{
  "id": 2928367,
  "title": "Energy demand accelerating despite Iran war, Mitsubishi Power chief says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/energy-demand-accelerating-despite-iran-war-mitsubishi-power-chief",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/08/24/energy-demand-accelerating-despite-iran-war-mitsubishi-power-ceo-says/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Iran war has not dampened energy demand, according to Javier Cavada, Mitsubishi Power's CEO for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In fact, Cavada claims the conflict has accelerated demand. He attributes this to an uptick in contract signings and negotiated bookings since the war commenced on February 28.\n\nMitsubishi Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is present in over 30 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Cavada highlights the company's commitment to the energy transition towards decarbonisation, noting that recent investments in the region are increasing both locally and globally.\n\nRecently, Mitsubishi Power opened a facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia to assemble heavy-duty gas turbines, a move seen as a landmark step towards Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 targets to reduce emissions. In January, the company secured an order to supply M701JAC gas turbines for a power and desalination project in Qatar, slated to commence operation in 2028. Additionally, Mitsubishi Power maintains a large services workshop in the UAE.\n\nCavada attributes this surge in energy demand partly to the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI). He cites McKinsey's estimate that global spending on data centers could surpass $7 trillion by 2030. AI leaders like AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Oracle are projected to invest over $1 trillion in AI globally this year.\n\nThe demand generated by these data centers is considerable. UN researchers warn that data centers are expected to consume twice as much power and water by 2030, driven by the surge in AI. These data centers already consume a significant amount of electricity and water globally, with 448 terawatt hours of electricity and 4.5 trillion liters of water consumed in 2025 alone.\n\nCavada emphasizes that this AI-driven energy demand underscores the need for a diverse mix of energy resources, including wind, solar, gas, and renewables, to ensure energy security. He believes that the recent investment in AI will soon impact various aspects of modern life, powering both the future of society and AI.",
  "summary": "The Iran war has done little to cool energy demand despite the conflict snarling up global supply chains, Mitsubishi Power's chief executive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa has said. “It is quite the opposite. I would say things have accelerated,” Javier Cavada told The National . Mitsubishi Power is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubushi Heavy Industries and aims to lead the energy…",
  "key_points": [
    "Iran war accelerates energy demand, not dampening it",
    "Mitsubishi Power CEO notes surge in contract signings",
    "AI data centers projected to double power consumption by 2030"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Iran war has accelerated energy demand, driven partly by the growth of artificial intelligence and data centers, underscoring the need for a diverse mix of energy resources to ensure energy security.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Energy demand accelerating despite Iran war, Mitsubishi Power chief says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/energy-demand-accelerating-despite-iran-war-mitsubishi-power-chief-2930406",
        "published": "2026-08-24T03:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Strait of Hormuz traffic plunges as Iran, US blockades restrict energy shipments",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/strait-of-hormuz-traffic-plunges-as-iran-us-blockades-restrict-energy",
        "published": "2026-08-24T04:08:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}