GreenergyDaily

Aug. 14, 2024

1. General Motors said its tie-up with SAIC Motor and commitment to driving the long-term development of their JV remains unchanged after the US auto giant reportedly launched a new round of layoffs in China and plans to meet with SAIC to discuss a larger structural reform plan.

2. Total energy investment worldwide is on track to exceed $3 trillion in 2024 for the first time. And global spending on clean energy is set to reach almost double the amount going to fossil fuels, according to IEA. 

3. Tongwei Group, the world's largest producer of solar silicon, has announced its plan to invest up to CNY5 billion (approximately $715 million) to become the largest shareholder of the world's fifth-largest solar cell supplier. This marks the first major merger and acquisition attempt in the industry during a sluggish market. Tongwei has signed a capital increase intention agreement with the major shareholders of Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology to acquire a 51% stake.

4. BYD's Zhengzhou facility has announced its second large-scale recruitment of the year, aiming to hire 4,000 people in a single month. The monthly salary for the positions can reach up to 9,000 yuan.

5. Chinese automaker Zeekr has unveiled new batteries with the world's fastest charging capabilities, able to charge from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes. This breakthrough is due to optimized materials and upgraded technology, supporting a 5.5C ultra-fast charging rate. The batteries will debut in the 2025 Zeekr 007 sedan, significantly reducing charging times and addressing range anxiety for electric vehicle users.

6. China and Brazil have seen fruitful achievements in sci-tech cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 50 years ago, including jointly developing 6 satellites under the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite project in the past 30+ years, two of which have been playing an important role in water resource management, urban planning, as well as environment and disaster monitoring in Brazil: Director Clezio Marcos De Nardin of Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE).

7. Volkswagen's premium car brand, Audi, is reportedly going to equip some of its models in the Chinese market with a smart driving system from Huawei to boost the vehicles' appeal. Audi CEO Gernot Doellner said in March this year that the brand will launch its last-generation gasoline cars in 2026, after which it will phase out production of gasoline cars, the report noted.

8. Recently, LONGi signed an order for a 600MW Hi-MO 7 ground power plant project with ABOITIZ POWER, marking the largest single-unit order in the Philippines. This project will strongly support ABOITIZ's energy transformation and make an important contribution to the green and sustainable development of the Philippine energy industry.

9. Fishing boats were spotted sailing at a mariculture (marine ranching) zone in Sanggou Bay, located in Rongcheng City, in east China's Shandong Province, on Tuesday. Meanwhile, wind turbines were seen operating in the distance. The city has been actively promoting the adoption of clean energy in recent years and has successfully combined ecological aquaculture, tourism, and environmental protection. Additionally, the country has implemented a series of regulatory measures to further encourage the green and low-carbon development of the aquaculture industry.

10. Dongfeng Motor said today that the Chinese carmaker only had preliminary contacts with the Italian government to build an auto plant there but has not discussed topics such as cybersecurity, data protection, and sourcing 45% of the components in Italy, according to Yicai.