own.
Chevrolet is committed to supporting our dealers as they join us in forging the EV future. Read More
Car and Driver magazine’s annual 10Best competition recognizes the best new vehicles sold in America. For 2025, four General Motors vehicles were recognized by Car and Driver – more than any other automaker.
The Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, and CT5-V Blackwing all earned repeat recognition on Car and Driver’s 10Best Cars list for 2025. With the Chevy Trax returning to the 10Best Trucks and SUVs list, GM has four vehicles among the 2025 award-winners.
This marks the fourth 10Best award for the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing, while the Trax makes the list for the second year in a row. The Corvette, meanwhile, earns its 26th appearance on Car and Driver’s list, with this year’s award recognizing both the Stingray and the electrified, all-wheel-drive E-Ray.
The 2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing sport sedan packs a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 engine generating 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a 10-speed automatic is optional. With Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 suspension and available Carbon Fiber Packages generating the greatest downforce of any Cadillac V-Series production car, the CT4-V Blackwing is built for excitement on the road or the track.
The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing packs a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 pumping out 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque. New exterior and interior styling for 2025, coupled with world-dominating performance, earned the respect and admiration of Car and Driver’s staff.
The CT5-V Blackwing once again offers a six-speed manual transmission for the ultimate analog driving experience, while models equipped with the optional 10-speed automatic transmission get standard Super Cruise driver assistance technology1 for hands-free assisted driving on the highway.
The 2025 Corvette Stingray offers mid-engine performance and poise whether you’re on a race track or a backroad. The E-Ray is the quickest accelerating Corvette ever, and as the first all-wheel-drive Corvette, provides all-weather peace of mind. With this kind of performance and practicality, it’s no wonder that Corvette has earned 26 10Best trophies. Read More
The European Union on Wednesday issued new sanctions against Russia, targeting the “shadow fleet” of tankers that Moscow has deployed to circumvent Western restrictions on oil trade and maintain a source of revenue that is crucial to fund the war on Ukraine.
The fleet consists of old-age, uninsured ships whose poor condition has stoked fears of an impending environmental disaster near or inside European waters. A handful of Chinese companies suspected of enabling Russia’s production of drones are also blacklisted as part of the agreement, a diplomat told Euronews.
The sanctions were sealed by ambassadors of the 27 member states during a meeting on Wednesday and represent the 15th package since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Read More
Greenpeace International and Greenpeace UK have agreed with Shell to settle the oil giant’s multimillion US dollar intimidation lawsuit over a peaceful protest conducted by the campaign groups last year.
The settlement follows over a year of sustained campaigning by Greenpeace against Shell’s lawsuit. Experts have described the case as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP), a type of abusive lawsuit commonly brought by wealthy corporations to silence critics.
The Greenpeace defendants faced over $11 million USD in damages and legal costs as a result of the lawsuit. As part of the final settlement, they will accept no liability and pay no money to Shell, instead agreeing to donate £300,000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
They have also agreed to avoid protesting for a period at four Shell sites in the northern North Sea.[1] The sites in question are mostly declining fields where the Greenpeace defendants had no plans to take direct action. Greenpeace will continue to campaign against Shell including in the North Sea. Read more
The liquefied gas industry has always been an intrinsically dangerous business, and that’s not changing. A new study commissioned by Greenpeace Germany delves into the history of liquefied gas (LNG) accidents, highlighting lack of transparency, underestimated risks to human safety, and failing safety protocols. The study comes out as governments in Europe invest heavily in new liquefied gas import facilities to buy more liquefied gas especially from the US, and as Greenpeace and other groups protest against an LNG industry meeting taking place in Berlin. Greenpeace is calling for a ban on all new fossil fuel projects in Europe and a phase-out of fossil gas.The main causes of these accidents can be material failure, human error and weather conditions. Current trends in cost-cutting strategies and extreme weather events, which are expected to increase in intensity and frequency due to fossil fuels such as liquefied gas, can only be a cause for concern. Read More
ACEA President Luca de Meo has presented the ACEA contribution to the envisaged EU Automotive Industrial Plan, including proposals for a simplified regulatory framework for the European auto industry.
The input comes on the eve of the recently announced, and much anticipated, Strategic Dialogue on the future of the automotive industry in Europe. It feeds into the Automotive Industrial Action Plan, which is expected as part of the first 100 days of the new European Commission.
The ACEA contribution to the EU’s automotive industrial action plan is focused on three key pillars:
implementing a strong EU Industrial Policy to make business easier and faster in Europe;
creating conditions for a self-propelling market-driven transition to zero-emission mobility for passenger cars, vans, buses and trucks; and
reducing administrative burden and simplifying legislation.
A key element of a revitalised policy framework is a simplified legislative environment intended to reduce the regulatory burden and allow EU institutions to better stress test their legislation, all while preventing overlaps and incoherencies.
Vehicle manufacturers alone are expected to comply with a pipeline of more than 100 pieces of legislation by 2030, spanning requirements for vehicle safety, emissions, energy, materials, data, and security. In implementing these pieces of legislation, they are often faced with technical, administrative or timing incoherences. Read More
The 189th (Ordinary) Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) convened , 10 December 2024, under the Chairmanship of its President, HE Marcel Abeke, Minister of Petroleum of the Gabonese Republic and Head of its Delegation.
The Conference welcomed new ministers: HE Eng. Mohsen Paknejad, Minister of Petroleum of the Islamic Republic of Iran; HE Tareq Sulieman Ahmad Al-Roumi, Minister of Oil of the State of Kuwait and Chairman of the Board of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC); and HE Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, Vice President and Minister of People’s Power for Petroleum of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The Conference also thanked their predecessors in office — His Excellency Eng. Javad Owji of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Dr. Imad Mohammad Al-Atiqi of Kuwait and His Excellency Eng. Pedro Tellechea of Venezuela — for their contributions to OPEC.
The Conference elected HE Eng. Mohsen Paknejad, Minister of Petroleum of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as President of the OPEC Conference for one year, effective 1 January 2025, and HE Hayan Abdulghani Abdulzahra Alsawad, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil of the Republic of Iraq, as Alternate President for the same period, and expressed its utmost appreciation to the outgoing President of the OPEC Conference, HE Marcel Abeke, Minister of Petroleum of the Gabonese Republic, for his exemplary leadership in 2024.
The Conference appointed Mr Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Governor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for OPEC, as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the year 2025, and HE Eng. Adeeb Al-Aama, Governor of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for OPEC, as Alternate Chairman for the same period.
The Conference reviewed the Secretary General’s report and the report of the Economic Commission Board (ECB), as well as various internal matters.
The Conference received an update on the 9th OPEC International Seminar, scheduled for 9-10 July 2025 in Vienna, Austria. It noted that the Seminar has become a truly global platform for discussing the challenges, as well as opportunities, facing the oil and energy industries.
The Conference renewed the term of office for Mr Haitham Al Ghais as Secretary General of OPEC for a further period of three years with effect from 1 August 2025. The Conference thanked HE Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, for his distinguished achievements over the past couple of years as Secretary General of OPEC, and the able staff members of the Secretariat. The Conference resolved that its next Ordinary Meeting will convene on 28 May 2025 and noted that September 2025 will mark the 65th Anniversary since the Organization’s founding in Baghdad in 1960 and the 60th Anniversary since the OPEC Secretariat was moved to Vienna, Austria. Read More
| Oil and Gas Blends | Units | Oil Price | Change |
| Crude Oil (WTI) | USD/bbl | $70.48 | Up |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | USD/bbl | $73.80 | Up |
| Bonny Light 10/12/24 CBN | USD/bbl | $73.94 | — |
| Dubai | USD/bbl | $71.94 | Down |
| Natural Gas | USD/MMBtu | $3.36 | Up |
| Murban Crude | USD/bbl | $73.65 | Up |
| OPEC basket 11/12/24 | USD/bbl | $72.43 | Up |
The Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Mercedes-Benz Group, as its new President, who will assume this function from 1 January 2025.
Mr Källenius will take over the presidency from Renault Group’s CEO, Luca de Meo, who has held the position for the last two years. The Board has also today approved membership of Stellantis N.V. who will join ACEA on 1 January 2025.The ACEA President is elected for a year-long term, once renewable, from the CEOs of its member companies – 14 of the largest Europe-based car, van, truck, and bus manufacturers operating globally. Read More
European People’s Party’s recognition of the numerous challenges European automakers face, including heavy vehicle manufacturers of trucks and buses. Competitiveness is key to driving decarbonisation, and we welcome the proposed list of conditions for competitiveness and enabling conditions, and pragmatic efforts to ease CO2 compliance challenges for light-duty vehicles, namely cars and vans.
“The EPP’s call to address the disproportionate compliance costs due to low demand for electric vehicles is an important recognition of the difficulties we face as an industry,” noted Sigrid de Vries, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). “But the industry is running out of time on the 2025 compliance costs—this is no exaggeration. Manufacturers are deciding today whether to “freeze” funds for penalties, cut down production, or buy credits from foreign manufacturers to comply. These decisions are irreversible and must be made before the year’s end.” For this reason, manufacturers strongly support the EPP’s call for additional flexibilities within the CO2 regulation to enable manufacturers to achieve compliance. Read More
Tires. Loss of tire pressure or loose wheels can lead to breakdowns and lead to potentially dangerous situations. Systems that detect tire condition and warn the driver in time can help prevent such incidents. Currently, the market offers various technologies that can monitor tire conditions. This can be done either directly through additional sensors installed in the tires or software-based by analyzing vehicle behavior. Bosch is now expanding its range of software solutions for data-based tire health and will offer them as part of its data-based service, within the Bosch Vehicle Motion Management ecosystem – a software system solution for the entire scope of vehicle motion. For this purpose, Bosch is also working with partners. In the area of indirect systems that do not require additional sensors in the tires, Bosch is expanding its long-standing business relationship with the automotive supplier NIRA Dynamics, with focus on gradual pressure loss and loose wheel detection, leveraging the expertise of both companies to ensure precise and cost-effective solutions.Data-based Tire Solutions is an innovative, data-based service consisting of various algorithms that continuously monitor the condition of the tires and provide early warnings to the driver about gradual tire pressure loss or loosened wheel bolts. “With Data-based Tire Solutions, we’re offering our customers a vehicle motion management software solution that covers all key factors of tire health to prevent potential breakdowns” says Stephan Staß, member of the executive management of the Bosch Vehicle Motion division. Read More
Christoph Kilian (51) will step down from the Board of Management of Robert Bosch Power Tools GmbH on December 31, 2024, and leave the Bosch Group at his own request to continue his professional career elsewhere..Christoph Kilian has been a member of the Board of Management of Bosch Power Tools since January 1, 2023. In this role, he is responsible for the Business Units Global Tools, Outdoor & Garden, and Rotary Tools. Among others, he is also responsible for the areas of User Experience (UX) and Design. His tasks and responsibilities will be temporarily taken over by Thomas Donato, President, and Lennart de Vet, member of the Board of Management of Bosch Power Tools. Read More
EV charge point app Zap-Map has conducted its annual survey, now in its seventh year, that offers insights into the behaviours, attitudes and satisfaction of EV drivers. Respondents answered questions on a wide range of topics, including how many have access to home charging, the most popular public charging locations across the UK, and the key factors influencing where and how drivers choose to charge their vehicles.
Conducted in October, the responses show that overall satisfaction continues to improve, while also highlighting areas which need improvement. EV driver satisfaction remains high, with owners showing little interesting in returning to the internal combustion engine (ICE).
Fewer than 3 per cent of EV drivers expressed interest in switching back to ICE cars.
Drivers gave their EVs an average satisfaction score of 87 out of 100, highlighting the cost-effectiveness (78 per cent), environmental benefits (73 per cent), and better vehicle performance (65 per cent) as the key reasons for owning an EV. Read More
Baker Hughes Rig Count: U.S. +7 to 592 Canada -11 to 194
U.S. Rig Count is up 7 from last week to 589 with oil rigs up 5 to 482, gas rigs up 2 to 102 and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 5.
Canada Rig Count is down 11 from last week to 194, with oil rigs down 10 to 124, gas rigs unchanged at 70 and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 0.
International Rig Count is down 31 rigs from last month to 919 with land rigs down 14 to 712, offshore rigs down 17 to 207. International Rig Count is down 59 rigs from last year’s count of 978, with land rigs down 46, offshore rigs down 13.
The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is unchanged at 16, down 5 year-over-year.
The Worldwide Rig Count for October was 1,754, up 4 from the 1,751 counted in September 2024, and down 22, from the 1,776 counted in October 2023.
| Region | Period | Rig Count | Change |
| U.S.A | 06 December 2024 | 589 | +7 |
| Canada | 06 December 2024 | 194 | -11 |
| International | November 2024 | 919 | -31 |
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OilandGasPress Energy Newsbites and Analysis Roundup | Compiled by: OGP Staff, Segun Cole @oilandgaspress.
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