Commodities Focus

Southwest Power Pool expects wind generation to return to the top of the fuel stack and become the No. 1 fuel source for 2020, while keeping an eye on the evolution of energy storage and continuing its expansion of the Western Energy Imbalance System market. Barbara Sugg discusses her first six months as SPP president & CEO, which started with the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic, with Kassia Micek, an editor covering North American power markets for S&P Global Platts.

Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are joined by John Hilfiker, S&P Global Platts Analytics in-house Mexico natural gas expert, to discuss the impact that the long-awaited infrastructure developments in Mexico will have on supply reliability, pricing on both sides of the border, and the long-term impact on the global LNG market. Beyond Mexico, topics include the global gas market and the continued rise of JKM and bullish tendencies in the North American market.

While a weak orderbook is seen with enthusiasm by tanker owners, who have suffered from increased competition amid structural overtonnage, floating storage enquiries and weaker scrapping prices have caused owners to refrain from scrapping their oldest tonnage in 2020. Our shipping experts discuss the latests developments in an oversupplied freight market. To learn more about the shipping markets, check out our latest special report, which looks at what's in store for Q4 2020 and beyond.

In a year of high volatility in the energy basket and more uncertainties than in recent history, S&P Global Platts editors discuss the main aspects that have been supporting Brazilian ethanol prices, despite the turmoil at the beginning of the 2020-21 Center-South crop and plunging demand in 2020. Senior price specialist Nicolle Monteiro de Castro talks with senior biofuels analyst Beatriz Pupo about estimates for Brazilian sugar and ethanol production, consumption, trade flows and price behavior amid COVID-19.

With trans-Pacific container rates at an all-time high, even more containers are flowing from Asia to the US. The return leg is a different story, however, with empty space frequently seen on board. The US agriculture industry has spotted this crack, and expectations are high that containerized soybeans, wheat, and corn could fill the gap.

Harry Weber, Platts senior natural gas writer in Houston, and Stuart Elliott, editorial lead, Generating Fuels News, in London, discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist themes from the recently completed Gastech virtual conference and the outlook for gas, LNG and the integration of renewables in the energy transition occurring in parts of the world heading into 2021.

Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are back to discuss key uncertainties in the global natural gas and LNG market as winter approaches. With stagnating US production meeting robust storage inventories in US and Europe, will the arrival of winter demand provide further bullish momentum to global gas and LNG prices?

Amid a rally in the global vegetable oils markets, Robert Beaman talks to vegetable oils editor George Duke and biodiesel editor Huw Shortland about the latest developments in the market for virgin and used vegetable oils. As supply and demand in these markets changes, the team also look at the impact on biodiesel and the emerging markets for renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Oil markets have experienced a quiet revolution for over the last decade as proprietary trading houses have gradually replaced the participation of banks. Andy Critchlow, head of news in EMEA for S&P Global Platts, recently caught up with Greg Newman, CEO of London-based prop trader Onyx Capital Group, to discuss the latest developments in oil and the outlook for more participants entering the market.

S&P Global Platts dry bulk market experts Shriram Sivaramakrishnan, Carina Li, and Isaac Eio examine how the Capesize, Panamax and Supramax markets have fared in this pandemic-stricken trading environment, and what's in store for shipowners and freight rates in the coming months.