Argentina inaugurates first commercial lithium hydroxide production plant
Part of mining company POSCO Argentina’s Sal de Oro integral lithium project, the plant was inaugurated at the General Güemes Industrial Park in the city of Salta. It is estimated to produce 25,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year.
Perovskite solar cell built with slot die coating achieves 19.17% efficiency
A team from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea used slot die coating (SDC) to produce uniform high-quality perovskite films, which they used in a perovskite solar cell that achieved 19.17% efficiency and lab cell-sized modules that achieved 17.42% efficiency.
Ultra-short-term PV power forecast based on dung beetle algorithm
Researchers have developed a novel deep-learning method to predict ultra-short-term PV power, using an optimization method that is based on the behavior of dung beetles. The proposed approach reportedly performed better than seven other conventional prediction methods over a 1-year period.
The Hydrogen Stream: TE H2 to secure land for 1 GW Chbika project in Morocco
Morocco and TE H2 have agreed to reserve land for the Chbika hydrogen project in Morocco. They aim to build 1 GW of solar and wind capacity to annually produce 200,000 tons of green ammonia for the European market.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: TCL Zhonghuan, Maxwell post Q3 results
TCL Zhonghuan has reported a net loss of CNY 2.998 billion ($420 million) for the third quarter of 2024, while Hunan Huamin Holdings posted a CNY 187.5 million loss, and Maxwell Technologies disclosed a modest rise in net profit for the July-September period.
CALB sues CATL for patent infringement as battery rivalry escalates
Chinese battery manufacturer CALB has sued rival CATL for patent infringement. It is seeking damages significantly higher than the total CNY 700 million (€91 million) that CATL previously claimed in six patent infringement cases it filed against CALB.
India should invest in friendly nations for critical minerals, says IEEFA
India should invest in resource-rich, friendly nations to source critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, says the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
New tech to recover high-purity silicon powder from end-of-life solar panels
Korean researchers have used thermal and wet gravity separation (WGS) to separate EVA from reclaimed silicon powder in end-of-life PV modules with “minimal” chemical usage. The proposed technique provides silicon powder that could be reused as a raw material for upcycling into silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon carbide.
LG Energy Solution announces ESS revenue growth, new products
LG Energy Solution expects strong demand for energy storage and plans to release a high-capacity lithium iron phosphate product with 20% higher energy density, along with other offerings. The South Korean battery maker says it aims to begin US production of energy storage system (ESS) batteries in 2025 and may convert European electric vehicle (EV) production lines to ESS.
Sri Lanka to install rooftop solar at religious sites
Buddhist temples, churches, mosques and Hindu temples across Sri Lanka are receiving 5 kW rooftop solar installations free of charge. The project, backed by a $17 million investment from the Indian government, is expected to add 25 MW of solar to the grid.
