When the Russian Black Sea Fleet's small missile ship, Tsiklon, entered the seaport of Sukhumi last September, the main city in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, it was welcomed with open arms. But few understood then that it heralded a storm for Georgia. A few weeks later, Abkhaz leaders announced plans for Russia to establish a naval base in Ochamchire, just 30 kilometers from the Georgia borderline, potentially operational by 2024. The presence of Russian warships would not only bolster... Читать дальше...
One year ago Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) launched into space to demonstrate and test three technological innovations that are among those necessary to make space solar power a reality. The mission demonstrated three elements of the plan to beam solar power from space to Earth. The spaceborne testbed demonstrated the ability to beam power wirelessly in space; it measured the efficiency, durability, and function of a variety of different types of solar cells in space; and gave... Читать дальше...
The United States government is desperately looking for ways to level the clean energy playing field spanning between the U.S. and China. While the federal government is currently pouring trillions of dollars into U.S. factories and infrastructure with a special focus on clean energy manufacturing capacity, that investment could be seriously undercut by the predominance of cheap Chinese products on the global market. In response, the United States is increasingly imposing protectionist trade policies... Читать дальше...
Since left-wing Gustavo Petro took office as President of Colombia in 2022, he has pledged to move away from oil and gas in favour of green alternatives. Petro wants to show the world that a fossil fuel-reliant country can both decarbonise and be economically successful. However, many of Colombia’s oil and gas industry representatives do not agree with Petro’s approach, rather seeing a future for fossil fuels so long as demand remains. Many from the industry think it is vital to continue producing... Читать дальше...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's latest remarks about border delimitation/demarcation and transit links "totally unacceptable" and a "blow" to the peace process. "I promise a financial reward to anyone who finds the term 'Zangezur corridor' in the November 9 agreement," Pashinyan told a group of MPs on January 13. It was an ironic reference to the Azerbaijani side's contention, reiterated recently by Aliyev, that the provision on opening transit... Читать дальше...
The global commodity markets are undergoing a significant restructuring, driven by factors such as the energy transition, evolving geopolitical alliances, financial constraints, and heightened concerns about supply chains. Arab financial markets are now stepping into the forefront after years of gradual growth by leading national oil companies (NOCs) in commodity trading, exemplified by Aramco Trading and ADNOC Global Trading/Trading. Arab financial institutions are increasingly exploring the potential... Читать дальше...
