During China's Golden Week holiday, gasoline demand fell 9% year over year while the number of electric or hybrid vehicle trips rose sharply, with one in five car journeys made in electrified vehicles. The shift towards electrified transportation is evident in the country's infrastructure and cultural practices, with rail travel hitting record levels and the number of charging ports doubling. China's 15th Five-Year Plan outlines a "green transformation" of the economy with goals of peak carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, emphasizing grid flexibility and storage integration. The plan also highlights the importance of clean electricity and grid support, with a focus on self-reliance in critical minerals to support the electrified economy. Overall, the direction of travel towards a more sustainable energy system is clear, with Golden Week travel patterns reflecting the progress of China's energy transition.
Category: Electricity & Industry
Cut Emissions:
– Enhance Efficiency
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– Shift Production
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Singapore and Sweden Strengthen Energy Partnership at SIEW 2025
The Energy Market Authority of Singapore and the Swedish government have established a bilateral energy forum to enhance clean energy cooperation, focusing on areas such as hydrogen supply chains, grid technologies, energy efficiency, and cross-border electricity trading. The partnership includes the deployment of HVDC transmission technology to integrate into the ASEAN Power Grid architecture. Challenges include significant financial commitments for HVDC interconnection and hydrogen infrastructure development, with success measured by tangible outcomes like project finance commitments and operational hydrogen supply chains. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch emphasize the strategic significance of the forum in advancing innovation and accelerating the green transition towards a sustainable energy future.
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BMW Closes In On The Solid State EV Battery Of The Future
BMW, in collaboration with Solid Power and Samsung SDI, is working on developing a solid state EV battery that replaces the conventional liquid electrolyte with solid materials, offering benefits such as increased safety, lighter weight, longer lifespan, and improved performance for electric vehicles. Other companies like QuantumScape and Toyota are also making advancements in this area, with a focus on using earth-abundant materials like sulfides as an alternative to ceramics in solid state batteries. The US is working on securing its EV battery supply chain, including extracting critical materials like lithium from oil and gas drilling wastewater, with ARPA-E launching a $25 million funding round for new extraction technologies. Columbia University has received funding to recover lithium and magnesium from wastewater, highlighting the importance of sustainable energy storage solutions. Solid Power's contribution of a sulfide-based electrolyte to the new solid state EV battery demonstrates ongoing efforts towards more efficient and environmentally friendly energy storage solutions.
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Cambridge scientists discover photovoltaic properties in organic radical semiconductor
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered photovoltaic properties in an organic semiconductor molecule called P3TTM, which has an "open-shell" character due to unpaired electrons, allowing for efficient photon-to-charge conversion in solar cells. The new material enables the fabrication of solar cells from a single, low-cost, lightweight material, potentially increasing overall efficiency. The findings were published in the study "Intrinsic intermolecular photoinduced charge separation in organic radical semiconductors" in Nature Materials, highlighting a promising advancement in solar cell technology for climate solutions experts.
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Illinois Passes Clean Energy Bill Expected to Save Residents $13 Billion
Illinois legislators have passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which is expected to lead to the buildout of 3 gigawatts of battery storage and the creation of a Virtual Pilot Program. The bill aims to save Illinois families and businesses $13 billion on their electricity bills over the next 20 years. The Solar Energy Industries Association praised the bill for its focus on solar, storage, and a Virtual Power Plant program, which will create jobs and empower Illinois residents. Governor Pritzker is expected to sign the bill into law, showcasing Illinois as a leader in clean energy policy.
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Chinese scientists build mini perovskite-silicon tandem solar module with 26.41% efficiency
A Chinese research team has developed a sandwich buffer layer, MoOx/Ag/MoOx (MAM), to enhance carrier transport and efficiency in semi-transparent perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The layer improved performance and scalability of CsPbI3-based perovskite solar cells, achieving efficiencies exceeding 26% in minimodules. The MAM buffer layer showed long-term stability and scalability, with minimodules retaining over 93% of initial performance after 1,000 hours of storage. The research team aims to further enhance efficiency by finding suitable transparent, cost-effective materials to draw the two devices together in series for large-size tandem modules.
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DOE inks $1B supercomputer deal to shape energy sector
The Department of Energy is partnering with Advanced Micro Devices to build two supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, focusing on advancing nuclear power, fusion, grid modernization, and other priorities of the Trump administration. These machines will utilize artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of technologies like advanced reactors and batteries. The first supercomputer, named "Lux," is expected to be operational by early 2026 with triple the AI capacity of current supercomputers. The Department of Energy aims to bring new supercomputers online in a shorter timeline, from years to months, to drive progress in climate solutions.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-inks-1b-supercomputer-deal-to-shape-energy-sector/
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EVChaja Looks To Scale Its Electric Corporate Shuttle & B2B Electric Van Service In Kenya
Kenyan company EVChaja is expanding its electric van operations and charging network to establish a 100% electric staff transport network, integrating solar-powered charging and AI-based route optimization. The country's electric vehicle market is growing, with a 300% rise in electric mobility consumption and a goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2030. By accelerating the adoption of electric mobility, Kenya can reduce CO2 emissions, decrease its fuel import bill, and decrease its heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports through utilizing excess energy from geothermal plants for overnight charging of electric vehicles. This shift towards locally generated renewable electricity could significantly advance Kenya's electric mobility sector and decrease its trade deficit.
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“Forget subsidies:” Solar-battery hybrids can deliver “incredibly competitive” power for big industry
Quinbrook, the developer of Australia's biggest battery, is focusing on hybrid solar and storage projects to power industrial energy needs at a competitive cost without government support. They are planning to build a smelting facility in Townsville powered by renewables, utilizing long-duration "infrastructure batteries" paired with cheap renewables. Australia is seeing a rise in DC-coupled solar-battery hybrid projects, with Quinbrook's partnership with China battery giant CATL allowing them to build batteries at a lower cost. Advancements in solar technology and batteries have led to historically low costs for solar energy, providing cheap and reliable energy for up to 18 hours a day in sunny locations like Gladstone and Townsville, without relying on government subsidies.
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Wärtsilä to provide DC-coupled energy storage system in Australia
Wärtsilä is working on a project in Australia to provide a large energy storage system that will help the country reach its net-zero emissions target by 2045. The system, expected to be operational by 2028, will power up to 120,000 homes and businesses by integrating solar generation with battery storage to minimize energy losses and enhance grid stability. Wärtsilä's advanced control technology will be crucial in overseeing the integration of the energy storage system and solar assets with the grid's connection requirements, showcasing a promising step towards sustainable energy solutions.
https://www.power-technology.com/news/wartsila-dc-coupled-energy-storage/