Last month, the European Union agreed a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by the use of farmland for biofuel crops.

A branch of Sainsbury’s in the London suburb of Hendon claimed a UK first last month – a supermarket-based filling station for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  This is one of a number being installed across the capital in a project initiated by the London Hydrogen Network and comes five months after the Government’s announcement of £2 million funding for public sector hydrogen vehicles.

Budget Day on 18th March brought some good news to the beleaguered North Sea oil industry.  Chancellor George Osborne announced a package of measures, which the Treasury believes will provide £4 billion of additional investment over the next five years and increase production by 15% over the same period.

Brent Oil, the global benchmark price for oil purchases, is on the up again following its six-year low. However, experts warn it is premature to talk of recovery.  Here we take a broad look at the impact of the price dip on supply, companies’ profits and exploration.

Natural gas is already a major global energy source, accounting for around 21% of the world’s energy supply five years ago.  Recently, BP chief executive Bob Dudley suggested that while fossil fuels would continue to meet most of the word’s energy needs, the balance will shift in favour of natural gas.

If you were asked to consider the mid- to long-term outlook for the shipping industry based on what has happened over the last six months or so, you might think all is rosy.  The cost of bunker fuel has come down, in line with the continuing fall in the price of crude oil (which is down by more than 50% since June), while value-seeking oil buyers in the Far East are still active enough to keep tankers busy and tanker operators happy.