Western Europe

The 25-meter-wide Airbus solar drone, which is remotely controlled by satellite, is entirely covered with PV modules.

Germany has launched the world’s first operational hydrogen trains and US researchers have presented a novel design for a tubular PEM fuel cell. ABB and Hydrogen Optimized, meanwhile, have expanded their strategic ties and Slovakia has moved forward with a major gas-blending pilot project.

The Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance is part of a wider deal that includes batteries and raw materials. Many details remain unclear, but the 2025 target for first deliveries is ambitious, says Paul Martin, the founder of the Hydrogen Science Coalition.

The European Commission has an eye on the potential acquisition of Groendus by public retirement funds in the Netherlands and Canada.

The new product features a power conversion efficiency of 22.0% and a temperature coefficient of -0.25% per C.

The Italian government hopes to deploy 375 MW of PV capacity via the rebate scheme. The funds will be provided through the post-Covid recovery plan.

The government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has allocated €10 million ($9.93 million) to support the deployment of balcony solar modules with a power output of up to 600 W.

The German authorities reviewed bids with a total capacity of 767 MW and selected projects totaling 201 MW. The final prices ranged between €0.0820 ($0.0813)/kWh and €0.0891/kWh. The final average price was €0.084.

SEV, the utility for the Faroe Islands, has secured funds from Nordic Investment Bank to build a pumped hydro storage facility on the island of Streymoy. The Mýruverkið II project, valued at DKK 1.3 billion ($174 million), is set to go online in the 2027-28 period.

Japanese researchers have developed a new way to improve water splitting, while South Korea has completed its largest hydrogen production complex. Scotland and England have announced new hydrogen investments, and Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power have agreed to collaborate on hydrogen projects.