Solar Energy
EU probes Chinese-owned solar panel firms over subsidies
EU probes Chinese-owned solar panel firms over subsidies
by AFP Staff Writers
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) April 3, 2024
The European Union on Wednesday announced investigations targeting two Chinese-owned solar panel manufacturers suspected of receiving subsidies as trade tensions heat up between Brussels and Beijing.
Brussels has in the past year taken stronger action to defend European industry against growing threats from China and the United States — but the EU also faces a dilemma.
The 27-nation bloc wants to build up its renewable energy as it races to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but at the same time move away from excessively relying on cheaper Chinese wind and solar technology.
Chinese state subsidies are already in the EU’s crosshairs. In September last year, Brussels started a probe into Chinese electric car subsidies that could lead to punitive tariffs on vehicles it believes are unfairly sold at a lower price.
Beijing at the time warned it would harm trade relations, and raised fears the EU was risking a trade war.
Wednesday’s probes were launched under new rules that came into force in July last year and seek to prevent foreign subsidies from undermining fair competition in the EU.
Under investigation are two consortiums, one of which includes the Enevo group in Romania and a German subsidiary of Chinese parent company Longi Green Energy Technology.
Longi is the world’s biggest solar panel manufacturer.
The second consortium is made up of two subsidiaries both fully owned and controlled by Chinese state-owned firm, Shanghai Electric group.
“The (European) Commission will assess whether the economic operators concerned did benefit from an unfair advantage to win public contracts in the EU,” the bloc’s powerful antitrust regulator said.
The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU accused the bloc of abusing its new powers.
“We express our serious dissatisfaction with the abuse of the new tool by the relevant EU authorities and the use of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation as a new tool of economic coercion,” it said in a statement.
– ‘Preserve Europe’s economic security’ –
Under the EU’s new rules, firms must tell the commission when their public procurement tenders in the EU are worth more than 250 million euros ($270 million) and when the company has been granted at least four million euros in foreign financial contributions in the three previous years.
“The commission considered it justified to open an in-depth investigation for two bidders, since there are sufficient indications that both have been granted foreign subsidies that distort the internal market,” said a statement.
The two consortiums had applied to design, construct and operate a photovoltaic park in Romania with an installed capacity of 110 megawatts, partly financed by European funds.
“The two new in-depth investigations… aim to preserve Europe’s economic security and competitiveness by ensuring that companies in our single market are truly competitive and play fair,” the EU’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said.
Europe heavily relies on foreign solar panels. More than 97 percent of the panels in Europe are imported, mainly from China, the EU’s financial services commissioner, Mairead McGuinness, said in February.
She pointed to a global oversupply and a surge of imports in the EU since 2023.
“Solar panel prices have plummeted by over 40 percent. These falling prices are an opportunity for citizens and solar panel installers as it supports internal demand, and it is clearly a challenge to EU solar panel producers,” she said.
– Past battles –
It is not the first time the EU has targeted China under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation.
In February, the commission began a probe into a subsidiary of Chinese rail giant CRRC. That investigation was closed after the CRRC subsidiary withdrew this month from a tender in Bulgaria to supply electric trains.
Battles with China over solar panels are not new for Brussels either.
In 2013, the EU imposed anti-dumping duties after European manufacturers said they were being forced out of business by underpriced Chinese panel imports.
Those restrictions were scrapped five years later.
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800-mn-euro battery factory to be built in Finland
by AFP Staff Writers
Helsinki (AFP) Mar 20, 2025
A Chinese-Finnish company announced Thursday it would begin building a battery materials plant in Finland in April, the first of its kind in the Nordic country.
The plant will produce cathode active material, a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and for energy storage, said Easpring Finland New Materials, a company co-owned by Finnish Minerals Group and Beijing Easpring Material Technology.
It said the investment was worth 800 million euros ($868 million).
The announcement came one week after a bankruptcy filing by Swedish battery maker Northvolt, which had planned to develop cathode production but dropped those plans to focus on battery cell production as it fought for survival.
Easpring Finland New Materials said commercial production was expected to begin in 2027.
The plant, to be located in Kotka in southeast Finland, will initially produce 60,000 tonnes of cathode active material annually.
At full production capacity, it could supply cathode material for the production of around 750,000 electric vehicles annually, the company said.
Matti Hietanen, the chief executive of Finnish Minerals Group, said the investment created an “entirely new kind of industry in Finland related to the production of lithium-ion batteries” and represented a European “spearhead project for the industry.”
The new plant will employ 270 people and an area of around 80 hectares had been reserved for its construction.
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Nanocellulose infused with red onion extract shields solar cells from UV degradation
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 20, 2025
Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have developed a bio-based film that provides high-performance UV protection for solar cells, utilizing nanocellulose treated with red onion skin extract. This marks the first comparative study of how various bio-derived UV filters perform over time.
Solar cells, susceptible to damage from ultraviolet radiation, are typically shielded by petroleum-derived films such as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In an effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, researchers are exploring sustainable alternatives like nanocellulose, a material made by refining cellulose into nanoscale fibers that can be customized for UV blocking capabilities.
The study, conducted in collaboration with Aalto University in Finland and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, revealed that nanocellulose films dyed with red onion extract blocked 99.9% of UV rays up to 400 nanometres. This performance surpassed that of commercial PET-based filters, which served as a benchmark in the research.
“Nanocellulose films treated with red onion dye are a promising option in applications where the protective material should be bio-based,” stated Doctoral Researcher Rustem Nizamov from the University of Turku.
Researchers evaluated four types of nanocellulose films enhanced with red onion extract, lignin, or iron ions, all known for their UV-filtering properties. Among them, the film incorporating red onion extract demonstrated the most effective UV shielding.
Effective UV protection must be balanced with the ability to transmit visible and near-infrared light, essential for solar energy conversion. While materials like lignin excel in UV absorption, their dark hue hinders transparency. In contrast, the red onion-based film achieved over 80% light transmission at wavelengths between 650 and 1,100 nanometres, maintaining this level over extended testing.
To simulate prolonged outdoor use, the films were exposed to artificial light for 1,000 hours, equating to roughly one year of natural sunlight in central Europe. Researchers tracked changes in the films and solar cells through digital imaging.
“The study emphasised the importance of long-term testing for UV filters, as the UV protection and light transmittance of the other bio-based filters changed significantly over time. For example, the films treated with iron ions had good initial transmittance which reduced after aging,” tells Nizamov.
Tests focused on dye-sensitised solar cells, which are particularly prone to UV-induced deterioration. The findings also have broader implications for other solar technologies like perovskite and organic photovoltaics, where bio-based UV filters could play a crucial role.
“These results are also relevant for the UV protection of other types of solar cells, including perovskite and organic photovoltaics, as well as any application where the use of a bio-based UV filter is paramount,” Nizamov says.
Looking ahead, the researchers aim to create biodegradable solar cells that could serve as power sources in applications such as food packaging sensors.
“The forest industry is interested in developing new high-grade products. In the field of electronics, these may also be components for solar cells,” noted Kati Miettunen, Professor in Materials Engineering.
The University of Turku’s Solar Energy Materials and Systems (SEMS) group is exploring ways to integrate solar technologies into broader energy systems.
This work was part of the BioEST project, supported by the Research Council of Finland.
Related Links
University of Turku
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Space Solar teams with MagDrive to boost in-orbit solar power systems
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Mar 20, 2025
Space Solar, a leading force in the field of space-based solar power (SBSP), has formed a strategic alliance with UK propulsion technology company Magdrive to enhance the deployment of large-scale infrastructure in orbit. The agreement, unveiled during the Farnborough International Space Show (FISS), is formalized under the Space Propulsion and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative (SPI3), reflecting a concerted push to realize space-driven clean energy.
SPI3 is designed to help fulfil the UK’s long-term goal of producing scalable, sustainable energy directly from space. By integrating Magdrive’s advanced propulsion systems, the initiative addresses the complex challenge of transporting, assembling, and managing substantial SBSP infrastructure in orbit.
Space Solar plans to launch its first 30-megawatt SBSP platform within five years, and success hinges on the ability to control and maintain massive solar satellite structures. Magdrive’s propulsion solutions are poised to support upcoming demonstration missions by enabling essential orbital maneuvers, satellite assembly, and shape optimization.
“Innovation in propulsion is essential to making large-scale space infrastructure a reality,” said Sam Adlen, Co-CEO of Space Solar. “Space Solar and Magdrive share a vision of advancing sustainable space operations that benefit earth, and this collaboration will pave the way for new propulsion solutions that will be indispensable for space-based solar power and other large scale space infrastructure.”
This partnership is also set to strengthen the UK’s space sector by stimulating high-value job creation and technological advancement. It highlights the country’s dedication to leading innovation at the intersection of clean energy and aerospace.
As part of SPI3, both companies will collaborate on refining propulsion specifications tailored to SBSP systems and identify additional applications for these technologies within the broader context of UK-led space initiatives. The cooperation is a key step towards expanding the UK’s footprint in the global space economy and unlocking emerging opportunities in space-based energy markets.
“We’re excited to work with Space Solar, they’re building the future of space energy and infrastructure on a scale never seen before. By working together we’ll be propelling the space industry towards enabling sustainable life on earth. Here’s to the new space age!” said Mark Stokes, CEO, MagDrive.
United by a vision to deliver scalable energy solutions from space, Space Solar and Magdrive’s agreement represents a pivotal move toward the commercialization of SBSP. As Space Solar progresses toward critical mission milestones, incorporating Magdrive’s propulsion technology will bring the reality of space-derived clean energy closer than ever.
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