This Week’s Top 5 Stories in Energy

‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’: The Impact of Trump 2.0 on Energy

Energy Digital Magazine - April 2025​​​​​​​

Now US President Donald Trump is back in the White House, the energy industry is bracing itself for a tidal wave of change.

President Trump’s return has ushered in a dramatic shift in US energy policy, with far-reaching implications for the domestic energy landscape, and global markets, coming about as a result. 

On just his first day in office, for example, Trump issued a series of executive orders that turn away from the previous administration’s focus on clean energy and climate action.

Instead, Trump quickly pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement, again, pledged to “drill, baby, drill” for more American fossil fuels — promising to fill up strategic oil reserves — and halted the Green New Deal.

“In recent years, burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of these resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens,” one executive order reads.

“These high energy costs devastate American consumers by driving up the cost of transportation, heating, utilities, farming and manufacturing, while weakening our national security.

“It is thus in the national interest to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources. This will restore American prosperity — including for those men and women who have been forgotten by our economy in recent years.

“It will also rebuild our nation’s economic and military security, which will deliver peace through strength.”

Pavilion Energy Acquisition: Why is Shell Investing in LNG?

2 April

Shell has completed its acquisition of liquified natural gas (LNG) trading business Pavilion Energy.

The Singapore-headquartered company has a contracted supply volume of around 6.5 million tonnes per annum.

This acquisition includes its portfolio of LNG offtake and supply contracts, regasification capacity and LNG bunkering business. 

In a statement, Shell said: “This acquisition helps to deliver on Shell’s ambition to solidify its leading position in liquified natural gas by growing sales by 4-5% per year through to 2030.”

Pavilion’s operations include natural gas supply and marketing activities in Southeast Asia and Europe. The global LNG trading, shipping and optimisation will run alongside energy hedging and financial solutions. 

It also describes itself as a “pioneer” in LNG bunkering for the maritime industry. 

The company promotes greenhouse gas reduction and carbon offsetting in the LNG value chain. It advocates LNG and natural gas as a transition fuel. 

How Equinor & Baker Hughes will Plug Norwegian Wells

2 April

Equinor has made announcements on well plugging on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Framework agreements for plugging services have been won by Baker Hughes Norge and Archer Oiltools. 

This includes signing an agreement with Baker Hughes to establish a Centre of Excellence for plug and abandonment work in the North Sea. 

Island Drilling Company has been awarded a three-year well plugging contract on Equinor-operated fields on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Mette Ottøy, Equinor’s Chief Procurement Officer, says: “Through these contracts the suppliers are involved at an early stage and get a greater responsibility for planning the plugging operations, closely monitored by Equinor, who has the overall responsibility. 

“We facilitate the industrialisation of safe and efficient plugging operations, ensuring continuous improvements together. 

“This is about ensuring quality and reducing costs for work that will gradually increase on the NCS in the future.” 

Extreme H: Pushing Hydrogen Power to Extremes

Energy Digital Magazine - April 2025

The FIA Extreme H World Cup is the world’s first hydrogen-powered racing series. 

It is an evolution of Extreme E, the off-road race series started by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag in 2018. 

With a top speed of 200 KpH and 550 BHP, Extreme H’s hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25 race car certainly isn’t lacking in power. It is designed to demonstrate the viability and performance of hydrogen fuel cells. 

The Pioneer 25 is designed and manufactured by Spark Racing Technology and equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell from Symbio. 

Extreme H is not an easy testing ground for hydrogen — its predecessor saw races across army training areas, sand deserts and even near glaciers.

Mark Grain, Technical Director for Extreme H, explains: “Motorsport has got a history of developing new technologies. The motor industry and big original equipment manufacturers have got processes they have to follow, and those lead times for new technology can be anything — up to five years or even longer. 

“In Motorsport, our next deadline is the next year's championship or the next race, so it’s fast paced through necessity. We can take these new technologies and put them through our rigorous processes at a really fast pace. 

IEA Q&A: Saravan Penubarthi, CTO of AIQ

31 March

AI is a dynamic tool that is shaking up the way industries operate, and energy is no different.

Predictive AI, for example, can be used to forecast patterns and identify future trends based on existing data, providing key benefits to the energy system.

However, AI in all its forms is energy-intensive, straining the very sector its intelligence supports.

Saravan Penubarthi is CTO of AIQ, an AI joint venture company launched by ADNOC and Abu Dhabi-based AI and cloud computing company Group 42 in 2020.

An ex Microsoft CTO and technology strategist, Saravan is well-versed in the relationship between technology — namely AI — and the energy industry, with thoughts on how this relationship will continue to grow.

He shared some of his knowledge at India Energy Week on the Harnessing AI and Digitalisation to Reach the New Frontier for Clean Energy panel — hosted by Energy Digital Editor Maya Derrick — alongside Anant Maheshwari, President and CEO, Global Regions at Honeywell and James Forrest, EVP, Global Energy Transition and Utilities Industry Leader at Capgemini.

You can read a summary of the panel in the April edition of Energy Digital.

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