The top energy news, analysis and insights that you've been talking about this week.

Conflicts of interest: The cost of investing in the energy transition in a high interest-rate era

The ‘zero era’ for interest rates has come to an end. In the past two years, rates have risen sharply as central banks have scrambled to fight inflationary pressures. Governments, companies and households face markedly higher market rates and bond yields, which could yet rise further. The increase in the cost of capital has profound implications for the energy and natural resources industries, particularly the cost and pace of the transition to low-carbon technologies.

Read more in our latest edition of Horizons.

What goes up must come down: the evolution of the lithium industry

Any industry experiencing an intense and prolonged growth trajectory will incur periods where it is less smooth sailing. In the last few years, lithium went through one of those periods where a supply deficit resulted in prices increasing eight to thirteenfold.

As the market moved towards balancing, the prices reacted with a fast downward trend. Prices have been relatively stable after the Chinese New Year 2024, so the big question is, what happens next??

Find out in the latest insight from Allan Pedersen , Director of Lithium Research.

Making low-carbon hydrogen a reality

Although it may seem as though the world has made dispiritingly little progress in understanding the real potential for hydrogen in our energy system, that downbeat assessment would be misleading.

A new industry report commissioned by the US energy department concludes that hydrogen can play a vital role in getting to net zero. But the current policy framework will not be enough to support growth on the scale required.

Read about the future of energy and low-carbon technologies and more in this week's Energy Pulse from Vice-Chair Ed Crooks .

Analyst's pick of the week: BHP’s all-share offer for Anglo American

BHP’s monumental all-share offer for Anglo American could once again place the industry giant as the world’s largest copper miner, surpassing its closest competitor Rio Tinto. The US$40.7 billion deal is conditional upon separate demergers by Anglo American by distribution of its entire shareholdings in Kumba and Anglo American Platinum Limited to Anglo American shareholders.

"This would be the biggest transaction in the history of the mining industry if it comes off" said James Whiteside , our Head of Corporate, Metals & Mining.

Find out the details and read our key takeaways from this deal here.

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