[SSE plans to invest £40bn in clean energy projects]SSE Plc, a power generator and grid operator, set out plans to invest as much as 40 billion pounds in clean-energy projects over a decade and called on the government to keep Britain competitive. The UK is working to boost its renewable power generation capacity to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050 and to become more independent of imported energy after geopolitical conflicts caused supply disruptions. What we want to see is an acceleration of pace and ensuring that Britain can compete with places like the United States with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said in a conference call with reporters. Mr Phillips-davies said SSE could not rule out future investments in the US, but expected Europe to remain its core market. The UK has a contract for difference (CfD) scheme to help stimulate investment in new renewable energy projects, offering a guaranteed minimum price for the electricity they produce. Editor/Xu Shengpeng
The Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Transport has approved 1.73 million euros for conducting technical research on the Secegsa railway tunnel crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. Previous research by German company Herrenknecht has confirmed that a 65 kilometer long tunnel is technically feasible, but due to significant geological challenges such as flying sand structures, seabed depth, and instability, the possibility of completion before the 2030 World Cup has been ruled out. The actual construction period is expected to be between 2035 and 2040.Editor/Cheng Liting
On the morning of March 17, 2026, the Fujairah oil industry zone was attacked by drones and caught fire again. The civil defense department is making every effort to control the fire, and there are currently no casualties. This is the fifth attack on the area since early March, driven by Iran's ongoing attacks on energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates. Fujairah holds a strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz, and the conflict has caused about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply to be blocked. Brent crude oil broke through $100 on March 9th and remained at $103.87 as of the 17th. As a key global storage and transportation hub, giants such as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, Shell, and Vopak operate terminals and pipelines here, responsible for core businesses such as Murban crude oil. Geopolitical risks are seriously threatening the security of the global energy supply chain.Editor/Cheng Liting