Hormuz LNG strikes test Italy's energy independence, and the South's wind farms

A second tanker carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas has been struck while leaving the Strait of Hormuz, weeks after the Al Rekayyat was hit in the same area, Euronews reported Monday. The GasLog Shanghai was targeted as the regional conflict continues to disrupt one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.

Italian utility Edison said QatarEnergy had extended force majeure on a further three cargoes, bringing the total affected to 24 shipments through September, according to Euronews. The widening disruption strikes at a moment when Italy, like much of Europe, is already grappling with the summer heatwave's demands on the electricity grid.

For the South, the crisis sharpens a long-standing question about energy strategy. Molise, with its wind farms strung across the Apennine ridges, is one of the regions where Italy's renewable potential is most visible — yet the national grid remains heavily dependent on imported gas.