France

The French government has issued an exclusive mining exploration permit to TBH2 Aquitaine to explore natural hydrogen in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, bringing the young company’s total number of authorisations to two.
Niger’s military regime disputes theft allegations by French prosecutors after uranium stock vanished from a nationalised site previously operated by Orano.

Gardanne biomass power plant restarts despite criticism over subsidies

After ten years of transition, the Provence thermal power plant now runs on biomass, but its economic model and forest impact continue to raise serious concerns.
en_114029281228540
BayWa r.e. continues its strategic transformation with the sale of 2.2 GW of projects, a withdrawal from Asian markets, internal reorganisation, and a rebranding planned for 2026.
Condor Energies has completed a $13.65mn private financing to deploy a second drilling rig and intensify a 12-well gas programme in Uzbekistan scheduled for 2026.

France scraps Arenh and promises stable electricity prices through 2027

A new pricing framework will apply from January 2026 in France, replacing the Arenh mechanism. The state says the reform will not lead to higher bills for most consumers.
en_114024231225540
Canadian company Vision Lithium has completed a private placement of 14 mn flow-through shares totalling $209,000 to support its mineral exploration projects in Québec.
Woodbridge Ventures II Inc. signs definitive agreement with Greenflame Resources for a transformative merger, alongside a concurrent financing of up to $10mn.

Nexans sells Autoelectric to Motherson for €207mn, completing its strategic shift

French group Nexans initiates the sale of its Autoelectric subsidiary to India’s Motherson for €207mn ($227mn), marking its full exit from non-electrification activities.
en_114023221239540
Bourbon enters a new strategic phase following the arrival of Davidson Kempner and Fortress, who have become majority shareholders after a financial restructuring approved by the French courts.
The Ministry of the Economy forecasts stable regulated tariffs in 2026 and 2027 for 19.75 million households, despite the removal of the Arenh mechanism and the implementation of a new tariff framework.

French Electricity Union releases 50 measures to electrify the national economy

The federation of the electricity sector proposes a comprehensive plan to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by replacing their use in transport, industry and housing with locally produced electricity.
en_114023221234540
The Québec government has approved three wind projects totalling 792 MW to meet growing energy demand and support regional economies in Bas-Saint-Laurent and Capitale-Nationale.
Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. and Seetel New Energy have created Cordelia BESS to respond to Ontario’s LT2 call for proposals, aimed at strengthening energy capacity through battery storage.

Lhyfe expects EUR10mn revenue in 2025 and cuts costs from 2026

Lhyfe aims to double its revenue next year, refocuses industrial priorities and plans a 30% cost reduction starting in 2026 to accelerate profitability.
en_114021201228540
The government confirms the continuation of the high-voltage line construction to Fos-Berre, despite criticism from the public debate and local tensions regarding environmental and economic impacts.
Mundi Énergies partners with Haffner Energy to create a network of twenty multi-energy hubs in Quebec, using residual biomass to produce renewable gas and strengthen Canada’s energy independence.

Awendio Solaris to invest CAD1bn in integrated solar plant in Montreal

UK-based manufacturer Awendio Solaris plans to build a 2.5 GW solar industrial platform, expandable to 5 GW, in Quebec, targeting North American markets with a 100% regional supply chain.
en_114021201240540
French nuclear reactor developer Newcleo has submitted its lead-cooled small modular reactor design to Euratom, initiating the first regulatory phase to integrate nuclear non-proliferation safeguards at the European level.
French state utility EDF has increased the maximum estimated cost for building six new nuclear reactors to €72.8 billion ($85.29 billion), representing a 40% rise over the original figure.
EDF confirms the continuation of its industrial project in Fessenheim for recycling very low-level radioactive metals, a first in France requiring specific regulatory authorizations, following a public debate concluded last February.
Framatome has secured two significant contracts from Electrabel covering modernisation and technical support for the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 nuclear reactors, as part of their extension agreed upon between Engie and the Belgian government.

Chloris Geospatial raises $8.5M to scale satellite-based forest carbon monitoring

US-based Chloris Geospatial has raised $8.5M from international investors to expand its satellite-based forest monitoring capabilities and strengthen its commercial position in Europe, addressing growing demand in the carbon market.
en_11407092048540
The Luxembourg-based group will handle engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation of flexible pipelines and umbilicals to link a new field to Egypt’s existing offshore infrastructure, with offshore work scheduled for 2026.
Investment fund Ardian finalises its takeover of Akuo and appoints former Électricité de France executive Bruno Bensasson to steer the renewable-energy developer’s growth towards five gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030.

European heatwave lifts power demand by 14 %

A record heatwave in late June–early July pushed up electricity consumption and prices, while unprecedented solar output averted blackouts, Ember reported on 4 July.
en_11407072029540
French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
EDF is delaying the start-up of the Calvados offshore wind farm by more than two years, citing extended adjustments to a drilling tool vital for installing the sixty-four monopile foundations off Courseulles-sur-Mer.

TotalEnergies sells 50% of its renewable assets in Portugal for €178.5mn

TotalEnergies is selling half of a 604 MW Portuguese energy portfolio to the Japanese consortium MM Capital, Daiwa Energy and Mizuho Leasing for €178.5mn, retaining operation and future commercialisation of the assets concerned.
en_11403072041540
Elcimaï Environnement has completed a methanisation unit integrated into Laon's wastewater treatment plant, now enabling the conversion of sludge and bio-waste into biomethane injected into the local grid, meeting the annual energy needs of 1,150 households.
Q ENERGY France secures a bank financing of €109 million arranged by BPCE Energeco to build four new energy production facilities, totalling 55 MW of wind and solar capacity by the end of 2024.

EDF postpones restart of Flamanville EPR to August 13

EDF extends Flamanville EPR's shutdown to August 13 to conduct technical checks on three valves of the reactor's primary circuit, initially scheduled to resume production this week.
en_11403072038540
Westinghouse Electric Company signs a $180mn contract with ITER Organization to complete the final assembly of the vacuum vessel for ITER’s experimental nuclear fusion reactor, currently under construction in Cadarache, southern France.
Norwegian group DNO ASA signs gas offtake contract with ENGIE and secures USD 500 million financing from a major US bank to guarantee future revenues from its Norwegian gas production.

ENGIE launches largest wind farm in Africa and Middle East in Egypt

ENGIE begins full operation of the Red Sea Wind Energy wind farm in Egypt, increasing its capacity to 650 MW, four months ahead of schedule, now powering over one million homes in the region.
en_11402909241540
Infrastructure manager Teréga and GRDF inaugurated in Auch, Occitanie, the region’s first biomethane reverse-flow station, designed to facilitate biomethane transfer from the distribution to the transport network, representing an investment of €3mn ($3.27mn).
The official confirmation in June 2025 by the French government regarding the detection of significant natural hydrogen reserves in Lorraine, the Pyrenees, and Aquitaine could represent a major strategic turning point for national and European energy sovereignty. However, the technical, economic, and environmental challenges associated with its exploitation might slow its large-scale implementation.

The climate crisis intensifies economic risks linked to extreme weather events

Prolonged heatwaves and environmental disasters are intensifying, leading to significant financial impacts in the energy, agriculture, and real estate sectors, according to the latest UN and IEA reports.
en_11401072029540
TotalEnergies acquires a 25% stake in Block 53 offshore Suriname, joining APA and Petronas after an agreement with Moeve, thereby consolidating its expansion strategy in the region.
Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund takes control of 117 photovoltaic plants totalling 116 MW in Italy, further consolidating its presence in the country’s renewable energy sector.