Montel: Reduced EU gas storage target is still too “ambitious”
Hans van Cleef of EqoLibrium spoke with Elise Wu of Montel about European gas reserves. (Montel) Europe is likely to struggle to meet its revised gas storage target of 80% by the start of winter, with analysts expecting inventories to reach only around 70% amid weak incentives to inject gas. Jacob Mandel, research lead at […]
Masterclass Energy Markets
From market mechanisms to geopolitics, from grid congestion to climate policy: understand what truly drives energy markets and how that relates to the energy transition and climate policy! Energy markets are changing rapidly. Geopolitical shifts, increasing volatility, and the energy transition are making the playing field more complex than ever. “The changing role of the U.S. on the world stage is increasing the […]
EenVandaag: 150 Days of War and the Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
Last night, Hans van Cleef spoke on behalf of EqoLibrium on *EenVandaag* about the 150-day war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This blockade has major consequences for the export—and thus the prices—of oil and petroleum products such as diesel and kerosene. In addition, the competitive position of Dutch companies with […]
BNR: Why the government isn't selling its strategic kerosene reserve yet
The government plans to sell the first portion of its strategic oil and fuel reserves in the coming weeks, RTL Z reports. Kerosene will not be released onto the market for the time being, because that market would come under too much pressure, says Hans van Cleef, head of energy research at EqoLibrium. “The crisis is less severe for gasoline, but for kerosene […]
Studio Energie Opinion: The New Energy and Global Currency: From the Petrodollar to the Elektroyuan
Prices at the pump skyrocket as soon as a conflict flares up in the Middle East. But behind those rising oil and gas prices, a much larger shift is taking place. While the world watches the geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran, the economic balance of power is also changing. The dominance of the U.S. petrodollar is slowly crumbling, while China, with the […]
Solar365: Heat Drives Up Electricity Prices: “The summer peak will become just as important as the winter peak”
Electricity prices in the Netherlands and Belgium skyrocketed last week to their highest levels in years. The cause? A combination of extreme heat, air conditioner use, a decline in solar and wind energy production during the evening hours, and gas-fired power plants having to meet the demand for electricity during short periods. According to Hans van Cleef, Managing Director and Head of Research […]
Is the Strait of Hormuz open? Oil exports won't resume just like that (NOS)
The news that an agreement is in the works between the U.S. and Iran is sparking optimism around the world. Both U.S. President Trump and the Iranian news agency Tasnim have indicated that the Strait of Hormuz—which is crucial for oil trade—will reopen as early as Friday. That doesn’t mean everything will be back to normal next week. Before the war, there were about […]
One year after its founding, EqoLibrium takes the next step with the appointment of an Advisory Board
June 5, 2026 – Research and planning firm EqoLibrium is proud to announce the establishment of an Advisory Board. With the appointment of this board, EqoLibrium is taking an important step toward further strengthening the quality, reliability, and independence of its analyses in the fields of energy transition and climate policy. EqoLibrium was founded exactly one year […]
Empty gas storage facilities are barely being replenished: “It’ll be okay, but at what cost?” (AD)
Gas storage levels are rising much more slowly than in previous years. As of June 1, storage levels stood at 16 percent. A year earlier, on the same date, they were at 38 percent. “The summer price is almost the same as the winter price, which makes it unattractive to buy now.” Hans van Cleef said […]
Studio Energie Podcast – Hans van Cleef
In *In Search of Europe’s Energy Future*, Remco de Boer once again discusses the international energy market with Hans van Cleef, the Netherlands’ leading market analyst and Head of Energy Research at Eqolibrium.