Saudi Arabia announces 3.7 GW solar tender announcement

Four solar projects in Saudi Arabia, comprising 3.7 GW, have been granted inquiry status as part of the government of Saudi Arabia's fifth round of national Renewable energy Program, SPPC said. The plants include the 2 GW Al Sadawi plant in the eastern part of the country and the 1 GW Al Masa'a project in northern Hail province. It also includes the 400 MW Al Henakiyah 2 plant located in western Medina Province and the 300MW Rabigh 2 array located in western Mecca Province. SPPC said in the announcement that the project will be overseen by the government-owned entity responsible for purchasing electricity from independent power producers and will be responsible for the pre-development, bidding and subsequent offtake of energy. These projects account for a quarter of all energy capacity (12.6 GW) granted under the NREP Renewable Energy Program. According to its website, NREP aims to maximize the country's renewable energy potential. Saudi Arabia's government aims to generate 27.5 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, the country's leading solar lobby group has said. This is a significant leap from the country's current installed capacity, estimated at 390 MW at the end of 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Association. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

The U.S. government allocated $6 billion for environmental and energy projects

The White House announced more than $6 billion in funding for renewable energy development, eliminating the consequences of natural disasters and upgrading the U.S. power grid. "Today, President Biden announced more than $6 billion in investments to make our region more stable from the pressures of climate change, including by strengthening aging power grid infrastructure, reducing flood risk, supporting environmental protection and advancing environmental equity efforts," the White House said. A large proportion of the earmarked amount ($3.9 billion) will be used to upgrade the domestic power grid, while another $2 billion will be used to implement projects in the field of renewable energy and prepare for the consequences of climate disasters. The White House said some of the money would go to National Park Service needs, fisheries protection, drought relief and other environmental programs. The announced investment does not require the government to make a new financial request to Congress, as is provided for in various bills passed previously. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Britain and Germany have agreed to cooperate on renewable energy

The UK and Germany have formed a new partnership to strengthen renewable energy generation and bring long-term energy security to both countries. The agreement will provide a blueprint for cooperation in the energy and climate sectors, while removing regulatory barriers to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind interconnection in the North Sea. The agreement, signed by UK Energy Security Minister Claire Coutinho and German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, envisages a shared commitment to net-zero emissions and the energy transition. It aims to strengthen and promote energy security at the regional and global levels, including discussions on winter preparedness as well as infrastructure and supply chain security. It also seeks to share best practices on thermal decarbonization, energy efficiency, and net-zero policies and strategies at industrial and building scales. The agreement follows the signing of a joint declaration of intent between the two countries in September 2023 to accelerate the development of low-carbon hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. In the offshore wind sector, the agreement could further boost the UK's ambition to install up to 50GW, including 5GW of floating offshore wind by 2030. Germany aims to install 30GW by 2030. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Adb has committed to the Dudh Koshi project

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed its commitment to invest 635 MW in the Dudh Koshi reservoir-type hydropower project. A team consisting of Kul Man Ghising, Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), and Ramesh Subramaniam, Director General of ADB, visited the reservoir area and the power plant. Interaction was also held with representatives of the local people at the Khotang Rabuwa bazaar at the dam site. Director-general Subramaniam indicated that financial management would soon be under ADB's leadership. He pointed out that the construction of the project needs to complete technical, environmental, social and other aspects of the demonstration as soon as possible. The project will be led by ADB with a total investment of $1 billion from various international financial organizations. Of this, ADB has committed $550 million in loan investment for the project. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Hasina and Modi launch two railway projects

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 1 launched two railway projects on the line, namely the Khulna Mungra Port Railway Line project and the Akkhaula-Agartala double track railway line construction project. At the same time, commercial train service on the Padma Bridge also began on November 1. The 90.725-kilometre length of the Khulna - Mungra Port railway line is planned to cost Taka 42.6088 billion, of which Taka 29.48 billion is financed by the Export-Import Bank of India and Taka 13.128.6 billion is financed by the Government of Bangladesh, with a planned completion date of December 2024. The Bangladeshi section of the Akhaura-Agartala double track railway project, with a total length of 7.9 km, has cost Taka 4,778.1 million, of which India contributed Taka 4,207.6 million and the Bangladeshi government contributed Taka 570.5 million. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Europe 2023 photovoltaic installed capacity will exceed 58GW

According to a research report released by Rystad Energy, the scale of photovoltaic systems installed in Europe is growing by leaps and bounds. As of October this year, the cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic systems has been equal to the total installed capacity of last year, and the installed capacity of new photovoltaic systems will increase by 30% year-on-year, and the installed capacity of photovoltaic systems will exceed 58GW by the end of this year. The International Energy Agency says that by 2030, the annual global capacity of photovoltaic modules will exceed 1200GW. However, in the established policy scenario (STEPS), only 500GW of PV systems will be installed globally by 2030, less than half of the potential installed capacity. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Brazil's distributed solar capacity reached 24GW

Brazilian energy regulator Aneel said installed capacity in Brazil's distributed solar power segment reached 24 GW at the end of September, including all PV systems of 5 MW and below. In the first nine months of the year, Brazil's major developers installed about 5.79 GW of distributed solar array and grid-connected capacity, slightly lower than 5.99 GW in the same period last year. However, new grid-connected capacity in 2023 was concentrated in the first quarter, reaching 2.75 GW, compared to 1.5 GW in the same period in 2022. Between March and June, 1.8GW of new capacity was added, the same as in 2022. Grid connections in the third quarter were 1.2 GW, down from 2.4 GW in the same period in 2022. Guilherme Chrispim, executive chairman of the Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation ABGD, said: "With the last 1 GW installed in nearly three months, it is clear that the growth rate will gradually slow down in 2023. Prior to the middle of the year, 20 percent of new (distributed generation) capacity was added each month, 30 percent higher than the same month in 2022. This is a significant increase following the 2022 boom." Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Masdar will develop 1GW of solar and onshore wind projects in Azerbaijan

ABU Dhabi-based Renewable Energy has signed investment agreements for three renewable energy projects following the inauguration of the 230 MW Garadagh solar Park located in an area 9 km northwest of the Arat settlement in Azerbaijan. ABU Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has signed agreements for three onshore wind projects and two solar power plants, which will have a total capacity of 1GW in Azerbaijan. The ABU Dhabi-based Renewable Energy company said the new solar and wind projects will contribute to Azerbaijan's 2030 renewable energy targets. The company's new announcements include advancing the progress of the first phase of a 10GW clean energy project in Azerbaijan signed in June 2022. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shakhbazov said: Azerbaijan is pleased to achieve its strategic goals as a producer and exporter of green energy together with Masdar, and these projects will play an important role in increasing the share of renewable energy in power generation capacity to 30 percent by 2030. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Oman and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of Understanding in the nuclear field

Oman, represented by the Oman Environment Authority (EA), and Saudi Arabia, represented by Saudi Arabia's Nuclear and Radiation Regulatory Commission (NRRC), on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of nuclear and radiation safety and radiation protection. The MOU was signed by EA Chairman Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri and NRRC Chief Executive Officer Dr Khalid Aleissa. The agreement aims to strengthen and develop joint cooperation between the two countries in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and related activities in accordance with the current regulations, directives and laws of the two countries. The memorandum provides for the exchange of experience and information in the field of nuclear and radiation safety; Radiation protection; Environmental protection; Nuclear regulatory guidelines; Operational expertise; Exchange of research and studies related to radiation and nuclear regulation; And human capacity building. The MOU includes efforts to improve safety, crisis communication, emergency management, and radioactive waste management through integrated planning and preparedness. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Us plans to use nuclear power to accelerate deployment of clean hydrogen

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that it will spend $7 billion to launch seven large-scale regional Clean Hydrogen Centers (H2Hubs) across the country, with the goal of accelerating the commercial deployment of clean hydrogen, two of which will use nuclear energy to produce clean hydrogen. The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Center (MACH2), which covers Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, plans to use electrolysis technology to produce clean hydrogen from renewable energy and nuclear energy. 2. The Central West Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2), which covers Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, plans to produce hydrogen from renewable sources, natural gas and nuclear power. In June 2022, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the U.S. Department of Energy launched plans to invest $8 billion to build multiple large-scale regional clean hydrogen energy centers, and specified that one of the centers must use nuclear energy as a power source. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Seatrium is building the first floaing energy storage facility in Southeast Asia

Energy and Marine solutions company Seatrium Ltd said on Thursday it has completed the installation of a floating energy storage system (ESS) in Singapore, which is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2024. Seatrium said in a statement that it has been working with the Energy Market Authority of Singapore (EMA) on the project, which is the first floating stacked ESS in Southeast Asia. The ESS acts as an energy repository, capturing surplus energy during periods of low demand and releasing it during periods of peak consumption. Seatrium said stacked and floating energy solutions are essential to address Singapore's limited land supply. With a maximum storage capacity of 7.5 megawatt-hours (MWh), the facility can meet "the electricity demand of more than 600 four-room HDB households for one day", the company said, referring to a typical residential flat in Singapore. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

European Commission approves offshore wind power project in Lithuania

The European Commission (EC) has approved a €193 million offshore wind support plan for Lithuania to facilitate the country's transition to zero net emissions. The projects supported by the program will be selected through a competitive bidding process in a specific area of the Baltic Sea with a capacity of 700 MW. Under the measure, the assistance will take the form of a variable premium under a two-way contract for Difference (CfD) for a period of 15 years. The beneficiary is entitled to assistance equal to the difference between the strike price and the market price, but in the event that the market price is higher than the strike price, the beneficiary must also pay the difference between the two prices to the State. Lithuania has completed a tender for its first 700MW offshore wind project, with Ocean Winds and its strategic partner Ignitis Renewables announced as the winning bidder. At the end of 2022, the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy proposed a package of amendments to the Renewable Energy and Electricity Act to facilitate the country's second 700MW offshore wind tender and speed up the bidding process. A second offshore wind farm, scheduled for tender this autumn, is expected to produce its first electricity as early as 2028. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

The world needs to add or upgrade 80 million kilometers of power grids

To meet all national climate targets and ensure energy security, the world will need to add or replace 80 million kilometers of power grids by 2040 - equivalent to all current power grids in the world - and make major changes in the way grids are operated and regulated. The report, Grid and Secure Energy Transition, is the first to take stock of the current state of the global power grid and notes that it is essential to decarbonize electricity supply and effectively integrate renewable energy sources. The report warns that despite strong electricity demand, investment in power grids has declined in emerging and developing economies, with the exception of China, in recent years; The grid is currently "not keeping up" with the rapid deployment of solar, wind, electric vehicles and heat pumps. As for the consequences of failing to keep up with grid investment and slow grid regulatory reform, the report points out that under grid delays, cumulative CO2 emissions from the power sector between 2030 and 2050 will exceed the promised emissions by 58 billion tonnes. This is equivalent to the total CO2 emissions from the global power sector over the past four years, resulting in a 40% chance that global temperatures will rise by more than 2C. While investment in renewable energy has been growing rapidly and has almost doubled since 2010, total global grid investment has barely changed, remaining at around $300 billion a year, the report said. By 2030, that funding will have to double to more than $600 billion a year to meet climate goals. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

India's Adani Green is investing $3 billion to increase PV module capacity

Vneet Jaain, managing director of Adani Green, said that Adani Green will invest $3 billion over the next five to seven years to more than double its photovoltaic manufacturing capacity through the backward integration of the industrial chain through its 700-acre electronics manufacturing cluster in Mundra, India. Currently, Adani Green produces 4GW of PV modules, with plans to increase capacity to 10GW by 2027. This will greatly promote the backward integration of the company's industrial chain. A spokesperson for Total Energies said this has enabled the company to pursue its renewable energy growth strategy in India. Total Energies already owns approximately 20% of Adani Green. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Bangladesh requires large new buildings to install rooftop photovoltaics

The Bangladeshi government requires new residential, educational, medical, industrial and commercial buildings to have net-metering solar systems installed as a prerequisite for integration into the grid. As a result, the country's rooftop photovoltaic power generation will increase significantly. According to the new regulations, buildings with a roof area of more than 92.2 square meters must install a net-metering solar system. Owners wishing to achieve a single-phase grid connection must install a net metering solar system with a minimum capacity of 1 kW, while those requiring a three-phase grid connection must meet a capacity requirement of 3 kW. The same rules apply to schools, hospitals and charities with a roof area of at least 1,000 square feet. The new regulations also require industrial and commercial customers with grid-connected capacity of less than 80 kilowatts to install rooftop photovoltaic systems equivalent to 15% of their total load. Customers with grid-connected capacity between 80 and 500 kW must install a PV system accounting for 12% of their load capacity, while customers with a load capacity greater than 500 kW must install a rooftop array accounting for 10% of the load capacity. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

The EU has a combined capacity of 944GW

According to a recent assessment by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), if 1% of the EU's agricultural land area (157,621 hectares) was devoted to the installation of photovoltaic systems, up to 944GW of installed capacity could be installed, which would be a five-fold increase compared to the total installed capacity of photovoltaic systems installed in the EU in 2022. In the report, titled "Overview of the potential and challenges of photovoltaic power generation in Agriculture in the EU," the researchers determined this figure and assumed an installed capacity of 0.6MW of photovoltaic systems per hectare of land area. The EU member states have 158 million hectares of agricultural land. "Assuming that agricultural PV systems cover 10 percent of arable land and 5 percent of grassland, respectively, in EU countries, the potential for installed agricultural PV capacity will also be tripled," the report states. If 10% of the EU's agricultural land was covered by agricultural PV systems, the total installed capacity could reach 3.2TW to 14.2TW, while if the coverage was only 5%, the total installed capacity would be 1.5TW to 7TW." Editor/Xu Shengpeng

The Philippines accelerated the development of the photovoltaic industry

"A perfect storm is brewing in the Philippines," Moritz Sticher, senior adviser at Apricum, a Berlin-based clean technology consultancy, told industry media, "with plans for legislative reforms and liberalising the energy market." This will make the Philippines the most attractive PV project development country among Southeast Asian countries. Recent legislative reforms in the Philippines have incentivized the development of the country's photovoltaic industry, and coupled with a freer energy market in the country, the Philippines is an "ideal place" to develop photovoltaic projects in Southeast Asia. According to a study published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2022, the Philippines has set a target of installing 15GW of clean energy by 2030, which is likely to focus on building micro-grids and independent clean power systems due to the country's archipelagic nature. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

The Danish government is providing $4.5 billion to promote green energy on land

The Danish government has designated 32 regions for large-scale wind and solar parks, with the goal of quadrupling the total amount of green energy produced onshore. Although Denmark is seen as a pioneer in the wind energy sector and is home to some of the world's largest wind energy companies, including Vestas and Voosh Energy, the construction of wind turbines on Danland has effectively stalled due to opposition from local communities and environmental agencies, and now the government wants to kick-start the industry by more than doubling financial compensation for affected communities. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

France will build Europe's largest hydrogen storage tank production plant

French auto parts manufacturer Biou started the construction of Europe's largest hydrogen storage tank production plant in Compiegne, Haute-France. The total investment in the plant is about 150 million euros, about half of which is subsidized by the French government. The plant is expected to produce 80,000 hydrogen cylinders a year when it comes on stream in 2024 and will mainly supply buses and heavy goods vehicles owned by Strangis and Renault. It is reported that so far, the total order value of Biou in the hydrogen field has exceeded 4 billion euros. The person in charge of the company said that the company plans to build large plants in Michigan, the United States, and Shanghai, China to produce hydrogen storage equipment in the future. Among them, the Michigan plant has an annual capacity of 100,000 hydrogen bottles, and the Shanghai plant has an annual capacity of 60,000 hydrogen bottles. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Japan's Marubeni and partners to invest $12.3 billion in UK clean energy

Japan's Marubeni Corp has pledged to invest 10 billion pounds ($12.3 billion) in Britain's clean energy sector over the next decade with partners, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday. Marubeni and the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo that includes floating offshore wind operations in Scotland. Hiroshi Tachigami, general manager of Marubeni's offshore wind and domestic renewable energy division, told reporters: "Both Japan and the UK are important markets as demand for offshore wind power, clean energy and hydrogen energy is expected to grow." Marubeni plans to invest about 1 billion on its own Sterling expects the British government to provide various supports, including helping offshore wind power projects to ensure stable electricity sales revenue. Marubeni said Scotland's 3.6 GW Ossian floating offshore wind farm would be the largest project among planned investments. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Edison plans to deploy SMR in Italy

Leading Italian energy company Edison has announced that Italy is bringing nuclear power back to Italy with its plan to build two nuclear power plants based on EDF's small modular reactor (SMR) technology between 2030 and 2040, if conditions permit. The company, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary, said it aims to double EBITDA to 2-2.2 billion euros ($2.1-2.3 billion) by 2030 from 1.1 billion euros in 2022. The company said the target would be achieved through a major change in the industrial mix, which would result in direct zero-emission or near-zero-emission activities accounting for 70% of EBITDA, compared to an average of 35% over the past three years. Edison added that zero-emission power generation in its business portfolio will account for more than 45 percent of the group's profitability by 2030. Edison said it aims to decarbonize 90 percent of its power generation mix by 2040 through the use of renewable energy and new technologies, such as carbon dioxide capture and possibly new types of nuclear power. The CO2 emission factor is projected to decrease from 293 g/KWH in 2022 to 190 g/KWH in 2030 and to as low as 50 g/KWH in 2040, while reducing absolute emissions. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Serbia issues regulations for solar and wind energy projects

Serbia has amended the decree on the conditions of electricity transmission and supply, modifying the procedure for connecting new power plants to the transmission and distribution grid, including solar and wind farms. The new rules will affect more than 100 existing solar and wind projects. The regulation provides for the need to sign a contract with a developer to prepare a study for access to a transmission or distribution network. According to the decree, after the contract is signed, EMS prepares a study on the connection with the transmission system at the request of the investor. The request should be submitted on the first day of the EMS ready connection study cycle. The new rules stipulate that the TSO will have two study cycles per year - March 1 to June 30 and September 1 to December 31. Strategic partners are not exempt. It is worth noting that Serbia is in the process of selecting its first strategic partner in this field. The transitional provisions envisage the first cycle starting on December 20, 2023 and ending on April 20, 2024. The deadline for submitting requests is December 1. After April 20, 2024, regular intervals and deadlines will apply. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

South Korea's floating nuclear power plant project gets approval in principle

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and Kepco Engineering & Construction (Kepco E&C) have received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a new design of a floating offshore nuclear power barge. The design includes a 240 MW SMR powered vessel with four 60 MW SMRs. The vessel will be a floating SMR facility at sea, with the SMR on the bottom and a platform on top to produce carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen. Project partners include ABS, HD KSOE, Kepco E&C and the Liberian International Ship and Companies Registry (LISCR). AIP presentation held in Washington, DC. Floating small modular reactor (SMR) barges are designed to provide offshore power generation to remote communities and islands. HD KSOE will provide the basic design of the marine system, ABS and LISCR will complete design reviews in accordance with class and statutory requirements, while Kepco E&C will work on risk assessments for future applications. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Northvolt to build super battery factory in Canada

Northvolt, a Swedish battery manufacturer, announced on its official website on September 28 that they will spend US$5.2 billion to build a super factory in Quebec, Canada. Among them, Northvolt will invest US$3.2 billion, while the Canadian federal government and local governments will each contribute US$1 billion. The new factory will be Northvolt's first large-scale factory outside Europe. The production capacity in the first phase is expected to be 30GWh, and is expected to eventually expand to 60GWh, with a total investment of nearly US$9 billion. Construction will begin in 2023, with operations expected to begin in 2026. According to information, Northvolt was founded in 2016. Its founder Peter Carlsson is a former Tesla executive and has received investment from BMW and Volkswagen. In August 2023, the company announced the successful financing of US$1.2 billion to fund its expansion plans in Europe and North America. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Malaysia will increase the use of nuclear technology

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Chang Lih Kang said Malaysia's National Nuclear Technology Policy 2030 (DTNN 2030) will enable Malaysia to optimise the peaceful use of nuclear technology for socio-economic development. He said the policy paper outlined four strategic core areas, 18 strategies and 13 key objectives to achieve the vision and direction of Malaysia's nuclear technology ecosystem. The policy was adopted after detailed consultation with stakeholders and the public in 2021. "The strategies and initiatives outlined in this policy emphasise the creation of a sustainable national nuclear technology ecosystem, as well as a solid platform for the peaceful mainstreaming of nuclear technology in Malaysia," he said at the launch of DTNN 2030. DTNN 2030 also identifies six focus areas that can be strengthened through the use of nuclear technologies. These include medicine and health care; Food and agriculture; Plant and equipment manufacturing; Environment and natural resources management; Industrial applications; And nuclear safety and security. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Q Energy begins construction of Eure's largest floating photovoltaic power plant

Renewable Energy producer Q Energy has begun construction of the "Les Ilots Blandin" floating solar farm in Haute-Marne, France, which it says will be the largest floating solar project in Europe when completed. Q Energy said the initial planned capacity of the plant is 66 MW, but it will be able to expand to 74.3 MW due to the advantages of the floating design. The construction process is expected to last about 18 months, with commissioning planned for the first quarter of 2025. A consortium of companies including Solutions 30 Sud-Ouest, Ciel et Terre International and Persetum Energy will build and operate the plant. In August 2022, Q Energy won the project in a tender exercise by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). The plant will be built on an artificial lake at an abandoned gravel pit owned by Etablissements Blandin. Q Energy will deploy 134,649 components across six islands and anchor them to the banks or bottoms of flooded mines. The company said the floating structure was made in France and the materials used were specially designed to minimize the impact on the environment. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Portugal's Galp will invest $426 million in biofuels with Japan's Mitsui

Portuguese oil company Galp said on Monday it has teamed up with Japan's Mitsui Co to invest 400 million euros ($426 million) in an industrial-scale plant to produce biodiesel and biojet fuel from waste from its Sines refinery. The two companies will create a joint venture for the project, in which Galp will hold a 75 percent stake, the company said in a statement. Galp also said it had made a final decision to invest 250 million euros on its own to build a 100 megawatt (MW) electrolysis unit to produce green hydrogen to power the refinery. Both plants are said to be operational by 2025. The hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) plant will have a capacity of 270,000 tons per year. It will convert waste materials such as used cooking oil into renewable biodiesel and biojet fuel (also known as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)) using green hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer, which has a green hydrogen capacity of 15,000 tons per year. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Vattenfall starts construction of a German agricultural photovoltaic power plant

On September 25, Swedish utility Vattenfall has started construction of a 79MW agricultural photovoltaic solar project called Tutzpatz in Mecklenburg-Former Pomerania, Germany. With the support of landowners and municipalities, Vattenfall is implementing a new concept that combines sustainable agriculture and solar power on the same land. Vattenfall took the final investment decision for the project in February 2023, and the plant will begin operations in 2024. The project was developed without state support and is currently being implemented on a commercial scale with Vattenfall's partners. The project covers an area of 93 hectares and the solar modules will be mounted on a rack system. This process will allow the company to gain more hands-on experience for similar projects in the future. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

Total Energy launches green hydrogen tender

Total Energy plans to supply 500,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to its six European refineries (and two biofuels refineries) by 2030 to replace the grey hydrogen currently used in these plants. The above green hydrogen requires about 5GW of electrolyzers and 10GW of dedicated renewable energy, with an investment of about 14 billion euros. The move is part of Total Energy's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its oil and gas operations by 40% by 2030. Grey hydrogen, currently produced from Total Energy's undiluted natural gas, is currently used for the desulfurization of crude oil in refineries and for the production of diesel and aircraft fuel through a hydrocracking process. Total Energy's conventional refineries are located in Normandy in northern France, Donge in the northwest, Fezien in the east, Antwerp in Belgium, Zeeland in the Netherlands and Lerner in eastern Germany. Total Energy's only biofuel refinery is located in La Mede, southern France, near Marseille, and can produce 500,000 tons of biodiesel per year. Total's hydrogen from the tender will also supply a biofuel plant in Grandpuits, near Paris, which will begin operations in 2025 and produce sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and renewable naphthalene. Editor/Xu Shengpeng

LG New Energy raises $1 billion through green bond issue

September 20, according to foreign media reports, on Tuesday, South Korean battery manufacturer LG New Energy successfully issued a $1 billion global green bond, which marks the company's first entry into the global green bond market. Green bonds are bonds that specifically fund industries and projects that address climate change, including batteries that are alternatives to fossil fuels. The $1 billion green bond consists of a $400 million three-year bond and a $600 million five-year bond, the company said. The company plans to use the funds to grow its international battery and renewable energy projects, including its ongoing projects in the United States. LG New Energy is a new company spun off from LG Chem in December 2020 to specialize in the battery business, and its customers include Tesla, General Motors and Volkswagen. Currently, the company has seven battery plants in operation or under construction in the United States, where it is focusing most of its resources to expand capacity. The company aims to expand its product portfolio through determined investments to include not only electric vehicle batteries, but also energy storage systems (ESS) and other products. Editor/Xu Shengpeng