Executive Summary
- UK breaks ground on Sanquhar II, set to be its 4th largest onshore wind farm by 2026, signaling momentum in utility-scale renewables.
- EIA-based reporting indicates solar will account for more than half of new U.S. power capacity additions in 2025, reinforcing PV’s lead in the generation mix.
- Econergy advances battery storage projects in Italy and the UK, expanding a four-country portfolio and building toward a 1 GWh pipeline.
- China’s Sungrow opens a hydrogen R&D center near Munich, underscoring China’s push to anchor green hydrogen capabilities in Europe.
- Ukraine strikes disrupt Russian petrol supplies, lifting prices and highlighting war-related fuel market fragility.
- Geneva makes public transport temporarily free to curb acute air pollution, a notable urban policy lever with near-term health benefits.
- In EV UX news, Tesla offers turn-signal stalk retrofits for Model 3 in China, illustrating product reversal in response to driver feedback.
Cleantech
- Tesla restores hardware signals in China. Tesla will let Model 3 owners in China add back a turn-signal stalk via a factory retrofit. The move responds to usability pushback after buttons replaced stalks, and it may hint at broader UX course-corrections under real-world driving conditions. Read more
- Hyundai’s arcade-themed concept at Gamescom. Hyundai Motor unveiled its Insteroid concept, leaning into experiential design and brand engagement rather than near-term specs. While not commercial, it reflects how OEMs court next-gen drivers and gaming culture to sustain EV mindshare. Read more
Electricity
- UK onshore wind builds scale. Construction begins on the 44-turbine Sanquhar II project in Scotland, targeting operation in August 2026 and positioning it as the UK’s 4th largest onshore wind farm. This bolsters UK renewable build-out amid broader offshore and onshore pipelines. Read more
- Solar to dominate new U.S. capacity in 2025. Reporting indicates more than 50% of new U.S. power additions next year will be solar, reinforcing PV’s cost leadership and project pipeline resilience despite grid and interconnection headwinds. Read more
- Storage momentum in Italy and the UK. Econergy announced major storage developments across Italy and the UK, extending a four-country portfolio and targeting a 1 GWh pipeline. Storage remains the critical enabler for integrating rising shares of wind and solar. Read more
- Diverging power paths: China vs U.S. Analysis highlights falling coal burn in China alongside surging renewables, versus a 2025 coal rebound in parts of the U.S. This underscores how infrastructure planning and policy direction influence fuel mix and emissions trajectories. Read more
Fuel
- War disrupts Russian petrol, prices rise. Continued Ukrainian strikes are curbing Russian fuel logistics and pushing up petrol prices. The episode reinforces how geopolitical risk transfers quickly into refined-product markets, with ripple effects for nearby regions. Read more
Chemicals
- China’s Sungrow plants a hydrogen flag in Europe. Sungrow opens a green-hydrogen R&D center near Munich focusing on electrolysis and Power-to-X, signaling sustained Chinese investment in hydrogen technology localization within the EU market. Read more
Policy
- Geneva suspends fares to fight smog. Transports Publics Genevois made all public transport free for a limited period to cut car use during severe air pollution, demonstrating a rapid-response public-health lever that could be replicated in other European cities during smog episodes. Read more
- Germany’s bioenergy sector cautious. Industry voices flag skepticism around RED III implementation details, audit burdens, THG quota dynamics, and grid access for biomethane. Expect investment selectivity until regulatory clarity improves. Read more
Geopolitics
- Energy security vs decarbonization trade-offs. The contrast between accelerated UK renewables builds and wartime fuel disruptions in Russia illustrates the twin priorities facing policymakers: hardening energy security while compressing emissions, with storage and grid planning as the connective tissue. Read more
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