GreenergyDaily
Feb. 1, 2024
1. GAC Aion started the construction of its first overseas plant in Thailand on Jan. 26, the EV marque of Chinese carmaker GAC Motor said yesterday. With a total investment of THB2.3 billion (USD65 million) and an annual production capacity of 50,000 units, the plant will be built in two phases, the first of which will be completed in July.
2. China's self-developed 10 MW wind turbine with the world's largest-diameter (236m) impeller onshore was successfully installed in E China's Shandong. The turbine with a swept area equivalent to 6 standard football pitches can generate 10,000 kWh of electricity per hour.
3. In 2023, China Three Gorges Corporation's Karot Hydropower Project generated over 3.1 million MWh of clean energy, benefiting over 5 million residents. Situated on the Jhelum River in Pakistan's eastern Punjab Province, this 720 MW project operated stably, alleviating local energy shortages.
4. According to preliminary data released by a Saudi statistics agency on January 31, Saudi Arabia's GDP fell 3.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 4.4% from the previous quarter. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia's GDP shrank by 0.9% in 2023. In the fourth quarter, Saudi's oil business activities plummeted by 16.4% year-on-year, while non-oil business activities increased by 4.3% year-on-year.
5. German chemical giant BASF's catalyst division is linking arms with Envision Energy, a Chinese green technology provider of net zero solutions, to further develop a new catalyst developed by BASF and optimize the process of producing e-methanol from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, paving the way for a more sustainable energy landscape.
6. Tesla will expand battery production in Nevada, opening a small facility using idle equipment from China's CATL, according to Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter. The automaker plans to buy machinery from CATL, as the battery maker is known, and install it in the city of Sparks, said the people, who asked not to be identified. Tesla will have full control of the facility and cover 100% of the costs, and CATL personnel will be uninvolved other than helping to set up the equipment, they said.
7. Chinese vehicle manufacturer Seres Group officially launched its electric premium sport SUV, the SERES 5, in Athens on Wednesday, marking the entry of the first Chinese electric SUV into the Greek market. The launch also marks the start of cooperation between Seres and Spanos Group, one of the largest importers and dealers of vehicles in Greece, according to Seres Group.
8. Europe's largest oil and gas company Shell raised its dividend as it reported annual profits for 2023 of more than $28 billion. Shell said on Thursday that adjusted earnings were $28.3 billion, down about a third from the record set in 2022 but higher than any other year since 2011. Shell's adjusted earnings of $7.3 billion in the final three months of the year exceeded average analyst estimates of $6.04 billion.
9. Researchers from the University of Zurich and Wuhan University have assessed how solar energy resources affect social and economic development to reduce poverty in China, using empirical data from the country's Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Project. "An increasing number of studies have shown that integrating PV with issues such as poverty reduction or environmental protection has made significant contributions to global sustainable development in recent years," the scientists noted.
10. French automotive supplier Plastic Omnium has started the construction of its hydrogen storage vessel "mega-plant" in China to meet commercial vehicle demand. The 28,000sq. m. plant, planned for Jiading, Shanghai, plant will produce up to 60,000 hydrogen vessels and high-pressure storage systems for the Chinese commercial vehicle market.
