NextEra advances toward Iowa nuclear plant restart
NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum said on Friday that the company has been in contact with regional grid operators about a potential restart of the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant located in Iowa. Nuclear power in the United States has been on the decline for decades, but now is a sought-after electricity source by Big Tech's AI Data Centers. Nuclear power's ability…
Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire
North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024. They have also grown by 350% in the last year thanks to government initiatives aimed at promoting rapid industrial growth.
Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire
North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024. They have also grown by 350% in the last year thanks to government initiatives aimed at promoting rapid industrial growth.
China's carbon power will rise in 2024, surpassing expectations that coal would peak
Official data released on Friday showed that China's thermal power generation, which is mainly coal-powered, increased by 1.5% between 2024 and 2025. This was contrary to expectations, as coal generation had been expected to peak. However, growth has slowed down, reaching its lowest level in nine years, excluding years during the COVID-19 epidemic. The data…
Octopus Energy purchases OX2’s French solar unit in order to accelerate development
Octopus Energy, a British company, acquired the French division of OX2, a Swedish firm that builds solar power plants in agricultural areas. Octopus plans to retain its French team and expand the solar portfolio currently under development. France has lagged behind other European countries when it comes to building solar farms in recent years. Recent turmoil…
Huafu fashion is among 37 Chinese companies that the US has banned imports of due to forced labor by Uyghurs.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that the United States had banned imports of 37 companies from China over allegations of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs. These companies are in the textile, mining, and solar industries. Huafu Fashion Co. is one of the largest textile companies in the world, along with 25 of its subsidiaries. The U.S. accuses them of forced labor practices in China's Cotton Industry.
Masdar, UAE launches facility for uninterrupted production of 1GW renewable energy
The chairman of Masdar, a state-owned renewables company in the UAE, announced on Tuesday that the firm has opened a facility to produce clean energy at a rate of 1 gigawatt per hour. At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opening, Sultan Al Jaber - who is also the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Egypt rushes solar energy to catch up as gas prices soar
Egypt, with its few clouds, vast deserts, and well-developed electrical grid, has everything it needs to expand solar energy generation. It is only now that Egypt has begun to take advantage of these resources, as the price of imported natural gas has risen. Last year, a sharp drop in gas production and a growing demand caught the authorities by surprise. This led to rolling blackouts during the hot summer.
Biden Team wraps up expanded Clean Energy Credit Guidance
The Biden Administration released Tuesday guidance to assist companies in securing clean energy tax credits as part of the 2022 Inflation reduction Act. This program finalized a program that extends subsidies previously available for solar and wind to other low-carbon sources. This move is a part of the actions taken by outgoing president Joe Biden to support his administration's efforts to combat climate change.
Trina Solar breaks world record in solar technology
Trina Solar, a Chinese company, announced in a Monday statement that it had set a world record for the efficiency of conversion of a particular type of solar panel. According to Fraunhofer's CalLab, Germany, the solar research institute, Trina’s large-surface area n type fully passivated heterojunction modules (HJTs) demonstrated an efficiency rate of 25.4% in laboratory tests.
Sekisui Chem will begin mass production perovskite cells in 2027
Sekisui Chemical, a Japanese company, announced on Thursday its intention to mass produce next-generation Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) by 2027. Scientists consider PSCs to be an alternative low-cost option to silicon cells. They can reduce the space needed for solar panels. Sekisui will, in partnership and with the Development Bank of Japan, establish a new firm in early January that will design…
China's Polysilicon Futures Debut on Guangzhou Exchange
On Thursday, China's Polysilicon Futures were launched on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange. Prices fell across the board at the midday break. Seven contracts are available for delivery beginning in June 2025. On Thursday, the price of the front month contract for June deliveries fell by half to 41 710 yuan (5 714.48 dollars) per metric tonne from its initial listing price of 44 000 yuan. Trading volumes stood around 260,826 lots.
Housing regulator: China will focus on stabilising the housing market by 2025
China Construction News, citing the work conference of the housing regulator held on Tuesday and Wednesday, reported that efforts will continue to be made in 2025 in order to stabilize and prevent further falls in China's property market. The report stated that China would vigorously promote reform of the commercial property sales system and expand the scope for urban village renovation beyond adding 1 million units.
Sources say that Tesla's former China plant head will join renewable energy company Envision
Two sources with knowledge of the situation said that Tesla's former China Plant Manager is expected to join Chinese renewable energy company Envision. One source said that Song Gang, who announced Wednesday his departure from Tesla, will be taking on supply chain management duties for Envision. Envision and Song didn't immediately respond to separate comments. Tesla did not reply to a question about Song's departure.
Spain's demand for electricity is increasing as renewables set records
According to Red Electrica's estimates, the amount of electricity consumed in Spain increased this year, after two years of decline. A record 56% came from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. The Spanish renewable energy industry has warned about the dangers of future investment in this sector due to the lack of demand for electricity. The preliminary figures indicate that demand increased by 1%…
Qcells claims that a new technology could reduce the space required for solar panels
Hanwha Corp.'s Qcells announced on Wednesday that it had made a significant breakthrough in a new solar technology. This has the potential of reducing the space needed by panels to generate electricity from the sun's light. The solar industry is facing a number of pressing challenges, including the need for more space. In some areas of the United States, large-scale projects that occupy vast tracts of land are being met with opposition.
Canada will impose new tariffs on Chinese imports during the New Year
The government's latest fiscal update revealed that Canada will impose tariffs as soon as next year on a number of Chinese products as part of a larger investigation into the imports of the country. The government of Justin Trudeau has already placed a tariff of 100% on all Chinese electric cars and a tariff of 25% on the imports from China. The finance ministry had previously stated that it was exploring ways to increase the tariffs.
EU solar growth slows, raising concerns for energy transition
Industry data revealed on Tuesday that the growth in solar power installations in Europe has slowed to 4% after years of double digit increases. This is raising concerns over the continent's transition to clean energy. The findings are a blow to the European Union’s plans to expand rapidly its use of renewable energies – a key pillar in the bloc’s efforts to combat climate change and to end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
US solar industry's strategy for Trump's era downplays climate
The U.S. Solar Industry unveiled their lobbying strategy on Thursday for the incoming Trump Administration. They promoted themselves as a domestic employment engine that could help meet soaring demand for power, without mentioning its role in fighting climate change. The new policy agenda is a dramatic shift for the solar industry, which has been a major beneficiary from the Inflation Reduction Act…
Investors threaten to take action after the Czech Parliament cuts solar industry aid
On Wednesday, the lower house of the Czech parliament approved a change in rules for aids to solar power plants that could reduce some support. Industry representatives criticized this decision and said it violated commitments made by government. The bill still requires approval from the upper house. It will require power plants that were built between 2009 and 2010 - when profits soared - to provide annual profit calculations.
