oil

Olive oil is following in the footsteps of wine. And that happens through the pre-umification of the oil mills

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There are few pleasures in this life that surpass that of dipping a good bread with plenty of crumbs in a bowl with quality olive oil. It depends on the time and the point of the roller coaster that is the olive oil priceit is something that we can do more or less frequently, and to weather the situation there are oil mills that are reimagining themselves. From simple industrial warehouses and cooperatives closed to the public, they are being transformed into living museums about oil, in the purest style of the wine cellars. It is the pre-umification of the industrial warehouse. roller coaster. Talking about olive oil is talking about Spain. We are the great engine on a global scale, contributing more than 40% of world olive oil. After some disastrous harvests24/25 has recovered, with a production of 1.4 million tons, and a similar production is expected for 25/26. Despite the good feelings, It is still a complicated segment because weather conditions can easily transform the scenario. Prices at the beginning of 2024 skyrocketed because the previous harvest was hit by drought, and oil mills have begun to take measures to protect themselves against price fluctuations and, above all, to have a stable income flow throughout the year. From wine tourism to oil tourism. If you’ve ever wondered why everything is now a subscription, even when it doesn’t make sense, it’s because companies are looking for a constant flow of money. A single large payment is no longer worth it: they want more distributed, but consistent income. There is one grape harvest a year and the wineries reacted by converting themselves into wine museums. In these visits to wineries we see how the product is made, but it is also a cultural and gustatory journey, with tastings of the product itself and others that “match” well, such as cheese. The oil mills are doing exactly the same. Of these cold and industrial facilities, some are moving to design buildings that combine the production of the oil, its culture and the tasting. It is the search for oleotourism through the pre-umification of the oil mill, and it is something that has drawn on this much more consolidated wine tourism. From the industrial warehouse to the museum. The idea is to offer a complete sensory experience in which there is a story about the territory in which it is located, the production of the oil, the local culture and, obviously, the tasting. At the same time, thematic routes can be developed with cheese factories or wineries, but also with agreements with rural accommodations and restaurants. These new oil mills also behave like a museum, since historical pieces and machinery are exhibited, as well as a review of the manufacturing tradition of the place. And, of course, there are direct sales stores that not only offer the main product, but any that may be related, such as cheese, oil, local sweets or even ceramic pieces in which to store that oil. Spanish tourism websites now stand out oil mills as exponents of modern tourism. There are oil mills that are converted and others that are more ’boutique’ that were born with the visitor in mind. LA Almazara. Jaen is a land of olive trees and there are several oil mills of this style, such as ‘EVOOland‘in Baeza or the Olive Culture Museum at Hacienda la Laguna. Ciudad Real is another important oil focus –with the healthiest oil in the world in 2024-, with examples like ‘Infanta Elena Museum of Contemporary Art‘ and more “at the foot of the olive tree” experiences that teach cultivation techniques, production, landscape and, for about 20 euros per person, of course, a tasting. Interior of LA Almazara But if there is a point worldwide that right now screams the terms “pre-umified oil mill” louder, that is ‘LA Almazara LA Organic’ in Ronda. It is the same concept that we have reviewed so far: a cultural center dedicated to olive oil that combines restoration, accommodation in a farmhouse and tasting, all around what they have called “the first signature oil mill”. The prices of this pre-umification? Specifically, those at LA Almazara are in line with others, between 10-30 euros, but with options to spend… whatever you want, with an “EXCLUSIVE visit” that closes the oil mill for you and takes you there by helicopter. I go to one and dip some good bread… so happy. Images | The Almazara, Wine tourismSpain In Xataka | China is devouring all technology sectors: the surprising thing is that it is also making good wine

Cheese and oil have skyrocketed so much in Türkiye that travel agencies have a star destination: a Lidl in Greece

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The cost of living has skyrocketed. Except the cocaine marketa multitude of basic products have risen in price when salaries have not grown at the same level. In Spain we have a year-on-year inflation of around 3%. In Türkiye, on the same date, it is 33%, and that is leading thousands of Turks to travel to Greece every week, and not for pleasure. But to Lidl for make the purchase. Supermarket migration. In the mid-2010s, the Greek economy was a drama. The purchasing power is collapsed and the country’s debt crisis forced many households to squeeze every euro. Neighboring countries that also used the euro were no consolation, so they looked east: to Türkiye. Within the economic context, the lira was cheap and the euro strong, so many Greeks, especially from the islands, went to Turkish bazaars and supermarkets to buy clothes, utensils and food. The ferries they were bursting. It is estimated that the cost per visit was about 120 euros and, since filling the shopping cart in Turkey was considerably cheaper, the Greeks bought large shipments of cheese, oil, meat and sausages. One of the “supermarket corridors” was Lesbos-Ayvalik, and in the middle of the decade spoke up to 100,000 visits annually. Now, the tables have turned. The tragedy of the lyre. More than two decades of controversial policiesamong other factors, have led to the collapse of the lira. The cost of imports has multiplied and the inflation rate does not reach 80% of a few years agobut it has stagnated at that more than 30% that is suffocating the population. It is something that is disproportionately affecting food, including basic necessities. Now it is the Turks who have enormous problems when buying fresh productsmeats, cheese and oil. The situation does not seem to be changing in the short term due to massive debt, default rates (with the penalty that entails) and that price increase in subsistence products. It is the “typical”: products that increase a lot and stagnant salaries, the perfect combination to ruin the purchasing power of families. To Lidl in the neighboring country. What is happening? That this dynamic of cross-border purchases has been completely reversed. If a decade ago it was the Greeks who crossed the border, now it is the Turks who, with a euro that is not so buoyant, but enough to make it worth it compared to the prices in their local markets, flock to Greece to make that weekly purchase. In a report by Bloomberg There are concrete figures that compare a Lidl in Alexandroupolis (about 40 kilometers from the Turkish border) and a Turkish Carrefour. For example, minced meat costs 9.36 euros per kilo in Greece, compared to 12.10 in Türkiye. Greek sausages cost half as much as Turkish ones, Gouda cheese costs a third and oil makes one of the biggest differences: 10 euros per liter in Greece compared to 20 in Turkey. Social networks. Social networks are a loudspeaker – let them tell it to the influencers from Australian mines-, and those who visit Greek cities to make purchases share their experience through networks such as TikTok. The word spreads and more citizens are encouraged to take the leap. For Alejandrópolis, it represents an injection of money for both food businesses and restaurants. Bloomberg details how, after a day of shopping, Turks have a drink in Greek restaurants while sharing the experience. and it esteem that there are 3,000 Turks who are making this weekly trip. travel agencies. Because if we have to define this it is as a need, yes, but also with that word: experience. Because although it may be something private for a family to do, travel agencies are organizing tours to Greek cities, with groups of supermarket tourists who do not want to visit the city, but rather the Lidl on duty. For about 50 euros, buses loads of Turkish shoppers leave on Friday afternoons and arrive in Greek cities on Saturday morning and spend three and a half hours in the supermarkets. Then they spend some free time around the citythey can go to eat and, in the afternoon, on the way home with a full cart. The biggest annoyance? Apart from having to go to another country to buy because in yours the cost of living is very expensive, of course, it is the line at border control. How long will this last? Türkiye trust to halve inflation by 2026, but it will still remain extremely high. We will see how long this situation lasts, which, from January to September of this year, has carried to the fact that 6% of the Turks who visited Greece did so only with the aim of filling the car. Images | Zoshua Colah, Aldin Nasrun In Xataka | Private labels are having an unexpected effect on the food industry: the biggest price drop since 2014

There are a lot of people replacing the oil on ham toast with coffee and orange. And oddly enough, it makes sense.

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“You insist on putting olive oil on our Iberian ham toast and this is like putting sugar on top of a chocolate cake.” Víctor Sanchego did not know it, but with those words was about to make thousands of people prepare the strangest breakfast we’ve seen in a long time. How come you don’t have to add oil to the ham? Sanchego’s argument is that “the fat of Iberian ham contains more than 60% oleic acid, the same component of extra virgin olive oil.” Therefore, as happens in a perfumery when we have already worn several colognes, when we mix oil and ham at the same time our taste buds become saturated. “Instead of helping it enhance the flavor, it is subtracting it,” says the ham man. The reality, of course, is more complex. The general idea is true for Iberian ham: adding oil (especially if it is an intense and complex one) blurs the flavor profile and can actually oversaturate the bite. This, however, does not happen with the rest of the hams or with the rest of the oils. It is, so to speak, a borderline case. And a well-known one, at that. The normal thing when we talk about Iberian ham, in fact, is that it is recommended to enjoy it alone or with an accompaniment that cleanses the palate, such as a piece of neutral bread. Nobody usually proposes eating a plate of ham with a glass of EVOO on the side. The striking thing about all this is not that. The striking thing is the coffee with orange zest. Because Víctor Sanchego does not propose to eat ham with white bread, nothing like that. He suggests smearing the bread in a mixture of black coffee and orange peel, toasting it and, now, putting the Iberian ham on top. It’s a strange thing, yes; but we cannot define it as madness either. We said before that the ideal thing is to eat Iberian ham with something that ‘cleanses the palate’ and Sanchego’s idea goes directly there: coffee, due to its dry and intense qualities, allows us to enhance the organoleptic properties of our ham. Is it the most interesting decision? Well, the truth is that I couldn’t say. On a theoretical level, there could be dozens of similar combinations that fit better with our usual organoleptic repertoire; but without a doubt it is bold and many of those who try it (on social networks) They are delighted with the result. And that, without a doubt, is good news. Not because of the ham, not because of the coffee, not because of the orange zest. It’s good news because culinary Talibanism It is a practice that greatly impoverishes our understanding of food. And it limits us for no reason. Being open to ‘playing’ with products as iconic as Iberian ham is a symptom of a gastronomic maturity that, used well, can help us resolve problems in a much simpler way. big problems of the food security of the century. Image | Stephan Coudassot | Nathan Dumlao In Xataka | Why salads are the biggest source of food poisoning and what to do to avoid it

US soybean silos are bursting because China no longer buys them. The threat to the US is used oil

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The trade war and the exchange of tariffs between the US and China is having repercussions at many levels and agriculture is one of the sectors that is suffering the most from the consequences. Due to its size, China is one of the main importers of food products and is using this advantage to punish its rival. They are doing it with beef and also with soybeans. Now Trump has a threat to China. What has happened? China was the main US customer in the soybean business, but the trade war is reconfiguring the game board and soybeans are being one of China’s main weapons in this tug of war. The decision to stop buying soy is wreaking havoc in the US and now Trump pushes to stop buying another product from them: used cooking oil. The president has used your social network Thruth to describe China’s move with soybeans as “an act of economic hostility” and has assured that “we can easily produce cooking oil ourselves, we do not need to buy it from China.” Why it is important. The used cooking oil market moved 6.9 billion dollars in 2024. This oil is used to create biofuels, and with increased recycling and sustainability initiatives, the figure is expected to double by 2032. The United States is the world’s largest buyer of used oil and China is its largest supplier. According to data from the Department of Agriculture American, in 2024 the United States bought 43% of all the used oil produced by China. The soy problem. China was the US’s main customer in the soybean business. Until not long ago, they bought 40% of all production from them, a figure that was reduced to 20% in 2024. Despite the reduction, it was still a lot: 27 million tons and a value of 12.8 billion dollars. In 2025 only about 16 million tons have been imported until July, but this was just the beginning. Currently, China has further reduced imports of US soybeans, which aim to be practically zero in the last quarter of the year. Instead, China is doing business with other countries: Brazil and Argentina. Consequences. American farmers’ silos are bursting with soybeans. They count in the New York Times that states like North Dakota sold more than 70% of their production to China and now find that their best customer no longer buys from them. It is an enormous amount to be able to place before production goes to waste. The damage to the agriculture sector is enormous, with farms projecting losses of up to $400,000 this year. Tensions. A few days ago we learned of Beijing’s decision to consolidate its dominance over rare earthsa strategic sector in which they are the key player. The United States responded with a 100% tariff which is accumulated to those already imposed previously. Trump exploded on social Thruth against the measure, but in one of his usual changes of position, days later posted another message in which he lowered his tone: “Don’t worry about China, everything will be fine. The highly respected President Xi has only had a bad time.” The threat to stop buying used oil represents a new escalation of tension, although there are voices like that of Rush Doshi, Biden’s former security adviser, They believe that it will not have great consequences and in Beijing it will be seen as a sign of weakness. Image | Pexels 1, 2In Xataka | Holland has just declared war on China in the most important battle of the century: control of semiconductors

95% of plastics are manufactured with oil and gas. Japan has gotten a bacterium in place

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The world is flooded with plastic. There are microplastics even in our testicles. And the vast majority of them are manufactured from fossil fuels, which aggravates our dependence on these non -renewable resources. In Japan, a bioingenier team from the University of Kobe has found a promising solution. From Pet to PDCA. 95% of the plastics that we use in our day to day are manufactured from oil and gas (98%, if we add coal). In containers, textiles and to the interior of the cars we find a plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate or PET. The objective is to find a high performance alternative to the PET using renewable and biodegradable sources. Exists. It is called pyridineodycarboxylic acid (PDCA) and is a environment -respecting monomer that, when it is polymerized, has comparable physical properties or even superior to those of the PET. The problem, until now, had been to produce large -scale PDCA. Traditional methods to synthesize it are not very efficient and generate unwanted by -products. The solution: a bacterium. The novelty of Japanese research, published in the magazine Metabolic Engineeringis that it uses the cellular metabolism of the bacteria Escherichia coli To produce PDCA from glucose. Unlike the previous bioproduction methods, this makes the bacteria assimilate nitrogen and build the compound from beginning to end, eliminating the problem of by -products. While the existing bioproduction methods They had encountered limitations regarding the quantity and purity of the final compound, bioreactors based on this bacterium are capable of making a clean PDCA synthesis at more than seven times higher concentrations. And with abundant and cheap raw material. E. coli as factory operators. The process has not been exempt from difficulties. The largest bottleneck was to prevent one of the enzymes introduced into the bacteria to produce hydrogen peroxide, a highly reactive compound that deactivated the enzyme itself. The researchers managed to overcome this obstacle by refining the crops and adding a compound capable of eliminating hydrogen peroxide. Now they look for a more profitable solution for large -scale production. The future of bioplastic. Despite the pending challenge, this progress feels the foundations of large -scale plastic microbial synthesis. The practical implementation of bioreactors for the production of high performance PDCA is not only possible, but is a step closer to becoming a reality at an industrial scale. Image | USDA In Xataka | Scientists already investigate a solution to climate change and famines: eat us plastic

To Holy What Buy China so much oil now

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From the port of Singapore to the port of Houston. The entire energy market is asked these days the same question: Why is China buying oil as if there were no morning? The collection is so massive and sustained that analysts have more doubts than certainties. 90% of world oil. So far this year, China has bought about 150 million more barrels than you consume, publishes Bloomberg. At the current price, that is an invoice of 10,000 million dollars in raw that, For what we knowyou don’t need. To put the data in context, the International Energy Agency estimates that, in the second quarter of 2025, China has absorbed more than 90% of the storage of measurable crude oil worldwide. According to ReutersAugust’s surplus exceeded one million barrels per day. So that? It is the million dollar question and there is no clear answer. If we attend the Ockham razor, one of the simplest explanations would be that oil is “cheap.” Although prices fluctuate, in terms adjusted to inflation the barrel is at a price similar to that of 20 years ago: $ 64 per barrelaccording to the futures market of the WTI crude. An explanation is that Chinese government planners, known for their long -term vision, are taking advantage of a golden opportunity to fill their deposits at a reasonable cost. They have where to save it: China has been adding massive storage capabilities with the construction of new tanks and the entry into force of a new law. A lot of hole to fill. On January 1, the new Energy Law In China. For the first time, the country establishes as a legal obligation that both state and private companies maintain strategic reserves. In essence, the private sector now shares with the government the responsibility of storing raw. Consequently, there is still a lot of hole to fill. According to him Oil & Gas Journalgovernment strategic reserves are 80% of their capacity, while commercial storage tanks are only 50%. A “giant”. In case the above reasons were few, analysts have a range of geopolitical explanations. China buys approximately 20% of its oil from countries under western sanctions, mainly IranRussia and Venezuela. He knows that the United States could, at any time, harden control and hinder that flow. Another theory points to a diversification of its foreign exchange reserves. Instead of continuing to accumulate United States Treasury bonds, China could be investing part of that capital in a physical and strategic asset such as oil, a play similar to its constant purchases of gold, seeking to reduce its exposure to assets linked to the dollar. Do war drums sound? Here we enter the purest terrain of speculation, but for the most pessimistic analysts, this massive accumulation of reserves only makes sense if Beijing is preparing for a possible military conflict over Taiwan. In that scenario, having full energy pantries is not an option, it is a strategic need. How it affects us others. The sudden thirst for crude oil has a direct effect on the global market. According to the International Energy Agency, the world is directed downhill and without brakes to a surplus of “unsustainable” production of 2.5 million barrels per day for the second half of 2025, which could reach 3 million in 2026. Normally, a surplus thus would cause a collapse of prices. But, according to the analysis of Argus MediaChina is acting as a giant sponge that absorbs much of that excess supply and helps maintain the most stable prices than they should. In summary, either by pure commercial strategy, by legal imperative or in preparation for a conflicting future, China has become the “X factor” of the oil market. While continuing to buy, prices will have a floor. The day I step on the brake, the huge global surplus could flood the market. And no one, except perhaps a few in Beijing, know when that will happen. Image | Corey Seeman (Flickr, CC BY-C-SA 2.0) In Xataka | A European satellite has caught two ships transferring natural gas in the Mediterranean. The key: is Russian LNG

The countries that consumed the most oil last year, exposed in a graph that is a blow of reality

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Despite the renewable boomoil remains the source of energy that moves the world. Such is the level that, although the main oil companies The path of decarbonization began supporting renewable energies, a few months ago announced a change of coursediscovering that It was the best possible bet. The estimate is that the oil market continues to grow. And this chart illustrates what the largest oil consumers were during the past year. A Burrada. With data from Energy Institutethe graph prepared by Visual Capitalist Plasma the 25 countries with the highest daily oil consumption of 2024. The estimated total was 101.4 million barrels per day, and the graph leaves no doubt: the United States with 19 million barrels per day and China with 16.4 million leads. And a lot of distance from the rest. By colors, we can easily differentiate which area (Asian includes Australia) is the one that most consumes, and also see differences by region. For example, removed the monster that are the two powers, we see that Only a South American country appears In the top or that consumption in Europe, removing Russia, is quite even. The top 10> the others. The striking thing is that the first ten consumers (USA, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada and Germany) represented 61% of the global fee. Among the first 20 countries, that figure increases to 80% and, in general, an annual 0.7% increase worldwide was observed. Because, as we said, despite the impulse of renewables, oil remains the main source of energy worldwide. A few months ago, the IEA (the International Energy Agency) reviewed its world supply forecasts for this year, projecting an increase of 1.6 million barrels per day and estimated that the oil demand in 2025 would be 103.9 million barrels per day. Where is it consumed? The case of India is tremendous, since in the last decade it has grown to one of the fastest rates worldwide, with 3.8% per year. And, if we see what the main oils spend on that oil, we see that the United States, for example, uses 70% of its 19 million barrels per day in the transport sector, followed by 24% in industrial use as raw material. Just 3% is consumed in residential and commercial use. In China, se esteem that half of the oil is used in transport and another large part in the industrial sector. Now, to generate electricity, although it remains a country very dependent on oil (even after Huge impulse to renewables), In its energy mix, oil is marginal, prioritizing coalthe Hydroelectricthe nuclear and the mentioned renewable. The future. And that dependence on oil is not only not being renewable, but it will go to more. If a few months ago IEA projected that increase of 1.6 million barrels per day, now OPEC+ says, as we read in Reuterswhich has more manga and can increase crude oil. And, in addition, China is also focused on becoming a Important actor in oil production. In the end, It is a very volatile market that depends on both internal tensions and conflicts and the not few active wars at the moment. But what seems clear is that, when we have the complete data of 2025, those 101.4 million barrels of last year will have been exceeded. And it will be interesting to see where the Indian brand leaves. In Xataka | How much electricity produces each country with renewable energy, exposed in a graphic

Far from being in decline, oil companies are doing business thanks to AI

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Artificial intelligence is not only transforming technology, it is also redefining the worldwide energy economy. The most coveted resource is no longer oil, but the electricity necessary to train AI models and feed gigantic data centers. In fact, great technological ones, such as Microsoft, Millions of dollars have invested In data infrastructure, more than double what exxon and Chevron together plan to allocate to capital investments. Megawatts have become the new black gold. The turn of the service oil companies. Petroleum service companies are going through a period of weakness. The number of land platforms in the United States has fallen since 2022, According to Enverus data cited by Wall Street Journal. Given this panorama, several firms – Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Liberty Energy, Atlas Energy Solutions, Prpetro and Profrac – have found an unexpected client: the great technological ones. Its proposal is to reuse the experience acquired in the fracking to install independent electricity generation units, fed with natural gas, directly next to the data centers. The most visible case is Solaris, which has been associated with XAI to operate 900 megawatts of gas turbines in Memphis destined for the Colossus 2 supercomputer. Unlike large oil companies, which seek to place their own gas in data centers, these service companies do not produce fuel. His commitment is to take advantage of his equipment and technical knowledge to transform from off-Grid electricity suppliers. In other words, while Majors try to give way to their production, services reinvent themselves to survive in a depressed market. Position yourself quickly. While electric companies take up to four years to give access to the network, modular gas units that install these firms may be operational in less than two. In a sector that lives a counterreloj career to expand capacity, that difference is decisive. In addition, executives such as Liberty Energy highlight the certainty of prices offered by its generators against the volatility of the electricity supply, According to Wall Street Journal. Downward pressure in oil. The OPEC+ policy also helps explain the turn of American companies. The poster, led by Saudi and Russia Arabia, is pumping more crude than the market demands, which keeps prices under pressure. As we have explained in Xatakathe strategy seeks to gain market share and, incidentally, favors the United States with cheaper gasoline that contains inflation. But this movement has a collateral effect: weakens the American fracking, which needs quotes of between $ 60 and $ 65 per barrel to be profitable, and pushes many of these companies to look for new customers, such as data centers. Geopolitical volatility adds uncertainty. The last episode was the Israeli attack in Doha against Hamas leaders, which stirred the markets and forced the White House to give guarantees to caste to avoid an escalation. Although the immediate impact on the supply was limited, the episode recalled the fragile of the current balance. In the opinion of the analyst Javier Blasbeyond specific tensions, what we live is not an accelerated substitution of fossil fuels, but a ENERGY ADDITION: Renewables grow, but oil and gas continue to increase their weight in the mix, which prolongs the dependence of these sources and reinforces their role in the energy fever that unleashes artificial intelligence. Beyond. The phenomenon goes far beyond oil services in the United States. Startups like Crusoe Energy They have gone from mine bitcoin to lift data centers next to gas wells to take advantage of a fuel that was designed before. The firm already participates in the Openai, SoftBank and Oracle Stargate megaproject with 360 megawatts of capacity. Large oil companies are also looking for their site: Exxonmobil and Chevron They are developing off-Grid plants With carbon capture systems, while in Europe the Italian eni promotes “green” artificial intelligence and CO₂ storage businesses supported by its HPC5 supercomputer. The movement even reaches turbine manufacturers, such as Siemens Energy, that has doubled orders Thanks to the data centers boom. For its part, the unavoidable geopolitical dimension must be taken into account: countries like Russia, Iran and Qatar They concentrate more than half of world reserves of natural gas. In a context in which AI demands a constant and reliable electricity supply, this fuel is consolidated as a strategic asset, key not only for the technological industry, but also for the balance of global energy power. An electric future, but fossil. The figures point to accelerated growth. As we have detailed in Xatakathe demand for gas for data centers will increase by 47 GW until 2030. In the United States, the electrical consumption of these facilities could triple, from 290 TWH in 2024 to more than 700 SWH in 2030. The International Energy Agency, According to Javier Blasprepare scenarios where oil and gas consumption will not reach its peak, but will continue to grow up to 2050. Natural gas, in particular, remains the most reliable source to meet demand peaks. Not everything is opportunities. How Wall Street Journal warnsmodular generation projects have several limitations. Its temporal character is the first: many data centers could resort to these solutions such as a patch for a few years and then replace them with renewables or even nuclear reactors. To this is added the economic aspect: although the modular turbines are installed quickly, they are less efficient than the large combined cycle plants, which implies greater fuel and replacement costs. There is also the risk of social rejection, as has already been seen in Memphis, where the installation of XAI turbines has generated protests on air pollution. Finally, the ease of replicating this technology can make it a very competitive market, with narrow margins and little space for sustainable advantages. The new black gold. The AI ​​has changed the rules of the energy game. Startups, turbine manufacturers, petroleter majors and fracking suppliers are converging towards the same objective: feeding the electrical appetite of data centers. In this new scenario, what was once oil today are megawatts. The battle for who will provide that reliable and abundant energy … Read more

Saudi Arabia hugs renewables for the most unexpected: reinforce their oil power

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The oil market faces an unexpected turn: the threat to large exporters does not come from the capitals that lead electrification, such as Oslo or Shenzhen, but from the heart of the industry, Saudi Arabia. In a column published in Bloomberg Opinionanalyst David Fickling summarized it with a disturbing metaphor: “The murderer calls from within.” Domestic appetite by crude is stopped. Since the beginning of the century, the consumption of oil in Saudi Arabia had shot. According to Bloombergdoubled to 2.3 million barrels per day, with between a quarter and a third destined to feed electric and fuel power plants to combat abrasive summers. However, this trend has begun to be reversed. The official plan is to almost completely eliminate the burning of crude in electricity generation from here to 2030. As explained by Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, replacing that oil with renewables equivalent, in terms of export, to drill new wells. The International Energy Agency even warns that this change could represent the greatest drop in oil demand in the world in the next five years. The commitment to renewables. Behind this turn is the massive deployment of solar energy. Fickling energy expert has pointed out That Acwa Power, the largest Saudi developer, plans to reach 78 renewable gigawatts in 2030, enough to cover all the electricity that the country generates today with oil. Since 2024 It has already connected Almost 5 GW in new solar plants and has another 15 GW on the way. Logic is simple: in Saudi Arabia, solar electricity costs less than half than the conventional network. In addition, panels are easier to install than oil infrastructure, a land in which the kingdom was always strong. However, enthusiasm is not exempt from doubts. The Kpler consultant Calculate thatof the 130 GW announced by the Government, only 11.6 GW will really be online in 2030, which would prolong the use of crude oil in the electricity grid. The Saudi impulse is not limited to the plot. The country You have already connected the battery system Storage, Bisha Bess (500 MW/2,000 MWh), operated by Saudi Electric Company with Byd Chinese technology. This allows to integrate intermittent renewables into the network and gives infrastructure flexibility. To this is added a plan to produce lithium in 2027 and uranium enrichment and enrichment projects To boost nuclear energy. It clashes with megaprojects. This energy advance contrasts with vision problems 2030 in its most spectacular version. The Saudi Public Investment Fund cut 8,000 million dollars to the neom megaprojectquestioning the viability of initiatives such as The Line or the Trojena Ski Station. A high -risk geopolitical play. The Saudi movement has implications beyond its energy balance. While the kingdom has driven OPEC+ to increase production in a saturated market, with the aim of pressing the American fracking and recovering market share. This has tensioned the seams of the poster: United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan or Iraq produce above their installments, and Russia has shown an open disagreement with the Saudi strategy. In the international market prices also suffer. According to ReutersSaudi Arabia could cut official sales prices (OSP) for Asia in October: Arab Light would be reduced between 40 and 70 cents per barrel, up to 2.50–2,80 dollars on the Oman/Dubai reference, and other degrees would fall between 40 and 60 cents. The combination of lower demand, abundance of Russian crude and a greater flow of American oil presses interest in Saudi crude. The Saudi paradox. What seemed like the Achilles heel of Saudi Arabia – his voracious internal crude consumption – has become his most surprising strategic weapon. When betting on solar energy, battery storage and, to a lesser extent, the nuclear, the kingdom seeks to maintain its role as a dominant supplier in the global market. But this same play threatens to undermine the OPEC foundations and enlarge a fiscal deficit that is already forcing to cut pharaonic projects such as Neom. Saudi Arabia Libra two battles at the same time: one to continue reigning in oil and another to reinvent itself in the post-hydrocarbons era. The open question is if you can win both. Image | Unspash Xataka | To the surprise of absolutely no one, Saudi Arabia has begun to make cuts in its impossible city: Neom

The price of extra virgin olive oil is rising again. The question is how far that climb will reach

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They run times convulsive moved in the oil market of Spanish olive. For both consumers who go to the supermarket in search of bottles and for farmers who sell their crops. After the increases and Down Price lived by one and the other in recent years, the oil mills have just encountered a surprise: the price of the extra virgin in origin has just exceeded the psychological barrier of the four euros per kiloan important ‘red line’ for the producers that had been touching for several months. The big question is how far that climb will reach. What happened? That the price at the origin of extra virgin olive oil has exceeded the psychological barrier of four euros per kilo. We know it thanks to the data of the last week (August 18-24) Disclosed By Asaja-Jaén, which has had access to updated information of the Poolred system. To be more precise, the Aove marks € 4,001/kg, the Virgin 3.53 and in Lampanant 3.29. Their values ​​are in tune with those of the Price and Markets Observatory of the Junta de Andalucía, which also places the extra virgin at source above four euros. With regard to consumption prices, for now, CPI boards show that the cost of olive oil in general has fallen 3.1% in June And it remains sensibly below of the values ​​a year ago. Why is it important? For several reasons. The main is that the Aove had been located below that value for months, as reflected The Andalusian Observatory or the platform Infaolivewhich shows that the extra virgin remained below four euros since practically beginning of 2025. Since then its graph shows that it has been oscillating around € 3.5/kg. Other sources They assure that the Aove does not reach four euros since December 2024. Are there more reasons? Yes. The second reason why this milestone is so important is that it has a symbolic background for oil producers. In the sector there are who considers that the four euros per kilo mark the ‘barrier’ that maintains the profitability of the farms. Others They hold that the minimum that covers production expenses is higher and set at € 5/kg. In any case, the truth is that the sector had been under that ‘red line’ for months. In May, for example, the Coordinator of Agricultural and Livestock Organizations (COAG) warned That while consumers paid about six euros per liter, the producers received less than 3.5 for the extra virgin, far from the between 5.55 and € 6.14/kg that, according to their calculations, had to mark the price of Aove the 2024/25 campaign. “It is a situation that cannot be maintained over time.” Why does the price upload? For several reasons. The main is the drift of the harvest. Although initially the farmers had a great campaign, driven by spring rains, which even led the government to endow a ‘nuclear button’ that the case would allow you to remove oil from the market to guarantee your “stability”, everything indicates that the campaign will be less prolific of the expected. So much so that a month ago the farmers launched A message to reduce optimism and emphasize the expectations of the sector. What can we expect then? “The current situation in the main autonomous producing community, Andalusia, leads us to think that the euphoria that reigned among the great market operators about a historical harvest is collapsing,” They warned in July from the union of small farmers and ranchers (UPA). Its production estimates for Andalusia then pointed to between 950,000 and 1.15 million tons, a figure holds the meteorology drift of the coming months. “That is, at best we would be in a situation similar to the 2024/2025 campaign”, They needed. Behind that lower production there is a cluster of factorsincluding high temperatures during flowering, the influence of pests, the impact of the latest heat waves on the size of the fruit or the plantation’s own veracular. UPA’s global estimate is that the production fork of the next campaign will move between 1.2 and 1.4 million of tons, a figure that responds to the cutting of forecasts in Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. And how does the market leave? That is the other key that explains the drift of prices. Poolred data or the Andalusian Observatory show an increase in prices at source throughout recent weeks, but still sales have advanced at a good pace: a few weeks ago Asaja Córdoba celebrated that olive oil outlets reached last month the 147,000 t“the highest figures of the last ten years in a month of July at the national level.” The link, which reflects the stocks of merchandise that will remain between campaigns, is also promised short, with 270,000 tonsas required The economist. Another of the keys to the campaign is the behavior of the US market. The newspaper slides that between January and May the sales of Spanish olive oil in the US grew by 31.25%, although that rebound was not even to the value of sales. The big question is how tariffs will affect. July exports data (still free of fees) already show A fallalthough in the sector there are Optimistic voices They remember that there are faithful customers who already paid for Spanish oil when their price at source was much higher than the current one. Images | Wikipedia and Iloveaceite (Flickr) 1 and 2 In Xataka | More and more giants get into the Andalusian field and in the olive oil industry. The last: Pepsico

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