News
BlackRock expects ‘trillions’ in bond fund investments
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While many investors snapped up money market products to take advantage of rising rates, BlackRock’s president Rob Kapito expects much of these $7 trillions are poised to shift into bonds. “There are trillions... that are ready, when people feel rates have peaked, to flood the market and we need to position ourselves to capture that,” said Kapito.
Mini nuclear reactor cost surge threatens next big thing
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High inflation and rising interest rates are driving up the cost of miniature atomic reactors. More than 80 unique small modular reactor, or SMR, designs are under development, resulting in sprawling supply chains and caps on scaling up production. The anticipated average generation cost surged from $55 a MWh in 2016 to almost $120 a MWh.
Siemens Energy shares plunge 37% on wind turbine worries
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A review of issues at subsidiary Siemens Gamesa found a "substantial increase in failure rates of wind turbine components". Siemens Energy warned that costly problems could last for years and estimated that component failures may be occurring in 15% to 30% of its installed fleet of turbines. The additional costs may exceed €1 billion.
Germany to cut power for electric vehicles and heat pumps
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Germany will allow electricity grid operators to restrict power supply to heat pumps and electric vehicle (EV) chargers during bottlenecks. The grids are often not fit to supply such power-hungry devices, a reason why some operators have refused to connect them in the past. In turn, the state will now require grid operators to provide such connections.
UK needs to build 8-hour batteries to balance power grid
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The UK wants to build 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 but needs a stable backup for periods when it is not windy. Now, Britain’s grid operator is incentivizing short-duration batteries of about 2-hours. The risk is that the capacity will have to be built twice, replacing shorter duration projects, which will mean even longer queues for grid connections.
How a lack of power lines will delay the age of renewables
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Around the world, developers of renewable energy projects are told to wait up to 15 years before they can plug projects into grids that are struggling with shifts in electricity generation. 80 mln km of new grid is needed by 2050, more than the entire global grid today. In the UK, Spain and Italy more than 150GW of projects per country are stuck.
Pension funds recoiling from China, says asset manager
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APG, one of the world’s largest asset managers, said its pension fund clients were shying away from China due to geopolitical risks. The comments come as other large pension funds pull back from China. European markets have gained more allure for investors. APG is no longer pulling money out of Europe and exploring new asset classes.
Microsoft signs power purchase deal for nuclear fusion
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US company Helion Energy will provide Microsoft with electricity in about 5 years. Government labs and more than 30 companies are racing to generate power from fusion, which generates power without producing radioactive waste. While many companies aim to use hydrogen isotope tritium to fuel reactions, Helion plans to use a rare gas Helium 3.
Investors, pay attention to the electricity grid
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The grid was built for conventional power stations that drive turbines that create a reliable 50Hz signal and they never stop dead. The grid now has to manage non-conventional sources of power that are not regular, constant, nor predictable and they are located far away from cities. The IEA says the world needs to spend $600 billion a year on the grid.
UK’s potentially rich seam of critical clean-tech minerals
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Regions from Scotland to south-west England have the right geology to potentially yield 18 minerals, including cobalt and lithium, according to the British Geological Survey. Any discoveries would take 10-15 years to yield metals on an industrial scale and the UK would also need to develop domestic mineral processing and manufacturing industries.
Global bond markets fear Japan’s titans race for exit
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Investors have bet that the Japanese central bank will increase its rate. That has led to higher Japanese bond yields. Japan’s life insurers, with assets of $2.9 trillion, sold a record $107 billion of foreign bonds sending a chill through foreign bonds markets. The next wave of foreign bond reductions could more squarely hit corporate bond demand.
Top US banks reveal $521 billion deposit drop, most in decade
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Influx of cash following a crisis at regional lenders failed to offset the steady outflows to money market funds that now hold a record $5.2 trillion from $4.6 trillion a year ago. Due to high interest rates, banks earn more on loans, but will need to start offering higher rates to depositors, which will lower their profits. The turmoil has also weighed on bank stocks.
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