Energy, Utilities & Environment

Velocys Launches AlphaCore 800, Doubling Fischer-Tropsch Reactor Capacity

Image
Velocys Launches AlphaCore 800, Doubling Fischer-Tropsch Reactor Capacity

Houston and Oxford – September 21, 2026 -- Velocys has released the AlphaCore 800, its highest-capacity microchannel Fischer-Tropsch reactor to date, capable of producing up to 800 barrels per day, or 30,000 tonnes per year, from a single unit.

New reactor doubles capacity of predecessor model

AlphaCore 800 doubles the throughput of the AlphaCore 400 and extends Velocys' reactor family range from roughly 50 to 800 barrels per day per unit, or 2 to 30 kt/a. The reactor targets larger sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and e-fuels projects, including plants aiming for approximately 100,000 tonnes per year and above.

UN Forum: CEOs, Leaders Push Grid, Policy Fixes to Speed Energy Transition

Image
UN Forum: CEOs, Leaders Push Grid, Policy Fixes to Speed Energy Transition

New York – September 21, 2026 -- More than 100 CEOs, heads of state and UN leaders concluded the 2026 UN Private Sector Forum in New York calling for faster public-private cooperation to unlock clean-energy investment, citing grid bottlenecks, regulatory uncertainty and financing gaps as the main barriers to deployment at scale.

UN Secretary-General urges companies to deploy capital and purchasing power

Hosted by the UN Global Compact on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, the invitation-only session pressed business leaders to close the gap between existing climate commitments and the pace of change needed to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. Guterres told participants that companies possess the capital, technology, supply chains and consumer base to "supercharge the renewables revolution" through direct investment in clean power and energy efficiency, and by using purchasing power to build markets for clean technologies.

Beijing Unveils Green Economy Blue Book, Global Standards Initiative at 2026 Forum

Beijing – September 21, 2026 -- Nearly 400 domestic and international delegates gathered at the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC) on September 17 as the Beijing Green Development Forum 2026 opened, unveiling a new blue book on the capital's green economy and a standards-led transition initiative backed by more than 20 institutions.

Hosted by Asia Data Group and organized by ADG Expo Group, the forum carried the theme "Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis" and drew support from Global Honorary Partner Huaxia Bank and strategic partner Beijing Energy Holding Co., Ltd. International bodies including the World Green Design Organization, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and the Center for China & Globalization backed the event.

Huawei Digital Power Debuts Grid-Forming AI Suite at IDEE 2026

Image
Huawei Digital Power Debuts Grid-Forming AI Suite at IDEE 2026

Shanghai – – September 21, 2026 -- Huawei Digital Power unveiled a full-stack portfolio of grid-forming and AI-integrated energy solutions at the 4th International Digital Energy Expo, held September 15-17 in Shanghai, covering utility-scale PV, energy storage, microgrids, EV charging and AI data centers.

Utility PV solution debuts industry's first 1000VAC and grid-forming string inverter

The FusionSolar9.0 Utility PV Solution introduced what Huawei calls the industry's first 1000VAC architecture, first grid-forming string inverter, and largest 11MW smart transformer station. On September 21, 2026, Huawei's Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis solution became the first in the industry to pass the L5 certification, the highest level, from China General Certification Center.

Energy Corps Backs Four Projects to Cut Energy Poverty Across Africa, US Tribes

Image
Energy Corps Backs Four Projects to Cut Energy Poverty Across Africa, US Tribes

Pittsburgh – September 21, 2026 -- Energy Corps has named four new grantees to expand access to affordable, modern energy across East and West Africa and Tribal Nations in the United States, targeting sectors from electric cooking to AI-driven energy governance.

DanChurchAid initiative moves 1,000 refugee households to electric cooking in Kenya

DanChurchAid, partnering with Mwangaza Light and Renewvia Energy, will help more than 1,000 households -- roughly 7,500 people -- in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements transition from firewood and charcoal to induction cookers. The project uses pay-as-you-go financing and a discounted daytime electricity tariff to make the switch affordable.

Natura Resources Receives DOE FLiBE Salt for MSR-1 Reactor

Image
Natura Resources Receives DOE FLiBE Salt for MSR-1 Reactor

Abilene, Texas – September 21, 2026 -- Natura Resources LLC has taken delivery of FLiBE salt from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, transferred via Idaho National Laboratory, securing a critical input for its Molten Salt Demonstration Reactor, the MSR-1, under construction at Abilene Christian University.

The shipment arrived Friday, Sept. 18, closing a supply-chain gap for one of the most specialized materials required in molten salt reactor operation.

DOE selects Natura through competitive 2025 solicitation

Natura won the salt allocation through a competitive DOE process facilitated by Idaho National Laboratory and issued in August 2025. The material contains 99.99% enriched lithium-7, a purity level that minimizes tritium generation during reactor operation.

China-Built Waste Plant Ends Bishkek's Garbage Crisis, Powers Grid

Bishkek – September 20, 2026 -- Central Asia's first waste-to-energy incineration plant has begun cutting Bishkek's household waste stream by 1,000 tons a day, supplying 146 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the Kyrgyz grid and reducing carbon emissions by up to 100,000 tons a year.

Plant ends five decades of landfill overflow around Kyrgyzstan's capital

For decades Bishkek relied on a single municipal landfill that was expanded six times as the population grew, leaving residents to contend with accumulating garbage, odors and dust. The China-Kyrgyzstan waste treatment and power generation project, which began commercial operations at the end of 2025, was developed to address the deficit. The facility currently processes 1,000 tons of household waste daily against an overall planned capacity of 3,000 tons.

Daikin Details Electrification, Refrigerant Plans at Climate Week NYC 2026

Image
Daikin Details Electrification, Refrigerant Plans at Climate Week NYC 2026

New York – September 20, 2026 -- Daikin U.S. Corporation will send executives to seven sessions during Climate Week NYC 2026, positioning its HVAC and refrigerant technology as a response to rising electricity demand and grid strain.

Daikin executives headline flagship grid-reliability panel on September 21

David Calabrese, Executive Vice President of Daikin U.S. Corporation, will join the Hub Live Flagship Session "Strait Talk, Reality Check: How Do We Keep the Lights on in an Uncertain World?" at The Glasshouse on September 21 at 1:00 p.m. Calabrese said buildings need smarter energy management and efficient HVAC technology to manage demand as electrification accelerates, rather than relying solely on new energy production.

SOCO Launches ODORSORB-101 to Chemically Capture Industrial Odors

Image
SOCO Launches ODORSORB-101 to Chemically Capture Industrial Odors

Qingdao – September 20, 2026 -- Qingdao SOCO New Material Co., Ltd. has launched ODORSORB-101, a plant-based liquid formulated to chemically capture nitrogen- and sulfur-based odor compounds at industrial and municipal sites rather than mask them.

Product targets ammonia, sulfide and amine compounds at the source

ODORSORB-101 is engineered to capture and lock odor-causing molecules including ammonia, methylamine, trimethylamine, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans and sulfides, reducing their volatility and limiting re-release into surrounding air. These compounds are commonly generated at wastewater plants, sludge and leachate ponds, manure storage and organic waste sites.

Madison Energy Launches $2B Push for 1 GW Distributed Power by 2028

Image
Madison Energy Launches $2B Push for 1 GW Distributed Power by 2028

New York – September 20, 2026 -- Madison Energy Infrastructure has launched a Community Infrastructure initiative to mobilize up to $2 billion in capital, targeting an additional 1 gigawatt of distributed energy capacity by 2028 as AI-driven power demand strains the U.S. grid.

Madison plans to double its energy footprint within two years

The company's operating portfolio is expected to surpass 1 GW later this fall, and the new initiative aims to add another gigawatt by 2028, effectively doubling Madison's infrastructure footprint. The buildout will draw on Madison's utility relationships, national project pipeline, and its network of regional developers through AccelDev.