Energy & Environment

Bönen – September 10, 2026 -- Tengelmann Energie Renewables (TER) has nearly doubled the photovoltaic capacity at KiK's European headquarters in Bönen with a second solar installation delivering 89.2 kWp, financed and operated under an on-site power purchase agreement (PPA).

Second PV plant adds 89.2 kWp of capacity on KiK's office building

The new installation comprises roughly 200 solar modules mounted on Office Building 2 at KiK's headquarters. More than 70% of the electricity generated flows directly into the retailer's own consumption for logistics and administrative operations under a long-term supply agreement.

Calgary – September 10, 2026 -- Canadian Energy Metals Corp. (CEM) has achieved proof-of-concept for producing Smelter Grade Alumina (SGA) from a non-bauxite resource, marking a potential shift in North America's aluminum supply chain, and has formally commenced its Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for the Thor Project in northeast Saskatchewan.

CEM's process converts black shale into alumina matching Bayer Process purity standards

The company's testing process converts boehmite, derived from precursors linked to High Purity Alumina (HPA) and Chemical Grade Alumina (CGA), into SGA that consistently matches the purity and specifications of alumina produced through the Bayer Process, the current industry standard for refining bauxite. SGA is the principal feedstock for aluminum metal production, and CEM's results were achieved without relying on bauxite, the conventional ore source.

Shenzhen – September 10, 2026 -- i2Cool Shenzhen Limited has closed a Series B financing round worth tens of millions of yuan, equivalent to several million US dollars, backed by Shenzhen TopoScend Capital Co., Ltd., with Linglu Capital acting as exclusive financial adviser.

The company, which develops electricity-free passive radiative cooling materials, will use the proceeds to build standardized nanoparticle production lines, advance core technology, recruit key talent, and expand commercially in priority global markets.

Frankfurt – September 10, 2026 -- Rising energy and fuel prices are changing consumer behavior in Germany but failing to trigger a rapid shift toward climate-friendly energy solutions, according to a new BearingPoint survey. The management and technology consultancy found that 53% of respondents plan no switch to greener mobility or heating options over the next two years, leaving fossil fuel infrastructure under sustained demand for longer than markets anticipated.

Higher prices cut driving but stop short of triggering investment

The survey shows 38% of respondents report driving less due to energy and fuel price increases over the past twelve months. Around a quarter shifted to alternatives: 11% use public transport more often, 13% cycle more, and 4% use electric vehicles more frequently. Meanwhile, 42% say price increases had no effect on their mobility behavior at all.

Mexico City – September 10, 2026 -- Sungrow will convene two flagship Latin America energy summits this fall, gathering government officials, utilities, EPCs, and developers to address grid modernization and storage deployment across the region.

Mexico Summit Set for September 10 Targets Local Grid Needs

The Sungrow Summit North LATAM Mexico 2026 will take place September 10 at Casino Campo Marte in Mexico City. Technical sessions will cover Grid-Forming technology, the PowerTitan 3.0 energy storage system, the new SG510HX solution, next-generation modular inverters, and Long-Term Service Agreements tailored to Mexican market requirements.

Chile Event Follows October 22 in Santiago

Sungrow Summit Chile 2026 will convene October 22 at Centro de Eventos Hilaria in Santiago, focusing on challenges specific to Chile's renewable energy and storage market, which the company describes as among the most dynamic in Latin America.

Shenzhen – September 10, 2026 -- China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. (CSG) disclosed that electricity consumption across the Greater Bay Area has exceeded 700 TWh annually, a volume the company says surpasses that of the world's other major bay areas. The figures were presented by Chairman and Party Secretary Qian Chaoyang at the Asia-Pacific Media Forum, which opened in Shenzhen on September 5 and drew more than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions.

Grid reliability holds at world-class levels despite rising demand

CSG reported average annual outage time per customer at under 30 minutes across the Greater Bay Area, with power supply reliability maintained at what the company calls a world-class benchmark.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- TCL Industries and TCL Technology are showcasing a unified residential energy ecosystem at IFA 2026, linking solar generation, battery storage and smart home controls under a single management platform.

TCL builds its 'Inspiration Habitat' exhibit around three pillars: smart devices, displays and clean energy

The immersive space at Messe Berlin's Hall 21A, running September 4-8, 2026, lets visitors interact directly with hardware spanning SunPower Home Energy and TCL Smart Home product lines.

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 10, 2026 -- SparkLabs Group and SparkLabs True Zero opened applications for the True Zero Global Prize, a $75,000 startup competition targeting climate, energy and planetary-health innovation ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

First-place winner to receive $50,000, runner-up $25,000

The grant-funded prize will award $50,000 to the top startup and $25,000 to the second-place finisher, with winners announced November 15 during COP31, which runs November 9-20 in Antalya. Applications opened September 1, 2026, close September 28, and finalists will present to judges on October 5 before the announcement.

Astana – September 09, 2026 -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec, HKG: 0386) has co-launched a Low-Carbon Energy Development Cooperation Initiative with Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry, Nazarbayev University's Institute for New Materials and Energy Technologies, and the International Organization for Technological Innovation Cooperation on CCUS (ICTO), aiming to deepen coordination on carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies and standards.

Seoul – September 09, 2026 -- LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have developed a voltage-control method that suppresses gas evolution in lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, clearing a major barrier to commercializing the cobalt-free chemistry in large-format EV cells.

The joint research team, led by Professor Jongwoo Lim of Seoul National University's Department of Chemistry, published its findings in Nature Communications on September 7 Seoul time. LG Energy Solution announced the results the same day.

Optimized 40 Ah cells retained 92.2% of initial energy after 883 cycles

Researchers applied the new operating protocol to 40 Ah-class large-format LMR cells, which held onto 92.2 percent of their original energy capacity following 883 charge-discharge cycles. The result demonstrates cycle-life stability sufficient to move LMR materials beyond small-format applications and into large EV battery packs.