preparing

Denmark is preparing a colossal artificial island where it wants to connect half of Europe to receive energy

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Europe depends on third parties for strategic resources as valuable as gas or oil, so the energy transition is an absolute priority. Among the essential renewables for this transition is wind energy and there is a place that is a vein: the North Sea. The question is to connect this enormous field of wind turbines with the rest of the continent and you know how: with a new island in Denmark. The Danish artificial island. Denmark wants to build an artificial island in the North Sea that functions as a kind of “giant plug” to connect hundreds of offshore wind turbines from several European countries at the same time. The North Sea Energy Island, as it will be called, will be built about 80 – 100 kilometers off the west coast of Jutland, and will cost about 28 billion euros. according to the International Energy Agency and the company in charge of its management will be the Danish operator Energinet. Although initially will have a capacity of 3 GWthe idea is to expand it to 10 GW by 2040, enough to supply about ten million European homes. The installation will combine electricity, the production of hydrogen is on the table and in the future it may incorporate energy storage. Why it is important. Because according to Energinet, it is the largest infrastructure project in the history of Denmark, but this is a multinational project to accelerate offshore wind deployment and strengthen energy infrastructure between the North Sea countries. Furthermore, grouping the connection of several wind farms at a single point allows us to distribute infrastructure costs and place the turbines further from the coast, where the wind is more constant. On the other hand, this island will produce green hydrogen for ships and airplanes, two industries with complex electrification. Context. This project was born fruit of Denmark’s 2020 climate agreement, when its parliament approved the creation of two energy islands: this one of artificial origin in the North Sea and another minor one of natural origin in Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea. In May 2022, the project was consolidated with the agreement between the energy ministries of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, which established the initial capacity and its connections. The project is part of the broader European strategy for marine renewable electrification, which the European Commission promotes since 2019 with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. In detail. Denmark has the majority participation in this critical infrastructure through Energinet, builder and owner of the network to the country. The rest of the international connections will be established with operators in each country, such as Elia (Belgium) or Amprion (Germany). The island will be connected to Denmark by Gammelgab, in the municipality of Varde, and the connection to the electrical grid will be made at a plant in Revsing, in the municipality of Vejen, as confirmed by Energinet. Yes, but. The production of hydrogen on the island is still a pending issue regarding technological advances in the segment over the next decade: everything is a question of economic viability, or in other words, whether it is more profitable to produce it on the island or on the coast. The decarbonization potential is enormous and so is the political support, but It is already experiencing delays and increased costs: It was originally planned for 2033 and we already know that it will not materialize until at least 2036. It also raises environmental concerns: the design contemplates converting protection structures into artificial reefs and monitoring marine biodiversity, but the relevant environmental permits are still pending. In short, this energy island today is more of a project than a reality. In Xataka | Something is happening with wind energy. Its deployment has slowed while solar energy grows unstoppable In Xataka | Offshore wind seemed to be Europe’s great energy hope: now it faces a murky future Cover | Vindo

the towns with the Starlight seal that are preparing for the total eclipse on August 12

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When watching a solar eclipse we can make many different decisions. It is possible to see it within the range of totality or to “conform” with partiality. We have the option of looking only at the Sun or delighting in the changes happening around us. We can even see it directly, with approved glassesor indirectly, with a pinhole camera. But if there is something that makes a lot of difference when it comes to seeing one of these spectacles that astronomy gives us, it is a sky free of light pollution. At least, as free as possible. Therefore, the Starlight reservations and destinations They are ideal places for those who want to see the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. What are Starlight certifications? The Starlight Seal is delivered to spaces in which a commitment has been established to defend the quality of the night sky and access to starlight. The decision to deliver these certifications was made at the 2009 meeting of the Starlight Initiative of the ‘Working Group on Reserves and World Heritage’ organized by UNESCO, with the support of the International Union of Astronomy and the World Tourism Organization. There are different types of Starlight certifications, although the two most common are Starlight reserves and Starlight tourist destinations. Normally, the first is delivered to natural spaces and consists, in turn, of three defined zones: Core zone: Where the natural lighting conditions and sharpness of the night sky are kept intact. Buffer zone: It surrounds the core zone and cushions possible adverse effects that may deteriorate the quality of your night sky. These zones may include small human settlements and activity areas. General area area: It consists of the general use area in which population settlements are located that can influence the evolution of the quality of the night sky of the entire reserve. With respect to Starlight tourist destinations, they are visitable places that have very good qualities for contemplating the starry skies and that, being protected from light pollution, become ideal places to carry out astrotourism activities. Beyond these two types, even towns and cities, parks, landscapes, trails, campsites and hotels and rural houses can also receive the Starlight seal independently. What are the Starlight destinations and reservations in Spain? Starligh certification is not at all easy to obtain. The requirements are very strict, so there are few natural sites and destinations that have it around the world. In the case of Spain, we have more than 70 destinations and more than 20 Starlight reservations. The largest reserve in the world is Sierra Morenain Andalusia, with more than 400,000 hectares distributed among 57 municipalities and six natural parks. But Sierra Morena is not in the zone of totality of the solar eclipse. We will be able to enjoy its skies during partiality. It is also a good plan for people from the south who do not want to travel too far. However, it is worth knowing the places with said certification that are within the totality range. What are the Starlight destinations to see the solar eclipse? Within the solar eclipse totality band there are 31 Starlight destinations. The greatest concentration of these destinations is in the autonomous communities of Galicia, Navarra and Aragón, although there are also other points scattered throughout the rest of the autonomous communities that make up said strip. Some of the Starlight destinations contain activities of interest for the eclipse, such as the ringing of bells that will ring in the Navarrese town of Lerín or the activities for the whole family at the observatory Borobia, in Soria. In addition, it should be noted that the Allande area, in Asturias, is the Starlight destination where the totality will last the longest, with 1 minute and 48 seconds. If you have questions about the place where you are going to see the solar eclipse and want to know if it has the Starlight destination seal, You can see it on our interactive map. Above all, remember not only to look for Starlight destinations, but also observation points clear of mountains, buildings or trees in the west, since that is where the Sun will be seen at the time the eclipse will take place. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | The trio of eclipses that await Spain on the horizon: an unprecedented and historic chain between 2026 and 2028

Brussels is already preparing an emergency team

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A decision made thousands of kilometers away could end up affecting a European factory that needs chips, magnets or processed materials to maintain its production. That is the fragility that Brussels is trying to reduce as a particularly sensitive date approaches in its trade relationship with China. For years, Europe has built industrial chains that are highly exposed to certain suppliers. Now, when geopolitical tensions interfere with supply, the European Commission is trying to prevent the next crisis from encountering it again by reacting when the problem is already on the table. China concentrates supply: The figures help to understand the dimension of the problem. China represents 66% of all rare earths extracted in the world, but its weight increases to 88% when we talk about refined supply, according to the Financial Times. This second proportion is the most revealing, because having the mineral is not enough if there is a lack of industrial capacity to process it and leave it ready for use. For Europe, dependence does not end at the mine: it continues in the plants that convert these raw materials into products that can be used by their manufacturers. October, the date that worries Brussels: China lifted a one-year ban on some exports of magnets and rare earth raw materials, but that commitment expires in October. European officials remain hopeful that Beijing will extend the truce, although they cannot rule out restrictions returning when the deadline expires. The relief also did not eliminate all controls, because China maintained a licensing system which requires European buyers to submit applications and provide information about their production processes and customers. This uncertainty explains why Brussels prepares responses before learning of the Chinese decision. A team to anticipate the crisis: According to three officials cited by the Financial Times, the Commission is preparing an emergency force whose first meeting is scheduled for September. Brussels wants to bring together those responsible for industry, commerce, financial services, economy and development aid in the same group, together with the central unit under the direct control of Ursula von der Leyen. Your goal will be to identify problems early and coordinate a common response. China will be one of its focuses, but not the only one, since the initiative also aims to respond to other economic and industrial threats. Find suppliers and mobilize European money: The strategy combines two moves. On the one hand, identify alternative suppliers and consider the use of EU funds to help maintain supply if an interruption occurs. On the other hand, change the rules with which the most exposed companies operate through a future diversification law, which would force them to reduce their dependence on a single source for certain key inputs. The Commission does not intend to replace Chinese supply overnight, but rather to better spread a risk that today is excessively concentrated. Nexperia already showed the risk: The closest precedent is not in rare earths, but in semiconductors. Last October, a dispute between the Dutch government and Nexperia’s Chinese owner caused chip supply tensions, to the point that the automobile industry warned of possible shortages. Faced with this pressure, the EU chose to temporarily relax the sanctions applied to another Chinese supplier. The episode showed how high dependency can quickly reduce Brussels’ room for action when the industry begins to run out of alternatives. Brussels is preparing for the worst scenario: The Commission is also working on measures to make better use of the resources available within Europe. The proposal planned for September would include a tax on the export of aluminum scrap, designed to keep more material in the block and encourage its transformation into new metal, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. Actions are also being studied to increase the recycling of rare earth magnets. The logic is simple: importing from more places helps, but recovering more materials within the EU also reduces foreign exposure. Images | Carl Gruner In Xataka | China closes the helium tap and the US becomes the great beneficiary of the Iran war

OnePlus is preparing to leave Europe and the United States. I had been sending signals for months that this was going to happen.

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OnePlus and Oppo are going to announce in the coming days a total withdrawal from two large markets such as the United States and Europe, according to the German media has advanced WinFuture. Neither of the two companies has confirmed it in public yet, but the evidence has been accumulating for months and this time they all fit. What has happened. WinFuture cites internal sources who speak of “fundamental changes in strategy” that will be communicated this week, a classic euphemism to say that OnePlus is going to stop selling new models in two of its historical markets. There have already been press conferences behind closed doors with specialized media in which neither OnePlus nor Oppo have wanted to explain the reason for the closure. There will be no new launches of mobile phones, tablets or wearables in Europe or the United States. He stocks What remains will be settled in the coming weeks. Devices already sold will maintain software support until the end of their life cycle. India and China are left out of the announcement, although the brand will lose its independence there and will become a cheap line within Oppo. The context. This doesn’t come out of nowhere. In January, a report –without clear sources– he was already talking about dismantling and OnePlus denied it. In March, 9to5Google public that the global withdrawal could come in April. In April, the brand itself admitted that it was “evaluating its roadmap” in Europe, while also cutting its workforce in the region, with layoffs focused on communication, marketing and sales. The team that explains, advertises and sells a brand to the public is not fired if that brand is going to continue to need to be explained, advertised and sold. Then came the rumor of a merger with Realme, the leak that OxygenOS would be integrated into ColorOS (Oppo’s software) and, finally, OnePlus’ own websites in Germany, Spain and France They began to redirect buyers towards Oppo products. Between the lines. The replacement plan has an obvious crack. Oppo wants to fill the gap left by OnePlus in Europe, but its phones do not cost exactly the same. OnePlus built its entire brand on the promise of delivering high-end specs at a mid-range price tag, the “flagship killer” with which it was born in 2014. Replacing that proposal with a more expensive catalog is not a change of logo but a change of a brand’s target audience. There is another fissure that is caused by those who are still their clients. In several EU countries Complaints about unfulfilled guarantees have multiplied: users whose OnePlus headphones damaged under warranty receive compensation a voucher of 199 euros for an online store that barely has stocksand which also does not allow the voucher to be applied to the few remaining discounted products. Some have already opened complaints with the European Consumer Center. When after-sales service begins to systematically fail months before an unconfirmed closure, it stops being a customer service problem and becomes an exit signal. We saw it in Spain with BQ. Yes, but. OnePlus already denied similar rumors in 2023 and did so again in January of this year. Neither of the two denials has aged very well. Neither OnePlus nor Oppo have confirmed anything yet an official confirmation. From Xataka We have contacted Oppo and their response has been to explain to us that they are in talks with the regional teams, waiting to get more information to share. They neither confirm nor deny it, something that says a lot after years of categorical denials every time this rumor arose. Meanwhile, the accumulation of coincidences (execution departures, website redirects, software merger, empty store, guarantees that They are paid with hardly usable vouchers…) leaves little room for the benefit of the doubt. Why is it important. OnePlus was born in 2014 selling the promise that you didn’t have to pay more to have the best, and that promise ended up costing it its own identity: the brand was absorbed by Oppo in 2021which pushed its co-founder Carl Pei to leave to found Nothing. Since then, OnePlus has been losing room for maneuver within the group until it has become, by all indications, more of a label than a company with its own criteria. Its disappearance in the West closes the cycle of an idea (that of the premium mobile without a premium) that the market itself has been eroding as the differences between ranges have become smaller and Chinese brands have preferred to compete by volume rather than by differentiation. And now what. He OnePlus 15 It remains as the brand’s probable last major launch in Western markets. In parallel, similar rumors are circulating about other second-rate Chinese brands, but this week we could have the official announcement of the OnePlus outcome. In Xataka | Nothing is the most fascinating mobile phone brand in years for a very simple reason: it doesn’t sell mobile phones Featured image | Xataka

Madrid is preparing to have robotaxis this fall. The problem is that almost no one is clear how it is going to work.

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Madrid is about to become the first capital of the European Union with driverless cars circulating through its streets. Uber, Waymo, Cabify and several Chinese technology companies are already fighting for a million-dollar business that, according to current plans, should begin rolling out after the summer. Although there are still quite a few questions unresolved. What is happening. Uber was the first to announce the movement. In June confirmed an alliance with the Chinese technology company WeRide to operate in Madrid sensorized electric vans manufactured by Geely, the Chinese giant that also owns Volvo Cars or Polestar. To make it possible, Uber relies on two partners: Moove Cars, which provides the VTC licenses (of which Uber itself owns 30%), and Avomo, which is responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the vehicles and which already manages similar fleets in Austin and Atlanta. The legal framework. To launch a service of this type, three pieces were needed: regulation, licenses and fleet. According to share From El Confidencial, the first two were “the most conflictive” and had already been resolved, so now “it is the companies that have to take the step.” So, on the one hand, the DGT is in charge of homologating and technically certifying vehicles, while the Community of Madrid manages authorizations, insurance and the distribution of licenses between operators, based on changes in the regional Mobility Law. To avoid new conflicts with taxis, the regional government has chosen not to issue new VTC licenses, but rather to reuse existing ones with a limit of 100, to which a specific permit called “additional authorization for autonomous transport” will be added. According to El Confidencial sources, they point because the first pilots could start in central Madrid, Leganés and Móstoles, with Alcobendas also on the table. The Waymo mystery. Alphabet subsidiary has registered In just two weeks new companies in Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid (Waymo Iberia), adding to the one it already had in Munich since June. The name chosen for Spain, “Iberia” and not “España”, suggests that the company is also looking at Portugal, which has recently opened a legal framework favorable to autonomous driving tests. Even so, the commercial registration is only the first step, so it does not give us clues about a possible launch date, since to operate in Spain Waymo needs VTC licenses. Of the country’s three large fleets (Moove Cars, Auro and Vecttor), the first is already committed to Uber and WeRide, and Auro has confirmed that it is not negotiating with Waymo because it is focused on its expansion in Germany. This leaves as the only plausible way an agreement with Vecttor, the fleet owned by Cabify, which acknowledges maintaining “open conversations with the leading companies in autonomous mobility technology”, although it clarifies that, for the moment, “we do not have any closed alliance.” The Phoenix precedent, where Waymo just broke their alliance with Uber to recover its cars and operate with its own app, suggests that its long-term plan is to dispense with intermediaries as soon as it gains its own brand in each market. What Uber doesn’t count. The company announced in style that its robotaxis would arrive in Madrid before the end of the year, but for our part we did not receive a response from either Uber or WeRide about how many vehicles there will be in the first phase, whether the service will cover the entire city or just some neighborhoods, or whether any user will be able to order a car without anyone at the wheel. On the other hand, the DGT itself confirmed us last month that there was no request from Uber or its partners to test autonomous vehicles. The organization remembers that there are three test phases: a controlled one (maximum three cars, always with a safety driver), an extensive one (up to ten, also with a driver) and a pre-deployment phase, where the vehicle limit disappears and the driver becomes optional, although always supervised remotely. Right now, the only company in that last phase in Spain is Tesla, which test your FSD system with 30 vehicles throughout the national territory. The risks that Waymo already knows. Just like stand out From El Confidencial, the experience in the United States leaves two clear warnings. The first is vandalism, since in June, anti-ICE protesters burned five Waymo vehicles in Los Angeles, each valued between 150,000 and 200,000 euros, forcing the suspension of service in the city. The second, more serious for the business, are technical failures. And in just one month, Waymo had to first recall 3,800 cars for entering flooded roads and then 3,900 (97% of its fleet) for a software error that led them to sections of highway under construction. Despite this, the company defends that its cars suffer 94% fewer serious or fatal accidents than those driven by humans, and 84% fewer accidents with cyclists or motorcyclists. And now what. The calendar indicates that, starting in November, the first Uber robotaxis will begin to be seen in Madrid, with a safety driver at the wheel during the first months until the service becomes fully autonomous. The routes will be requested from each operator’s app and the cost is still unknown, but they are expected to be more expensive. Waymo is still a sea of ​​doubts, since it has a company created, but it still lacks a fleet partner to start. And at the bottom of the board we have Cabify and Bolt, who could be added later with vehicles from the Chinese companies Pony.ai or Baidu. Cover image | Hoseung Han In Xataka | A veteran Tesla engineer has summarized his workers’ feelings about the FSD: “We have all seen it fail”

After taking the plunge into games in physical format, Sony’s large disc factory is preparing for another future: optical microlenses

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On July 1, PlayStation gave the death blow to physical games. Starting in January 2028, there will be no new games in this format for PlayStation consoles, marking the most aggressive initiative against this format that we have seen since Xbox’s moves in 2013 and Nintendo’s Game Key Card with Nintendo Switch 2. Let the physical format die It is an anti-consumer measure whose announcement comes just when Sony itself demonstrated, removing more than 500 films of your digital store, that users we do not own the digital products that we buy We only buy permission from companies to be able to use it for an indefinite period of time that ends when these companies decide that this is how it should be. These days in networks there was a big question: faced with such a drastic measure, Would Sony back down? Well, everything indicates that it is not because in Austria there is the only Sony disc factory, the one from which the majority of games come out in physical format for PlayStation and one in which its employees would already be receiving training to dedicate themselves to other things. And those things are optical microlenses. The great PlayStation game factory is recycled The proof that PlayStation’s decision does not only affect PlayStation’s own games is in the game box. If you look at almost any PS3, PS4, or PS5 game cover, will specify “made in Austria”. This is because in Austria, specifically in Thalgauis located (now the only one after the conversions and closures of American and Japanese plants) main Sony record factory. Sony’s own games come out of it, but also those of the rest of the companies that manufacture for PlayStation. It is estimated that Thalgau produces 600,000 discs every day, half of them for PlayStation, but as things are about to change, employees are already preparing. According to the Austrian media ORF Salzburgthe 300 employees of the plant found out about the decision on the same July 1 in which Sony announced the end of physical games for PlayStation, but contrary to what we might think, there will be no layoffs but a restructuring. They point out that Sony has invested 30 million euros in equipment to convert the factory into an optical microlens factory and employees are already receiving training for this. According to the report, the idea is that Sony will begin mass production of these microlenses next year. Your application? There are several, and in the age of AI, they can be used as equipment to connect racks, but from the department Sony Micro Optics they point out that an application of microoptics can be for the automotive sector. “Micro-optics is the miniaturization of optical systems and elements that serve to focus and direct light in the smallest possible space. For example, a car turn signal that is projected onto the asphalt.” And this is important because, as we say, since last Wednesday there have been voices that suggest that, with a year and a half left until 2028, Sony may rethink things and turn back. The problem with that thinking is that This is not a decision to be made lightly.and this immediate restructuring of their large record factory shows that the Japanese have been thinking about change for some time. No matter how many signature platforms are in place, it seems that the decision is irrevocable. And also a sample of what happens when you have no competition, since Xbox is neither here nor expected in this area of ​​living room consoles after the failure of their last two machines. And more now with the internal situation they have. Image | sony In Xataka | There are more and more physical video games that are paperweights. It is a tremendous problem for video games as art.

Anthropic is already preparing just the only thing it was missing to reinforce its AI leadership: its own chip

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Tech giants have learned something the hard way: depending on third parties is a weakness. Anthropic seems to have realized the same thing, and has been mulling over an important idea for months: making its own AI chip. As indicated in The Informationthe company is in negotiations with Samsung for a potential collaboration, although at the moment everything is unknown. Surprise, none. Already in April Reuters Indian that Anthropic was considering the idea of ​​developing its own AI chips in order to respond to the chip shortage. It seems that this proposal is really gaining traction, because what was once a possibility has now translated into concrete conversations with one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. The shadow of OpenAI. The move comes just a week after OpenAI unveiled its own custom inference chip, baptized as “Jalapeño” and developed in collaboration with Broadcom. According to company officials, that chip offers better performance per watt than other inference chips, and that could leave Anthropic behind in this race. The reaction of the firm led by Dario Amodei therefore seems logical. They want to diversify, not replace. The strategy, however, is not to completely eliminate its current partners, but rather to have a more diversified strategy for the future. In statements to TechCrunch Anthropic officials have indicated that its “diversified hardware stack, which includes chips from Google, Amazon and Nvidia, will continue to be crucial to its computing strategy.” Everyone wants their own chip. The announcements and news surrounding OpenAI and Anthropic are not, as we said, any surprise. In the last two years we have seen how more and more technology companies joined the trend of having their own AI chips, when before they delegated that aspect to specialized companies like Nvidia. Thus, we have: Samsung, a perfect partner. The South Korean company has been deeply involved in the AI ​​industry for some time. It is a key partner of Nvidia, as it manufactures some of the chips it needs to train and run AI models with its GPUs. Not only that: Samsung is improving your OPC lithography of chip manufacturing thanks in part to the “AI Factory“of both. In Xataka | Anthropic already had Claude writing code. Now he has put it in the laboratories

China is preparing to be the only power with its own space station, but NASA does not want to make it easy for it

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The International Space Station (ISS) He is not in his best days. The increasingly frequent leaks in the Russian module and the failures of systems that increasingly require more maintenance have led NASA to set a date for its deorbitation. It will possibly be in 2030 or 2031. When that happens, the largest space station in Earth orbit will be the Chinese Tiangong. Even if it remained as it is today, it would be a step forward in the space race between the Asian country and Western agencies. However, by that time Tiangong will be even larger, as China has recently announced its plan to double the size of its facilities. Three modules and a large observatory. Currently, the Chinese space station It has three moduleswhich were assembled in orbit between 2021 and 2022. However, they are falling short for all the missions and experiments that are beginning to be carried out. For this reason, the installation of three others has been planned: a 20-ton multifunctional module coupled to the main module and two experimental modules. In total, Tiangong would go from 90 tons to 180 tons. But that’s not all. Even before the installation of the first of these modules, the Xuntian observatory will be launched, which will also be closely linked to the space station. More sky than Hubble. Xuntian will have a 2-meter main mirror, slightly smaller than Hubble’s. However, it also includes a 2,500-megapixel camera with sensors that cover a much larger area of ​​the sky. Specifically, the Chinese observatory has a field of view 300 times biggerwhich will allow it to map 40% of the sky in the 10 years that it is expected to remain active. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better than Hubble. Hubble is more precise in the details, but it will carry out very interesting work in much larger spaces of sky. The relationship with Tiangong. Although Xuntian will not be directly in Tiangong, they are closely related, since it will be placed in a very close orbit, so that it can dock with the Chinese space station when it needs to be repaired, upgraded or refueled. More ports. Docking the observatory will be possible because the new Tiangong modules will also include new spaceports. Thus, more ships can be docked simultaneously, improving the volume of work at the space station and making its arrivals and departures more flexible. Besides, in case of emergencyit will be easier to have a ship ready to protect itself or leave the facilities. Xuntian’s field of view is 300 times larger than Hubble’s The International Space Station comes to an end. All this occurs while the International Space Station prepares for his retirement. It is expected to be in 2030 or 2031 when it will join the deorbitation vehicle developed by SpaceX that will be responsible for removing it from its orbit in a controlled manner. NASA right now has its vision much more focused on the lunar bases. However, they must also think about how this station will be replaced when its days end. Initially, NASA had planned for private companies to take charge this time. However, this same year the strategy changed and proposed the construction of a main government module in which various private companies could be attached. Axiom or Blue Origin are the ones that, at the moment, best fit the requirements of this project. The reason for this plot twist has been, in fact, China’s progress in its particular space race. The United States does not want to lose its leadership due to the retirement of the ISS, but to do so it needs to maneuver quickly. The problem is that sometimes hasty decisions can lead to wrong moves. We will have to wait to see what happens with all this in the end. Images | Shujianyang | 中国科学院长春光学精密机械与物理研究所 In Xataka | Western scientists have been debating the origin of Kamo’oalewa for years. China went looking for him

The giant Jinko Power is preparing a solar complex of almost 400 MW in Huelva

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The energy transition that Spain is experiencing towards much cleaner energy continues to attract international interest, and the south of the peninsula is consolidating itself as one of the great European epicenters for photovoltaic deployment. The last thing we have heard is that the Asian company Jinko Power is strongly expanding its footprint in Andalusia, advancing simultaneously with two energy macroprojects that will add hundreds of megawatts to the national grid. The case of Huelva. The most recent movement in the offices has the province of Huelva as the protagonist, since Jinko Power has obtained prior administrative authorization for the installation of the new PV La Puebla 3. A movement that is vital for the project to go from paper to reality. We are talking about a plant that will inject 150.08 MW of power, although this park will not be alone, since, as specialized publications detail, the facility is the centerpiece of a huge complex grouped under the name “La Puebla” and that will be located between the Huelva municipalities of Alosno and El Cerro de Andévalo. They are going to go much further. In this way, the Chinese company’s master plan in Huelva includes up to four interconnected photovoltaic projects with powers of 100 MW, 80 MW, 150 MW and 59 MW that, together, will reach close to 400 MW of total capacity. Although for now they have to continue with the bureaucracy, since this authorization allows them to continue with the processing that still presents different filters at a technical and environmental level, although we already see that the previous experience that this company has indicates that the project in the south of the peninsula will be a reality. The Malaga case. This advance in Huelva clarifies Jinko Power’s roadmap in Andalusia, separating this new file from its other big bet in the region, which is already much more advanced. We are referring to the Antequera macroplant, in Malaga. And to put into perspective the financial and technical muscle that is being deployed by the company, the Malaga project has an investment of 135 million euros with an installed power of 175 Mwp ​​and an area of ​​329 hectares. Here the objective is to reach almost 65,000 homes annually. Images | American Public Power Association In Xataka | Three times as powerful as the Three Gorges: this is the hydroelectric colossus with which China “is trying to tame nature”

The world is preparing to harvest 36% fewer pistachios. This is great news for Spanish farmers

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2025 is not being an easy year for the pistachio. TO the effects of the Iran war, the closure of Hormuz and the swings The price of the fruit now adds a more than likely puncture in the global harvest. This is what at least the main producer organization, the INC, expects, which foresees a drop of 36% in the amount of fruit harvested worldwide. Although it’s not strange that crops rise and fall, conditioned by the climate or the cycles of the trees, the sector’s estimate is interesting for another reason: it confirms that Spain is reinforcing assumption. And everything indicates that it will gain ground this campaign. What has happened? That the International Nuts and Dehydrated Fruits Council (INC) has recognized that the 2026/2027 campaign does not look particularly good for pistachio. At least if we talk about production. Although the sector expects an increase in the cultivation of walnuts, hazelnuts or raisins, in the case of pistachios it anticipates a ‘puncture’ of 36% on a global scale. Translated into tons, that means that production would go from 1.1 million harvested during the 2025/2026 campaign to 701,050 t in the 2026/2027 campaign. Country Campaign 2025/2026 (tons) Campaign 2026/2027 (tons) USA 722,670 350,000 Türkiye 114,600 156,400 Iran 225,000 130,000 Syria 13,350 35,000 Spain 9,500 11,500 Greece 6,500 8,500 Australia 3,000 5,500 Afghanistan 2,600 2,700 Italy 4,700 1,000 China 320 450 World production 1,101,740 701,050 What is the reason? Although a drop of 36% may seem alarming, the data should be handled with caution. Pistachio cultivation is conditioned by the vecería, which means that there are campaigns in which the trees are loaded with fruit and others in which the harvests are much scarcer. It is one of the handicaps with which the sector plays. Hence there are voices, like that of Juan Gallegofrom Ibero Pistacho, who ensure that a drop of 36% “is within the norm.” Nor is it strange that part of the harvests are saved from one year to the next precisely to compensate for the ‘puncture’ of the years highly marked by the harvest. Does only that factor influence? No. The INC data, advanced by the EFE agency, allow us to focus more and observe the great differences that exist between producing countries, each conditioned by its own challenges. For example, in California, the world capital For pistachio, a 52% drop in the harvest is expected due to flowering problems. The ‘photo’ is not good in Iran either, which is suffering the consequences of the high temperatures of the previous campaign and expects its production to be reduced by another 42%. And what happens in Spain? Here the panorama is somewhat different. Although our production is light years away Compared to the US or Türkiye, the INC estimates that in Spain the 2026/2027 campaign will close with 21% more fruit harvested. In practice, this would mean going from 9,500 tons in the 2025/2026 financial year to 11,500 in the 2026/2027 campaign. The data is interesting because it not only consolidates Spain as the fifth world producer, it also allows it to dream of closing the gap on the podium. The forecast of the INC shows a decline in crops in the US and Iran, the first and third producers on a global scale. And although a priori Türkiye (the second supplier) will see its harvest increase by 36%, it remains to be seen if the strong storm that suffered in May has damaged the trees and will reduce the harvest. How is that possible? That the Spanish crop grows while it declines in other countries with large pistachio plantations, such as the US, Türkiye or Iran, is actually little surprising. Spanish farmers They have been increasing for years the number of hectares dedicated to this crop, especially in Castile-La Manchawhich concentrates a large part of the national production and 77% of the surface. The growth of the harvest in Spain during the next campaign (2026/2027) is only a reflection of that bet. The data from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the planted area in Spain has skyrocketed in recent years to exceed 85,800 hectares in the 2024/2025 campaign and that production has grown by more than 70% in just a few years. Looking ahead to the 2026/2027 season, the INC expects a harvest of 11,500 tons. Not all sources agree on this information (in the sector there are those raises it to 16,000 t), but in any case the background photo is always the same: Spanish production is increasing. What to expect now? The million dollar question. For now, and beyond the short-term fall in harvests due to the rainy season, both the US and Iran they hope to increase its production thanks to the increase in plantations. Specifically, California hopes to boost its average capacity by 40% in the coming campaigns and Iran and Türkiye are already considering approaching 300,000 tons in the medium term. Regarding the price of the fruit and whether or not prices will be altered by the 36% drop in production, there are different opinions in the sector. The Italian analysis company Areté warns of a market with “strong tensions on supply and prices” given that the demand for pistachios has been growing for years. Others, like Gallego, acknowledge that “there may be a small increase in cents,” but clarifies: “All of us who are in this sector are interested in the product remaining stable and being consumed.” Not only the generosity of the crops comes into play. The price is also affected by other factorssuch as instability in Iran, the closure of Hormuz or the influence of war on the cost of inputs such as fuel. Images | Brenan Greene (Unsplash), Brad Spry (Flickr) and USDA In Xataka | Fruit seems like the perfect summer dinner. The problem is that it is not as good an idea as it seems.

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