Browsing: REGIONAL

A 60 GWh supply agreement for sodium-ion batteries signals a shift in the global energy storage market, where reliance on lithium-based chemistries is increasingly being challenged by emerging alternatives. The three-year partnership between CATL and HyperStrong marks the largest sodium-ion battery deal announced to date, highlighting growing confidence in the technology’s readiness for large-scale deployment.

Europe’s circular economy workforce expanded by 10 percent between 2014 and 2023, reaching approximately 4.4 million jobs across the EU-27, yet structural barriers continue to limit the transition from niche applications to system-wide industrial adoption, according to assessments published by the European Environment Agency. The findings highlight a widening gap between policy ambition and market readiness as the bloc prepares its forthcoming Circular Economy Act.

Europe’s carbon capture and storage landscape is entering a phase where early-stage geological validation is becoming as critical as industrial deployment. Croatia’s allocation of €2.7 million in EU-backed funding for CCS development reflects this shift, targeting foundational data gaps that continue to constrain large-scale carbon storage investment across the region.