Your Monthly Commodities News Roundup - July
At Cititec, we talk for a living. That means we’re the first to hear about what’s going on in the commodities world. Whether it’s through news sources or, as Marvin Gaye would say, ‘through the grapevine,’ here are the latest updates and knowledge we’ve gathered for you.
Looking for an even deeper view into the world of commodities and energy? Subscribe to our new Commodities Tech Insider email briefing: Subscribe here.
News 📰
🇯🇵 Gunvor executed its first Japanese power futures trade and plans to establish a Tokyo presence as part of its long-term commitment to the region.
💰 In a record year, Vitol returned $10.6bn to its executives and senior staff via share buybacks, fuelled by strong earnings from volatile global energy markets.
🔥 Crucible Commodities Management, founded by former Millennium and Gunvor veterans, will debut before the end of Q3 with $750m at launch, including a day-one investment from New Holland Capital, LLC.
🐙 Octopus Energy is planning to demerge its technology arm Kraken Technologies, creating a standalone entity that could be valued at up to $10bn.
🍇 BB Energy is said to be opening a new power and gas desk in Geneva and will be using Orchestrade.
🍇 Qin Xiao, formerly co-head of commodities at Goldman Sachs, is reportedly launching a new commodities fund called Nexus in Singapore.
🍇 Jane Kilmartin, formerly Group CIO at Alpiq, is stepping into the Group CIO role at Trafigura, where she’ll report directly to the CEO.
Deals 🤝
⚛️ Centrica has signed an agreement to acquire a 15% equity stake in the UK’s Sizewell C nuclear plant, backing nuclear as part of the energy mix for the future.
🚢 Trafigura has announced a strategic alliance with maritime technology provider ZeroNorth to roll out voyage optimisation and emissions analytics tools across its controlled fleet of more than 350 vessels.
🌾 Bunge and Viterra completed an $8.2 billion merger, creating one of the world’s largest agribusinesses with operations spanning over 50 countries.
⚡ Electra, led by CEO Aurelien de Meaux, lands €433m green loan. The French EV charging startup raised one of Europe’s largest green loans to accelerate rollout of its charging infrastructure across the continent.
🚚 Zenobē, a UK-based EV infrastructure firm, led by CEO Dr. Donald Weir, raised €325m in debt funding to support grid-scale batteries and electrification of transport fleets.
On the agenda 🗓️
New Horizons for U.S.-Africa Energy Investment | Energy Capital Power | Houston | 6 August
5th Annual JPMCC International Commodities Symposium | University of Colorado | Denver | 15 August
13th World Congress and Expo on Green Energy | Conference Series | Valencia | 18 August
13th International Conference on Green Energy | KindCongress | Paris | 26 August
👉 Click here for a full list of events in 2025.
About Cititec
At Cititec, we help transform the energy and commodities industries through technology. Over 25 years, we’ve enabled trading houses to evolve from spreadsheets to advanced systems, with data now at the core. We’ve led complex projects, built high-performing teams, and brought the industry together to share insights. From modernising legacy tech to driving automation, we support established players and fast-growing innovators. We have the expertise to enable your teams.
Get to know us:
🎉 25+ years in business
🌍 A community of 40K+ energy and commodity professionals
🏢 Talent placed at 300+ organisations
✅ ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified for quality and environmental standards
🌈 DE&I certified for over 13 years