The EU must move quickly to back the critical minerals sector and allow more state intervention after China banned key exports of raw materials, a group pushing for energy security has said. The next EU budget must include “substantial, dedicated” funding for critical minerals, with money drawn from energy and decarbonisation budget lines, the European Initiative for Energy Security said on Wednesday, following Beijing’s announcement of an export ban earlier this month.

A blackout of historic proportions on the Iberian peninsula April 28 has sparked a debate on responsibility and prevention, while the investigation into the causes is ongoing.

One undeniable conclusion is that investments in grids are becoming more important, S&P Global Commodity Insights analysts Kerry Thacker-Smith and Alexandre Mace explain on this episode of Energy Evolution.

Albéric Mongrenier, executive director of the think tank European Initiative for Energy Security, argues that grids have become a key frontier in Europe's push for more independence and security.

Image: the Jolt