Author: Anela Dokso

A consortium including Fortum, ČEZ, MVM, and Slovenské elektrárne has signed an agreement with Framatome to develop a fully European nuclear fuel solution for VVER reactors.

Research from the University of New South Wales suggests that one of the technology’s most fundamental constraints, internal water accumulation, may be addressed through relatively simple design modifications, with reported performance gains of up to 75 percent.

ENGIE is expanding its battery energy storage footprint across key markets, with new projects in Spain and France pushing its European pipeline beyond 1 GW.

Grid congestion has emerged as one of the most immediate constraints on renewable energy deployment in the Netherlands, with thousands of projects reportedly facing delays due to limited connection capacity. A new agreement between TenneT and Green Energy Storage signals a shift toward using large-scale battery storage as an operational tool to manage these bottlenecks.

Green hydrogen projects globally are increasingly constrained not by ambition but by bankability, with early-stage development costs often preventing projects from reaching financial close. The African Development Bank is attempting to address that gap through a new continent-wide program designed to unlock project pipelines before large-scale capital is committed.

Cement production accounts for roughly 7 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, a figure that continues to position the sector among the most difficult to decarbonize due to its reliance on process emissions rather than energy use alone.

The UK’s hydrogen sector has struggled to convert policy ambition into bankable projects, with only a limited number progressing to final investment decision despite successive funding rounds. A 20 MW project in Wales has now crossed that threshold, offering a test case for whether government-backed hydrogen can move into execution.

South Africa’s hydrogen ambitions continue to be constrained less by capital than by capability, with skills shortages emerging as a critical bottleneck in project execution and scale-up. A new training initiative led by Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority and Sasol signals a shift toward addressing that structural gap, albeit at an early stage.

Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power is preparing to commit at least $30 billion to China over the next five years, reinforcing a strategic pivot that reflects both confidence in the country’s energy transition and a growing reliance on its industrial ecosystem.

Plug Power has secured a 275 MW electrolyzer contract in Quebec, marking one of its largest awarded projects and reinforcing its position in utility-scale hydrogen infrastructure despite ongoing financial strain.