power

France has been determined to rob Spain of its position as a data center power in Europe

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The French country has hit the table in its ambition to become a technological benchmark in Europe. He agreement reached between Emmanuel Macron and Masayoshi Son (CEO of SoftBank) aims to deploy up to 5 GW of computing capacity for AI data centers in northern France. This movement competes with all the projects that are underway in Spain, one of the countries that until now had attracted the greatest interest from hyperscalers. The problem is that neither France nor Spain will gain much from these initiatives. Nuclear counterattack. France has taken advantage your energy network —with a clear prominence of its nuclear power plants— to attract AI supercomputing projects. The SoftBank project will start in the Hauts-de-France region with an initial phase of 45 billion euros to build data centers in regions such as Dunkirk. In this first phase we want to achieve that the total capacity rise to 3.1 GW in 2031followed by a second phase that could reach 5 GW. Spain, data center paradise. Faced with this French movement, Spain has been closing agreements in that same area for months. It totals more than 22,000 million euros in recently announced projects. Giants like AWS (15.7 billion in Aragon), Microsoft (more than 7,000 million) and Blackstone have chosen our country to create these data centers. The Spanish advantage is its renewable energy productionwhich has attracted that type of investment. The harsh reality: Europe (probably) loses. Although both this announcement and those made in Spain are very striking, the reality for the Old Continent is quite stark. The data centers in Spain are not Spanish, and those in France are not French either. Europe is becoming the powerhouse for foreign multinationals that invest here because it suits them strategically. Energy resources are great for Microsoft, Amazon, Meta or Softbank, but the real benefit of this computing does not remain in Europe. The accounts. There is a clear difference between the strategies of Spain and France. Spanish soil is filled with hyperscalers like AWS or Microsoft that build, operate their own clouds and then control the flow completely. In the case of France, the initiative depends on a Japanese conglomerate allied with sovereign funds from the Middle East. SoftBank operates here more like a real estate developer– Create the data center and then rent it to third parties. Source: FT. Sovereignty, little. Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez can sell the message that these projects promote this ambition to have sovereign AI. The problem is that these data centers are simply delegations of big technology companies taking advantage of the advantages offered by their European partners. There may be options in the French project for the country to boost its AI companies —Mistral is the clear example—, but the truth is that these movements do little to help this objective of avoiding the independence of foreign technology companies. Rather they make the situation worse. The other European rivals. Europe’s traditional technology markets, grouped under the acronym FLAP-D (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin) are giving way to projects in other countries like France or Spain. There are also other protagonists in this new map of decentralized infrastructures: the Nordic countries are also interesting for their cold climates, ideal for helping to cool these centers. The real bottleneck. Beyond the billions of euros that are on the table, the big battle in the coming years will be access to hardware components, especially now that the memory crisis has made everything significantly more expensive. Demand far exceeds supply and it does not seem that this imbalance will be resolved soon, so all of these initiatives could suffer delays and changes in their final costs. In Xataka | Mistral does not generate hype, it is a discreet AI, it does not boost the shares of any company, but it already makes more money than Grok

In Euskadi they believe they have the solution to the neighbors’ opposition to wind power. Let them take 7% of your profits

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On May 18, the pre-booking period opened. In less than 24 hours, 51 residents of Rioja Alavesa had already put their money in the wind farm that no one wanted to have next door. Seven percent guaranteed annual profitability. Minimum investment, 1,000 euros. Project name: Gure Haizea. Our wind. Euskadi has not inaugurated a wind farm for twenty years. The last one came into operation in 2006. For two decades, projects have multiplied on paper and have gotten stuck in the courts, in the allegations commissions and in neighborhood assemblies. The result is that the autonomous community, which has a world-class wind industry, produces only 7.9% of its electricity with its own renewable sources. The Basque Government’s objective is to reach 15% in 2030. To achieve this, it needs the residents of the affected municipalities to say yes. And so far, the majority have said no. The park that no one wanted to have next to. The Labraza wind farm, in the Alava municipality of Oion, is under construction. Forty megawatts of power and an investment of 59 million euros. When it comes into operation, it will produce around 99,679 megawatt hours per year, enough to supply around 30,000 homes, and will avoid the emission of approximately 16,300 tons of CO₂. It will also increase the installed wind capacity throughout the Basque Country by 26%, according to data from Iberdrola and of Basque Energy Entity (EVE)the public agency of the Basque Government that co-manages the project through its joint venture with Iberdrola, called Aixeindar. What makes Labraza more than just another wind farm is what this joint venture has just announced: for the first time in Euskadi, citizens will be able to participate in the financing of the project and collect interest for it. The chosen formula is crowdlendinga type of crowdfunding in which individuals lend money to a project and receive a guaranteed annual interest in return. In this case, 7%. The platform that will manage the process is Fundeen, the first Spanish investment platform in renewable energies authorized by the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). The maximum term is three years. The minimum contribution, 1,000 euros; the maximum, 100,000. The total objective of citizen financing: three million euros. As reported by the Basque Energy Entitythe pre-booking period opened on May 18. In just 24 hours, 51 small investors had already covered 60% of the objective, according to data published by ElDiario.es. The final financing will be formalized in June. The problem that profitability tries to solve. The rejection of wind farms in Spain—and in Euskadi in particular—does not arise out of nowhere. It has concrete and legitimate roots. The reasons for rejection They are diverse: the landscape impact of wind turbines in mountainous areas with strong natural and cultural value, criticism related to noise, the effect on birds and ecosystems, and above all the feeling that large electricity companies obtain benefits while municipalities receive little real compensation. In Álava, more than 100 renewable initiativeswith an especially high concentration that has triggered neighborhood alarms. The underlying issue is more structural. 84% of Spain’s renewable energy is produced in rural areas and in so-called emptied Spain, but without that money stay in the territory. The municipalities assume the visual, sound and landscape impact. Energy travels to cities. The benefits go to the company headquarters. That energy inequality is the core of a problem which has manifested itself in different ways in different territories: Aragon tried to keep its energy surplus, Galicia proposed half-price electricity for residents of municipalities with renewable installations, and now Euskadi is trying 7% profitability for its citizens. The proposal of crowdlending try to attack exactly that gap. If the neighbors also make money from the wind, the equation changes. The park stops being an infrastructure imposed by someone from outside and becomes, at least partially, an own investment. That is why the name in Basque matters: Gure Haizea It’s not just a brand, it’s an argument. More than money, also cheaper electricity. The mechanism is simple in its conception. Through the platform Fundeeninterested citizens can enter the Labraza project as lenders: they contribute between 1,000 and 100,000 euros for a maximum of three years and receive a guaranteed 7% annual interest regardless of what the park produces. They do not buy shares or become owners, but rather creditors of the project. It’s an important distinction: the risk is lower than in direct investing, but so is the control. The initiative is primarily aimed at the inhabitants of Labraza, Barriobusto, Oion and Rioja Alavesa, although it is also open to the entire historic territory of Álava. The objective, according to EVEis to always prioritize investors from the areas closest to the park. It is not limited to financial performance. The inhabitants of the Administrative Boards of Labraza and Barriobusto They will also be entitled to a special electricity rate once the park comes into operation, and throughout its useful life. The package also includes up to 90 local jobs during construction, an initial income of around 1.2 million euros for the municipal coffers when the works start and about 230,000 euros annually in taxes and fees. To explain the details, Iberdrola and EVE organized in-person information sessions in Labastida, Oion and Laguardia during the month of May. Spain already has precedents. What Euskadi presents as new is not exactly its own invention. The model of crowdlending for wind farms has already been tested in other Spanish communities, always with the same platform—Fundeen—and with a profitability also set at around 7%. In the Canary Islands, the company Ayagaures Medioambiente promoted the Renove II wind farm in Agüimes (Gran Canaria) with exactly this scheme. More than 45 investors, prioritizing the residents of the municipality, contributed 1,080,000 euros, 20% of the total budget of just over five million. The success was such that the company is already working on a second project with the same model. In Navarra, the Montes de Cierzo wind farm of the Norwegian Statkraft also … Read more

The duel over the new glass air fryers is decided on size and power

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Until recently, air fryers were dark, noisy drawers that were simply used to reheat chips frozen. Today, smart cooking requires versatility, speed and, above all, the ability to adapt. In this field, Ninja It has become a fetish brand for technological cooking enthusiasts. Ninja CRISPi Portable Air Fryer, 3.8 l, 4 in 1 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XL Ninja CRISPi PRO Glass Air Fryer, 7 Functions – Blue (2 Containers) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links With the launch of its latest range, the firm has put on the table two heavyweights that share DNA but aim for different profiles: the Ninja Crispi Pro and the standard Ninja Crispi. At first glance, both promise to retire your traditional oven and reduce oil use by 75%. However, when we fully enter into your specificationswe see that the battle is decided in the technical details and what you are willing to pay. We put two of the best air fryers of the moment to discover which is the smart purchase. Technical data sheet for both Ninja air fryers feature Ninja Crispi (Standard) Ninja Crispi Pro power 1,700W 2,050W larger container capacity 3.8 liters 5.7 liters (XL size) small container capacity 1.4 liters 2.3 liters cooking modes 4 (Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate) 7 (Add: Bake, Grill and Ferment) temperature range Up to 185°C Up to 240°C price from 123 euros 249.99 euros Design and capacity: from individual format to family feast Both models share the same revolutionary idea that is changing kitchens: the CleanCrisp. Instead of the typical plastic and Teflon basket that gets scratched just by looking at it, Ninja opts for borosilicate glass containers in which you can prepare ingredients, cook them with the hot air head, serve them directly on the table (since they have a very aesthetic design) and put an airtight lid on them to store them in the refrigerator. However, size does matter here. The standard Crispi model includes a 3.8 liter main bowl and a 1.4 liter secondary bowl. It’s a very portable and compact formatideal for singles, couples or to take the airfryer even to a second home. On the other hand, the Crispi Pro makes the leap to family format. Its XL container reaches 5.7 liters of capacity, enough space to roast a whole chicken with vegetables for up to six people, and its small bowl goes up to 2.3 liters to make generous side dishes. Power and temperature: the Pro breaks the 185ºC barrier This is where the Pro version gains muscle and where the price difference is justified as well. The standard Ninja Crispi is somewhat limited in power (1,700 W) and has a thermal limit of 185ºC. This makes it a perfect ally for reheating leftovers and leaving them crispy (thanks to the function Recrisp) or make everyday dishes, but it may fall short or take longer if you are looking for extreme browning on thick meats. For its part, the Crispi Pro goes up to 2,050 W and set the thermostat to 240ºC. That extra heat allows the airflow to seal the food much faster. Additionally, the Pro expands the menu from four to seven functions, adding key modes for cooking lovers such as Bake (bake), Gratinate (Grill) and Ferment masses, something impossible to do in the base model. So…Which model to choose Seeing the differences between both models of Ninja Crispi air fryers, you may be wondering which one to choose. If you don’t know which one to choose, this is what we advise you: Buy the standard Ninja Crispi if: You are looking for an ultra-portable system, you cook small portions for one or two, and your main objective is to use it for side dishes, quick dinners or reheat food giving it a crunchy touch without using the microwave. Ninja CRISPi Portable Air Fryer, 3.8 l, 4 in 1 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Buy the Ninja Crispi Pro if: You want to completely replace your home oven, you need the capacity to feed a family (5.7 liters) and you don’t want to give up baking recipes, powerful gratins at 240ºC or homemade dough thanks to its advanced functions. XL Ninja CRISPi PRO Glass Air Fryer, 7 Functions – Blue (2 Containers) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Ninja In Xataka | Two years ago I bought my first air fryer. I wish someone had told me I needed these plugins too. In Xataka | Cosori vs Cecotec air fryer: differences and which one to buy

Star Catcher has raised $88 million to build the first space power grid. Their plan is to recharge satellites with lasers

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As the pace of space launches increases and missions beyond Earth become more abundant and varied, it is important to look for new ways to obtain energy so that these ships can travel to their destinations. Fuel is not infinite, so there comes a point where it runs out. Therefore, there are three main proposals. One is to resupply the ships directly in orbit. Another option is to resort to nuclear energy. In fact, There are already several agencies working on it. Finally, there is the option of solar energy. Unfortunately, this has some limitations, but the American company Star Catcher wants to solve them through the world’s first energy network located in space. A good economic injection. Star Catcher just announced which has received 65 million dollars in a series A financing round. With what they already had in their coffers, the company has 88 million dollars. Enough to date its first release to the end of this year. Different ways to “squeeze” the Sun. The solar energy we are used to is obtained through plates with photovoltaic cells installed directly on the Earth. However, there are already companies that want to bring it directly from the Sun, even at night. Its goal is to use mirrors that reflect sunlight at will anywhere on Earth, whatever the time and whether the weather is good or not. The problem is that these companies They are being criticized a lot for posing risks such as great light pollution. On the other hand, what Star Catcher wants to do is slightly different. They will also take solar energy directly into space, but they will not direct it to Earth, but to the spacecraft that need it. It will be like a kind of space solar power plant. Optical beaming. Star Catcher will be based on a phenomenon known as optical beaming. This consists of extracting solar energy and using it to power a multispectral optical laser, with which it will be redirected to satellites from which it can be distributed at will to the ships that need it. To do this, they hope to be able to put a constellation of 200 satellites into low Earth orbit. Previous records. Last year, this company broke the world record for wireless electricity transmission by delivering 1.1 kW of power to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Now, they want to transmit directly to space. It also has limitations. Although this company does not have the same limitations as those that want to redirect sunlight to Earth, it involves placing an immense number of satellites in orbit, with the risk that this entails. Many experts warn that, in the same way that could happen with Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, this type of infrastructure increases the risk of Kessler syndrome. That is, it could happen that one or more fragments of space debris collide with them, deteriorating and launching pieces into space that would become more space debris, which in turn would collide with more satellites or more debris. Thus, a very dangerous domino effect would be generated for satellites, ships and space stations that are in space at that time. Even more risks. On the other hand, the launches of the ships that will place the satellites into orbit are also a great source of pollution. In fact, recently has been published a study that warns of the large amount of polluting substances that these types of launches leave in the upper layers of the atmosphere, where, otherwise, the pollution would be residual. In short, this company will bring us great advances, but it will have to maneuver carefully so as not to bring even more problems. Image | Star Catcher In Xataka | Starlink’s dominance in space begins to move: another company already has permission for a constellation of 4,000 satellites

A drone has set fire to the perimeter of the first Arab nuclear power plant

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During the war between Iran and Iraq in 1982, a missile accidentally hit near the plant Iran’s Bushehr nuclear when it was still under construction. The incident sowed such concern international that for decades civil nuclear facilities in the Middle East were surrounded by a kind of unwritten taboo even in the midst of the region’s toughest conflicts. A drone and a border that no one wanted to cross. For years, Gulf monarchies assumed that their large energy infrastructures could be vulnerable to missiles or attacks on refineries, ports and pipelines. But there was one psychological line that seemed to remain intact: nuclear power plants. The fire caused by a drone in the perimeter of Barakah, the first nuclear plant trade of the Arab world, has changed that. Although there was no radioactive leak or damage inside the reactor, the simple fact that an unmanned aircraft reached the immediate surroundings of a nuclear facility in the middle of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel has opened a completely new scene for regional security. The Gulf has just entered unknown territory: it is no longer just about protecting oil and gas, but about defending civilian nuclear facilities against cheap, difficult to intercept and politically explosive attacks. Much more than electricity. The Barakah central It occupies a particularly sensitive place within the Emirati strategy. Built with South Korean technology and operational since 2021, it provides around of a quarter of the country’s electricity and represents the great project with which the Emirates tried to diversify its energy economy and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. That is why the attack has a symbolic burden enormous even if the damage was limited. Hitting the Barakah perimeter means demonstrating that no strategic infrastructure is completely out of reach of the drone war that already dominates the Middle East. Also launches another disturbing message: Civilian nuclear facilities are beginning to enter the risk map of modern regional conflicts. The Gulf War no longer revolves only around oil. The truth is that the evolution of the conflict is profoundly altering the security logic of the entire region. Since the start of the war, Iran has launched thousands of drones and missiles against the Emirates and other Gulf countries to increase the economic and political cost of the campaign led by the United States and Israel. Until now, much of the concern has focused on Hormuz, energy exports and maritime traffic. But he Barakah incident expands the problem into another, much more delicate dimension. An attack against a nuclear power plant, even if it is peripheral, immediately forces international alarms to be activated, involve the International Atomic Energy Agency and propose scenarios that until recently seemed unlikely in the region. The real problem. The most uncomfortable thing for the Emirates and its allies is that the attack proves again a reality that has already been seen in Ukraine, Russia or the Red Sea: even extremely rich and protected countries have enormous difficulties in stopping relatively simple and cheap drones. According to the Emiratesthree aircraft penetrated from the western border and one of them managed to reach the external electrical generator of Barakah despite the existing defenses. The scene perfectly sums up the current imbalance of modern warfare. A small drone can force the activation of nuclear protocols, trigger diplomatic tensions and generate global concern at a negligible cost compared to the gigantic air defense investments of the Gulf states. An increasingly fragile truce. The attack also arrives in one of the most tense moments since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Donald Trump has toughened his speech against Tehran (a few hours ago he even said he was about to attack Iran before to stop the operation), Israel speculate again openly with a resumption of the war and the Emirates has become the Arab country more aggressive against Iran during the conflict. Abu Dhabi directly accuses to Iran or its regional allies for having crossed an extremely dangerous line. The problem is that the Barakah incident demonstrates the extent to which the region has entered a phase where escalation can occur. through ambiguous attackscheap and difficult to attribute with complete clarity. And that makes every downed drone (or every drone what gets through) now has the potential to trigger a much larger crisis. Image | Store N., Wikimedia In Xataka | Iran is about to inaugurate in Hormuz a concept that has the shape of a global nightmare: the underwater toll In Xataka | Dubai has come to the same conclusion as Russia. To protect your oil from drones there is something better than missiles: giant cages

As Europe builds data centers to achieve independence, its power grid enters the hunger games

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Europe finds itself at a crossroads. If you listen to the CEO of Mistral, you should start investing big to stop being the technological vassal of the United States. That implies investing and part of that investment is in data centers. But American Big Tech is also moving and, if in the US they find frontal opposition to the construction of data centersthey move and there are countries like Spain that are favorite destinations. But there’s a huge problem: it’s not so much about money as it is about energy. And European macroplans are colliding with the reality of the electricity grid. Full speed ahead. The United States has the most brutal data centers on the planetbut Europe has a plan to arm itself and achieve that technological sovereignty. The plan goes through energy thanks to geothermal energy and, above all, renewables. Europe is a power in this and Spain has already shown its plumage to attract European and Big Tech data centers. esteem that there are 5,400 in the US and 3,400 in Europe, and Europe wants to close the gap. There is a very small problem: renewables are not enough to satisfy the voracity of data centers. We are constantly seeing it: data centers need constant power, but when they enter intense computing phases, the expense is so high that they need energy spikes that renewables cannot satisfy. That’s where they come into play. nuclear, gas and even coaland a Europe that cannot play that due to environmental policies is where it has its weak point. Spain. There are several points to analyze. As we say, Spain is one of the countries that is presenting itself as one of the best assets to host data centers. Aragon, specifically, is a community that is pushing hard in this direction and serves as an example. AWS is going to put some gigantic data centers in the community, adding more than 10,800 GWh of energy per year. To contextualize, it is more than all the current electricity consumption of the community. But it is not only happening in Aragon and the fear is that the saturated Spanish electricity grid will now have to deal with those data centers that they can collapse the network. He blackout ghost it’s still there and it’s already been warned in the Official State Gazette that an increase in installations that are not capable of withstanding voltage dips pose a very high risk for the network. the hunger games. Because first the principles of agreement came and, now, the different EU countries are realizing that, perhaps, it is not such a good idea. One of the most recent cases is that of Energinet, the state operator of Denmark’s electricity grid, which, in March, suspended all new large-scale connection agreements by receiving requests that would reach 60 GW, with 14 GW of them being for data centers. As in the case of Aragon, it must be put in context and, according to According to CNBC, the country’s maximum demand is 7 GW, so that total of 60 GW exceeds the country’s consumption almost nine times. It is not about canceling plans, but about an extension until we discuss what to do with that demand, but there are already those who point out that the extension cannot be ruled out because, simply, the country’s network may not be prepared. Estimation of increased energy demand for data centers FLAP-D. But they are not the only ones. Amsterdam, London or Dublin can no longer absorb the brutal energy consumption of artificial intelligence and the technology industry has set his eyes on the northern countries (in which wind energy is the protagonist) and in those in the south (with solar as a guest star). They are three important names because they are part of the FLAP-D, the conglomerate of Flankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin that, historically, have been the dominators of the data center sector. Because these facilities have existed before the arrival of AI, but with the conversion to computing centers for AI is when their consumption has decreased. shot and when these metropolitan areas cannot meet demand. Those needs are so exaggerated It is estimated that data centers accounted for almost 80% of Dublin’s electricity consumption, forcing Ireland to impose a de facto moratorium on new data centers in its capital until 2028. braking. The situation, of course, is not the most promising for those who are building the AI ​​infrastructure at the moment. The boss of SMIC, one of the Chinese companies that is leading the country’s technological transformation, pointed out a few weeks ago that the AI ​​Big Tech companies are building all the infrastructure they will need over the next decade. in just one or two yearswhat is generating that plug in stock components worldwide. But then there is the energy plug which, as we see, is not small. And, obviously, it also generates delays in supply. According to the calculationsa decade to connect the new facilities to the electrical grid. If Microsoft, or whoever, builds a data center by 2027, but can’t pull the plug until 2037, something is clearly wrong. What is clear is that regulators are going to look at these projects with a magnifying glass because there is a physical limit that is that energy and connection requests. In fact, it is already recommended that before coming with a monstrous data center and then looking to see if there is a plug, construction plans take into account consumption and connection planning to national networks from the beginning. But there’s another problem: You can build a data center today that consumes x energy, but when you upgrade to more powerful platforms, those calculations may blow up. Either that… or self-powered data centers, as already stated made in Dublin. In Xataka | Data centers are real “heaters”. And they are settling in regions as hot as Aragón

In 2014 it was inaugurated as the largest solar thermal power plant in the world. 12 years later they want to close it after incinerating birds

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The huge Ivanpah solar thermal power plant, opened in 2014 in the Mojave Desert, was almost closed after just 11 years of operation. An end accelerated by its history of technical, economic and environmental problems that, however, was paralyzed in January of this year after the agreement of all those involved. Context. Concentrated solar thermal energy, once considered one of the most cutting-edge technologies for clean electricity generation, is not going through its best moment. Especially in Nevada, where the Crescent Dunes fiasco was already very public. The concentrating solar thermal system uses thousands of mirrors, or “heliostats”, that follow the path of the sun to concentrate its light on central towers. In these towers, the extreme heat is used to heat water and produce steam, which drives turbines connected to electrical generators. The Ivanpah case. The Ivanpah plant was built with an investment of $1.6 billion in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy and long-term contracts from major electric companies. It was the largest solar thermal power plant in the world until the inauguration of Port Augusta in Australia. 11 years after its inauguration, the enormous solar thermal plant began to close after failing to meet its initial expectations. The lack of profitability condemned it, at least a priori. A succession of rulings and complaints from environmental groups about its impact on wildlife accelerated its end, approved by the US Department of Energy. Continuity. However, the decision was reversed in January 2026 by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Ivanpah will remain open. Their argument is that uncertainty in federal renewable energy policies forces us to prioritize the reliability of the current electricity supply. In addition, the commission seeks to prevent the enormous investment in infrastructure already made from being lost, despite the high operating costs and the serious environmental impact on local fauna. The measure ignores the previous agreement between the companies to close the plant and save money for users. A priori, it will remain open until its contract expires in 2039. A complex technology. One of the main problems has been the difficulty of keeping the mirrors precisely aligned. The technology, which requires exact tracking of the sun, has proven to be unstable and unreliable in practice, says a CNN report. The maintenance of the complex mechanisms and the management of the turbines in turn generate high operating costs, which has caused concentrated solar thermal to lose competitiveness compared to other renewable technologies, especially photovoltaic solar, whose prices have plummeted. A bird cremation machine. The criticism is not limited to the technical aspects. The Ivanpah plant has been questioned for years for its environmental impact, especially on desert wildlife. Environmental groups denounce the irreparable damage to the habitat of species such as the desert tortoise. But also the death of birds that are incinerated by the intense rays concentrated by the mirrors. A second Crescent Dunes. The case of Crescent Dunes, also occurring in Nevada, reinforces this image of failure of solar thermal energy. This project, which was intended to be one of the milestones in innovation and energy storage using molten salts, ended up becoming a multimillion-dollar waste. Developed by the Spanish group ACSpromised continuous production of electricity, even during hours without light, thanks to thermal storage in salts. In practice, Crescent Dunes never managed to deliver the promised amount of energy and ended up going bankrupt due to engineering and management problems. In the shadow of photovoltaics. In short, the rapid fall in prices of photovoltaic technology and its lower impact on wildlife have made concentrated solar thermal obsolete. While solar panels have been gaining efficiency and reducing their installation and maintenance costs, solar thermal plants have lagged behind in terms of competitiveness, which has led investors and electricity companies to reconsider their bets on this type of projects. In Xataka | The first central tower solar plant to be commercially exploited is in Seville: a pioneer that has survived other more ambitious ones In Xataka | Chile has one of the most valuable skies on Earth. Renewables are putting it on the ropes In Xataka | China’s largest solar park is doing much more than generating energy: it’s greening a desert Image | Pexels

raw power, outstanding camera and large capacity battery

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If you were waiting for the moment to make the jump to a high-end mobile phone, now is a good time to do it thanks to this offer that Amazon has. He Xiaomi 17 (the latest flagship launched by the Chinese manufacturer) has dropped in price and has gone from costing 1,099.90 euros to 899.99 euros. Although yes, it is a flash offer, so it will be available for a limited time. XIAOMI 17 – 12+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A mobile phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor that offers plenty of power The heart of this Xiaomi 17 is he Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 512 GB of internal storage). In addition to being 30% faster than its predecessor, it has made a giant leap in thermal efficiency thanks to the 3D IceLoop system. Although it is true that his older brother (the Xiaomi 17 Ultra) takes the 200 MP sensor, this standard Xiaomi 17 is not far behind. Incorporates a 50 MP main camera with a one-inch sensor and refined with LOFIC HDR technology, to control high lights in night scenes. Another of its surprising features is its battery. This has a capacity of 6,330 mAh, a capacity which is surprising in a body of just 8 mm. In addition, it supports fast charging at 100 W, so it is perfect if you want to charge your phone in the morning, while you have breakfast, before going to work. In real practice, it is a mobile phone that lasts a day and a half perfectly without going through the plug. If you want a compact high-end mobile (its screen is 6.3 inches), flat and extremely powerful, this Xiaomi is a good purchase option. In this new Xiaomi 17 family, you could say that this terminal has stopped being the “little brother” to become a very balanced option for the general public. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the xiaomi 17 today ✅ THE BEST Leica cameras: The Xiaomi 17 takes photos with organic texture and dynamic range (thanks to the LOFIC sensor) that look like they were taken from a professional camera rather than a smartphone. Battery: It seems like magic to integrate 6,330 mAh in such a thin design. In addition, its autonomy is enough for a full day (and then some). ❌ THE WORST The price… Xiaomi is no longer the affordable mobile phone brand that we were used to. This terminal fully enters the 1,000 euro barrier, competing head to head with Samsung and Apple. Secondary cameras… Although the main lens is superb, the wide-angle lens can be a step behind in low light situations, making the jump in quality between sensors noticeable. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are an avid photographer and value the natural color and manual control that Leica optics offer. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Your budget is tight, since a Xiaomi T series or a high-end Poco can give you a similar (although not the same) experience at 70-80% but at half the price. Some accessories that may interest you for this mobile Olgary Case for Xiaomi 17 6.3″ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XIAOMI Buds 5 – Wireless headphones The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Xiaomi 17 vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra: two similar brothers focused on very different audiences In Xataka | The new Xiaomi 17 versus the Samsung Galaxy S26: we compare the five models that will fight for the best Android of the year

the ingenious Chinese system so that Martian bases do not run out of power

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Traveling to Mars and establishing human colonies there is a challenge on many levels. The simple fact of arriving is already a problem, but the handicaps do not disappear once there. Without food, water or electricity, Martian colonizers would have to live in an inhospitable place, with a poisonous atmosphere and deadly cosmic radiation. Protective shields could be used and even grow tomatoesaccording to the Chinese. But we continue with the energy problem. Of course, there are already some interesting proposals. And also from the Chinese, by the way. MARS-MONTH. This year, a team of Chinese scientists has made his proposal particular to supply the Martian colonizers with energy. It is a system that uses carbon dioxide (CO2), which accounts for 96% of the composition of the red planet’s atmosphere. On Mars the pressure is very low, so very little energy would be needed to compress CO2 and use it to obtain electricity. This energy would be obtained from a nuclear reactor and the process would be so efficient that there would still be excess heat, so it could be used to catalyze chemical reactions such as obtaining oxygen by breaking down CO2 molecules or obtaining methane from hydrogen and more carbon dioxide. Better than nuclear energy. In reality, nuclear fission has already positioned itself as one of the preferred energy sources for the future of the space race. For example, it could be useful for boost spaceships far away, to places where solar energy is not an option and the fuels loaded on Earth are insufficient. It has also been thought that it could be used to supply energy to the lunar bases and Martians. However, there is a problem. The fuel cells used in this type of reactors They must be changed every 10 years approximately if you work with them at full capacity. Perhaps it would be feasible on the Moon, where the one-way trip lasts just a few days. However, the nine months that are needed today to go to Mars is too long to be able to make adequate replacements. Furthermore, to this we must add that The launch windows to be able to make a launch occur every 26 months. It is very unviable. Better to diversify. In reality, we have already seen that MARS-MES also starts from nuclear energy. However, very little energy is used to compress carbon dioxide and, from there, electricity and other fuels, such as methane, are obtained. The system does not rely solely on fissile fuels, so the stack should last much longer. There is still a long way to go. The scientists who have devised this system themselves recognize that there are still decades to go before having the necessary technologies to carry it out. Even so, when it comes to something so complex, it is always good to start working on the process well in advance. Even when it is still totally impossible to do it. China is flying. The Asian country has become a major contender in the space race. It is hot on NASA’s heels with the Moon and has a lot of interest in Mars. In addition, it has its own space station: Tiangong. Regarding the red planet, China’s next step will be the Tianwen-3 mission, which will travel to Mars in 2028, in order to collect samples from its surface and bring them to Earth in 2031. If everything goes well, it would be the first time something like this has been achieved. With or without MARS-MES, they are well on their way to Mars. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | While NASA faces the cancellation of 41 missions, China is doing real wonders in space

The US is using an exascale power supercomputer to solve the biggest challenge of nuclear fusion

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The Frontier supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) linked to the US Department of Energy is one of the most powerful on the planet. In fact, it is currently the second most capable exascale supercomputer after El Capitan according to TOP500 ranking. These machines are very valuable tools that are already being used by researchers to try to solve some of the most complex scientific problems that humanity faces. And one of them is the behavior of plasma when it is under the influence of a magnetic field. A group of ORNL researchers is using two of the most powerful tools currently available to humans, the Frontier supercomputer and the artificial intelligence (AI), to understand with the greatest possible precision the chaotic behavior of the plasma of stars. An important note before moving forward: plasma is an extremely hot gas made up of particles endowed with an electrical charge, which is why it can be confined inside a magnetic field. This knowledge can presumably help scientists very accurately simulate the supernovaswhich are nothing more than the explosions that occur when a massive star loses hydrostatic balance by burning most of its fuel. When a supernova is triggered, a good part of the chemical elements that the star has produced through chemical reactions nuclear fusion It shoots towards the stellar medium with a lot of energy. From supernovae to experimental nuclear fusion reactors Dr. Eliu Huerta, a computational scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory (USA) who has had the opportunity to supervise the work of the ORNL researchers, express clearly why this scientific initiative is so important: “This type of capability has long been the dream of astrophysicists and many other scientists. This is the first time that this level of understanding has been achieved through AI for systems of this complexity (…) The more chaotic the system, the more difficult it is to simulate it.” Understanding very precisely how the plasma of stars behaves is important not only to have more information about supernovae; It is also crucial for predict solar flaresor even to simulate the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field and the high-energy ionized atomic nuclei that constitute the cosmic radiation. Frontier’s role in this research is critical: it provides the computational power required to train the models needed to generate thousands of detailed plasma simulations. Inside nuclear fusion reactors it is still a challenge to keep turbulence under control However, there is another application in which this technology has the ability to make a difference: the development of nuclear fusion reactors. We can intuitively imagine a nuclear fusion reactor as a pressure cooker in which two essential ingredients are cooked: deuterium and tritium. In order for the nuclei of these two hydrogen isotopes to fuse and release the neutron that will ultimately allow us to obtain a large amount of energy, it is necessary to confine them in an extremely hot plasma. In fact, for this process to take place it must reach a temperature of at least 150 million degrees Celsius. Scientists know how to do it, so subjecting deuterium and tritium nuclei to the pressure and temperature necessary to make them fuse is no longer a problem. What still represents a challenge is to achieve keep turbulence under control. Otherwise the plasma will be destabilized, its density in critical regions will be affected and sustaining the fusion reaction over time will not be possible. The mechanisms that govern this process are very complex, but little by little physicists and engineers working on fusion energy are managing to understand them better. The research of ORNL scientists seeks to better understand the behavior of plasma confined inside the vacuum chamber of experimental nuclear fusion reactors with one purpose: to minimize turbulence so that energy loss is minimal. And they are on the right track. In fact, they already have a system ready that is capable of delivering very detailed turbulence predictions in just a few seconds, thus reducing errors by more than half compared to previous methods. Image | Fusion For Energy More information | ORNL | Interesting Engineering In Xataka | ITER has faced one of the great challenges of nuclear fusion: preventing plasma at 150 million ºC from destroying the reactor

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