coal

We don’t know what to do with the old coal mines. Switzerland’s idea is to turn them into a giant “battery”

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In the bowels of the Bierzo region of León, where coal was the absolute king for decades, the silence of the abandoned and flooded galleries is about to be broken. But this time there will be no pickaxes, no minecarts, no black ore. The new gold of the mining basin is water, and those in charge of extracting its potential come from the Alps. The Swiss energy company Alpiq has set its eyes on this ruined industrial legacy to transform it into a colossal natural “battery” that promises to be the energy engine of the future in Spain. A million-dollar purchase in El Bierzo. The news that has shaken the local and international energy panorama is the acquisition of the “CDR Navaleo” macroproject by the Swiss multinational Alpiq, as detailed in their press release. However, as local media describethis pumped hydroelectric energy storage project had initially been developed by Erbiergía, a company promoted and controlled by the well-known mining businessman Manuel Lamelas Viloria. Despite the sale, the Bercian promoter will maintain a stake in the company to continue collaborating and supporting its development on the ground. The project figures are colossal. Although two years ago the project has already obtained a powerful grant Of 35.5 million euros from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (Miteco), the total investment necessary to build this megastructure is much greater. Now, as advanced in ElDiario.esthe estimated budget exceeds 300 million euros, but other sources raise the investment figure above 400 million, placing it in a range of between 420 and 450 million euros. And why Spain? To understand the magnitude of Navaleo, you have to look at the sky. Spain has very ambitious goals of penetration of renewable energies, such as solar and wind, but these sources are intermittent: it is not always sunny or the wind blows when we turn on the switch at home. Therefore, the electrical system urgently needs “storage and flexibility to guarantee the stability of the network,” explained by the Swiss company. That is where this plant comes in, which will contribute 535 megawatts (MW) of flexible capacity to the Spanish grid, according to local media. To get an idea of ​​its size, the current third vice president, Sara Aagesen, noted during a visit to the area that “all residential buildings in the province of León could be supplied with the annual production of this CDR from Navaleo”, as they have collected in The Economist. The impact transcends Spanish borders. To understand the phenomenon, the importance of infrastructure must be configured. The European Commission has included Navaleo on its list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI)highlighting its strategic value for the energy security of the entire continent, which also opens the door to better financing through the European Investment Bank. For the Swiss company, which has been operating in the Spanish market for 25 years, this is a major milestone: This is its first large-scale hydroelectric project outside of Switzerland. The engineering behind the “battery”. The technical mechanism is as fascinating as it is colossal. The facility will operate through a closed-circuit pumped hydroelectric energy storage system. In practice, it consists of taking advantage of groundwater from old mining operations, as explained in the local media. The system will pump water from the Tremor River area to a higher elevation, where it will be stored in a pond. When the country needs electricity, that water will be released through a large pipe so that it passes through a turbine and generates energy. This closed-loop design will provide the electrical grid with at least eight hours of uninterrupted energy storage, literally acting as an immense rechargeable water battery. But an abandoned mine? Used old coal mine poses obvious doubts about toxicity. Currently, abandoned mines are flooded and their waters contain minerals and contaminants. Far from being a problem, this is one of the greatest added values ​​of the project. The plant is called “CDR” precisely because it is a Reversible Treatment Plant. “Through our asset we are going to offer flexibility and storage, but we are also going to offer an environmental benefit. We are going to drain the contaminated water from the mines and purify it,” explains Amédée Murisier, director of Alpiq in statements to The Economist. In this way, an environmental liability and degraded land is transformed into a clean energy asset. Furthermore, viability is assured: the company already has a water concession granted for a period of 75 years, which guarantees long-term operational continuity. Forecasts and deadlines. The macroproject will extend through the Bercian municipalities of Torre del Bierzo, Castropodame, Congosto and Molinaseca, areas hard hit by the closure of mining. As for the deadlines, there are certain nuances. While the Viloria Group I hoped to start construction this year, the new Swiss owners apply their well-known precision and caution. Amédée Murisier warns that there is still a year and a half of work ahead to refine the geological studies and detailed engineering before making the final investment decision. What is certain, and what all actors agree on, is that the plant will enter commercial operation in the early 2030s. Where before Leonese miners went down into the bowels of the earth to extract coal with their pickaxes, in a few years thousands of liters of purified water will flow, pushed by Swiss technology. The Navaleo project is not only a work of pharaonic engineering; It is the perfect metaphor for the energy transition. A textbook circular economy that demonstrates how the old industrial ghosts of Bierzo can be reconverted, given a facelift and end up being the master key to ensuring the green and electric future of Spain. Image | freepik Xataka | Far from Grazalema and the reservoirs, Andalusia has another serious problem: completely collapsed mining ponds

Producing them emits hundreds of times less than coal and gas

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All energy sources have their dark side and solar is no exception. Without going any further, we are creating huge mountains of garbage thanks to (or because of) the solar panels cheap. Now, as in any other decision-making, it is time to weigh the pros and cons and compare them with alternatives to have some perspective and here, solar energy does not fare so badly. Damn (blessed) cheap solar panels. The generation of waste from solar panels is a reality that goes hand in hand with the deployment of solar energy. Between 2020 and 2024 the number of solar panels that have gone to waste has multiplied by four according to IRENA reports: from 220,000 to 900,000 tons and be careful because by 2050 have already estimated that the figure will be 250 million tons. The reason? Although their useful life is 25 – 30 years, they are replaced before the end due to incidents such as storm damage or manufacturing defects. In short: replacing is cheaper than repairing. In perspective. But the moment of truth comes from an estimate: the actual waste per megawatt hour of electricity generated. A current standard solar panel weighs about 20 kg and over its 25-year lifespan in moderate sunshine generates about 10 megawatt hours of electricity. The calculation is simple: it is equivalent to 2 kilograms of waste per megawatt hour and is similar to that offered by recent research published in Nature Physicswhich aimed at 1.7 kg/megawatt hour. And now let’s face it against two energy rivals: coal and gas, two fossil fuels that continue to be behind the planet’s electricity generation. coal plants generate between 80 – 100 kg per megawatt hour. And that’s not to mention the 950 kg of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour emitted in combustion. Gas is slightly better: emits 450 kg of CO₂ per megawatt hour generated and no ash generated. But the difference is abysmal compared to the waste from solar panels. In a table on energy generation it is better seen, as this one from Clean Technica: solar panels Coal NATURAL GAS Solid waste (kg/megawatt hour) 2 80 – 100 0 CO₂ emissions (kg/ Megawatt HOUR) 0 950 (per ton) 450 Other emissions No SO₂, NOₓ, particles, mercury… NOx emissions An abysmal difference. That is to say, we are talking about that considering the megawatt hour of electricity generated, a solar panel produces 2 kg of solid waste for about 90 kg of ashes that lead to an emission of 950 kg of CO₂ under the arm for coal and for gas, about 450 kg of CO₂ emitted. Electricity generation plants based on fossil fuels generate continuous and massive atmospheric pollution compared to 0 from solar panels and if we talk about solid waste, coal substantially surpasses it. Not only the quantity, but also the quality. It has already been made clear that the amount of waste is substantially lower, but it is also worth mentioning how harmful this waste is and its consequences. To the remove a solar panel We find a frame made of aluminum, silicon, glass and some plastic, which although technically can be mostly recycled, in practice they are not recycled circularly. It is true that there are panels with traces of heavy metals such as lead (solders) or cadmium in thin film panels, but also that the EU counts with management programs for this waste. And the solar panels do not emit pollutants while they are operational. Coal ashes have a list of traces fearsome: in addition to lead and cadmium there is arsenic, mercury, selenium, uranium or thorium. This cocktail is a risk to health and the environment due to inadequate management or spills. There is no need to talk too much about carbon dioxide emissions: they are behind the global warming. Coal combustion alone generated 15 gigatonnes of CO₂ between 2020 and 2024, according to analysis by the Global Carbon Project. This another study from the British Medical Journal relates air pollution from fossil fuels to some five million premature deaths last year, mainly respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes. Solar energy waste is not the problem. Clean energies are not perfect and their operation involves a series of challenges. As we have seen, in the EU in fact recycling infrastructure already exists which currently manages to recover up to 95% of these (the WEEE directive establishes a minimum recycling of 85% of the modules) in consolidated, scalable processes and result in small, manageable and moderately harmless final waste. With the data in hand, it is substantially clear that yes, waste from solar energy exists, but viewed from the perspective of current energy needs and the sources that provide it, they are not the problem at all. In Xataka | The dark side of solar energy: we are creating a 250 million ton mountain of garbage In Xataka | Europe produces more clean electricity than fossil electricity for the first time. The hard part starts now Cover | Anders J

There is more renewable electricity in the world produced by coal

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Ten years ago, coal lit half planet. Today, it is solar panels and wind turbines that illuminate statistics. In the first half of 2025, the renewables not only covered all the increase in global electrical demand: they exceeded it. A global sorpasso. The report, prepared by Emberanalyze data from 88 countries that represent 93% of global electric demand. Its conclusion marks a before and after: solar and wind energy grew so much that they compensated all the increase in global electrical consumption and still generated surplus. However, there is an even more important point that is that coal generation fell worldwide. Carbon participation fell to 33.1% of global electric mix, while renewables rose to 34.3%. For the first time, the coal was behind. The descent was especially clear in China and Indiawhere coal has always dominated and, therefore, that descent is noted. On the other hand, both in the European Union and in the United States a small rebound was observed, caused by hydroelectric drought and the Gas increase. Renewable energies produced more electricity than coal for the first time recorded in the first half of 2025 | Ember Radiography of the change. The transition is not a statistical anecdote, but a structural phenomenon. World demand increased 369 twh (+2.6 %), moderate growth that was widely covered by solar and wind expansion. On the one hand, the sun remains the most dynamic source on the planet. The solar generation grew 31%, reaching a global quota of 8.8%. However, this is because China It was the great enginecontributing 55% of world solar growth, followed by the United States, the European and Indian Union. On the other hand, the wind keeps the pace. The wind generation increased by 7.7%, to represent 9.2% of the global mix. Although Europe and the United States suffered adverse weather conditions, China increased, registering a 16% increase in their wind production. The money also changed sideways. The other great indicator that this change is structural is in the markets. According to the International Energy Agencythe global investment in energy will reach 3.3 billion dollars, a fairly striking figure. Only ten years ago, renewables were seen as An idealistic bet: faces, intermittent and subsidy dependent. Today they are the new center of financial gravity of the energy system. The proportion of clean investment against fossil went from 2 to 1 in 2015 to 10 to 1 in 2024, a change that reflects a collective market decision. However, not everyone is invited to the party. Emerging markets and developing economies barely receive 15% of world investment In clean energy, despite the fact that its electric demand is the one that grows the most. In addition, they are still trapped between high financial costs, fragile networks and regulatory uncertainty. As Ember warnswithout international financing and technological cooperation, the global rhythm towards zero net emissions could be stopped before achieving the objective. China drives the global transition. Behind the world sorpasso there is an undisputed protagonist: China. Not only leads the production of clean energy, but also the industry that makes it possible: panels, turbines, batteries and smart networks. Its industrial policy has made the country what some analysts describe as an “electrostate”capable of dominating the energy value chains of the 21st century as it dominated the manufacturing. In just six months, China installed 380 GW of new solar capacity – more than all the total capacity of the United States – promoted by a wave of projects prior to new price standards. Thanks to this, its mixture Electric is already renewable 24%, and the emissions of the electrical sector fell 1.7% in half a year. Global challenges. According to Emberthe electricity grid is already the main obstacle to renewable expansion. Solar and wind production increases faster than lines and storage grow. In countries such as Spain or Germany, specific cuts have been registered in solar parks by network saturation. In Japan, operators reduce solar generation on weekends to avoid overloads. This forced disconnection –The call Curtailment– shows a paradox: we have more sun than cables. To the saturation of the networks is added the inequality of access to capital. While China and other economies install renewable gigawatts every month, Africa and Latin America are still waiting for sufficient investments. Hence the urgency of new global mechanisms to channel green capital towards emerging economies and ensure that the transition is truly global. An irreversible turning point. Just a decade ago, coal generated twice as much electricity than renewables. Today, clean energy has surpassed the most polluting source and dominates the growth of the electrical system. China leadsIndia accelerateEurope It adapts and the United States It stops. Prices fall, investments grow and emissions begin to stabilize. The energy transition is no longer a matter of political will: it is an economic law. The turning point is not in the future: it is happening right now. Image | Freepik and Pexels Xataka | In his career for the total domain of the solar panels, a rival has come out: the Spanish Perovskita

When a mine turned off all its coal fueled engines, it continued to operate 84 hours thanks to something: the renewables

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For 84 hours in a row, a remote gold mine in Australia He completely turned off Its gas and diesel engines and worked only with wind, sun and batteries. It is not a laboratory experiment, but a real underground operation. History comes in a golden context – it never just said. “Gold Historical records brand Above 3,600 dollars an ounce, promoted by the search for refuge in the face of geopolitical and monetary uncertainty. This climbing and the renewed appetite for the bullion become a backdrop of the “clean gold” story. Turning off the past. The Bellevue underground mine, in Western Australia, affirms than the installation Off-Grid 84 consecutive hours worked in August with the “off engine” – that is, without thermal generation -, demonstrating that 100% renewable is possible for remote industries. A great infrastructure. The milestone has been possible Thanks to the remarkable installation which contains: 24 MW of wind energy distributed in four wind turbines, 27 MW of in situ photovoltaic plot and a 15 MW/30 MWh storage system. The support is made up of 9 MW of diesel and 15 MW of gas, which act as support when the renewable resource or battery does not cover the demand. Zenith Energy, the company that operates the plant under a long -term energy purchase agreement, details that the hybrid micorred It reaches about 90 MW installed, with synchronous capacitors and a micorred controller designed so that the mine can completely disconnect from fossil fuels at times of greater renewable generation. A meteoric progression. The ascending curve is clear: in July 2024, renewable participation was only 14%. In June of this year he had already climbed to 64%, in July to 78%and in August he reached 88%, According to Reneweconomy. Since the start -up of wind turbines between May and June 2025, the mine It has operated regularly With more than 90% renewable energies for full days of 24 hours, with several days at 100%. It is not an isolated episode. In June 2025, shortly after the entry into operation of wind turbines, the mine managed to operate 58 hours in a row, renewable 100%, According to Stockhead. In this way, both milestones reinforce the idea that using renewable is technically viable even in energy intensive industries and isolated from the network. A new market: Green Oro. Bellevue is trying to sell part of its production with a premium through the ABC Refinery refinery and the Single Mine Origin program, aimed at jewelry buyers and central banks with ESG sensitivity. “Bellevue states that he now produces and sells ‘green gold’ after reaching the goal of zero net emissions,” They detail in stockhead. In addition, it includes smart ventilation systems on demand (VOD) that reduce electricity consumption up to 30 %, and tests with underground electrical machinery. The nuances. The “net zero” label cannot be taken lightly. The status was reached in scope 1 and 2, that is, direct emissions and electrical consumption, but does not include scope 3 (refined, transport and use of gold). In addition, a part of neutrality is achieved by buying carbon credits, As the company admitted. In addition, from International Energy Forum (IEF) warn that mining It still has great challenges in water, waste and safety, beyond clean energy. Making it sustainable implies transforming the entire chain, not just electricity. The double brightness of gold. In times of uncertainty, gold is again a financial refuge. But Bellevue Gold wants it to also be an energy transition symbol. The gold we buy in the form of a jewel or ingot could come from a mine that, for whole days, feeds only on wind and sun. The question is whether this case will be the spark that transforms all mining or if it will remain a brilliant exception in the middle of the Australian desert. Image | Zenithenergy and Unspash Xataka |

In Europe, gas and disused coal plants have unexpected suitors: technology companies

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The climatic commitments that It has acquired Europe They have condemned in the short or medium term the future of gas and coal power plants disseminated by the old continent. Many of them no longer serve, but, surprisingly, the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to save them. This does not mean at all that they will burn gas and coal again; The option on the table is to convert them in data centers. Microsoft and Amazon are, According to Reuterstwo of the large technology companies that are interested in transforming these old power plants into modern data centers equipped to the last one. In fact, its managers are already negotiating with the French energy company Engie, the German RWE and the Italian in the possibility of using their facilities for this purpose. For energy companies this option is very attractive because it allows them to kill two birds. On the one hand, the transformation of their old electric power plants into data centers guarantees them in income with which they did not count so far. And, in addition, the energy companies that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph and some others are negotiating with the technology companies the possibility of give them the supply of electricity that require your data centers. A priori seems like a fissure plan. An agreement in which everyone wins “You have all the necessary pieces, such as water infrastructure and heat recovery.” This Bobby Hollis statementVice President of Energy in Microsoft, repairs something very important: the old gas and coal centrals that are no longer operational have the water supply and the heat management infrastructure that data centers need. Presumably it will not be necessary to undertake a large adaptation to transform these facilities into operational data centers. Agility when putting up these data centers and moderation of costs is what makes them so attractive to large technology On the other hand, Lindsay Mcquade, director of Energy for the EMEA area (Europe, Middle East and Africa) at Amazon, Trust in that the permits that technology companies need to operate these converted data centers are available long before the new facilities. After all, most of Infrastructure are already installed In these buildings from the beginning. In fact, agility when pointing out these data centers and moderation of start -up costs is what makes them so attractive to large technological ones. In Europe and the United Kingdom since 2005 they have closed no less than 190 coal and lignite centralsand another 153 will follow this same path before the year 2038. It is evident that the possibility of reusing all these buildings transforming them into data centers for AI is very attractive. However, there is a challenge that is not yet resolved and that can condition this plan. It is not clear that the electrical infrastructure of some countries is capable of delivering The energy required by these facilities without previously undertaking a large -scale development. In this scenario renewable energies and nuclear will have the last word. Image | Marcin Jozwiak More information | Reuters In Xataka | We have a serious problem with air conditioning: it consumes much more electricity than data centers

an ‘electrostate’ that continues to feed on coal

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To understand China, it is essential to enter their philosophical roots. A constant that has marked its history is the art of thinking in the long term, of planning with decades in advance. An ideology that is deeply linked to confucionism, which prioritizes collective duty, social stability and sacrifice present for a stronger future. However, it should be noted that Confucio did not explicitly speak of political or economic strategy in the current terms, but its emphasis on meticulous planning can be glimpsed in the country’s current energy policy. An “electrostate.” He 10% of Chinese GDP It is in clean energy, since technologies, such as electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels are growing at a dizzying pace. According to the Financial Timesthe objective is not simply to modernize its energy infrastructure; It is to create an “electrostate.” In other words, that its economy works almost exclusively with electricity generated from low carbon sources. All according to the plan. The transition to an electricity -based energy model is not accidental. It is the result of a combination of state planning, mass investments and technological innovation. It all started more than 10 years two years after Xi Jinping assumed power, when he ordered the Chinese energy system to “revolutionize”. Thus they began with the strategic investments that are expected that within five years another 800,000 million dollars will be added to consolidate the electrical infrastructure, intended for ultraalta tension lines that the country already has 40 transporting solar and wind energy. The expansion of renewables. Planning also had The expansion in renewableswhere the country leads the transition solar and wind With megaprojects. Next to it and at the same vertiginous rhythm, China has taken into account That the greater the renewable capacity, the greater the need for storage systems. The batteries have become a key piece to stabilize the electricity grid and manage the intermission of solar and wind energy, but there is still a long way to achieve the 500GW of storage necessary to completely support its renewable network. Also, like They have detailed In Financial Times, the two largest Chinese companies in the country, Catl and Byd, have allocated 5% of their income to research and development, which has allowed to drastically reduce storage costs. An elephant in a room. Despite all this change, China continues to aggressively invest in fossil fuels. In fact, Keep building new coal plants and represent 80% of construction plants worldwide. This paradox has raised international criticism, especially for the risk of increasing global emissions while the country is presented as a leader in clean energy. From The commercial war with the United Statesthe vulnerabilities of global supply chains have been exposed, which has led To China to reveal their plans on the control of their own coal and oil reserves as of key energy infrastructure. However, he has not stopped his projects outside because He wants to reinforce Its geopolitical influence while minimizing internal risks. The dual strategy. China continues to invest in renewable energy for long -term electrification, while maintaining control of fossil fuels to avoid short -term interruptions. This duality has generated international criticisms that accuse Beijin of flooding the market with subsidized clean technologies and breaking their climatic commitments, as He has collected The Financial Times. A planned future. While the rest of the world debate how to reduce emissions and ensure energy supply, China has chosen not to choose a single path. Instead, he has opted for both. And if we look at its philosophical roots, Taoism summarizes it well: opposites not only coexist, but also need. Renewable and fossils. Yin and Yang. On the energy board, China is playing with both cards at the same time. Image | Kenueone and Palacio do Planalto, CC BY-SA 4.0 Xataka | China is immersed in a nuclear revolution and needs industrial amounts of Uranium. His solution: “fish” in the sea

There are young Spaniards earning $ 10,000 a month in the Australian coal mines. But everything that shines is not gold

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“I’m going to show you how $ 5,000 every two weeks in Australia.” This is how a young Spanish named ‘Tonylopezz13’ opens a Video on Tiktok which was published a few days ago and that went viral. The premise is attractive, especially when we have the 13,81.33 euros of minimum salary in Spainbut it turns out that ‘Tony’ is not such an isolated case. There are more young Spaniards, but also from other countries that move to Australia with a goal: work in a mine. Of course, it has a small print. The Australian dream. Foreign immigrants in Australia represent a low percentage compared to other nationalities, but since 2015, when visa ‘was created’Working Holiday‘, fate became something more attractive. Australia has a high cost of life, but also one of the Base salaries higher in the world ($ 24.10 per hour, depending on the sector, becoming much higher in technological, health or mining jobs) and this visa allows a young man between 18 and 30 years to spend 12 months in the country. There are another series of visas, such as students who allow you to work certain hours per week or those who are issued to qualified workers who are hired by an Australian company. Since then, it is estimated that some 5,000 young Spaniards access the Australian labor market, many in this way and, as we see on social networks, some to work in Mines. Coal. Australia is one of the most muscle countries in the production and export of coal. Mainly, their mines are located in the state of Queensland, where there are giant mines such as BHP Mitsubishi Alliance or the mine of Carmichaelone of the largest in the world with a production of 60 million tons per year. In recent years, the Australian mining industry has faced criticism due to underground water pollution, the possible contamination of the coral barrier and, in general, due to the environmental impact that these mines have, but the activity remains one of the most important, at the economic and foreign trade level, of Australia. FIFO. And you also pay well. In a mine there are many types of positions and we can say that, depending on the role, the salary It moves between 70,000 and 150,000 Australian dollars a year. If it is a qualified position, that range is limited to between $ 90,000 and $ 150,000. These works for which a lower qualification is required usually follow a model called Fly-in Fly-out Or FIFO, which is nothing more than an attractive name for conditions that involve working about two weeks in a row with 12 -hour day day and then go home to rest … to wait for you to call you again. Temporary or casual, go. Influencers miners. The works that are usually done consist of cleaning of rooms and rooms, in the dining room or in the kitchen of the mining installation. It works, but you also earn a lot of money and it is something that young people from all over the world are making known in networks such as the aforementioned Tiktok, but also on Instagram or on YouTube Shorts. There are many publications under hashtags like #Miningalia either #FIFOAUSTRALIA in which they show their day to day and where money for only a few days of work almost always has a leading role. And they are true Influencersnot so much because of the virality of one two concrete videos, but because of the effect they have on people who want these conditions. Sienna Mallon. It is an example. This young Australian gained popularity, precisely, for giving visibility to her day to day as an employee of a mine. He studied agronomy and has played several roles in coal and gold mines, speaking in his networks about the challenges and benefits of the FIFO model and accumulating in the process about 450,000 followers among Tiktok and Instagram. Effect called. There are hundreds of comments in Mallon’s videos in which you ask how it can be applied to these jobs, something that we can also see easily in ‘Tony’, with Spanish people, but also Latin American asking for information on how to access these jobs. “When I met these videos on Tiktok, I told myself that I had to take the opportunity,” says a 25 -year -old in Lemond. All paid. And those salaries are really attractive. The first thing is that they are so high for both qualified personnel and without training because the mines are They locate in remote places. That is, they have to offer an incentive for people to want to go to those places very, far away from the cities and where you will have to make life during the working hours. But it is also attractive because there are practically no expenses. In the videos of these influencers you can see how they have private rooms with everything you need, free food, entertainment rooms, gym and, obviously, field to walk around, so you can save everything possible or invest in trips to meet the country during the rest week. Asterisk. But before you start looking at how much a ticket to Australia costs, there are other details to know. “The pay is good, but the day is exhausting,” says another young man in Lemonda, and it is something that goes in the line of people like ‘Tony’ who do not hesitate to affirm that they do not want to sell “the motorcycle to anyone: life during those 14 days is shit” focusing on ‘Tony’, on the video of 5,000 dollars every two weeks clarifies that the salary is high because it is a temporary worker. That is, you work two weeks for ten hours a day for 4,898 Australian dollars – about 3,000 euros – and then … it’s over. If you like you, they may call you again, but they may not do it. In another video sample How he was sleeping more than a week … Read more

You just have to look at the coal ashes

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Rare earths have been a very controversial issue in recent months, by the disputes of President Donald Trump with Greenland and Ukraine. This necessary element for Our daily electronic deviceseach time your reservations are more scarce and only is concentrated in few countries. However, new research has managed to find them with the naked eye: in the ashes. The study. Scientists from the University of Texas They have found In industrial waste a rare earth source. The point is that researchers have found that coal ashes contain 8,400 million dollars in rare earths. Any type of ash? The researchers have carried out detailed chemical analysis of the ashes, where the rare earth minerals have separated from the burned ashes to quantify them. The study, conducted in the United States, has concluded that the ashes of the Apalaches basin have a higher rare earth concentration (431 milligrams per kilogram), but only 30% is recoverable with current methods. This situation has occurred because many of the minerals are linked to other substances in the ashes, which hinders their separation. On the other hand, they have found that the ashes of the Powder river basin, although they have a lower concentration of rare earths (264 milligrams per kilogram), have a much greater extraction (70%), since the elements of rare earths are more scattered and are easier to separate from the ash. The process. The investigation has concluded that during The burning of coal, minerals separate from their original ore, facilitating their extraction. In this burning process, it has already eliminated some of the impurities, reducing the need for additional refining steps, which in conventional mining are usually expensive and consume a lot of energy. This process is being used by companies such as Element USA, which They are developing methods To make this extraction profitable. More careful. Scientists They have affirmed that this development is more efficient and less harmful to the environment compared to traditional mining. However, there are other methods that do not want to depend on traditions, such as a Spanish study. In it, CSIC researchers They have developed A recycling procedure of electronic devices to recover the rare earths they contain. A global impact. Researchers have affirmed that there are still technical and economic challenges for a large -scale application. However, if this technology will improve the podium to China, who controls more than half of world production. However, the future is very uncertain to Trump’s policies with The tariff system and Your refusal to foster renewable energies. Image | Pxhere Xataka | The rare earth war has arrived in Spain. And it is in Ciudad Real where mining and ecology are confronted

In their search to make the increasingly productive olive trees, these researchers have had an idea: to throw coal

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The jungle floor is between reddish or yellowish; He is sterile and ungrateful, blinding and distemper. It is plagued with mineral oxides or empty of calcareous materials. It is and has always been a bad ground. Therefore, when in the middle of the Amazon, the settlers met the ‘Terra Petra‘They couldn’t believe it. It was a black, tremendously fertile land, incredibly resistant to the decomposition of organic matter. For decades, nobody knew where he had been able to leave. A dark enigma for a bright future. Some said that the Andes volcanoes could have come, others suggested that they should be a product of sedimentation of the tertiary lakes. But, When analyzing they realized that they were truffled with ceramic remains, fish swords, jewelry and human objects. The miracle of the ‘Terra Preta’ was the miracle of huge agricultural communities mixing land, vegetable coal, organic material of all kinds and favoring the growth of an own ecosystem within them. Charcoal? Indeed. That same face The researchers stayed. The jungle peoples often use a burning system to create fertile soils. The problem is that they lose fertility quickly. With the ‘Terra Preta’ it does not happen and the secret is in that coal. What in jargon is known as ‘biochar’. And that is really working? That is what The European Soil O-Live project has been askedif the olive trees could treat with a mixture of biochar and compost. The result is what brings us here: what Yes it works. According to researchers at the University of Jaén, coal treatment increases oil production between 7 and 24%. That is, between 0.4 and 1.7 kilos of oil per olive tree. It is true that it is a preliminary investigation, but without a very promising place. And what do we want it for? That is, without this type of “treatments” Spain is already the place of the world where more oil occurs and not for: grows 15% per year. The problem is that the machine cannot stop because demand It grows even more. Where will this race take us, that voracity? That is one of the great questions of the century. Image | KEVIN MARTIN JOSE | Wander Fleur Image | In full climate crisis, a United States startup proposes an millenary technology of the Amazon: Capture CO2 on the ground

For years we had assumed that global consumption of coal was condemned to go down. Until India appeared

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Although the entire world is looking towards renewables and there are different projects focused on it, many countries still depend on coal. However, this time the country that slows this progression is not China, but a competitor has come out very geographically: India. The demand for coal. The price fixer in Asia He has marked That coal prices have dropped, around $ 100 per ton due to a temperate winter and an excess world supply, levels not seen since May 2021. However, this fall can be temporary, since investment in new production has decreased while demand Keep increasing In countries like India and China, which would cause a rebound in prices and keep coal as a necessary source globally. But wasn’t it reducing? On the one hand, some countries have managed to reduce or eliminate their dependence on this fossil fuel, such as Spain that He advanced his goal to close the coal or the United Kingdom plants that ended the carbon era After 142 years. For its part, Chile has implemented a tax Carbon pioneer, which accelerated its transition to clean energy. On the other hand, shareholders and banks are They have denied to finance projects related to this fossil fuel. However, the demand continues to grow in India and China, since they cannot meet the demand of their populations only with renewable energy. In data. India is the country that is most using coal. In fact, your demand scope The 1.5 billion tons for five years, which represents an annual increase of approximately 3%. India, with a very high demography, is using coal for the electrification of millions of homes, the expansion of the industry and the need to meet an energy demand in constant growth. However, they are closely followed or they are even almost with China. In spite of all Investment in renewable energy, closed last year With a world demand for coal of 8,770 million tons, that is, consuming 30% more than the rest of the world together. Doesn’t India invest in renewables? In recent years, he has invested in solar energy, establishing objectives such as reach 500 GW By 2030. In addition, has launched several projects to promote the development of renewable energy, such as the “National Solar Energy Program”. However, the infrastructure remains insufficient and the intermission of energy generation continues to bring them problems. The dependence of other countries. Not everything falls to India and China, there are other countries that are depending on coal by The need for continuous energy due to data centers and artificial intelligence. However, we will mention more specific cases. The German case that still has to depend on coal plants due to delays in the construction of new gas plants. For their part, Japan and South Korea continue to depend on coal to guarantee a stable energy offer, especially in winter. Finally the case of the United States than with The new energy policies Return to this fossil fuel. Forecasts The International Energy Agency has observed That world demand for coal will increase. Although prices are now low, this will change for the lack of investment and the continuous increase in demand. While China and India continue to burn coal, the problem will not be so much prices but to disrupt global climatic ambitions. Image | Jepoirrier Xataka | In Europe, 2024 marked a turning point: for the first time solar and wind are eating gas and coal

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