Highlights

A number of hydrogen projects are moving forward in the United States, India, Germany and Denmark. In other developments, the German state of Saxony is teaming up with other partners, including the Czech Republic, to set up a hydrogen network in Eastern Europe.

The costs of transporting a container from China to Rotterdam have already almost tripled due to ongoing tensions in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Houthi militants have been attacking merchant ships there for weeks, preventing them from entering the Red Sea and transiting through the Suez Canal.

The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) has partnered with the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) and Gujarat State Petroleum Corp. (GSPC) to establish a global hydrogen trading mechanism.

New figures from the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) show that China can now produce tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) PV modules for between $0.160/W and $0.189/W. Costs in Europe, India and the United States, by contrast, could be as low as $0.243/W, $0.281/W, and $0.195/W, respectively. ETIP PV made the comparison based on production at a 10 GW integrated PV factory.

Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, says vertical integration at scale promises the greatest acceleration towards reducing the cost of green hydrogen from the current $3-5 per kilogram (kg) to the $1/kg mark.

Bluebird Solar has launched half-cut mono PERC PV modules based on M10-sized cells. The modules are available with outputs ranging from 400 W to 550 W.

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell — and can be recharged in a matter of minutes.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is selling REC Solar Holdings’ kerf-based polysilicon manufacturing arm REC Solar Norway to Elkem ASA, a silicon-based material provider. Upon completion of the sale, RIL will continue to retain the technology and intellectual property rights of kerf-based polysilicon.

Scientists in Italy have investigated the performance of drones and a human-crewed airplanes for carrying out aerial infrared thermography inspections on PV power plants. According to their findings, airplanes may be more cost-effective.

Eight companies emerged as winners in Solar Energy Corp. of India’s 1.5 GW electrolyzer manufacturing tender under the production-linked incentives scheme.