In brief | 19 May ‘26

dpa: Germany net exporter of electricity for the first time since 2023 

From January to March, 17.9 terawatt hours were exported and 15.3 terawatt hours imported, the Federal Network Agency said.

OMV: Production start of Austria’s largest natural gas discovery in 40 years 

Around 11 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas to be developed in first phase, with deliveries planned for winter 2026/27, and total recoverable resources of up to 48 TWh.

Reuters: IEA chief warns commercial oil inventories are depleting rapidly, only weeks left 

Release of strategic oil reserves ​added 2.5 million barrels of oil per day to the market, but reserves "are not endless".

DW: Germany's crisis-hit chemical industry seeks revival 

Hit by high energy costs and regulation, Germany's chemical companies are scaling back production at home while expanding abroad.

Bloomberg: German government launches privatisation of energy firm Uniper 

Government is considering several options for the state-rescued company, including an initial public offering or a sale.

UNEP: Climate action key to affordable housing, but buildings decarbonisation stalls 

Globally, buildings are becoming more energy efficient, but progress is too slow; operational emissions increased by 1 percent to 9.9 gigatonnes of CO₂ in 2024.