Chemicals & Energy

How a Rebel Myanmar Tin Mine May Up-End a Global Supply Chain

December 5, 2016

From a remote corner of northeastern Myanmar, an insurgent army sells tin ore to suppliers of some of the world's largest consumer companies. More than 500 companies, including leading brands such as smartphone maker Apple, coffee giant Starbucks and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co, list among their suppliers Chinese-controlled firms that indirectly buy ore from the Man Maw mine near Myanmar's border with China, a Reuters examination of the supply chain found.

LNG Engines Could Be Stepping Stone to Fuel Cells

November 30, 2016

Maritime Executive

The growing adoption of hybrid electric powertrain systems and the projected growth in the number of vessels burning liquefied natural gas as fuel, could lead to wider adoption of fuel cells with LNG-fuelled engines becoming the stepping stone for the wide adoption of LNG-fuelled fuel cells as prime movers.

The State of Solar Power Looks Bright in 2017, Energy Department Says

November 29, 2016

Computerworld

By 2017, solar power capacity in the U.S. will have nearly tripled in less than three years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Combined wind, utility-scale and distributed solar power accounted for more than 66 percent of all new capacity installed in the U.S. last year.

Automated Material Handling Is Growing 8 Percent Annually

November 28, 2016

Material Handling & Logistics

Automated material handling market is growing with a CAGR of around 8 percent - attributed to increasing demand for the automated solution from various applications like manufacturing, automotive and electrical, according to a new report by Occams Business Research & Consulting.

Construction Boom Could Boost Demand for Met Coal

November 23, 2016

Environmental Leader

Businesses that transport their goods via the highways, railways or the airways are likely to see an expansion of the nation's infrastructure. That's good news not just for companies that want to move their products in the most efficient manner possible. It may also be good news for a subset of the coal sector that produces so-called metallurgical coal for steelmaking.

Energy Agency Expects Another Oil Surplus in 2017

November 15, 2016

Maritime Executive

The oil market risks running another surplus in 2017 without an output cut from OPEC, as producers around the globe ramp up supply and demand growth falters, the International Energy Agency said last week.

Shell Says Demand for Oil Could Peak in 5 Years

November 9, 2016

Energy Voice

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the world's second-biggest oil company by market value, thinks demand for oil could peak in as little as five years. Demand will peak before supply, says chief financial officer Simon Henry, and that peak will be driven by efficiency and substitution, more than offsetting the new demand for transport.

U.S. Commerce Department Reports Fall in Durable Goods Orders

November 3, 2016

CFO

U.S. durable goods orders fell in September, confirming another weak quarter for business spending, but core capital goods showed some signs of a recovery. The Commerce Department said orders for items meant to last three years decreased $0.3bn, or 0.1 percent, to $227.3bn in September, following a 0.3 percent increase in August.

U.S. Industrial Production Rose in September, Federal Reserve Reports

November 1, 2016

CFO

U.S. industrial production rose slightly in September, improving on August's decline but still showing the effects of low energy prices and the strong dollar. Output increased 0.1 percent in September after falling a downwardly revised 0.5 percent the previous month, according to the Federal Reserve. The gain was in line with economists' expectations, according to Reuters.

U.S. Producer Prices Rose More Than Expected in September, Economists Say

October 31, 2016

CFO

Prices paid by U.S. businesses for goods and services increased more than expected in September, economists said, amid other signs that inflationary pressures may be increasing. The Labor Department said its producer price index was up 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis compared with August. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a 0.2 percent increase.