March 2025

Brent gained 7 cents, or 0.1%, at $73.86 a barrel, WTI ose 10 cents, or 0.1%, to $69.75 a barrel.

Hungary has gone the other way, leveraging its ties to Moscow for economic gain. It carved out exemptions from under EU sanctions on Russian oil and doubled down on natural gas purchases from Russia. Hungary is also pressing on with the Russia-led expansion of its sole nuclear power plant.

Lower LNG demand from China is also providing near-term relief for European buyers competing for shipments. The Asian country’s purchases are forecast to fall this year for the first time since 2022,

LNG suppliers have invested billions in new export projects on the assumption that China, the world’s top buyer, will underpin demand growth for decades.

“The benefits of expanding U.S. LNG exports have never been more clear, and I am proud to be taking action to support the American people and our allies abroad with more affordable, reliable, secure American energy,”

In the MoU, the signatories commit to pursuing the path to commercial fusion energy for Hesse and establishing the state as a leading location for cutting-edge research and the development of laser-based nuclear fusion.

U.S. electricity demand is forecast to soar in the coming years driven by consumer needs, data center growth, increased AI use, and the industrial sector’s need for constant power.

According to the decree, the agency will take on the functions and powers previously held by the Ministry of Energy "in the areas of subsoil use, use of atomic energy, ensuring radiation safety of the population, the creation and operation of the Semipalatinsk nuclear safety zone in the field of uranium production".

The project was approved by the Financier of Studies & Projects (Finep – Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos). IPEN will be responsible for research and development of basic materials for the microreactor and IEN will be in charge of the assembly of a subcritical unit – a reduced model of a nuclear reactor, in which there is no self-sustaining chain reaction.

The collaborations are part of a critical research thrust within the campus’ Fusion Engineering Institute which brings together students, faculty and external partners around fusion energy research and education.