Here are the top business stories making the headlines in the morning newspapers:
Sunak to strike gas deal
Rishi Sunak is poised to announce a major gas deal with America after the Cop27 climate change summit, The Telegraph reports.
Talks about the “energy security partnership” are in their final stages, with the US planning to sell billions of cubic metres of liquefied natural gas to Britain over the coming year.
The UK's willingness to import more fossil fuels while urging action to tackle climate change is likely to be attacked by Labour, but is now seen as essential to ensure the country’s energy security.
Aberdeen ebike rental venture starts
An ebike rental scheme is finally being rolled out across Aberdeen city centre this week, following years of delays.
Big Issue eBikes has partnered up with Aberdeen City Council to bring hundreds of rentable electric bicycles to the Granite City.
The Press and Journal says the venture, which launches tomorrow, will include an initial 200 ebikes at about 40 parking spots around the city centre.
People will be able to rent the bikes on a pay-as-you-go basis but, as the initiative expands in the future, subscriptions will become available.
The project is being delivered by the same organisation behind the Big Issue publication sold by people on the street, and is designed to create new employment opportunities for vulnerable or marginalised individuals.
Unlike bike rental schemes in cities like London where there are physical docking stations for rented bicycles, the Aberdeen big Issue eBikes will not have any solid infrastructure in place.
Instead, it will be entirely virtual.
Users wanting to ride an ebike will need to install an app on their phone, turn on their location services, and travel to a location marked out around Aberdeen that has an ebike present.
£80million alcohol duty blow for Moray
Moray Chamber of Commerce says an increase in alcohol duty in line with inflation will cost the region £80million per year - at the same time as the hospitality industry grapples with a perfect storm of rising costs.
The Press and Journal says the UK is looking to plug an estimated £50billion shortfall in its finances, and alcohol duty is now firmly in its crosshairs after initial plans to freeze the increase were scrapped by the Treasury.
More than half of Scotland's whisky distilleries are in Moray Speyside and any hike in duty will only add to a growing litany of challenges for hospitality including rising interest rates, food price increases and difficulty in recruiting staff.
Moray Chamber chief executive Sarah Medcraf said: "The hospitality sector is already on its knees with venues up and down the country having to make the decision to close.
"With increased pressures across the business from staff, interest rates rising, food price hikes to name a few, businesses have already had to increase their prices to survive.
"This, linked with the lower consumer spending habits, make for impossible trading conditions. Adding the rise in duty on to this is squeezing an industry with nothing left to give.
"In Moray Speyside, we are fortunate to have so many great distillers, but the proposed duty rise will cost our region £80million per year.
"This will impact their ability to invest and sustain both their infrastructure and green agenda and will cause a risk to jobs."
The Scotch Whisky Association has also thrown its hat into the anti-duty increase ring, urging Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to rule out any alcohol tax rise in his November 17 Budget, saying nearly half of adults would spend less in pubs and restaurants if prices rose.
Leap to jump ahead
Aberdeen-headquartered food packing firm Leap Automation is planning to double in size following a seven-figure cash injection.
The company, which specialises in AI enabled robotics for food companies, said the move will help combat labour shortages within the sector.
The Press and Journal says the Altens-based firm has received a significant round of investment from Alba Equity and Scottish Enterprise, but the exact sum has not been disclosed.
However, the firm did say total funding has now been brought to £3million over the past 18 months.
It now plans to consolidate its work in the food-packing automation sector by increasing its team of 21 to 42 and strengthening its production, product development and support capability.
Leap was founded in 2018 by Ben Bamford and Ben Stuart following careers developing and commercialising technology solutions for the energy sector.
Hydrogen switch for locomotive
An old diesel freight train in British Columbia, Canada, is about to get a new lease of life.
Local firm Hydrogen in Motion (H2M) is currently converting the Green Goat locomotive to run on a mix of hydrogen and battery power.
The switcher locomotive performs tasks such as transporting small loads of lumber or animal feed at rail yards.
If all goes to plan, H2M will have the engine running by the end of this year, or early next.
"With the successful demonstration of this we would be looking at much larger trains as well," said H2M president and chief executive Grace Quan. "We'd be looking at converting entire fleets."
Hydrogen, which emits water but no carbon dioxide when burned, is often touted as a fuel of the future.
The BBC says there are already a few hydrogen-powered trains, such as ones currently being rolled out in the German state of Lower Saxony. The technology made its debut there in 2018.
In the UK, hydrogen locomotive HydroFlex2 is undergoing testing in Long Marston, Warwickshire.
Made.com ex-boss says offer rejected
The founder and former boss of Made.com has said his offer to buy the furniture business before it falls into administration has been rejected.
The BBC says the online retailer is set to enter administration this week with the expected loss of some 500 jobs.
Ning Li said he had offered to buy Made with his own cash, saving 100 jobs, but this "wasn't accepted".
Instead, administrators from PwC are likely to be appointed and a sale of the Made.com brand name announced.
Massive Bitcoin seizure in America
The US Department of Justice has revealed it seized £2.9billion worth of Bitcoin last year which was stolen from an infamous darknet website.
The stash of 50,676 Bitcoin was found hidden on various devices in a hacker's home in an underfloor safe and inside a popcorn tin.
James Zhong has pleaded guilty to hacking the funds in 2012 from the illegal Silk Road marketplace.
US authorities say the seizure is the second-largest in history.
The BBC says the police raid at Mr Zhong's Georgia home was carried out a year ago, but only revealed now.