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Oil spills in the Baltic Sea have continued to drop off in recent years as a result of various authoritative measures, revised legislation and improved aerial and satellite surveillance. Ross Davies takes a closer look at the region's success story Some years back, the Baltic Sea had something of a reputation as being a cradle for oil spills.The figures speak for themselves.

Norway-based Aptomar has partnered with several key industry players as part of a new research project to improve oil spill management via communication infrastructure and management systems.

Norway-based oil exploration and development firm Det norske oljeselskap has agreed to acquire Marathon Oil Norge for NOK12.6bn ($2.1bn) and Total is set to sell its 15% participating interest in the Angola offshore block 15/06 for $750m to Sonangol.

Supplying power to offshore platforms from land-based plants could have a major impact on the industry's carbon emissions. Norway is the world leader in the laying of subsea cables to power offshore facilities, but a recent disagreement over the electrification of the Utsira High region has sparked a new debate over how and where to make use of this promising technology.

With dwindling oil and gas reserves growing more valuable every year, blurred boundaries are ripe for dispute. We profile territorial tensions over oil hot spots, from open aggression emerging in the South China Sea to long-simmering tensions in the Falklands and the Arctic.

With the UK going coal-free for a record-breaking 90 hours over the weekend, energy sources such as solar and onshore wind now play a key role in generating electricity. However, with the urgent need for new energy sources to replace the 60% of the electricity produced worldwide by fossil fuel combustion, it has become necessary to look further afield to alternative energy sources.

What does the future hold for the world's largest renewable energy source, hydropower? Hydropower is an incredibly old source of energy, tracing its usage back to the watermills that have been a staple of civilisations since ancient times. Today, it is the largest source of renewable energy in the world, with an installed capacity of over 1126GW in 2018. Hydropower is particularly prominent in China, where the world's largest power station Three Gorges power plant in Hubei province produces 22.5GW. Other massive projects also dot the country, including the Xilodu (12.3GW) and Longtan (6.3GW) dams.

Low cost PIR motion sensor, motion detector lighting, PIR motion sensor LED light in India by Pammvi

Scientists from Stanford University have developed a microbial battery using 'wired microbes' to create power from sewage and wastewater. The technology, though small in scale, shows early promise as both an electricity source and an exciting new treatment for wastewater.

Tidal Lagoon Power is seeking approval for a £12bn project to develop a series of tidal energy plants in the UK that is claimed to be the world's first tidal lagoon power plant.

High-voltage direct current (HVDC) has emerged as the preferred transmission technology for long-distance bulk power supply. Power-technology.com profiles the world's five longest operational power transmission lines. Rio Madeira transmission link, Brazil The Rio Madeira transmission link in Brazil, with an overhead length of 2,385km, is the world's longest power transmission line.

The majority of power technology innovations and breakthroughs in 2013 occurred in the renewables sector. Power-technology.com lists some of 2013's major innovations and breakthroughs in energy technology. Ultra-efficient photovoltaic designs A four-junction solar cell, developed by Germany's Freiburg-based Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Soitec and two other research organisations, achieved a record breaking 44.7% efficiency converting sunlight to electricity in September 2013.

The 10 biggest oil consuming nations account for more than 58% of the world's total oil consumption per day. The United States is the world's biggest oil consumer, followed by China, Japan and India.

The Big Six energy companies have come under fire for poor customer service after they ranked bottom in this year's Which? energy satisfaction survey.

The UK announced a £7bn package in the 2014 budget to reduce energy costs for British manufacturers and households by 2019, and GDF Suez launched the Sohar 2 and Barka 3 gas-fired combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) plants in Oman.

Video by Ensto: Ensto SLIW 50 is a revolutionary series of insulating piercing connectors for low voltage overhead line networks. It fulfills the requirements of the new EN50483 standard.

Gas turbine design has changed to account for the growing use of combined heat and power (CHP) plants.

From the 1,224km Nord Stream pipeline carrying Russian natural gas to Europe vto the 166km Langeled gas pipeline running under the North Sea, offshore-technology.com profiles the world's ten longest oil/gas subsea pipelines. Nord Stream, Baltic Sea The Nord Stream, a 48-inch diameter twin pipeline system runs for 1,224km through the Baltic Sea from Vyborg, Russia, to the German coast near Greifswald transporting Russian natural gas to Europe.