china

China has become the greatest added value of the planet thanks to feedback

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China wants to stop being the planet’s factory. In fact, you need to stop being. The struggle that holds with the US to get world supremacy It requires that Xi Jinping’s country consolidates as The largest provider of high value services and products. This position would allow him to compete with the country led by Donald Trump on equal terms, something unthinkable just a decade ago. But China is in it. And it’s on the right track. The first stone was placed by the Chinese president in 2015. That year Xi Jinping announced the implementation of a strategy known as Plan “Made in China 2025” whose purpose was to place China as a world leader in 13 strategic technologies. Ten years later he leads in five of them: unmanned aerial vehicles, solar panels, graphene, high -speed trains and electric vehicles/lithium batteries (these last two go hand in hand). And it is competitive in seven others, among which it is worth highlighting semiconductors, Robots either artificial intelligence (AI). This is China’s open secret: industrial and technological overlapping The sanctions that They have deployed USA and its allies During the last three years they have forced China to invest a huge amount of resources with the purpose of becoming their technological industry of foreign countries. Otherwise it would be condemned to stagnation. In this situation it is crucial that we do not overlook that the prohibitions of the US, Netherlands or Japan, among other countries, prevent research institutions and Chinese companies accessing the most advanced lithography equipment and the avant -garde chips. China will take at least five years to have an extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment comparable to those produced by ASML The latter continue to arrive in China Through intermediary companies mostly housed in Malaysia, Singapore or India. However, chips manufacturing machines are another sack. Presumably the country of Xi Jinping It will take at least five years in having a extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment comparable to those currently produced by the Dutch company ASML. However, as we have just seen, if we stick to the Chinese mature integrated circuits it is competitive, but in semiconductors in general it does not lead. The scheme we publish on top of these lines has been prepared by the sociologist and researcher at Princeton University, in New Jersey (USA), Kyle Chan for the highly recommended Newsletter High Capacity. It illustrates very clearly how China has achieved within a relatively brief period of time consolidating itself as a world leader in lithium batteries, electric cars or drones, and being a competitor surpassing in industrial robots, semiconductors or artificial intelligence. The key to the unappealable success of China is, beyond its great economic investment and its human capital, industrial and technological overlapping The key to this unappealable success is, beyond the great economic investment and human capital that this Asian country is investing in these sectors, Industrial and technological overlap. Kyle Chan’s scheme clearly reflects the interdependence that exists between some companies, such as, for example, Xpeng, Nio or Geely electric cars manufacturers, among others, and lithium batteries producers Catl and Byd. This last company also manufactures cars, buses and electric trucks, among other products. As we see in the scheme, China has developed several technological and industrial ecosystems that overlap both if we stick to the companies that are involved in them and the technologies involved. The greatest strength of this country is that it is not strong only in batteries; It is also in electric cars. And on smartphones. And in drones. And in industrial robots. And in many other sectors. Almost all of them are interconnected, well directly, either indirectly. And when one is reinforced by a rupturist innovation all those with whom holds some technological dependence They are also strengthened. Here lies, ultimately, China’s high competitiveness in so many industries of a strategic nature. Image | Alex More information | High Capacity In Xataka | China advances at a dizzying speed in nuclear fusion. It already has something ready that until now only had the Netherlands

income grows, the iPhone and sales in China fall

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Apple beats records again. The most valuable company in the world He has just presented the results of the first quarter of 2025 (covered by October, November and December 2024, Here in PDF) and the figures give vertigo. Apple has entered 124.3 billion dollars, 4% more than the same quarter of the previous year. Good news for the company that arrives accompanied by some peculiar data that is worth reviewing. The iPhone falls. A little, at least. He iPhone This quarter has generated 69,138 million dollars, a small reduction with respect to the same quarter of last year, whose sales amounts to 69,702 million. It is a drop of almost 1%. The same happens with the division of wearables, home and accessories, which having generated more income than the Mac or the iPad, has been below the anterior quarter: 11,747 million in the Q1 of 2025 compared to 11,953 million of 2024 The fall is 0.98%. The Apple Intelligence case. According to Tim Cook, “during the quarter of December, we observe that in the markets in which we had implanted Apple Intelligence, the interannual performance of the family iPhone 16 was superior to the markets in which we had not implemented Apple Intelligence“It is a” positive indicator “for future sales of the iPhone in countries where Apple Intelligence is not available, Cook has assured. One of those countries is China (really Apple talks about Greater Chinawhich includes continental China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), where sales have fallen. Total revenues have been 18,513 million dollars, 11% less than the same quarter of the previous year. Apple Intelligence is not available in China or Chinese, although from the firm they have ensured that they plan to launch more languages ​​in April, being the simplified Chinese one of them. iPad Pro (2024 | Image: Xataka Speaking of the Mac and iPad. It has been a great quarter. Both the iPad and the MAC have grown 15%, something that makes sense if we take into account the good performance of the Apple M4 and that in 2023 they did not launch a single iPad model. In that sense, 2024 has been a year of renewal with iPad Air with M2 and the iPad Pro with M4. Only iPad have generated 8,088 million dollars, a figure that increases to 8,987 million in the case of Mac. Subscriptions work. To anyone’s surprise, subscriptions (whose profit margin is high) have been one of the Great growth engines for the company. This division, which includes names such as Apple Music, the App Store, Apple TV+, ICloud or Apple Care, has generated 26,340 million dollars, 14% more than the previous year. Cover image | Xataka In Xataka | If the question is I buy the iPhone 16 already or I wait for the iPhone, the answer is: there is no certainty

China is raising an unprecedented dam where millions of people live. The problem is seismic activity

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Before finishing 2024 we advanced what was known about China’s last megonstruction. Actually, we could not talk about “another” as if it were something else in a long list, because it is possibly one of the most ambitious projects that are reminded of the nation: a super prey so monumental that would leave The three throats relegated to the background, producing three times more energy than the spectacular structure of more than two kilometers long. Of course, there is some problem. The superpress. It is a reality: China advances with the construction of the Motuo Superpress in Tibetan unprecedented infrastructure project that, if completed, will become the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world taking advantage of an abrupt slope of 2,800 meters, exceeding the capacity of the three throats dam (currently the biggest in the world). Located in The Grand Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpoon the border with India, the dam has aroused environmental, geopolitical and humanitarian concerns, especially due to the lack of transparency of Beijing about its development. Experts warn that the project represents a “water pump” for millions of people in India and Bangladesh. Seismic risks. The Tibet is One of the most seismically active regions on the planetit has been known for a long time because it is located in the collision of the Indian plaque and the Euroasy Plate. In fact, a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Shigatse It caused damage to five hydroelectric dams and the death of 134 people, demonstrating how vulnerable infrastructure in the region is. Although Motuo’s work can be designed to withstand earthquakes, landslides and mud alluds could serve as a fuse and unleash, representing a direct threat to nearby populations. We speak, again, millions of people. This risk is aggravated by the phenomenon of Seismicity induced by reservoirs (RTS)where the weight of accumulated water in large dams can trigger earthquakes. An example is the zipingpu damwhose construction was followed by Sichuan’s devastating earthquake in 2008 which charged 87,000 lives. In addition, sediment retention by the dam could reduce the fertility of the soil downstream, causing erosion in the rivers and coasts of India and Bangladesh. Gran_Cañón Yarlung Tsangpo Environmental impact. The dam too would alter the water and climatic patterns Crucial for agriculture in the region. The Tibet, where Brahmaputra is born, is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world and a key regulator of Asian climate. The construction of the superpress could, for example, alter the monsoon rainfallwith devastating effects for agriculture in India and Bangladesh. In addition, the ecological impact of Chinese megaemblses is already evident in other international rivers, Like the Mekong, where the dams have caused droughts recurring and the intrusion of salt water in agricultural deltas. Impact between the premises and (des) information. It is another leg that must tie the project. The Tibet is under a strong control of the Chinese Communist Party, so the magnitude of the displacement of Tibetans that will require the work is not known. In this regard, Beijing has not revealed details about costs (It is estimated that total investment will exceed 130,000 million euros), The companies involved or the number of people who will be relocated. And if we are guided by other cases in Chinese provinces, protests against hydroelectric projects have been repressedit is suggested that any opposition in the Tibet will be silenced. Geopolitics of a superpress. He Brahmaputrawhich flows to India and Bangladesh, is a vital artery for millions of people. Again, that lack of Chinese transparency has generated distrust in New Delhi and Daca, whose scientists have demanded access to hydrological data to evaluate the risks of the work. India, meanwhile, Fears China use river control as a geopolitical weaponrestricting or diverting the flow in case of conflicts. Thus, and in the face of uncertainty, some Indian officials have proposed an alternative: Build a dam in a Brahmaputra tributary to counteract possible flow reductionsalthough this solution does not seem ideal and could also harm the ecology of the region. Imminent risk. Nikei had this week That the possibility of a catastrophic collapse is not a simple speculation. China has suffered hundreds of dam failures throughout its historyincluding the worst disaster ever registered: The collapse in cascade of the Banqiao dam And another 61 dams in 1975, an event that caused 85,000 direct deaths and displaced 11 million people. Even The three throats dam was on the verge of collapse in 2020endangering 400 million people. Therefore, if a strong earthquake hit the region and cause the rupture of the superpress, Millions of people in the Brahmaputra Valley in India and Bangladesh could be affected by catastrophic floods, aggravating. In addition, geopolitical and humanitarian tensions in the region. If you want also, it is feasible to think that with this mega -Obra, China would not only reinforce its control over the water resources of Asia, but also converting Brahmaputra into a geopolitical weaponincreasing their pressure capacity over their neighbors. Image | Harvey BarrisonNASA In Xataka | China prepares the most expensive megaestructure on the planet: a hydroelectric power plant on the most controversial place possible In Xataka | The three throats dam is so huge that it has caused something unexpected: extending the days of the earth

The AI ​​fires Microsoft’s income at the expense of huge investments. And now China threatens its strategy

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Microsoft has presented Its quarterly resultsand thanks to them we already know what he won in 2024 thanks to the AI: 13,000 million dollars. Of course, it is also investing 22.6 billion dollars in infrastructure … each quarter. As if that were not enough, you also have to deal with the threat of Chinese innovation. Why is it important. The figures leave a clear reading: the Financial Equation of AI remains very complex. Generating interesting income – the current ones are already, grow 175% year -on -year – requires huge infrastructure investments. And now Chinese innovation threatens to leave a part of that investment obsolete. The context. Microsoft dominates the business market thanks to its early alliance with Openai, but Deepseek’s irruptionwhich has developed more efficient and cheap models, and open source, has caused a small earthquake in the sector. Microsoft is in a race against time: it needs to monetize its great investment in AI as soon as possible, but now it receives increasing competitive pressure from China. The figures: 13,000 million dollars (annualized) in revenue per year. 22.6 billion dollars invested per quarter in infrastructure. 31% Azure growth, below expectations. 24,110 million dollars of quarterly net profit, 10% more interannual. Exceeded expectations. Marking Agenda. The consolidation of Microsoft as a leader in corporate AI is thanks to Copilot, its Microsoft 365 assistantwhich already has more than 160,000 companies using it … and have created more than 400,000 custom agents, according to the figures published by the company. Microsoft is in full transition to a model where AI is integrated into all its business lines: Windows will incorporate AI capacities in 15% of high -end laptops. LinkedIn uses AI to improve its hiring platform. Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to break records with 140 million hours transmitted. Github co -ilot It has more than 150 million active developers. And the AI ​​stars in a striking contrast in the company’s accounts: while Azure’s income, the great winner of the Nadella era, are growing slower than expected, new business lines based on AI are growing explosively: 157%. Deepen. One of the questions that leave these results is whether Microsoft will be able to maintain this level of investment if Chinese efficiency advances force a price war in AI services. Microsoft defends its strategy arguing that the demand for AI will continue to grow exponentially as the costs are reduced, thus compensating the current investments. The question is whether investors share that optimism. Outstanding image | Microsoft In Xataka | I have tried Deepseek on the web and in my Mac. Chatgpt, Claude and Gemini have a problem

Four nations dispute a fruit that smells like rotten eggs. China has made her her gastronomic phenomenon

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Few things are more representative of the tastes of a nation than The ingredients of a pizza. Therefore, when in November we count that a fruit from Southeast Asia (prohibited in some public spaces due to its penetrating smell) I was driving Chinese consumers crazy To the point of adding it to the pizza, Durián acquired another category in the nation’s gastronomy. The demand for the fruit is such that even Four countries fight to send it. Everyone wants fruit. The Durianknown for its penetrating aroma and its peculiar flavor, has ceased to be simply a fruit in China to become A gastronomic and commercial phenomenon. Despite the slowdown in the spending of the Chinese middle class, the demand for this forbidden fruit in some places has grown without brake, promoting record imports, the development of new culinary trends and a fierce competition Among the countries of Southeast Asia to supply the growing Chinese market. The transformation of Durian. As we said, Durián has transcended his exotic fruit status to become a trend in the restoration sector in China, where The concept of “Everything can lead Durian” has resulted in a proliferation of thematic restaurants. Innovation around this product has led to the creation of unusual dishes like Durián’s hamburgers, Hot Pots of chicken with Durián or even barbecues from Durián, who have gained great popularity on social networks. To get an idea, the Douyin, the Chinese version of TiktokHashtags like “Durian Barbecue” and “Durian Buffet” They have accumulated more than 1.24 billion visualizationsreflecting the enthusiasm of Chinese consumers for new gastronomic experiences focused on the controversial fruit. Moreover, a restaurant in Shenzhen recently went viral offering A buffet of more than 200 Durián de Malaysia plates By 199 yuan ($ 27.39) per person, which demonstrates the rise of these culinary concepts. Exponential growth in China. In the last five years, The demand of the nation for Durián has shotreflecting in an increase of more than double in its imports. In 2023, China imported 1.43 billion kilograms of Duriánwith a value of 6.7 billion dollars, a figure that In 2024 it rose to 1.56 billion kilograms and 7 billion dollars. This growth has been promoted by the opening of the market to new suppliers and the enthusiasm of local consumers, who as we said, have incorporated Durián into a wide variety of gastronomic products. Hence one of the clearest symbols of this fever is Durián’s pizza success with cheese in China’s Pizza Hutturned into your best -selling product. Even Yum China’s CEO, Joey Wat, joked in a global forum in New York that Those who do not enjoy this delicacy should simply “leave” the restaurant. The end of the Thai monopoly: fights four. Historically, Thailand dominated the export of fresh Durián to China, representing up to 95% of the market in 2022. However, with the opening of the Chinese market to Vietnam in 2022 already the Philippines in 2023, Dynamics changed dramatically. In 2024, Thailand only represented 52% of Chinese imports, while Vietnam captured 47.2%. In this regard, Philippines and Malaysia, although with minor participations, have also begun to export fresh Durium to China, taking advantage of regulatory flexibility. Causes? The fall in the Thai market share is due to two key factors: the excessive use of agricultural land, which has decreased production, and extreme heat waves, which have affected the quality of the fruit. In contrast, Vietnam has benefited from its geographical proximity with China, which facilitates land transport and reduces logistics costs. Geopolitics of Durián. In the end, Durian is not only a source of income for Southeast Asia farmers, but also a economic diplomacy tool. In fact, China has used the importation of Durián As part of its commercial agreements with neighboring countries. An example of this was the approval, in June 2023, of the importation of the fresh fruit of Malaysia, within the framework of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. By the end of that year, Malaysia had exported 351 tons of fresh Durián to Chinaconsolidating its presence in a market that previously only accepted its processed or frozen products. Meanwhile, Indonesia, another great producer of Durián, Keep looking for authorization to export fresh fruit directly to China. Currently, you can only sell fruit paste, a lower value product, or send the fruit to Thailand for inspection before exporting it, which reduces its gain margins. Durián “Chino”. And if you wonder why the Chinese nation does not start producing its own fruit if it likes it so much, they have already tried. Given the growth of demand and the high cost of imports, China has tried to grow Durian in its own landspecifically on the tropical island of Hainan. The problem? The results have been discouraging. Recent studies have revealed that Durians grown in Hainan lack some of the essential nutrients present in the native fruits of Southeast Asia, which has generated doubts about its commercial viability. It is the law of nature, the delicate combination of temperature, humidity and soil quality necessary for the cultivation of this fruit seems to be difficult to replicate outside its natural habitat. It is the market, friend. Be that as it may, the unusual Chinese appetite for Durián has transformed the southeast Asian fruit industryconsolidating it as an export product of great value where A hard battle is fought for supplying the giant. A phenomenon that has reconfigured commercial dynamics, weakening the domain of Thailand and opening opportunities for Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. If you want also, the Durián diplomacy It has proven to be a strategic tool in the commercial relations of the Chinese nation with its neighbors, while attempts to produce it locally face significant challenges. Image | Kalai, مانفی In Xataka | The pizza that triumphs in China does not carry Pepperoni or pineapple: it carries a fruit that smells like rotten eggs and wastewater In Xataka | In addition to Gold and Rare Earth China has an ace … Read more

Taiwan does not want more problems with China or with its submarine cables. So you have activated an unpublished security plan

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Earlier this year and after what happened with an underwater cable that affected the only remaining link with the Matsu Islandsincident that occurred just a week after Another cable that connected the island was damagedTaiwan made an unprecedented decision. A call Washington ended with A two -year agreement so that the United States Army would disembark on the island and train the Taiwanese Navy. Actually, this is just part of the plan. Protect cables as priority. Submarine cable infrastructure is the pillar of the global connectivity of most nations, But a little more for an island like Taiwana territory that depends almost in its entirety of these systems to guarantee the communication of its citizens, companies and government institutions. To get an idea, any severe interruption in these links could not only leave the population incommunicado, affecting access to essential services such as mobile applications and digital platforms, but it would also have A critical impact on economic and government operations. The problem is that the fragility of these systems has been evidenced with the growing incident frequency In the cables that connect the enclave with its peripheral islands and with the world, which has raised concerns about the safety and resilience of this key infrastructure. Alarming frequency of failures. Globally, The more than 450 existing underwater cable systems They experience damage in a range of 0.1 to 0.2 incidents (by cable) per year, which is equivalent to 50 and 100 annual failures worldwide. However, the situation in Taiwan is exceptionally critical. The cables that connect Matsu’s peripheral islands with the main island They suffer an average of 5.1 annual interruptions, which represents a frequency up to 50 times higher than the global average. This data underlines the level of vulnerability of communications and the urgent need to implement protection measures. As we count, on January 22, The two submarine cables that connect Matsu with Taiwan were disconnectedwhich left the island is isolated digitally. According to the Taiwan Digital Affairs Ministry (Fashion), the cause was a “natural deterioration.” And it was not an isolated case: just a few weeks before, on January 3, a communications cable north of the main island, operated by Chunghwa Telecom, It was also cut, allegedly by a ship manned by Chinese citizens. The boat in question, Shunxing 39, was registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, which complicates the direct attribution of the attack. Strategies to strengthen security. The result of the situation has been to activate An unprecedented plan, measures to reinforce the safety of their submarine cables. For example, telecommunications operators have deployed maritime patrols with the aim of warning of fishing vessels approaching sensitive areas. Likewise, the Taiwan Coast Guard has intensified surveillance through monitoring systems to trace boats in critical areas. There are more. To improve redundancy in communications, fashion has implemented A subsidies program to encourage the construction of new stations International cable landing and the installation of backup systems. In addition, Taiwan has opted for the diversification of his communication systems through satellites. In this sense, the government has signed Agreements with the European company SES for the deployment of medium orbit satellites (MEO) and with Oneweb for the incorporation of low orbit satellites (Leo). All measures that seek to guarantee the continuity of government and military communications in case of an emergency. Legal challenges to protect cables. One of the main obstacles in the protection of submarine cables is the complexity of international legislation around these infrastructure. According to international maritime laws, if damage occurs within the territorial waters of a country, this may exercise jurisdiction on the incident. The problem? That, if the affectation happens in an exclusive economic zone or in international waters, The responsibility falls to the country where the suspicious boat is registered. This legal framework generates significant barriers for the investigation and persecution of those responsible for deliberate sabotages. From there The problem in the Baltic with The “Ghost Ships”. In response to these challenges, Taiwan has taken legislative measures to penalize intentional attacks against their submarine cables. The sanctions include prison sentences between one and seven years, in addition to fines that can reach 10 million Taiwanese dollars (approximately 300,000 US dollars). And the United States. It We have recently. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has announced A two -year agreement with the United States to train the Taiwanese Navy In a context where the island’s Parliament is prepared to vote possible cuts in the budget for military training abroad. The agreement, valued at approximately 50 million Taiwanese dollars (1.5 million US dollars), stipulates that US Navy personnel will be sent to Taiwan to carry out a specialized naval training program. The training sessions, in principle, will be held at the headquarters of the Navy and the Marines of Taiwan, located in the Zuoying district, near the city of Kaohsiung, in the south of the country. It is, therefore, The first time in history that the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense publicly recognizes the presence of US military coaches. Regional Resilience. The numerous cases in recent months They have shown it. The protection of submarine cables, and more in Taiwan, is not only a national problem, but a matter of regional security. Any interruption in these infrastructure can affect their neighboring countries, which reinforces the need to establish strategic alliances for damage prevention and repair. In this regard, Taiwan aims to work closely with its partners in Asia To strengthen cable repair capabilities, improve logistics and develop advanced monitoring technologies. In fact, a few weeks ago researchers from the University of Lisui in China They registered a patent for an anchor device designed to cut underwater cables efficiently. There is no evidence of its use in real attacks, but the simple existence of these technologies suggests that the risks to telecommunications could be intensified in the near future. Image | 總統府 In Xataka | 2025 has started with another cut cable cut. The problem is where and the suspect: in Taiwan and China In Xataka … Read more

China has placed the largest engineering work projected at 36,000 km from the Earth: its space solar station

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We are still far from build a dyson spherebut China seems willing to materialize The first great Solar Energy Station in orbit With the Earth, a simpler version of the concept that, even so, NASA scientists discarded in the 70-80 for being economically unfeasible. Times have changed and the world is in full energy transition to renewable sources. China, who has no shame when copying advances from other nations, provided they serve their purposes, work at the same time in Your own Starship: A totally reusable giant rocket called CZ-9. Uniting points, the Chinese Engineering Academy (CAE) wants to take advantage of the future rocket To install a huge solar plant in space, 36,000 km on the earth. 10 years ago, when China announced that it would investigate the space solar energy stations, everyone seemed to be a theoretical study or one more concept proof, such as those that continue to develop Today in NASAthe Jaxa Japanese agency and The European Space Agency (THAT). However, Chinese officials have put An ambitious roadmap on the table that has caught the rest of the countries totally off guard. The first prototype of the Chinese space center, 500 kW of power, is expected by 2030. A fully operational version of 20 MW would be ready in 2035 (while the station in its final form, of 2 GW, is scheduled for 2050. It is not a small thing for a technology that has never been implemented, much less on a large scale. It will presumably require hundreds of launches and the assembly of thousands of solar panels in geostation orbit, 36,000 km altitude, where the profitability of launching tons and tons of load will depend on the fact that the CZ-9 rocket be fully reusable, as the Chinese promise. Long Lehao, a rocket scientist in the fall, did not lack symiles to justify this huge media deployment. “It is a project as important as transferring the prey of the three throats to a geostationary orbit He said during a conference in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Of course, they will have to put small demonstrators in orbit of what will end up being the Space Solar Station. China has already tested From hot air balloonsand is building a receiving station in Chongqing. By 2026, the Chinese Space Technology Academy (CASC) plans to display its first 10 kW solar panels in space with the aim of demonstrating wireless energy transmission. He hopes to transmit up to 1 kW by laser and up to 4 kW by microwave, both to the receptor station on Earth and a nearby satellite, which suggests a future in which satellite constellations could be combined with the solar station. How will the solar station that China plans to install in space Little is known at the technical level of what the first farm of solar panels will be deploy in geostationary orbitsince no project has been officially selected. But Eureka List three concepts, out of different Chinese laboratories, which have enough ballots: In 2014, the Chinese Space Technology Academy (CASC) proposed a 11.8 km long station with a circular transmission antenna of 1 km in diameter; In 2021, the concept was updated with a modular design, easier to assemble, but with the disadvantage of a rectangular beam That same year, the Xidian University published a study on a spherical station with a diameter of 8 to 10 km and a system that would take advantage of semi -reflective panels to concentrate light on internal photovoltaic cells In 2016, the Shenyang Aerospace University proposed a similar concept that, instead of a spherical design, has a cylindrical design that refracts sunlight towards internal photovoltaic panels, a design that simplifies the monitoring of the sun What these concepts have in common is that they rotate like sunflowers to always point towards the sun, so their huge solar panels capture an inexhaustible flow of solar energy that then transmit to the earth. How do they transmit it? Concentrating a laser or microwave beam towards large antennas in receiving stations on Earth, where it becomes electricity to store in batteries or pour into the electricity grid. The wireless transfer takes advantage of a physical phenomenon known as interference or overlap of waves. It is usually explained by visualizing a pond in which you submerge both hands to form waves that spread at the same time. There are areas where waves are stronger because they advance together (they add up to the phase) and others in which they are canceled (they are out of phase). When waves work together, energy is not lost, but is concentrated in a specific direction. If there are several sources operating in a coordinated manner (all issuing at the same time, in the same phase) the energy can be directed in one direction. But if each source works a little earlier or a little after the others, the direction of the beam can be controlled. As a magnifying glass that concentrates the light at one point, it is possible to adjust the synchronization of these sources to focus energy in an area smaller than the original (such as the antenna on the surface of the earth). This correction can be carried out on the Nanoseconds of Electronics scale, which allows the energy direction to be handled very quickly or assigned to different locations (different antennas). In geostationary orbit, solar panels can be operated all the time and with conversion efficiencies superior to those that the panels achieve on this side of the atmosphere, hence the advantage of a photovoltaic station in space. However, the complexity of its deployment and doubts about the safety and efficiency of wireless transmission make all this technology still without being tested since studying in the 70s and 80s. China aspires to lead the new space solar energy career, as leading the earth’s photovoltaic energy, but will not be alone. Japan became 2015 In the first country that managed to transmit 1,8 kW in microwave wirelessly. … Read more

China has turned on a wind turbine so large that among its blades the tallest building in Spain fits. And there are 11 meters left

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Best known by Your high speed trains Able to reach 450 km/h, the Chinese state company CRRC Corporation He just hit the table in a very different industry: that of marine wind turbines. A new scale for offshore wind. CRRC has launched the larger floating wind turbine in the world. Known as Qihang, it has a tower of 151 meters high and a rotor 260 meters in diameter, 11 more than the crystal tower, the tallest building in Spain. Qihang opens a new scale for marine wind energy in which only China competes against China. With 20 MW capacity, it exceeds 16.6 floating wind turbines and 18 MW that Envision Energy and Dongfang Electric deployed, respectively, in 2024. However, it will soon be surpassed by Mingyang Wind Power’s new 22 MW model. Touring like a high -speed train. With a maximum rotation speed similar to that of CRRC trains, the Qihang wind turbine can produce up to 62 GWh of energy per year, enough to supply electricity to 37,000 homes per turbine. Its design is a work of art of modular architecture. It allows multiple power settings, and adapts to different floating platforms and anchors. With materials capable of supporting extreme conditions, including typhoons, it has more than 200 sensors in blades, structures, transmission systems, floats and moorings for comprehensive monitoring. First unit in tests. The first Qihang He left the CRRC factory In Sheyang (Jiangsu province) on October 10. He arrived in Dongying (Shandong province) in December and was transferred to the test site in the port of Guangli using self -propelled modular barges. On January 11, already completely assembled, it began to operate in what will be a period of exhaustive tests and certifications before its definitive to the high seas and its connection to the electricity grid. The country that surpassed Europe at sea. With unstoppable development, China already exceeded the United Kingdom as the country with the highest installation of marine wind energy in the world, and this type of huge floating turbines only reinforce its global leadership. Only Chinese companies are developing turbines with powers greater than 20 MW for the logistics difficulties they entail In regions like Europe. Floating technology can expand the generation of wind energy to deeper and more distant waters from the coast, accelerating the decarbonization of the electric grid without impacting the landscape of the coast. In Xataka | China installed in August the most powerful “wind turbine” capable of resisting typhons. Two blades have just been broken In Xataka | China has connected the world’s largest terrestrial wind turbine. It is so great that it is altering the local microclimate

How its mining potential makes it a key pawn in the EU in front of China

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Surely if you hear about lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite or rare earth you know that they are currently the minerals and metals that dominate the market for their use in current technologies. In fact, here we have talked about all of them and, above all, of the dependence we have about China. But all that can change, because Spain has a treasure in its feet. A gold mine. Eye, what too, but It is not open yet. The point is that in the Spanish subsoil There are great critical mineral reservations Essential for the energy and digital transition, especially for the manufacture of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other resources. In this way, the role of Europe and Spain is redefined in the production of these minerals and a strategic autonomy in the European Union is ensured. In data. To be able to better understand how much we are talking, let’s go with The data. 17% of copper extracted in the EU comes from Spain, as well as 12% of zinc and 6% of lead. In addition, the Iberian country is the first European producer of fluoride and plaster, and the only one in Sepiolita and Celestina. As for Magnesita, the country contributes 24% of EU production, standing only behind Austria and Slovakia. In the case of Potassa, Spain generates 12% of the total European, complementing 88% produced by Germany. Mining in Spain. The mining tradition in the Iberian Peninsula comes from many years, we would have to go back to Roman empire. However, here we are going to talk about Spain and the mines, and of a more recent period of time, where mining has been in decline due to the outsourcing of the activity, but now it has resurfaced again. In addition, the Spanish nation has been reinforcing its mining industry with investments in the aforementioned minerals. As well as through regulatory measures such as National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and the Roadmap for sustainable management of mineral raw materials. The ‘golden’ province. If there is a province where metal mining is most concentrated, winning the title of “El Dorado” is undoubtedly Andalusia. The Autonomous Community It concentrates 90% of the value of national production In this sector. In recent years, mining companies have seen in the more than 257,000 hectares, an area to begin exploring and exploiting the mineral resources of the region. For years the research permits had been inactive, but the Junta de Andalucía has now facilitated its reactivation causing the south of the nation to be attractive again in a global context where metals are increasingly demanded. However, this activity raises questions about the balance between industrial development and the preservation of the environment, especially in sensitive areas such as Doñana National Park. In a more global context. The European Commission has identified more than thirty critical raw materials, of which 17 are strategic for the energy transition, due to its cost and the high risk involved in its interruption. Currently, much of these matters They are concentrated in countries like Chinathat controls 90% of the rare earth, and the Congo, main cobalt supplier. According to the report Mining for Climate: Decarbonisation Roadmap and Energy Outlook From Euromines, the European Union must intensify its efforts to achieve climatic objectives and guarantee its strategic autonomy, reducing the dependence of powers such as China and the United States in access to these critical resources. Other mining methods. The rise of mining has strengthened the economy and generated jobs. However, we know the environmental challenges that also pose this type of extractivist practices, such as soil degradation, Water consumption and the loss of biodiversity. For these reasons, there are other methods to obtain the necessary resources to develop current technologies, such as recycling batteries, Solar panels and Other electronic devices. Forecasts In this geopolitical board in which mineral resources has become, Spain is positioned as a key pawn for the EU in need of reducing dependence with China. However, it remains to be seen how its mining strategy raises to supply the European market, but always taking into account the care for the land. Image | Unspash Xataka | The US will reopen an antimony mine that had been closed for 30 years. It is a response to the coup received by China

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