Europe

The most powerful telescope in Europe has seen something rare while observing two brown dwarfs: a perpendicular planet

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Today, in things that we did not know that there were in other star systems: a planet that orbits perpendicular to its two stars. It is as strange as it sounds. A different planet. We have seen everything in the exotic exoplanet gallery that the observable universe offers us, but a new surprise has forced astronomers to readjust their expectations. Using the Vary Large Telescope del Southern European Observatory (ESO) In Chile, astronomers have found the first exoplanet known in a polar orbit around a binary system of stars: two young brown dwarfs. Orbiting at 90 degrees. Baptized as 2m1510 (AB) B, this world has two Tatooine style soles, something extremely common when it comes to more massive stars, but not so much in the case of brown dwarfs. However, what is common is that orbits its two host stars in a way that until now had only theorized: turning perpendicular to them, in a polar orbit of 90 degrees. We sensed that they could exist. Astronomers had already detected planetary training discs in polar orbite and theory suggested that They could form stable planetsBut finding them was another story. 2M1510 (AB) B is the first credible test that this configuration exists. And the most curious thing is that the team was not actively looking for this type of planet, they found it while refining the orbital and physical parameters of the two brown dwarfs, seeing that the path of the two stars was being pushed and pull in unusual ways. It is not a usual system. The planet is not the only rare in this neighborhood, taking into account the host stars. Brown dwarfs are larger than giant giant planets, but too small to maintain nuclear fusion which characterizes the stars “really”. But the rarity does not end there. These brown dwarfs form an eclipsest binary, which means that from Earth we can see how they hide each other. 2M1510 (AB) is an incredibly infrequent system: the second pair of eclipsessing brown dwarfs known to date. With more than 5,800 exoplanets confirmed to date, only about 16 orbit around two stars. That one of them does precisely around a system as atypical as a binary of eclipsessing brown dwarfs, and with a polar orbit, it is a real cosmic jewel. Image | THAT In Xataka | These real images were unthinkable before the Webb Telescope: they are planets orbiting other stars to 130 light years

Europe wants to decide what is irreparable and what is not

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Europe is in full crusade with the old vehicle. In the main cities of Spain They can no longer circulate. The entry into force of the environmental badges leave out all gasoline cars before January 2001 and diesel prior to 2006: they cannot circulate through Low emissions areaswhich will be extended until the environmental objectives imposed by the EU will. There is a type of vehicle exempt from this age punishment: The classic vehicle. A culture also relevant in the world of motorcycle, and that according to the Federation of European motorcyclists associations It is at risk. Or maybe … not so much. Recycling objectives. The European Commission is in the process of reviewing its directive on vehicles at the end of its useful life (ELV). A legislation in which the objectives of recycling, reuse and elimination of materials in vehicles that reach the end of their life cycle are collected. The objective, on paper, is to foster the circular economy. This old woman Directive 2000/53/ECuntil now only applicable is close to being replaced by a new one planned by 2026 and with a vote in June 2025. If approved, it would cease to exclusively affect cars and light vans, to also affect motorcycles. The new regulations. The proposal on THE NEW REGULATION COM (2023) 451 On the new circularity requirements applicable to vehicles includes new categories, including motorcycles, to create regulations that harmonize recycling between virtually all types of vehicle. The text makes it clear that a deep review of how vehicle recycling and manufacturing processes is necessary, focusing on the focus on which this industry is one of the ones that consumes the most resources. The impact. If this new proposal was approved, the processes to reuse components, the requirements of homologation and the doubt (in certain scenarios) of whether or not or not a vehicle are a vehicle at the end of its useful life. “For the purposes of transferring the property of a used vehicle, the vehicle owner must be able to demonstrate to any natural or legal person interested in acquiring the property of the vehicle in question or the competent authorities that are not a vehicle at the end of its useful life. When assessing the situation of a used vehicle, the owner of the vehicle, other economic operators and the competent authorities will verify if the criteria established in the Annex I are fulfilled. A vehicle at the end of its useful life. “ Criteria and discord. Said Annex I, in which the points that determine what a repairable or not, show certain shadows in the case of motorcycles are collected. And Europe will consider that a vehicle is technically irreparable if it meets one or more of the following criteria. It has been cut into pieces or disassembled (“disassembling” a motorcycle is necessary for virtually any deep modification). Its repair requires the replacement of the engine, the gearbox, the body or assembly of the frame, which results in the loss of the original identity of the vehicle. He has not carried out the National Technical Inspection required for more than two years from the date on which it was last required. They are just some examples that would supposedly put in check the identity of the classic motorcycle, in which it is more than common to replace or repair components such as the engine, body and gearbox. The matter of Do not pass ITV: Many of these classic vehicles are projects that do not circulate by road until they have ended (they can last years). Not what you are thinking. So far, it is not unreasonable to think that the EU has lost its head and wants to end any used or classic vehicle. But the key is to interpret the text well. Which, in its first paragraph, makes clear the objective: “New measures to address EU’s exterior environmental footprint Linked to export of vfu and used vehicles. “ In other words, what Europe wants is to create a solid regulatory framework in which there is a clear distinction between what is an apt vehicle and not suitable for its export. For example, prevent a motorcycle from without ITV and that requires motor replacement, can be exported abroad. Something that would not prevent, if it has the ITV per day and the corresponding replacement of an approved motor, it can be sold without problem. In the requirements of Section 2, related to the controls and requirements related to the export of used vehicles, the previous references are made, but for the moment there are no criteria beyond those related to the sale outside of Spain. What does FEMA ask. FEMA’s request is clear: that motorcycles are outside this directive Or, in case they are applied, to play with their own rules. In Spain we consider everything with at least 30 years as a classic vehicle. Some of them, far from reaching the end of their useful life, enjoy a second life thanks, precisely, to the replacement of components. Doubts are lawful about whether a classic, fully functional and restored vehicle will cease to be considered repairable or valid for export after application of the new regulations. One that, by the way, must still be voted, approve, and get ahead with more than possible modifications in the text. In Xataka | Chinese motorcycles are sweeping in Spain: who is who in this brand puzzle

China considers softening its rare earth blocking, although not for everyone. It is great news for Europe

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On April 4, just 24 hours after Donald Trump announced the taxes that he was going to apply to the importation of most products from abroad, The administration led by Xi Jinping responded. And he did it with forcefulness. In early December 2024 He chose to prohibit The export of some critical minerals to the US, among which were three essential metals for the chips industry: Gallium, Germanio and Antimony. Shortly after the Chinese government added two more critical metals to its list of export restrictions: Scandio and Disposio. These chemical elements are probably less known than metals prohibited by China previously, such as Gallium or Germanio, but are at least as important as the latter because they have a fundamental role in the industries of integrated circuits, telecommunications and the manufacture of storage devices. China has Europe at its feet The ability to put pressure from China had not yet been extinguished. Just ten days later, on April 14, the Administration did not hesitate take another step forward With the purpose of putting in check, in addition to the industries that I just mentioned, those of electric cars, aeronautics and advanced armament. To achieve this, it effectively suspended, in addition to the export of the most valuable rare earths, that of high -power magnets that have a critical role in the industries that I have cited in this same paragraph. China’s export controls are mainly directed to the US, but the old continent does not remain unscathed Chinese authorities are retaining in ports throughout the country not only rare earths, but also high -power magnets acquired by electric cars manufacturers throughout the planet, aerospace companies, chip factories and armament companies. Many of these organizations have high -power magnet reservations made with rare earths, but possibly They will only allow them to subsist a few months. Europe in particular is in an extremely delicate position. China’s export controls are directed mainly to the US, but the old continent It does not remain unscathed. At least for the moment. In fact, in Germany, which as we all know is the heart of the European car industry, There are already experts who assure that if China continues to retain rare earths and electric motors some essential parts of the electric cars production chain They will stop in no more than six weeks. For the European car industry this blow would be very difficult to fit. European companies that are dedicated to the manufacture of semiconductors are also in a very compromised situation. According to Reuters Many European chip production lines They will stop very soon Due to the shortage of crucial supplies, which has led the European Chamber of Commerce to meet with officials of the Ministry of Commerce of China to ask them to allow rare earth supply to European companies that are dedicated to the production of integrated circuits. The result of this meeting has not yet been officially completed, but the information that has been leaked maintains that China is willing to relax its export controls for some European companies. Image | Peggy Greb, US Department of Agriculture More information | Reuters In Xataka | The US will not be able to contain the technological development of China. Experts from the chips industry forecast it

TSMC will open a chip design center in Germany. It will not be enough to avoid the failure of Europe

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Just a few hours ago Paul de Bot, the president of the European subsidiary of TSMC, has announced that your company will build a semiconductor design center in Munich (Germany). This installation will be ready in a record time: During the third quarter of 2025. In fact, this Taiwanese integrated circuit manufacturer, The Major on the Planettrust that this installation starts its operations in just three months. The construction and tuning of a avant -garde chips factory requires investing at least four years in these processes before starting large -scale production, but the installation that TSMC will be tuned is not a factory: it is a design center. This is the reason why it is credible that may be ready in just three months. In fact, as its purpose is not to manufacture semiconductors does not need Nor lithography equipment No wafering processing machines. Paul de Bot has confirmed That this center will be dedicated to helping European customers from TSMC to design integrated high density, high performance and high efficiency circuits. These chips can be used by automobile industries, telecommunications or artificial intelligence (AI), among others. However, this project runs in parallel to the semiconductor production plant that TSMC is already building in Dresde (Germany). This factory is underway, but presumably will not start the operation until the end of 2027. This integrated circuit design center does nothing for Europe The arrival in Germany of this TSMC installation is good news, there is no doubt about that. However, his contribution to the aspirations of the old continent in the matter of chips production is irrelevant. On February 8, 2022 Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, announced that Europe wants to be a fundamental actor in The semiconductor industryand the first step to achieve this requires manufacturing 20% ​​of the planet chips in 2030. The new TSMC Chips Design Center will not produce semiconductors, so it will not quantitatively contribute to European aspirations It is evident that in the delicate current geopolitical situation Europe needs to be ambitious if it wants to increase its relevance in the semiconductor industry. Have ASML and Intel, Globalfoundries and TSMC facilities within its borders plays in its favor. However, The speech of European leaders It seems to be focused on quantity, and is not enough. The quality understood as the capacity of a chip to deliver added value is also fundamental. The new integrated circuit design center of TSMC presumably will deliver value to European companies, but, as we have seen, it will not produce semiconductors, so it will not quantitatively contribute to the aspirations of the old continent. It is better to have it than not to have it, there is no doubt about that, but its role in the objective of which we have spoken two paragraphs above will be inconsequential. In fact, it is very unlikely that Europe achieves its purpose. We do not say it, although we share it; The European Court of Accounts holds itwhich is nothing other than “the financial guardian” of the European Union. In The report that published At the end of last April he defends that the objective of achieving a fee of 20% in the world market for integrated circuits in 2030 It seems unattainable Because Europe is very far from the rhythm of production necessary to fill its ambitions. To achieve this production capacity, it would have to be four times higher in less than five years and is far from achieving those figures at the current development speed. Image | TSMC More information | Digitimes Asia | SCMP In Xataka | We already know what the chips that will arrive until 2039 will be. The machine that will manufacture them is close

Europe has finished its spectacular cryogenic plant

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The cover photography of this article was taken just a month ago in the vicinity of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experctor reactor), The experimental reactor of nuclear fusion that an international consortium led by Europe is building in the French town of Cadarache. What we see in this image is A cryogenization plantand it is a fundamental installation to bring this very complex machine to fruition. It is paradoxical that Iter needs an extreme cooling plant. The plasma confined in your vacuum camera which will contain the deuterium and tritium nuclei that will intervene in the fusion reaction will reach a temperature of at least 150 million degrees Celsius, so a priori may seem strange that an installation is expressly designed to generate an extreme cold. But it is not. It has all the meaning of the world if we keep in mind that superconductor magnets, Creobombs and thermal shields need to reach a temperature of up to -269 degrees Celsius. Iter’s cryogenic plant is an engineering prodigy The superconductor magnets placed on the outside of the vacuum chamber of this nuclear fusion reactor have the responsibility of generating the magnetic field necessary to confine plasma inside. They are also responsible for controlling and stabilizing it. These magnets weigh 10,000 tons and are manufactured in an alloy of niobio and tin, or niobio and titanium, which acquires the superconductivity when cools with a supercritical helium until reaching a temperature of -269 ºC. Superconductor magnets acquire superconductivity when they reach a temperature of -269 ºC This requirement justifies the need to put a powerful cooling system like the one that has devised Europe for Iter. In the construction of this experimental nuclear fusion reactor, the US, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom are also involved, but the Cryogenization Plant has been commissioned by Fusion for Energy (F4E), the organization of the European Union that coordinates Europe’s contribution to Iter developmentthe French company Air Liquide and technicians integrated in the structure of Iter. In this photograph we can see the nitrogen compressors installed in the Iter cryogenic plant. This extreme refrigeration installation will be responsible for supplying liquid helium to 4.5 Kelvin (-269 ° C) to superconductor magnets and criobombs, and also gaseous helium at 80 Kelvin (-193 ºC) to thermal shields. Creobombs are empty ultraalt devices that are responsible for eliminating gases inside the vacuum chamber. In order to do so, they must work at an extremely low temperature. And, on the other hand, the thermal shields are responsible for protecting some critical elements of the reactor, such as superconductor magnets, the heat that emits the confined plasma inside the vacuum chamber. Iter’s cryogenic plant has an area similar to that of a football field (just over 7,100 m²) and contains several 26 -meter high storage tanks. These figures help us intuit how enormous this critical installation is. As we just checked, Without it, nuclear fusion would be absolutely impossible. This Grigory Kouzmenko statementF4E manager, invites us to tie Iter’s future with a reasonable optimism: “We have entered the most exciting phase of the project, in which all the efforts of previous years finally are specified and we can benefit from the collaboration based on the confidence between all the parties.” Images | Fusion for Energy More information | Fusion for Energy In Xataka | From today Spain has the key to nuclear fusion: Granada’s particle accelerator is already a reality

The great digital achievement of Spain has been to raise the best fiber network in Europe

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This Tuesday Spain definitely closes a 140 -year -old chapter. Telefónica has announced the shutdown of its last 661 copper centralsforever burying the technology that vertebó the communications of the twentieth century. But real history is not the funeral of copper, but Spain has become a European leader in connectivity. Why is it important. While other European countries continue to debate when to migrate from copper, Spain has already completed that transition. Telefónica is the first great operator of the continent to completely close its copper network. The rest of Europe looks at us from behind. In figures. The numbers deny the myth of Spanish technological backwardness. Spain is The third OECD country with greater fiber optic penetration. The fiber lines represent 89.3% of the total fixed broadband. The network reaches 80 million accesses installed in a country of 49 million inhabitants. The trick: homes are included but also local, in addition to many duplicates among operators. Only South Korea and Japan overcome us in some indicators. France, Germany or the United Kingdom are behind FTTH coverage. In FTTB, Spain leads Europe After years only behind Iceland. The panoramic. Since 2014, Spain has dismantled 8,532 copper centrals in a huge logistics operation. Has migrated 99.99% of customers Without leaving them without service. It has recycled 65,000 tons of cable and saved 1,000 gigawatt energy, according to company sources cited by Five days. All while building an infrastructure that covers 94% of the population. Including rural areas that place us far ahead of other European countries in rural coverage. Between the lines. The Spanish transformation has gone unnoticed because it coincided with years of economic crisis and with the perennial complex of national technological inferiority. It is true that we are light years from the United States or China in terms of large technological ones, but we have built the best telecommunications infrastructure in Europe. The optical fiber is 90% more energy efficient than copper and multiplies speeds. A fiber plant serves to the same number of accesses as four copper centrals occupying only 15% of the space. The money trail. Telefónica has converted the transition into business. The sale and recycling of the retired copper has been an extra income of about 1,000 million euros, taking advantage of the revaluation of the metal. Yes, but. Copper does not disappear completely from the Spanish map. More than two million customers are still connected by coaxial cable using HFC technology (fiber-coaxial hybrid). They are mainly of operators such as Vodafone or Euskaltel. It is not the same copper as the ADSL that has just died, but technically it is still copper that carries the signal to the home. The difference: this coaxial coexists with the fiber in a hybrid network that offers speeds far superior to the old telephone copper pair. Deepen. The Spanish fiber revolution is no accident. It started when the Spanish regulator liberalized the market and forced Telefónica to share its infrastructure. The competition between operators accelerated the deployment. Now that infrastructure will be the basis for the next generations of mobile networks, the Internet of things and future technologies to develop. Spain has built a digital infrastructure prepared for the future. In Xataka | 100 years after his birth, Telefónica faces the greatest existential dilemma in its history: what wants to be older Outstanding image | Lightsaber Collection in Unspash

Europe wants solar panels without forced labor. The only problem is that almost everyone comes from China

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In the early 2000s, Europe was consecrated as The largest solar energy manufacturer worldwide. After more than two decades, that dominant position is a memory against the unstoppable advance of China, which has achieved that more than 80% of global production leaves its factories. A paradigm shift. China has a very particular look of seeing the world in the long term, thanks to that philosophy he has managed to position himself as a leader in solar energy. His method has managed to manufacture cheapest solar panels thanks to a subsidy strategy, vertical integration and almost absolute control of supply chains, such as has detailed Bloombergnef. Meanwhile, European manufacturers have had to compete with those priceswhich has triggered a wave of factor closures, bankruptcies and personnel reductions. Europe’s response. The old continent wants to make its own solar panels again, but motivated by an ethical and geopolitical pressure in the sector. According to Financial TimesThe scrutiny over the Xinjiang region, in China, has grown, which concentrates about 20 % of the world production of polysilicio and where various Western governments have denounced violations of human rights and forced labor against the Uigur population. Faced with this, countries like the United Kingdom have taken a firm position. In April, the British Government declared that your state energy company may not use solar panels linked to forced labor. This ethical trend could force European solar developers to rethink their supply chain and prioritize more transparent suppliers, even if they are less competitive in price. There are already measures underway. On the one hand, in a more ambitious attempt to recover part of its energy autonomy, the EU approved last year The Net Zero Industry Law. This regulation forces to consider not only the price, but also criteria such as the resilience of the supply chain, the environmental impact and the local origin by making public purchases of clean technologies. On the other hand, European products will be prioritized in tenders to equip hospitals, public buildings and other state infrastructure with solar energy. According to Solar Power Europe for Financial Timesthis regulation could create a market of up to 9 gigawatts of solar capacity for “resilient” products already in 2026. But the numbers do not lie. The distance with China is abysmal. Today, Chinese solar panels are sold at about $ 0.09 per watt, a radical decrease from the dollar per watt in 2012, According to Bloombergnef. European companies simply cannot compete in costs compared to the scale and efficiency of the Chinese model. There is something more background. Not only is it a matter of assembly, but strategic minerals. In a broader context, starting a mine can take up to 17 years since it is activated all protocols. Instead, China has been assuring its sources of lithium, rare earths, copper and silicon for 20 years. In this way, even with the new EU regulations working perfectly, the so -called “resilience market” would cover less than 14 % of the solar capacity added in Europe, According to Financial Times. And there would be no guarantees that these panels be produced by European manufacturers: they could come from India, South Korea or other countries that do not use materials of Chinese origin. Will it go through the hoop? Here the main question that arises is: Is Europe ready to assume the political economic cost of reindustrializing its solar sector? Or will it accept the dependence of a cheap but geopolitically complex supplier? For now, the measures seem insufficient to significantly alter the structure of the market. The European energy transition progresses, but does it mounted on Chinese panelseven when their governments promote technological and ethical sovereignty speeches in commerce. Europe has aroused a race that she helped to start. Recovering the lost terrain will be difficult. The sun does not expect, and China already closed the umbrella. Image | Climate Group Xataka | Filling mirrors space is a booming business. THE OBJECTIVE: DO NOT MAKE NIGHT ON SOLAR PANELS

Europe is closing its doors

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The Covid-19 Pandemia generated a great migration of US digital nomads towards countries with more lax mobility measures and with a much more affordable cost of life. Many European countries, including Spain, received them with open arms. To them and their investments. However, that has long been for a long time, and the geopolitical scenario It has changed radically. What has not changed is the Desire of Americans migrate to Europe In search of stabilitysecurity and a better quality of life than in the US. The difference is that, now, Europe is closing its doors. So much that even US citizens will need An entrance visa (Ethics) to visit Europe. The American exodus. The interest of Americans to obtain residence in European countries and in the United Kingdom has been increasing. Last year Ireland received 31,825 applications for American citizenship. Only during the month of February this year, 3,692 citizenship applications from the US have already been submitted. In statements to EuronewsArielle Tucker, founder of the Connected Financial Planning migration advisory platform, said that after the arrival in the presidency of Donald Trump, “many people feel that the longer they remain in the United States, the more insecure they are about how their quality of life will be and how that could affect their financial well -being.” Kelly Cordes, founder of Irish CitizenSHIP Consultants, He counted to Bloomberg that he had also noticed a notable increase in requests for citizenship of Americans to Ireland. “It is definitely different from everything we have seen. People are very worried; they have an urgency to obtain citizenship.” Of an average of 10 weekly citizenship requests that this agency processed in 2024, it has gone between 20 and 25 applications a week. Europe and the United Kingdom close their doors. Despite the increase in residence and citizenship requests, the authorities of Europe and the United Kingdom are responding with stricter regulations. Even so, 6,100 US citizens requested British citizens, according to data of the United Kingdom Ministry, taking advantage of its British roots. For its part, Italy, which previously allowed those who demonstrated family ties to obtain residence with relative ease, has carried out an emergency reform To avoid the avalanche of applications and now requires more rigorous evidence and longer processes to protect the interests of the local population. Gold Passports. Another option used by Americans With greater economic resources it is to obtain the calls “Gold Passports” either Golden Visa. These programs allow to obtain residence or citizenship in exchange for significant investmentsgenerally in real estate or the implementation of local businesses. Portugal and Spain were Very popular destinations Among Americans who were looking for this type of visas, but the situation It has changed In recent months due to negative impact In the real estate market and the local economy. New strategic opportunities. Faced with this panorama, some European countries are taking advantage of this migratory current of Americans to attract qualified talent. France, for example, has launched the campaign “Choose France for Science“, With the aim of attracting highly trained international and professional researchers by speeding up the processing of their residence permits. In contrast, Doge’s cuts, with Elon Musk in frontthey are putting in serious trouble the work of researchers in the USthus simplifying the immigration decision for these scientists. In Xataka | Of course, digital nomads love Oviedo. It is not for the way of life: it is because they charge 90,000 euros In Xataka | Digital nomadic visas: the countries hook to attract the best digital talent without paying the cost to keep them Image | Unspash (Global Residence Index)

China is turning its roofs into power plants. He has achieved in three months what in Europe costs three years

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China has turned its roofs into solar engines, and record time. In just three months he has installed more photovoltaic on roof than Europe in years. Why is it important. China not only leads the energy transition, but is changing the usual rhythms to which it can occur. According to the latest report of Rystad Energyhas installed 36 GW of solar energy on roof only during the first quarter of 2025. That is more than some European countries reach after three years. The Energy Newspaper He summarizes it in a phrase: China does everything big. In figures: 60 GW Solares in total during the first three months of 2025. Of these, 36 GW (60%) in roofs. 130 GW of distributed lots are foreseen throughout 2025. The large facilities will even exceed that figure: 167 GW projected. The context. China is closing its XIV five -year plan. The New regulations of the National Energy Administration (NEA), in force since May, has created a counterreloj race to install before the regulatory cut. There is an emergency climate generated by … Self -consumption incentives. Network access restrictions. And the liberalization of green certificate trade. Those 36 GW are superior to what countries such as Spain or France can install for more than two years, counting all of solar facilities. The EU, together, installed 56 GW throughout 2023, and only one part was in roofs. In detail. The thrust has not been homogeneous. The provinces with greater normative flexibility, such as Jiangsu and Guangdong, have triggered the photovoltaic on roofs. Others, such as Interior Mongolia or Jilin, have restricted both the self -consumption that they have barely contributed. Behind the photo of the record there are certain strap: Some large commercial projects can no longer sell electricity to the network. It is increasing legal and contractual complexity. Promoters and investors face a more uncertain environment. And now what. China will continue to install at a speed far higher than we are accustomed to in the West. And the distributed model will grow, although foreseebly with certain adjustments. Europe lives much more slow display marked by a dense bureaucracy. If you keep the rhythm, China will end up making more facilities on roofs in a year than the sum of many countries in a decade. In Xataka | If Europe does not want to freeze this winter this winter will have to pay much more for gas. You can thank China Outstanding image | Bill Mead in Unspash

Europe has started a race against the clock. And China has entered to make prices more expensive

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Winter has left Europe with reservations practically empty and needs to reach a level of 90% before November. Meanwhile, China has emerged as a direct competitor in the global gas market, putting Europe in a counterreloj race to guarantee its supply before prices shoot. Short. The European Union will have to spend 10,000 million euros more than last year to fill its gas reserves, According to the Financial Times medium. The reason behind this increase is due to a colder winter, an increase in demand for less renewable generation and greater dependence on liquefied natural gas. The background. It all started with the war in Ukraine, since until that moment Russia supplied about 40% of the gas To the EU. However, commercial reprisals and sanctions drastically reduced that supply, to the point that an agreement has been signed to fully close exports in 2027, According to Euronews. A vicious circle. The European bloc had to look for other alternatives, such as the GNL imported from the United States and Qatar. However, it continued to supply Russian gas Through third countries or by calls “Ghost ships”. At the same time, the European Union was trapped in a price instability cycle, caused in part by the spot market dependence for LNG purchases. As He explained The London medium, this situation caused governments to compete with each other to ensure cargoes, inflating prices and generating distortions in the market. Flexibility in storage. Given the difficulties in maintaining 90 %reserves, the European Commission is considering granting greater flexibility in the storage objective, especially after Germany – the country more dependent on gas – requested adjustments to avoid price peaks in summer. However, in parallel, Germany has reached an agreement with France to receive energy support through the nuclear energy supply. A strategic movement that seeks to ensure its energy stability while storing objectives are readjusted. This measure aims to relieve pressure on markets, although it generates uncertainty due to the possibility that changes are not promulgated in time. The recharge dilemma. According to Kuhanathan, an analyst from Allianz Trade, has declared Financial Times That many gas merchants are delaying reservation recharge, waiting for prices to fall further. However, this attitude could generate a sharp increase in demand at the end of summer, shooting prices just before winter. In addition, Peder Bjorland, Vice President of Equinor Gas Commerce, has warned in the same medium that Europe will have to pay higher prices to overcome Asian competition if China’s demand is replenished. China, a determining factor. The largest world buyer of liquefied natural gas is China. Last year, LNG’s Chinese demand was reduced due to an unusually favorable climate and economic slowdown. This drop in consumption allowed Europe to access cargoes that, otherwise, would have gone to Asia, contributing to stabilize prices in the short term. However, projections for the coming months indicate a possible rebound in Asian demand. The commercial truce between Beijing and Washington, Recently announcedcould activate an increase in Chinese industrial activity, which would raise the demand for LNG, According to estimates of the Financial Times. In addition, a hot summer in Asia can further increase gas consumption, putting Europe in a direct competition situation with Asian buyers. According to Morgan Stanley analysts for the same medium, this additional pressure would boost gas prices up to 10%. A decisive actor. During the commercial war with the United States, Beijing He hinted that he could sell American liquefied natural gas to Europe, but the situation has taken a totally different nuance. Now it is key to observe The development of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline With Russia, as well as China’s ability to DNA. Leaving the framework of the global energy future open. Image | Pixabay Xataka | Putin’s not so secret plan to survive without Europe: a giant gas pipeline to China

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