Drought, wildfires among summertime challenges for US power market

Amid ambitious expansion plans, India's steel production may face headwinds for raw material supply: The expansion in the Indian steel manufacturing capacity comes at an opportune moment for the industry as the country has witnessed massive infrastructure projects like construction of national highways over the past few years. Now, with the general... by Commodities Focus

22 min listen

Indonesia’s rice import surge, ban on Indian exports: what lies ahead for rice markets?: The rice markets in Asia have seen new trends emerging with Indonesia importing rice, and India putting restrictions on their rice exports. Ripple effects have been felt in other major growing rice growing countries such as Pakistan and Thailand. In... by Commodities Focus

17 min listen

Does the UK need the North Sea for its energy future?: As a UK general election looms, energy security and the transition to net-zero are high on the agenda. In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts sift through the policy options, from windfall taxes to licensing bans, and discuss... by Commodities Focus

21 min listen

How are gas operators navigating the difficult gas environment in 2024?: Pressured by sub-$2/MMBtu prices, many US producers have decided to cut spending on gas-directed drilling and completion activity and to scale back production in 2024. But there are signs of price improvement along the futures curve in late 2024 and... by Commodities Focus

13 min listen

Red Sea crisis forces carriers and shippers to rethink strategies as cost of operation rises: Red sea crisis has forced carriers and shippers alike to adjust strategies. Container freight rates not only reached yearly high after receding throughout 2023 but carriers also seized a profit making opportunity they were looking for after the post... by Commodities Focus

27 min listen

Lithium producers pump brakes on North American projects amid low prices: Lithium producers are pushing timelines out for project development in North America as global lithium prices sit near a three-year low after plunging from record levels in 2022. The change in sentiment has cooled off a red-hot market and cast doubt... by Commodities Focus

26 min listen

Lower prices and uncertain demand: navigating choppy waves of wheat markets in 2024: Wheat prices have been on a largely downward trend since the start of 2024 despite lower production in key exporters, Canada and Australia, and continued logistics concerns due to the wars in the Black Sea and the Red Sea. Does this imply the weight... by Commodities Focus

16 min listen

Supply disruptions drive copper TC to three-year low; smelters may cut production: The Asian copper market saw CIF China copper concentrate TC/RC fall by 65% in just three months’ time, while smelters were still not able to find enough feedstocks to meet their production needs. As copper concentrate market changed from surplus to... by Commodities Focus

17 min listen

US power markets weather winter storms with more success: Following on from heavy winter storms in recent years that disrupted power supply across US regions, power markets managed a mid-January 2024 winter storm with elevated prices and a few demand records, but no large-scale power outages.... by Commodities Focus

14 min listen

Brazil’s emergence as a dominant agriculture exporter: Over the past 20 years, Brazil’s growth in the production of feedstuffs like soybeans and corn has been remarkable. In the process, it has become a powerhouse exporter. To accomplish this, it took the convergence of Brazil modernizing its... by Commodities Focus

18 min listen

Asian aluminum, alumina markets mixed on demand expectations, cost pressures: Asian aluminum markets continue to see lackluster demand and ample stocks pressuring premiums, though the sporadic reopening of the Chinese import arbitrage window is providing support across the region. Further upstream in the alumina markets,... by Commodities Focus

20 min listen

Confidence returns to copper markets for now, outlook for 2024 still uncertain: Chinese copper markets are showing signs of recovering from the slump that hit the industry in the second quarter pf this year. The clean concentrate spot TCs are declining on increased demand for cargoes and cathode import interest are improving on... by Commodities Focus

19 min listen

Winter is coming, with little gas flowing from Russia...can the US meet Europe’s demand?: With bearish fundamentals characterizing the global LNG market, what role will US exporters play for Europe this winter? Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and subsequent decoupling between LNG and natural gas in Europe, the US... by Commodities Focus

14 min listen

Buyers’ choice: Global oversupply of single-use plastics makes recycling uneconomical: High density polyethylene product consumption and market behavior are key indicators for consumer spending. The US and major export outlet Asia are climbing out of a price slump created by HDPE oversupply, attractive cost margins and slow-to-recover... by Commodities Focus

12 min listen

El Niño spells dire straits for shippers at Panama Canal: Draft reduction at the Neopanamax locks and limitations on daily transits at the Panamax lock system have resulted in longer wait times to transit the Panama Canal. Shipowners have been raising freight costs to seek reimbursement for higher transit... by Commodities Focus

20 min listen

Summer slump: Global recycled polymer markets wait for western markets to find solid footing: A sluggish start to the peak summer demand season has disrupted the global recycled PET markets, with subpar demand from beverage bottling in North America, squeezed margins, stiff competition from virgin resin and pessimism running rampant. ... by Commodities Focus

14 min listen

Narrow margins are back for US gas, but will producers slow output?: US Henry Hub natural gas prices have averaged just $2.43/MMBtu this year, pushing many producers close to, or even below, their breakeven price. Mild weather and weak gas demand this past winter were largely to blame, triggering a selloff that dropped... by Commodities Focus

15 min listen

How have early drought conditions impacted the US harvest?: It's been a rough couple of years for US corn and soybeans. 2022 brought drought, record-low Mississippi River water levels, and ultimately sky-high grains and oilseeds prices. The 2023 planting season was initially met with dry weather, causing... by Commodities Focus

24 min listen

Is a nickel still worth a dime? Unpacking nickel pricing mechanisms, a year on: A year after a historic short squeeze sent LME nickel metal prices soaring above $100,000/mt, industry players remain divided over their pricing preferences in the nickel market with some still referencing the LME, while Chinese market participants... by Commodities Focus

19 min listen

It's a bumpy road ahead for North American electric reliability amid energy transition: Up to two-thirds of North America is at an elevated risk of electricity shortfalls this summer in extreme conditions with a high load and high outages, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Conventional plants are retiring... by Commodities Focus

24 min listen

The Waiting is the Hardest Part: Global polymer markets awaiting rebound in domestic China demand: China was among the last to lift COVID restrictions at the close of 2022, but its polymer exports remain elevated amid continued sluggish domestic demand, creating more global competition for limited pockets of demand. India has been a bright spot in... by Commodities Focus

15 min listen

Australian wheat a likely beacon of hope amid Black Sea uncertainty: Australia, one of the world's leading wheat exporters, has produced three bumper wheat harvests in a row, and with the prospect of an extension of the Black Sea grain corridor deal fading by the day, the country is emerging as a reliable wheat... by Commodities Focus

19 min listen

India's energy options and the roadmap ahead: From a dramatic shift in oil trade flows to a series of clean fuel policy reforms, India's energy sector has been in the spotlight recently. With the country poised for massive growth in energy consumption, lawmakers and corporates are preparing... by Commodities Focus

19 min listen

Everything, everywhere, all at once: US power market challenges post-IRA: The issues impacting US power markets seem to be widespread and far-reaching lately. Since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in August, it’s really taken over discussions at energy conferences due to its far-reaching impacts. But US power... by Commodities Focus

17 min listen

Food vs fuel security - is agricultural gene editing the solution? by Commodities Focus

18 min listen

For global petrochemicals, what went up is coming down…down…: The global petrochemical industry is grappling with the aftermath of COVID-fueled demand. The supply squeeze in 2020 and 2021 that led to soaring prices has been doused by economic uncertainty and oversupply, leaving producers with hard decisions... by Commodities Focus

19 min listen

Algorithmic trading and power markets: challenges and opportunities in Europe's energy crisis: Algorithmic trading is increasingly a mainstay of European electricity and natural gas trade as major players seek to stay on top of fast-moving, volatile markets. So-called algos, which make hundreds if not thousands of trades a day, are widely used... by Commodities Focus

24 min listen

Global oil and gas markets dramatically transformed by a year of conflict in Ukraine: triggered major supply risks and wide-ranging sanctions that have dramatically changed global oil and gas markets. In a year of price volatility, supply concerns and increasingly harsh sanctions, Russia has accelerated its pivot to Asian markets. As... by Commodities Focus

24 min listen

The return of Freeport LNG: The Freeport LNG terminal in Texas started exporting LNG cargoes in mid-February for the first time since a fire and explosion in June 2022 forced a shutdown of the facility, marking a milestone in the history of US LNG. In the global LNG market, the... by Commodities Focus

13 min listen

Have LNG and gas markets returned to normality in 2023?: Prices are closer to lower, volatility has reduced and inter-product price spreads have come in, so are we seeing gas and LNG markets revert to normality? What are the factors that have calmed markets, and is this new-found tranquillity likely to be... by Commodities Focus

23 min listen

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Drought, wildfires among summertime challenges for US power market

Drought, wildfires among summertime challenges for US power market

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