Foreign exchange
IEA reduces predictions for oil demand
The recession has seen the IEA revise down its predictions for oil demand in 2013 by 3.3 mb/d, with consumption falling as low as 84.9 mb/d by 2014 in the worst case scenario, and demand for gas dipping for the first time in 50 years.
LCH.Clearnet to launch spot carbon clearing in July
London-based clearing house LCH.Clearnet's over-the-counter (OTC) clearing service for the UK spot market for carbon credits will launch on July 3 this year.
Next generation solar power could replace fossil fuels says WRI
Concentrating solar thermal (CST) power has the potential to provide power on the margin of the demand curve, as well as replacing coal at the core of the power mix in the US, according to a report by the World Resources Institute (WRI.)
New Austrian natural gas exchange to clear through ECC
European Commodity Clearing (ECC) is to offer clearing services for a new natural gas exchange at Austria's Central European Gas Hub (CEGH), hosted by Vienna Stock Exchange.
BlueNext launches OTC registration service for brokers
Environmental exchange BlueNext has launched a new registration service for brokers to help secure over-the-counter (OTC) EUA and CER spot transactions.
Price fluctuations biggest risk for power companies says Aon
Volatile commodity pricing is the biggest risk facing power companies in 2009 according to risk management firm Aon's Global Risk Management Survey.
Deutsche Börse introduces real-time information trading product
Deutsche Börse Market Data and Analytics has introduced a product that provides fundamental data for electricity trading and real-time data for the European power market.
Waxman-Markey early action provisions criticized as unclear
Industry commentators have spoken out about the provisions for early adoption of carbon emission reduction strategies in the cap-and-trade legislation currently going through the US House of Representatives.
Point Carbon launches US power trading product
Point Carbon, an energy and environmental market analyst, has launched its first power trading analytics tool for the North American market.
Bluenext suspends trading following VAT exemption for carbon
Trading will resume on environmental exchange Bluenext on Wednesday June 10 at 8.00AM after two days of closure following the French Budget Ministry's announcement that carbon permits will be exempt from VAT.
Saxo Bank lowers barriers for entry with launch of commodity CFDs
Copenhagen-based investment bank Saxo Bank has launched its first contracts for difference (CFDs) for investors in commodities, which the bank says will lower barriers to trading energy, metals, soft commodities and grains.
SuperDerivatives partners with Athena
Derivatives technology provider SuperDerivatives has partnered with Canadian natural gas company Athena Energy Marketing (AEM) in an effort to increase market transparency.
OTC carbon volumes increase by over 80%
The London Energy Brokers' Association (LEBA) has announced that over-the-counter (OTC) carbon volumes have grown by 82% during the first five months of 2009, compared to the same period last year.
Companies increase commodities hedging
Companies around the world are now hedging 55% of their commodity exposure as a result of increased volatility and the global financial crisis, according to a survey by Connecticut-based research consultancy Greenwich Associates.
Steel industry looks to iron ore swaps
Steel producers remain sceptical of the benefits of hedging with futures contracts. Now interest in iron-ore derivatives could offer another way for steel players to hedge risk, finds Katie Holliday
Majors' contango play set to fade
Oil companies that profited from storing oil amid falling prices are unlikely to to see similar returns as the longer-term economic picture begins to brighten. Pauline McCallion reports
Industry prepares for OTC regulation debate
The US Government has initiated what is set to be a lengthy and complex debate over proposals for the regulation of over-the-counter derivatives, finds Pauline McCallion
Spark-spread option valuation
In this next article of the Masterclass series, Lacima Group focus on power trading and detail how industry practitioners typically value the flexibility of generation assets as real options while taking operating constraints into account
Launch of Indian Bullion Market Association
The Indian Bullion Market Association (IBMA), a national level body representing the Indian bullion trade and industry, was launched today in alliance with Mumbai-based National Spot Exchange (NSEL.)
Sheikh Yamani: Saudi Arabia unlikely to embrace oil futures
In an interview this week, former Saudi oil minister Sheikh Yamani told Energy Risk that futures trading on exchanges had turned the global crude oil market into a "casino".
Voluntary carbon market doubles in 2008
The voluntary carbon market is maturing fast and more than doubled in size last year, according to a new study from research firms Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance.
New RFS proposal could hurt corn demand
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) latest proposed regulations for the National Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has cast doubt on corn's future as the primary source of ethanol in the US.
Munich Stock Exchange to offer spot carbon trading
The Munich Stock Exchange plans to enter the carbon market with the introduction of spot trading for European Emission Allowances (EUAs) and Certified Emission Reduction units (CERs) in the summer.