Energy & Environment

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 10, 2026 -- SparkLabs Group and SparkLabs True Zero opened applications for the True Zero Global Prize, a $75,000 startup competition targeting climate, energy and planetary-health innovation ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

First-place winner to receive $50,000, runner-up $25,000

The grant-funded prize will award $50,000 to the top startup and $25,000 to the second-place finisher, with winners announced November 15 during COP31, which runs November 9-20 in Antalya. Applications opened September 1, 2026, close September 28, and finalists will present to judges on October 5 before the announcement.

Astana – September 09, 2026 -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec, HKG: 0386) has co-launched a Low-Carbon Energy Development Cooperation Initiative with Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry, Nazarbayev University's Institute for New Materials and Energy Technologies, and the International Organization for Technological Innovation Cooperation on CCUS (ICTO), aiming to deepen coordination on carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies and standards.

Seoul – September 09, 2026 -- LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have developed a voltage-control method that suppresses gas evolution in lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, clearing a major barrier to commercializing the cobalt-free chemistry in large-format EV cells.

The joint research team, led by Professor Jongwoo Lim of Seoul National University's Department of Chemistry, published its findings in Nature Communications on September 7 Seoul time. LG Energy Solution announced the results the same day.

Optimized 40 Ah cells retained 92.2% of initial energy after 883 cycles

Researchers applied the new operating protocol to 40 Ah-class large-format LMR cells, which held onto 92.2 percent of their original energy capacity following 883 charge-discharge cycles. The result demonstrates cycle-life stability sufficient to move LMR materials beyond small-format applications and into large EV battery packs.

Hong Kong – September 09, 2026 -- A coalition of seven institutions including HSBC, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Temasek-backed GenZero has launched the Green Accelerator (GA), a non-profit platform designed to convert green technology projects in emerging markets into investment-ready assets for multilateral development banks, sovereign wealth funds and commercial lenders.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- The TÜV Association has warned that the AfD's strong showing in the Saxony-Anhalt state election threatens Germany's evidence-based approach to climate, energy and digital policy.

TÜV Association ties technical certification standards to scientific fact-finding

Dr. Joachim Bühler, managing director of the TÜV Association, said the TÜV inspection industry has always guided technological progress based on scientific findings and verified facts. He argued this same principle must now apply to politics following the AfD's election success in Saxony-Anhalt.

Association cites reliance on foreign skilled workers and EU integration

Bühler stated that TÜV organizations require skilled workers from both domestic and international labor markets and benefit directly from a unified Europe. He described the sector as standing for openness and international cooperation.

Ningbo, China – September 09, 2026 -- EVE Energy has cut its maritime transit time to Hamburg by nearly 50% after becoming one of the first Chinese battery manufacturers to deploy the Northern Sea Route for lithium product exports.

Battery cargo departs Ningbo aboard MV Dubai Tower for 20-day Arctic transit

The shipment left Ningbo Zhoushan Port on August 15 aboard the MV Dubai Tower and is scheduled to reach Hamburg in approximately 20 days, cutting nearly half the voyage time required by traditional China-Europe maritime routes. The batteries were manufactured at EVE Energy's production bases in Huizhou and Jingmen before being consolidated for ocean shipment.

Da Nang – September 09, 2026 -- Sungrow has launched its next-generation MGTL Series three-phase hybrid inverters across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, targeting homes and businesses seeking integrated solar-plus-storage systems.

New series spans 10 kW to 25 kW for residential and commercial use

The MGTL Series combines solar generation and energy storage into a single system, supporting a power range of 10 kW to 25 kW. Sungrow positions the launch as a tool to help users maximize solar utilization, strengthen backup resilience, and simplify installation across multiple regions.

Astana – September 09, 2026 -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, "Sinopec") joined Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy, the International Cooperation Organization for Technological Innovation in CCUS (ICTO), and the Institute of New Materials and Energy Technologies at Nazarbayev University to launch a Low-Carbon Energy Development Cooperation Initiative at the 2026 International CCUS Technology Conference in Astana on September 1-2.

Initiative targets closer coordination on CCUS technology and standards

Williamsport, Md. – September 09, 2026 -- Potomac Edison, a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary, has filed a $52.8 million rate adjustment proposal with the Maryland Public Service Commission that would raise the average residential customer's monthly bill by approximately 5.3%.

Even after the increase, Potomac Edison's residential rates would remain the lowest among Maryland's investor-owned electric utilities. As of June 1, the utility's rates stood 25% below the average of its in-state peers.

Berlin – September 08, 2026 -- PLAN-B NET ZERO AG and river-cleanup company everwave have tied clean-energy subscriptions directly to plastic removal, letting customers convert monthly add-on payments into a fixed volume of waste extracted from rivers before it reaches the ocean.

Impact tariffs convert 1 euro into 1 kilogram of plastic removed from waterways

Under the partnership, active since 2026, customers on PLAN-B NET ZERO's impact tariffs can add between 1 and 5 euros per month. Each euro funds the removal of one kilogram of plastic waste from rivers by everwave, before it enters the sea. "That's not about sacrifice or activism, it's a system that simply works in the background and still moves something," said Bradley Mundt, founder and CEO of PLAN-B NET ZERO.