Market players said the truck LNG price in China has continued to decline, with an average price of around Yuan 4,100/mt as of Feb. 7, marking a decrease of approximately 15% compared with the average price in 2023. Additionally, specific regional prices have dipped below Yuan 3,600/mt due to factory closures and reduced production during the festive season, sources said.

Oil imports from Russia, negligible before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, climbed steadily through 2022 and the first half of last year as India saw an opportunity to procure discounted barrels. Russia overtook traditional suppliers like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

JOGMEC's fulfillment of the loan guarantee, however, does not mean the end of JARC's participation with a 10% stake in the Arctic LNG 2 project, a JOGMEC official said Feb. 5, adding that the relevant Japanese parties will carefully respond while ascertaining sanctions developments.

India is already exploring coal gasification, for which it is setting aside 85 billion rupees ($1 billion) in subsidies to help get projects off the ground. The early-stage technology, which turns coal into gas to generate electricity, results in marginally lower emissions compared to conventional coal firing.

India’s refining capacity is projected to increase by 56 million tons by 2028, Junior Oil Minister Rameswar Teli said last month, without elaborating. That equates to an overall capacity boost of 22%, or 1.12 million barrels a day.

India recorded a peak electricity demand of 243 gigawatts last year, exceeding the power ministry’s projections of 229 gigawatts and prompting the ministry to push for more coal power. Maximum demand is expected to jump to 366 gigawatts by 2032.

CNOOC expects production to continue growing over the next two years, with plans to reach 2.25 million boe/d in 2026.

Indonesia is facing a substantial power demand owing to its rapidly growing economy, dense population, and enhanced access to electricity.

Beijing’s agenda in the South China Sea may also be spurred by energy interests

Betavolt, which was established in April 2021, says its battery "combines nickel-63 nuclear isotope decay technology and China's first diamond semiconductor (4th generation semiconductor) module to successfully realise the miniaturisation of atomic energy batteries".

At the meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Council, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, approval was granted for units 3 and 4 at China General Nuclear's (CGN's) existing Taipingling nuclear power plant in Guangdong province, as well as units 1 and 2 at China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC's) new Jinqimen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province.

South Korea’s industry ministry said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dutch Economic Affairs ministry to support the new plant order. KHNP signed a memorandum of understanding with the Netherlands’ Economic Affairs & Climate Policy Ministry on the feasibility study.

In November, days ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, India's power minister RK Singh said the country would need to add 80 GW of new thermal capacity by 2031-2032 to meet demand.

The daily minimum temperature in some areas of northwest China, Inner Mongolia, north China, northeast China, central and eastern Huanghuai and eastern Jianghuai regions would be more than 7 degrees Celsius lower than the historical low for this period, the CMO said.

In the next four months, India plans to add nearly 3 gigawatts of coal-fired generation, while the following fiscal year, starting from April 1, 2025, will see it add 14 gigawatts, or its highest level in eight years.