Welcome to my new energy blog

Dear Readers,

I am reposting my energy articles in BusinessWorld from 2015 to present, for easier and focused reference. Hope you will find them useful. Thank you.

Bienvenido "Nonoy" Oplas Jr.
Manila, Philippines

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Energy and economic impact of Russia-Ukraine war

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* My article in  BusinessWorld  last February 28. ----------- Energy and economic impact of Russia-Ukraine war Even before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, coal and gas prices were already high in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019. Oil prices were lower in 2020 but increased in 2021. The main reason is high demand for these fossil fuel products compared to supply, despite continuing global narratives of “decarbonization” and “net zero.” HIGH PRICES FOR FOSSIL FUELS, CONTRACTION FOR WIND-SOLAR Peak prices of fossil fuel products in 2021 compared to end-2020 levels were 235% higher for coal (Newscastle, Australia), 700% for UK gas, and 840% for TTF/EU gas. Huge. And this was before the Russia invasion. When Russian fighter planes and tanks entered Ukraine, oil prices quickly touched the $100/barrel mark, EU gas prices were up to 50% than their previous day level. But prices retreated many hours later because gas flows from Russia pipelines continued unhampered as if there was no ...
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The law of unintended consequences in the US-Russia economic war

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* BusinessWorld  March 7, 2022. ------------- The law of unintended consequences in the US-Russia economic war While the shooting war is limited to Russia and Ukraine, the US-led economic war against Russia is unlimited in its impact on the global economy, especially in energy products, crops, and mining products. Take the TTF/EU gas. It was only €15.9 per megawatt-hour (MWH) on March 4, 2021, it went up to €204/MWH on March 4, 2022, for a year-on-year (YoY) 1,152% increase. The same for UK gas — only £39.8/MWH in March 4, 2021, it went up to £486/MWH a year later for a YoY 1,100% increase. This is mainly because many European countries — especially Germany, Italy, Finland, Poland, Netherlands, Moldova, etc. — are highly dependent on Russian gas. The UK is not too dependent on Russia gas but since many Europeans shifted to buy more gas from Qatar, Norway, Algeria, US LNG, etc., the prices of these countries’ products also rose. So, while the target of economic and financial sanctio...
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On the power reserves market and the cost of different energy sources

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On the power reserves market and the cost of different energy sources April 4, 2024 | 12:02 am My Cup Of Liberty By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2024/04/04/585509/on-the-power-reserves-market-and-the-cost-of-different-energy-sources/ The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) held a media briefing last week on March 28. Among the topics discussed was the Philippines reserves market that began operation on Jan. 26, 2024. RISE IN RESERVES AND STABLE ELECTRICITY The IEMOP showed data that the reserves of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) have improved significantly starting February. In the Luzon grid for instance, the contingency reserves have increased from 31% in February 2023 to 100% in February 2024. IEMOP added that “For increased reliability in power grid operations, total scheduled capacity should meet the required level of reserves (i.e., 100%).” These high contingency reserves mean the likelihood of a b...
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