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Francesco Sassi

@frankstones.bsky.social

250 followers 35 following 1.5K posts

Postdoctoral Fellow @statsvitenskap.bsky.social🇳🇴 Energy Statecraft, International Relations, Geopolitics, Diplomacy. Non-resident Research Fellow @ RIE - Bologna🇮🇹

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · Jan 17

🚨Publication Alert🚨
I am beyond excited to share with you my latest publication titled "The (Un)Intended consequences of power: The global implications of EU
LNG strategy to reach independence from Russian gas" on Energy Policy.
Link 🫴 authors.elsevier.com/a/1kRs614YGg...
🧵

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

To further explore the geopolitics of energy transition
➡️The Oil & Gas U-Turn of New Zealand
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3279
➡️The GERD: Fuelling Ethiopia's state infrastructural power
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3188

eklipX Intelligence

rebrand.ly

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

consumers, the grid and America’s economic competitiveness” and that there won't be any "American energy dominance" without support to solar power. NextEra argues it continues to support the project while the US Bureau of Land Management holds all cards to pressure shareholders.

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

decided to withdraw the license issued under Biden. To this initiative the solar industry lobby Solar Energy Industries Association reacted by stating to be "deeply concerned that this administration continues to flout the law to the detriment of

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

Nevada including Arevia Power, Invenenergy, Leeward Renewable Energy and ConnectGen would have contributed to the project with capitals and technologies, with power demand in the state seen rising by 35% in less than 15 years, spurred by AI and data centres.
The US Administration

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

Esmeralda 7, with a 6.2 GW of capacity, was intended to power 2 million citizens in Nevada and in the surroundings of the SW state with a unique design of seven solar farms and battery systems linked to each other in the proximity of Las Vegas.
Several green power developers in

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3h

🚨🌞The🇺🇸US government cancelled the environmental review of Esmeralda 7, the largest planned solar power plant in North America

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 7h

A direct link to the analysis
📜https://rebrand.ly/RE3374

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 7h

🚨The arbitration ruling in favour of BP and against Venture Global is also a noticeable geopolitical event, revealing the controversies regarding the momentous growth of🇺🇸US LNG exports in an era of international turbulence and trade wars.

Free to read
📜https://rebrand.ly/RE3374

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

To further explore the energy geopolitics at the frontier of🇪🇺🇷🇺EU-Russia
➡️Ukraine's Winter Depends on Imported Gas
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3352
➡️Tankers, Drones and Deterrence: The Energy War Moves to the North
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3342

eklipX Intelligence

rebrand.ly

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

damages to energy and communication infrastructures in the Baltic Sea intensified since 2023, with ships' anchors cutting undersea cables and knocking out gas pipelines. There's no doubt that 🇷🇺Russia's hybrid warfare techniques are of great concerns for willing investors.

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

large incentives were present to sustain the offshore wind park. These include a two-way contract for difference (CfD) of €75.45 - €125.74/MWh.
Other than delays and costs exceeding prospects, a real danger lies just a few hundred kilometres north.
A series of disruptions and

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

Later in 2024, the JV announced the decision to participate in the second Lithuanian offshore wind tender. Yet, because the consortium was the sole bidder, the whole auction failed as there's no real competition in building this project.
Energy stakeholders run away even though

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

bidding, meaning state-owned Ignitis. In 2023, the company won Lithuania’s first offshore wind tender in cooperation with Ocean Winds for the Curonian Nord project in the Baltic Sea. The project is already running on a very thin line of cost overruns and possible delays.

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

The Lithuanian State Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) informed public and private stakeholders that a second tender to realise a 700MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea after already in 2024 a similar tender was not successful. Why so?
Only one operator participated in the

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 1d

🚨Energy geopolitics strikes again offshore wind in the🇪🇺EU. 🇱🇹Lithuania failed again a tender to build a major offshore wind part in the Baltic Sea. Only one bidder participated, while stakeholders are frightened by the raising costs and the proximity to🇷🇺Russia
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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 2d

I analysed Argentina's complex energy geopolitics scenario in this commentary just a week ago.

Find my analysis, free to read, at this link
📜https://intelligence.eklipx.io/article/3321

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 2d

around the world. This is certainly the most difficult moment for the government of Javier Milei, President of Argentina since late 2023 who is struggling to turn Argentina's vast hydrocarbon reserves into a political and diplomatic asset. All this in the shadows of Donald Trump.

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 2d

pipeline and liquefaction infrastructures to bring gas from the Vaca Muerta geological formation to the Atlantic Ocean.
The deal consolidates the Italy-Argentina relationship at a time of Giorgia Meloni's government and close alignment among right-wing nationalist governments

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 2d

The two companies participated by the respective governments of Rome and Buenos Aires signed an engineering agreement and preliminary agreement to reach the FID for the Argentina LNG, a new giant project to bring Argentinian shale gas to global markets through the construction of

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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 2d

🇮🇹🤝🇦🇷True friends are always there for you in times of need, they say, and yesterday🇮🇹Italy's Eni comes to the rescue of🇦🇷Argentina's YPG during a very delicate moment for the government of Javier Milei, and signing new energy deals to maximise Vaca Muerta's resources.
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Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3d

To further explore how energy becomes an instrument of War
➡️Tankers, Drones and Deterrence: The Energy War Moves to the North
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3342
➡️Ukraine's Winter Depends on Imported Gas
🫴https://rebrand.ly/RE3352

eklipX Intelligence

rebrand.ly

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3d

industry have been injured. It seems the Russian army has shifted its strategy and these attacks are concentrating on decentralised gas and power systems. Most are away from heavily defended major centres, but with cascading consequences for the population and industries.

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3d

disruption of water and transportation services connected to electricity outages is spreading fast in the East of the country, closest to the frontline, where most of the Russian attacks have been concentrated in the last weeks. Ukrainian citizens and workers of the energy

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3d

this winter. In a matter of a few days, Russia launched literally thousands of drones and several dozens of missiles against energy and other critical infrastructures, knocking out around 60% of Ukraine's gas production just at the beginning of the heating season.
Moreover, the

Francesco Sassi @frankstones.bsky.social · 3d

Moscow's energy war on Kyiv is fastly escalating and while many commentaries are discussing the damages created by Ukrainian strikes on the Russian oil industry, reducing the flexibility of its exports, too few are instead highlighting how dire the scenario is turning for Ukraine