Energy Transition

Athens – September 18, 2026 -- Europe could save €10 billion in electricity grid investment by 2030 through smarter management of EV charging, according to a new study commissioned by EIT Urban Mobility, ChargeUp Europe and ACEA, and conducted by Siemens.

Grid upgrade costs could fall from €24.7 billion to €14 billion

The study, titled Electricity Grids in Europe, models 64 representative cities across the EU27 and three EEA countries to assess how rising electric vehicle adoption will strain distribution networks. Without intervention, grid reinforcement to accommodate EV growth would require an estimated €24.7 billion in investment by 2030. Deploying intelligent EV Load Management -- which coordinates charging timing and speed to avoid peak-demand overloads -- could reduce this figure to roughly €14 billion, avoiding €10.6 billion in capital spending.

Seoul, South Korea – September 17, 2026 -- Yuyu Pharma has completed an 869-kilowatt (kW) solar installation at its Korean manufacturing facility, lifting total on-site solar capacity to approximately 1 megawatt (MW) and covering more than 30% of the plant's electricity needs.

New system adds to earlier 2020 and 2021 installations

The latest expansion builds on a 30 kW system installed in 2020 and a 96.6 kW system added in 2021. Combined, the three phases are expected to generate at least 1.2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, with a projected output of approximately 30.96 million kWh over 25 years.

Boca Raton – September 15, 2026 -- The national average price of diesel hit an all-time high of $5.85 a gallon on September 4, 2026, according to AAA, then climbed further to $5.9015 three days later, surpassing the previous record set in June 2022.

Diesel prices have risen more than 50% since the outbreak of war with Iran

A year ago the same gallon cost $3.71; on the eve of the conflict it cost $3.76. Six months of disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and crude trading near $90 a barrel have added more than two dollars to a fuel that powers freight, agriculture, construction and a large share of the country's backup and off-grid electricity.

Gothenburg – September 15, 2026 -- Volvo Group will develop an energy park near its planned Mariestad battery cell production site, initially providing approximately 70 MW/260 MWh of battery storage capacity, making it one of the largest energy parks in Sweden.

Volvo Group commits to 70 MW/260 MWh storage capacity as first development phase

The energy park will grow along two parallel tracks: a large-scale battery storage facility using Volvo Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) from Volvo Energy, and a future test bed for developing new energy solutions. The facility is expected to become operational during 2027.

Brussels – September 15, 2026 -- Committed investment in clean hydrogen has surpassed USD 130 billion globally, backing 6.9 Mtpa of capacity across more than 570 projects, according to the Hydrogen Council's Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report co-authored with McKinsey & Company.

Ninety percent of tracked projects are already under construction or operational

Global operational capacity nearly doubled over the past year and is projected to double again in 2027 as projects under construction come online, the report states. The analysis draws on data from over 570 projects and perspectives from roughly 70 global CEOs.

Zurich – September 15, 2026 -- ABB and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have released a joint report concluding that 800-volt direct current (DC) distribution is emerging as the reference architecture for next-generation artificial intelligence data centers, as surging computing loads push conventional AC power infrastructure to its practical limits.

The report, titled "The Strategic Case for Hybrid AC/DC Power: Shaping the Transition to the Next Electrical Architecture," argues that decisions made by business leaders and policymakers over the next two to three years will determine which players shape the shift toward hybrid AC/DC grids and which merely inherit it.