Energy Transition, Renewables, Emissions, Carbon
August 26, 2026
ET Highlights: Europe’s hydrogen pipeline plans face reality check, Vietnam approves Article 6, geothermal pilot starts in Texas
Energy Transition Highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.
Top story
Europe hydrogen backbone takes shape, timelines shift
Europe's hydrogen pipeline plans are taking shape, with the first sections of a planned 30,000-kilometer network already completed and primed to start operations. But developers are facing a reality check in Europe's energy transition, which has stalled infrastructure projects and pushed back development timelines.
First hydrogen flows on the planned European Hydrogen Backbone pipeline grid are expected from 2027 along small sections of local networks, before larger sections are connected from around the end of the decade, infrastructure developers say.
The proposed pipeline network is crucial to Europe's plans to decarbonize heavy industry using green hydrogen.
"Hydrogen production will not necessarily be located where the demand will be located," Lucie Boost, Secretary General of trade group Gas Infrastructure Europe, told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, in an interview on Aug. 13. "Production will be located where there's a lot of renewable electricity available. It will be necessary to link regions with abundant renewables with regions where there is a lot of demand."
And pipelines offer a cost-effective option for transport and energy storage, particularly compared with electricity.
"Pipeline deliveries are still the cheapest way of transmitting hydrogen across Europe at scale," S&P Global Energy senior principal analyst Matthew Hodgkinson said.
Benchmark of the Week
€6.60/mt
Platts assessed Northwest European long-term renewable hydrogen offtake prices at €6.60/metric ton ($7.64/mt) on Aug. 3, around a €4/mt premium to conventional hydrogen.
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Vietnam approves Singapore Article 6 carbon credit agreement
Vietnam has approved an implementation agreement with Singapore under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, clearing a key hurdle for bilateral carbon credit trading between the two countries. The agreement establishes a legal framework for transferring internationally recognized emissions reductions and carbon credits to help meet climate targets. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will complete the diplomatic procedures for the deal's entry into force, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will oversee its domestic implementation.
China targets 1,200-km hydrogen pipeline, underground storage in 5-year plan
China plans to accelerate hydrogen deployment under its 2026-30 oil and gas development plan, including a proposed 1,200-km hydrogen pipeline linking Inner Mongolia's Ulanqab region with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster. The pipeline is designed to transport 500,000 mt/year of hydrogen and has been identified as a priority cross-provincial infrastructure project. The plan also calls for developing standards for pure-hydrogen pipeline transport and exploring underground hydrogen storage as China seeks to integrate hydrogen into its broader energy infrastructure.
US lithium-ion battery imports rebound in Q2 despite trade friction
After a slow start to 2026, US lithium-ion battery imports bounced back in the second quarter. But import levels remained significantly below last year's levels and a 2024 surge. Battery shipments to the US reached 215,942 metric tons in the second quarter, up 26% from the first three months of the year but down 10% from the second quarter of 2025, according to the S&P Global Market Intelligence Global Trade Analytics Suite.
New Zealand bars climate damages claims against companies
New Zealand will tighten supply in its emissions trading scheme through 2031, cutting base auction volumes by 74% to 1.1 million NZUs in 2031 from 4.3 million in 2027 while extending existing price-control settings. The auction price floor will rise to NZ$93/mt by 2031 from NZ$75/mt in 2027, reflecting inflation forecasts. The changes are intended to support the NZ-ETS, under which emitters surrender NZUs for their emissions while removals generate tradable units.
Australia launches A$14.8B fuel security plan, targets cleaner fuels
Australia has launched a A$14.8 billion (US$10.60 billion) fuel security package aimed at protecting the economy from global supply disruptions while supporting the development of domestic low-carbon liquid fuel industries. The plan includes the creation of a government-owned Australian Fuel Security Reserve, backed by A$3.2 billion to stockpile 1 billion litres of diesel and jet fuel. Canberra also plans to increase mandatory industry fuel holdings by an additional 10 days for diesel, petrol and jet fuel by 2030, strengthening national energy resilience.
Sage Geosystems harnesses earth's pressure to generate power for Texas grid
Sage Geosystems Inc. announced on Aug. 19 that it is now using underground pressure to generate power for the Texas grid, touting the pilot project as a proof of concept for future next-generation geothermal deployments. The 3-megawatt EarthStore Project south of San Antonio, Texas, entered service earlier this year and has since logged more than 120 operating days, Sage Geosystems said.