preparing

Europe is preparing for a large -scale war

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That the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 activated all alerts in the rest of Europe is beyond doubt. First there was a warm way “Rearme”then they began to appear Ideas from the past and the first initiatives (special mention to the Automobile industry) where it was perceived that something was brewing. Then it was confirmed that it would start on the roadswith Italy giving the exit gun with An impossible architecture For war propaganda. However, nothing like satellites to betray the real state of things. Unprecedented reindustrialization. I told it in exclusive the Financial Times. The European arms industry has entered an accelerated expansion phase, multiplying by three the usual growth rate in peacetime and adding more than 7 million square meters In new facilities. A analysis From the medium based on radar data from Sentinel-1 satellites of the European Space Agency, which covered 150 facilities of 37 companies, reveals that a third of the locations dedicated to ammunition and missiles shows clear signs of extension or construction. It is a generational change that is displacing the production model “just in time” towards an industrial base capable of sustaining a foot of prolonged warwith deep implications for the defensive capacity of the continent and the sustainability of the supply to Ukraine. The role of the ASAP program. Much of this expansion is linked to European program Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), endowed with 500 million euros To solve bottlenecks in the manufacture of ammunition and missiles. Of the 88 sites associated with ASAP, 20 show substantial extensionsincluding new factories and roads, while 14 record minor improvements such as parking. The plants dedicated to projectiles (especially 155 mm artillery) concentrate the bulk of the works, reflecting their strategic priority. Thanks to these investments, the annual ammunition production capacity in Europe will go from 300,000 units before the war about 2 million At the end of this year, with companies Like Rheinmetall increasing its production of 155 mm projectiles of 70,000 in 2022 to 1.1 million planned by 2027. Outstanding expansions. In Várpalota, Hungary, Rheinmetall and the state -owned N7 Holding They have opened A 30 mm ammunition plant for the combat vehicle KF41 LYNXwhich in the future will manufacture artillery projectiles, ammunition for Leopard 2 and Panther, and will have its own explosive plant. In Germany, MBDA expands its headquarters in Schrobesen with support of 10 million euros from the ASAP and a NATO contract for 5.6 billion dollars to produce up to 1,000 missiles Patriot Gem-T in European land. Norway has opened a Kongsberg plant, financed with 62 million dollarswhile Bae Systems invests More than 150 million of pounds in the United Kingdom, including multiplication for 16 of its 155 mm projectile production capacity in its Glascoed plant, Wales. Economic impact. Although potential production increases, industrial and governmental responsible They warn that the real volume will still be below the installed capacity, and that certain areas remain vulnerable. Experts like Fabian Hoffmann They point out thatTo sustain deterrence against Russia, NATO must reinforce its ability to long -range missileswhose manufacturing is limited by the low production of miniature reaction engines and explosive loads. These elements, together with aerial defense systems and drones, appear as possible objectives of a new European program of 1.5 billion euros that would replicate The ASAP model and would encourage joint purchase. The delicate balance. The current growth is result both European funds and national orders, reflecting a political convergence around the need to increase industrial mass. However, this impulse faces the budget pressure from which We have already spokentogether with the complexity of supply chains and global technological competition. In Baiba Braže wordsLastonia Foreign Minister, it is a “very positive and necessary” advance, but whose effectiveness will depend on the industry being ready to respond to The growing demand of NATO and that public resources are used effectively. If you want also, the challenge for Europe does not seem only to increase productive capacity, but to maintain it In the long termguaranteeing that the effort to rearma that is promoted so much is not diluted if the political or economic context changes. Image | Rawpixel In Xataka | Europe has realized that the rearme must begin on the roads: a Russian invasion would unleash a fatal congestion In Xataka | If Europe rearma we will find a problem that will affect us all: cars and trains

There are more and more studies that link coffee with living more. And it is very easy to put the leg when preparing that ‘philosopher’ coffee

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Numerous myths have accompanied coffee during the last decades, Many related to caffeine. However, in recent years more and more studies are investigating the beneficial properties of coffee in our body. Is being related to a Less probability of dying by cardiovascular diseases or with Benefits for our kidneys. There are still unknowns, such as His influence on the brainbut lately the trend is to study the relationship between coffee and live more. And they are finding green sprouts. Lengthening life expectancy. The idea that coffee reduces the possibilities of premature death is something that has been circulating for a while, but this year has monopolized holders because several are published studies In this regard. Tufts University researchers, in Massachusetts, have published a study in which they have related the consumption of one or two cups a day with a lower risk of death due to any cause and for cardiovascular diseases. Fang Zhang is the main author of the study and considers that it is important that the relationship between coffee and longevity be studied, taking into account that “almost half of American adults drink at least one cup per day.” This data can be extrapolated, since coffee is, behind the water, the most consumed drink in the world. The study. To prove that relationship, the researchers studied data from more than 46,000 American adults over 20 years of age who have been collected in health surveys during the last two decades. From that sample, 7,074 people died, and those deaths crossed with coffee consumption. What did they find? That adults who drank coffee showed a remarkably lower risk of mortality due to any cause. A cup of coffee a day has been associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of mortality. With two to three cups dailythe percentage increased to 17%, and with more cups a day no additional reductions were observed. Along the way, they failed to relate the mortality results due to cancer with coffee consumption -another of the Myths They have circulated. The additives. Now, it is not worth having coffee anyway. Bingjie Zhou is an epidemiologist of Tufts that has participated in the study and comments that “few have analyzed how additives could affect that relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of dying.” What additives do you refer to? To the sugar and the saturated fat that can be in the milk, yes, but also in oil and other additions that some chains implement their drinks. When a small amount of sugar or saturated fat is added (present in the aforementioned whole milk, but also in the cream), that beneficial relationship disappears. Therefore, it would be necessary to have coffee only to give the results that the researchers managed to segment. Caffeine. Zhang states that “the benefits of coffee for health could be due to its bioactive compounds,” but also comments that the key does not seem so much in coffee … as in caffeine. And, if the positive effects of coffee disappear by adding saturated fat or sugar, they are also diluted when coffee is decaffeinated. Decaffeinated coffee drinkers have not shown those differences in mortality rates, a conclusion similar to the one they have arrived Other studies that go further to point that the beneficial is the combination of coffee and caffeine, not only coffee or Only caffeine. A monster or a Red Bull would not be worthultimately. It is on the way to the front. Now, both studies are observational, which means that they are limited when examining the cause and direct effect of coffee. In fact, not being a controlled environment, but a simple survey, admit that the lack of a significant association between decaffeinated coffee and mortality could be due to the fact that the consumption of this type of coffee is much lower. As we say, for now those studies that are connecting coffee consumption with mortality are limited, but that several on the same during the last months indicate an interest in knowing that link. In addition, they are the basis for subsequent investigations that analyze how the multiple components of coffee or the time of the day we take it –that is also being studied– It affects that relationship. Image | Nathan Dumlao In Xataka | In our obsession with having a more “nutritious” coffee, we are throwing an ingredient that knows Charco: Spirulina

There have always been people preparing for the Apocalypse. The difference is that they now include AI in their survival kits

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For years there are people preparing for a nuclear war, for the end of the world, or For both. They are called ‘Preppers‘, that at times like the recent Spanish blackout They feel claimed. The movement is mutatingand as Mit Technology Review collects, the needs and possibilities of 2025 leave us people doing and proposing Collect Artificial Intelligence Language Models (AI) to save them in a USB pendrive. A good tool for the end of the world. The engineer Simon Willison, known for being the creator of the Django web development framework, has A plan For a future dystopian: keeping open artificial intelligence models, you can execute them at home if collapse civilization. In this way, even without internet access, it would be possible to continue accessing the enormous human knowledge located in its pesos. To carry out something like that, there is no need for resources beyond the reach of the homes of the homes. Today, there are already AI models that can be executed at home, Even in smartphones. Even something as powerful as Deepseek can work on our PCprovided we use a small version, the ‘distillate’ of 8,000 million parameters. As Share Evan Hahnthe Chinese Qwen 3 model, in its 600,000 parameters version, can occupy the ridiculous amount of 523 MB in our storage. With only 2 GB, we can download call 3.2 in its version of 3,000 million parameters. A powerful but “economical” team like a Mac Mini M4 can run models capable at home. An alternative to something more traditional: all Wikipedia. Download all the wikipedia To read it without connection, it is something possible with different options, and something equally useful in an apocalyptic scenario such as the proposal. Hahn has included what he would occupy with the great open language models, and using little space, enough information can be stored. With 356.9 MB we can access the 50,000 best articles in Wikipedia. And with 57.18 GB, which fit perfectly in a modern pendrive, we can have in our possession all the Wikipedia available in any language. Occupy less than half of the space, we can have QWEN 3 of 32,000 million parameters and Deepseek R1 of the same size. Limitations. Using artificial intelligence at home to have access to the knowledge of the world sounds very good, until not so much. Simon Willison himself told Mit Technology Review to use the local AI models “is like having a strange, condensed and defective version of Wikipedia.” The reason is simple: the models are trained with data available on the Internet, to the point that the AI bots are putting the future of Wikipedia at riskHowever, these models do not faithfully reproduce all the information when we enter Prompts o Indications to ask about a specific topic. The hallucinations problem. Not only are they confirmed by actors such as OpenAi, but for them we know that models such as O3 and O4-mini They hallucinate more than their predecessors. According to Jensen Huang, we need much more powerful hardware So that this phenomenon of AI disappears, and of course, it is not hardware that we have at home. In addition, small models executable at home, being very small versions in size and memory used, toThey look more. And more limitations. In our tests executing local AI models on smartphones, The results are irregularalthough promising. In that sense, Apple itself will open in iOS 26 his AI to any developerso that they can execute it on the device itself. Beyond the quality of small and local models against the gigantic Grok 4, O3-PRO either Claude 4 a ‘prepper’ plan with pendrive has more limitations, and is to trust such a unit for a situation that requires, above all, reliability. These USB units are not designed to last more than 10 years. If they have poor quality NAND chips, they can even stop working without use. And that is why there are companies like Machdyne UG, which has created a pendrive that It lasts 200 yearsor so they promise. Of course, even if I achieve that longevity, it has an 8 kB capacity, which only gives to save some text. If you want to store almost all the knowledge of humanity, it is best to think of a lasting environment in optimal conditions. And then, think about major disasters. Image | Antonio Sabán with Ia In Xataka | AI is one of the most advanced technologies that the human being has built. It also gets distracted with a cat

Taiwan investors are preparing for hypothetical invasion for China. And they don’t know where to hide

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Donald Trump’s return to the White House has marked a turning point in the relationship held by the US and China. The commercial and technological war between these two powers It comes from afarbut The aggressive policy of tariffs that has deployed, although even in a little consistent way, the US administration has fueled the loop. The tension between countries led by Xi Jinping and Donald Trump is maximum, and Some experts believe That at the current situation the probability that China decides to invade Taiwan is higher than ever. In the 50s of the last century China was a very different country from the current one. He Chinese Communist Party Led by Mao Zedong he had defeated the nationalists who made up the Kuomintang after almost three decades of armed conflict. Imperial power He had disappeared and the country had embarked on very deep structural changes that culminated in the birth of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The members of the Kuomintang retired to Taiwan that same year, and since then the shadow of the invasion looms over this island. Foreign investors in Taiwan recognize that they do not have a plan B “If an aggression against Taiwan occurs the investment decision becomes binary: either we stay exposed and absorb extreme volatility, or we quickly leave to preserve capital.” These words Steve Lawrence has pronounced themInvestment Director of the Swiss company Balfour Capital Group. From his statement it follows with absolute clarity that foreign investors who have opted for Taiwanese companies do not know how to proceed if there is finally an armed conflict between China and Taiwan. “TSMC is so great that investors’ expectations argue that the US will defend Taiwan. And he will do it strongly” The panorama paints badly. According to Reuters Foreign investors have retired almost 11,000 million dollars from the Taiwan sharing park during this year due to the fear of impact that tariffs on the global economy will have and in the relationship that USA and China support. The government of Joe Biden formalized that if China intervened militarily in Taiwan, the US would respond. However, the administration led by Donald Trump has not yet confirmed whether to defend the island militarily in the hypothetical scenario that China chose to invade it. Anyway, this situation in which instability prevails mainly condition a Taiwanese company: TSMC. This company is The largest semiconductor manufacturer on the planetand, therefore, it is Taiwan’s authentic jewel. In fact, he greatly supports his economy. This company quotes both in the Taipéi stock market and in the New York and the stock market brought the stock market alone at the beginning of this year. “TSMC is so great that the expectations of investors argue that the US will defend Taiwan. And it will do it strongly,” has declared Mikesh DaveInvestment Director of Araval Asset Management, a global arbitration background based in Singapore. Elbridge Colby’s position, one of Donald Trump’s trusted advisors, is aligned with this strategy. This tweet Posted by him In May 2023, it clearly reflects what the policy that defends with the purpose of deterring the Xi Jinping government: “We would be crazy if we allowed us TSMC falls intact to China” According to Gina Raimondothe former Secretary of Commerce, “USA buys 92% of her avant -garde chips from TSMC in Taiwan.” Colby’s tweet that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph suggests that the US should do everything in his hand to prevent China from appropriating the plants that TSMC has in Taiwan. However, during the last two years Colby has not been satisfied with insinuating this idea; He has publicly declared That if China invades Taiwan what the US should do is destroy the TSMC factories and not allow this initiative to fall on the Taiwanese government. Image | TSMC More information | Reuters In Xataka | The US confesses its worst nightmare: if China invades taiwan and controls TSMC the US economy will go to pique

Current people with AR-15 rifles preparing for a social collapse

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People preparing For “the worst” It has long existed. The followers of this movement are call preppersand as the name implies, they are ready for the end of the world not to catch them off guard. The movement has been mutating slightly over time, there are even levels according to the wallet, since millionaires also want keep on your luxuries even in a bunker. The latest: geopolitical drift and natural catastrophes have their own survival team: the “prepared or professional citizens”. The citizen ready. As we said, in an era defined by global uncertainty (wars, pandemics and extreme climatic phenomena) a new figure has emerged in the United States: the so -called “Citizen prepared”a more structured and socially accepted kind of evolution of the traditional prepper. This current, in the marginal past, has become an increasingly visible movement, made up of civilians without paramilitary affiliations that train with the same seriousness as elite units. I told it in a report The New York Times through a scene that served as an example of the movement. In a Florida forest, ten men, including pilots, a nurse and an executive, participated in a class called Full Consender Minutemanwhere they were instructed in military techniques under the guardianship of the veteran of the Christopher Eric Roscher Air Force, who between Christian prayers and shooting practices with an AR-15, prepared them to face What he calls “The worst day of their lives.” This constant alert attitude against a possible social, economic or military crisis is no longer exclusive to conspiracy or bunker survival; Now it includes professionals, parents and common citizens seeking self -defense, tactical efficiency and community. Civil training industry. The rise of “prepared citizen” has generated a growing business and cultural ecosystem. Companies Like Barrel & Hatchet Trade Groupfounded by Roscher and his partner Tyler Burke, offer from combat training to programs on mental resilience against disasters. Your digital presence (through of YouTube, Instagram, podcast And even Online store) amplifies its scope. In parallel, creators such as Ben Spangler, former army and founder of @TacticalforgeThey popularize patrol techniques and ambush in social networks, attracting an audience that does not seek to militarize, but to understand defensive tactics. Its clientele, mostly civil and without experience in combat, consumes manuals of military instruction, buy compromise and topographic maps, and train as a team as part of a self -managed community. Here it is not about undercover militias, but about tactical knowledge networks, organized by affinity and purpose, which reflect a demilitarization of military knowledge and its transfer to the domestic sphere. Diverse expanding movement. Although many of these initiatives are born from fear of an institutional collapse or urban violence, not all are oriented towards armed self -defense in a strict sense. In this regard, there are organizations Like Protect Peacefounded by Danielle L. Campbell after the death of his assistant in a shooting in 2017, which represents a more community version of the prepared citizen. Your approach Combine training With weapons, first aid training and distribution of Naloxone in vulnerable areas, in addition to promoting radio amateur licenses to maintain communications in case of emergencies. Your mission is not to prepare to repel an invasion or resist an oppressive government, but Weave local support networks Given everyday violence. Yes, you want also, far from the apocalyptic narrativeits proposal is pragmatic and social: building community from preparation, not from isolation. Organized cooperation. The Times told In his report that what distinguishes the citizen prepared from the average owner of weapons is not arsenal, but the mentality and the sense of belonging. It is no longer just about having a rifle, but about knowing Use it with disciplinecoordinate in groups, identify risks and plan answers. The medium consisted of examples such as that of Josh EppertVice President of a construction company in Tampa, who joined the training of Barrel & Hatchet during the pandemic, not by paranoia, but by practical conviction: if he has weapons, he wants to dominate them with responsibility. Seen this way, this new profile does not aspire to become a kind of Rambo nor to fight ideological wars, but to face natural disasters or social disturbances with a minimum of competition and, perhaps, temperance. In a country where possession of weapons It has historically been a symbol of individualism, this new wave prioritizes collective learning and shared strategy. A cultural response. For the environment, the boom of the citizen prepared must be understood as a cultural response to the GUARANTEES GROUP institutional in the United States. Faced with the perception of a state unable to protect its citizens (either in front of hurricanes, pandemics, urban violence or geopolitical instability), a kind of organized self -sufficiency logic emerges that converts uncertainty into motivation. Tactical training, medical knowledge, communication practices and the cultivation of community ties are seen as insurance before a volatile future, and what was previously marginal has become more visible. Under that prism, the prepared citizen It no longer seems like a lonely with provisions in the basement, but an active member of a growing network that trains, reflects and acts, although not to unleash chaos, but to survive him. Image | 7th Army Juint Multinational Training Command In Xataka | That the apocalypse caught you in the jacuzzi. Luxury bunkers become fashionable among millionaires In Xataka | The engineer who has built a post-apocalyptic Internet in case our collapse civilization

In China they are preparing their children for the future. The next course will begin to give a subject of AI

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Students are about to learn artificial intelligence. Not by themselves (which also), but as part of the educational program. Beijing has declared the implementation of an initiative that will be dedicated to the children of primary, secondary and baccalaureate will form in this area. Eight hours a year. According to the official statement“From the autumn semester of 2025, all the primary and secondary schools of Beijing will provide general education in artificial intelligence, with a minimum of eight annual teaching hours. The courses may be independent or integrate into subjects such as information technology, sciences and practical activities. Innovative teaching approaches will be adopted, including the use of artificial intelligence assistants and project -based learning assistants interactive “. They seem few, but it may be just the beginning. The truth is that eight hours dedicated to AI seem few in a whole course, but it is a minimum that of course can grow. Moreover, in that statement it is indicated that “a mechanism of collaboration between universities, companies and secondary schools will be established to form exceptional talent students in artificial intelligence.” And training for teachers. Of course, teachers will be needed to teach these classes, and therefore in Beijing “teachers from different disciplines such as computer science, mathematics and technology will be trained to teach education in AI.” Impulse for education. The Deepseek phenomenon seems to have given wings to the initiatives aimed at winning the AI ​​career. Schools may launch these courses as an additional subject or as part of other subjects related to technology. AI everywhere. As they point out In Bloombergthis initiative is part of that effort of the Chinese government to ensure that AI infiltrates in various levels. Last week, for example, the Government Congress support The application of large language models and the development of a new generation of manufacturing equipment with integrated. Estonia has already taken a similar step. Other countries have already announced initiatives in this regard. Estonia He became In the first country in the world to integrate the Chatgpt.edu service in its national education system. As of September 1, 2025, 20,000 high school students and 3,000 teachers will have free access to these tools. It will be interesting to see if other countries end up making similar movements. Of course, this is an interesting long -term commitment. Image | David Wooo In Xataka | China has declared the war on private school: why he predicted the prolific “tutorials”

The Japan islands closest to Taiwan have begun to evacuate the area. They have been preparing for the worst for two years

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For decades, Ishigaki It was a back of peace where the greatest concern of its inhabitants was to protect their climate crops and pests. However, for a while to this part The growing tension between China and Taiwan (and United States)has turned the small Japanese island, located only 300 km from Taiwan, into a potential conflict point. Like Ishigaki, to rest of Sakishima Islandsfrom Okinawa’s prefecture, the same thing happens to them, and they are preparing for the worst. The case of Ishigaki. A few years ago, the island has already “armed.” The installation of anti -mushroom missiles and anti -aircraft in the enclavepart of an ambitious military modernization plan in Japan, sought to strengthen the defense of the country, but it could also make Ishigaki a target in case of a confrontation in the region. Farmers like Tetsuhiro Kinjowhose greenhouse is now in the line of fire, They related to New York Times if they can continue living in peace or if the paradise that they have built will disappear under the crossfire of the powers. Of the economic opportunity to the military threat. Japan has long been to see China as an opportunity for economic growth To consider it a direct threat to your safety. For years, the relationship between the two countries It was marked by territorial disputescommercial tensions and the memory of World War II, but always with a political position that avoided confrontations. However, the hardening of Beijing’s control over Hong Kong and Xinjiang, their growing dominance in global supply chains and their aggressive movements in the Eastern China Sea They have generated a change in Japanese perception. The Taiwan inclusion in Japan’s White Bile for the first time reflected Tokyo’s growing concern on the future of the island and its impact on regional stability. The dilemma In the background, the Possibility of a conflict in Taiwan It generates a strategic dilemma for Japan. Some analysts fear that a war in the region not only will bring direct clashes, but serve as pretext for China to try to seize the disputed senkaku isletswhich manages Japan but Beijing claims as his. This concern has given a new impulse to the political sectors that seek to review the Pacifist Constitution of Japan, a historically controversial issue, although increasingly backed in the current context. Not just that. The passage of time does not seem to appease tension Between Taiwan and China, but quite the oppositeso Japan has decided to prepare its closest islands to an eventual geopolitical conflict of major words. Evacuation plans. Before the growing possibility of that crisis In Taiwan, The Japanese government has been designing evacuation plans since 2023 For approximately 120,000 residents of the Sakishima Islands chain, in Okinawa prefecture. The strategy seeks Move the population to the Kyushu region and Yamaguchi prefecturealthough it faces serious logistics challenges, from the availability of transport to the preparation of adequate infrastructure to receive the evacuees. Planning has accelerated as China shows a more aggressive position In the Eastern China Sea and the South China Sea, increasing concerns about a possible invasion of Taiwan and its repercussions in Japan. Logistic challenges No doubt, the Japanese government has identified multiple obstacles for mass evacuation in case of conflict. The plans include The authorization of airports and ports in Fukuoka and Kagoshima as a key exit pointsalthough the estimated time to complete the evacuation of the entire population would be at least six days, a figure that experts consider optimistic and difficult to meet in an emergency scenario. In addition, the lack of adequate infrastructure in local ports and airports, such as the need for clues of at least 3,000 meters and greater depth in the docks to receive large ships, has been pointed out as a critical problem. Maybe for all this, Maritime transport is contemplated as an essential alternativeespecially for those who cannot fly for medical reasons (plus: adverse weather conditions could complicate their viability). In parallel, A plan has begun to improve the capacity of shelters on the mainlandincluding the construction of underground facilities to provide temporary refuge for approximately two weeks in case of attack with ballistic missiles. Drills and tests. As we said, since 2023, the Nation has carried out simulation exercises to evaluate the viability of evacuation and improve coordination between local and national authorities. In March 2024 and This same week of 2025 exercises have been carried out of mapping under the Civil Protection Law, recreating an imminent attack scenario with part of the population participating in the drill. In addition, at the end of 2024 the authorities tested A model case in which 1,000 residents of Tarama Island were evacuated to refuge facilities in the prefecture of Kumamoto. Tests, in short, that have allowed identifying failures in coordination and the availability of resources, which has led to the review of the protocols. In this regard, one of the most urgent problems is the supply of food and supplies for a displaced population of that magnitude, a challenge that will require exceptional logistics to guarantee the efficient distribution of resources. Security evacuating. One of the biggest risks identified in these plans is The vulnerability of evacuation transport to possible attacks. In this regard, a government official has warned that The airplanes and ships that move to the civilian population could become military objectiveswhich would make an essential significant reinforcement of Japan’s air and naval defense. In addition, this has revived The debate on the strengthening of the country’s defensive capabilitiesparticularly in a context where Japan has increased its defense budget and has reinforced its military cooperation with the United States and other allies. An uncertain scenario. Thus, the growing approach to Japan in mass evacuations planning reflects a change in their security perception, going from a deterrence to deterrence to a most active preparation against possible military contingencies. While tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to climb, the nation is in a career against time to ensure that its population is … Read more

The Persian Gulf has dominated the long era of oil. Now he is preparing to lead the era of solar energy

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There is an increasingly more and more evident energy change, and even the countries we would never think are jumping to the renewable pool. Yes, I talk about the countries of the Persian Gulf. However, the tests are there: seven Chinese solar companies were generating more energy capacity than the world’s greatest oil companies. So, now, with their money and a lot of sun, everything indicates that they will give sorpasso. Wild investment. For very recently, Gulf countries have decided to invest in renewable projects. On the one hand, the United Arab Emirates They have announced a solar project 5.2 GW with a battery system, also betting on storage. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is developing its energy transition plan through the Vision 2030 Plan. Recently, the Saudi Aramco oil giant has announced an agreement to start producing lithium in 2027. In addition, They are developing a plan to extract and enrich uranium For nuclear energy. Likewise, the Saudi country is carrying out different solar energy projects, some in Collaboration with China and others with Spain. And we can’t forget Kuwait, who already started two years ago has develop 17 GW of renewable energy and 25 GW capacity for the production of green hydrogen, which propose to export it to international markets. Data. According to the recent report by the International Renewable Energies Agency, the Middle East has Less than 1% of the world’s renewable capacity. However, from the agency they have detailed that the forecast for the next few years will be of accelerated growth. For its part, An analysis of the consultant Rystad Energypoints out that within five years, more than 30% represents total capacity in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. From the consultant they detail that this impulse is due to the weather conditions and the favorable conditions of the market. New solar panels will boost electricity generation in the Gulf Favorable energies. In the graph of Rystad EnergyWe observe that the Persian Gulf has two very different parts. The colored areas of orange, blue and green that represent renewable energies we see how they increase exponentially, especially solar. However, we see how nuclear and hydrogen have a slight growth that is maintained over the years. On the other hand, oil and gas, colored gray, although they are currently the main sources of energy, they will fall by 2050. China, ally or competition? The Asian giant has become a double agent in the energy transition, acting as much as a partner and competitor. On the side, Chinese companies such as Jinko Solar, Longi and Byd are providing solar panels, batteries and other technologies for the ambitious renewable projects in the desert region. On the other hand, China is carrying out the development of its own solar and wind projects. Besides, Your dominance over the global supply chain of batteries and solar panels gives you an advantage in the energy market. At the same time, its expansion in the Middle East allows you to gain influence in a region that has historically been dominated by fossil fuels. The change. The Persian Gulf is in the process of investing in renewables to mark its path to sustainability. However, they still have a stretch to travel because infrastructure and energy supply stability are still aspects that must be resolved. Image | Unspash Xataka | In full desert, Saudi Arabia is preparing its next great energy bet with the help of a partner: China

In full desert, Saudi Arabia is preparing its next great energy bet with the help of a partner: China

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Saudi Arabia is facing a fiscal deficit Due to the expensive investments in projects such as The Line, which are part of their 2030 vision to diversify its economy. However, one part compensates for another, and that is that the Saudi country is focused in covering everything with solar panelsbut it has not taken into account until now where it could store energy. Short. Saudi Arabia has officially connected the largest energy storage system (Bess) in the world in Bisha, province of ‘Asir. The project has achieved a milestone in the country’s strategy due to a 500 MW/2000 MWh battery system. The operating company is Saudi Electric Company and uses advanced technology supplied by ByD. A larger initiative. The project, called Bisha Bess, is part of a broader initiative of the Arab country to further strengthen your renewable energy infrastructure. The nation is looking for more than half of its energy to come from renewable energiesso you have seen in storage the necessary component for this transition. Saudi Arabia has found that the batteries provide flexibility to the network and allows the integration of intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind. Apart from being part of the National Vision 2030 Plan, Bisha Bess is part of different large -scale storage initiatives. In an ongoing tender, the list of 33 prequalified bidders was published in early January and revealed that Masdar, Acwa Power, EDF and Totalenergies compete for 15 -year storage service contracts. 122 storage units. The Chinese company byd have prefabricated the 122 units, each integrates a 6MW energy conversion system (PCs) along with four iron and lithium phosphate batteries (LFP) batteries, each with a capacity of 5,365MWH. The design is modular to optimize space, improve system integration and minimize failure points. Desert construction. Although the batteries were supplied by the Chinese company byd, the project was carried out by a consortium formed by State Grid Corporation of China and Alfanar Projectswho were in charge of engineering, equipment acquisition and installation construction. The installation, located in an extremely challenging desert environment, has presented significant difficulties, such as high temperatures and frequent sand storms. To deal with these obstacles, the engineers perfected the installation techniques and optimized the start -up processes, ensuring the reliability of the long -term system. If you can’t with them, join them. This famous phrase can be attributed to the Saudi kingdom, who has thought about China. At the time he began to enter this race for the renewables, Arabia Saudi began to great. However, in the field of Megaestructures and renewablethe Asian giant has no rival. Although the Arab country is developing different projects in renewables, others that also integrate clean sources such as the city of Neom, is not having the expected success. However, there is a sector where you could compete with China: nuclear energy. The kingdom has the ability to Extract and process Uranium, which would position him as a key actor. Image | Red Sea Project SA Xataka | Saudi Arabia has just opened another of its colossal projects: the world’s longest driver transport system

The renaissance of nuclear energy is underway. And the microreactors are preparing to give it a boost

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The physicists and engineers involved in the development of fourth generation nuclear fission reactors They are working to propose new designs that conceptually may be very different from those of previous generations. Of course, the requirements that these new nuclear power plants must meet are clearly defined. The first of them consists of achieving the maximum possible sustainability, so that the fuel is used to the maximum to produce energy, the amount of radioactive waste resulting from the process is minimized and its management is as efficient as possible. The second requirement concerns the economic investment that must be made to start up and maintain the nuclear power plant, which must be as low as possible so that it can be compared to the expenditure required by other sources of energy, thus reducing the risk. financial. And the third and final requirement stipulates that safety and reliability must be high enough to minimize the probability of damage to the reactor core. Besides, if an accident occurred It should not be necessary to take emergency measures beyond the nuclear power plant facilities. Westinghouse and Radiant working on the world’s smallest reactors The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a very detailed report in September 2024 entitled “Energy, electricity and nuclear power estimates for the period up to 2050”. In it, it analyzes the short and medium-term future of nuclear energy and delves into its role as a means of generating electricity that can contribute to the achievement of global climate objectives. However, the most interesting thing is that this organization predicts that global nuclear power will increase by 2.5 by 2050. Microreactors use uranium-based isotropic tristructural particles as fuel Compact and modular nuclear reactors play a crucial role in achieving that vision, but microreactors will also likely play a very important role. As their name indicates, they are compact and modular nuclear reactors much smaller than conventional fission machines. As we can predict, they produce less energy than the latter, usually 50 megawatts or lessbut thanks to their size they can be installed in remote places where it is not possible to set up a traditional nuclear power plant. However, nuclear microreactors have more advantages. On the one hand, its installation is relatively simple and much faster than that of conventional reactors. In addition, they do not require large water cooling systems, they operate in an automated manner and their maintenance is simpler than that of a traditional nuclear plant. And, interestingly, the eVinci and Kaleidos microreactors being developed by the American companies Westinghouse and Radiant use uranium-based tristructural isotropic particles (TRISO) as fuel. The particles of this fuel are the size of a poppy seed and contain uranium, carbon and oxygen encapsulated in a carbon-ceramic shell that is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. On paper this nuclear fuel is the most robust ever developed to date. An interesting note: Radiant uses helium as a coolant, while Westinghouse uses a passive heat duct system. These two companies have the financial support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and plan to place their microreactors on the market in 2030 as long as, of course, they obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Image | Westinghouse Electric Company More information | IEEE Spectrum In Xataka | Bill Gates has an ambitious nuclear energy project. And now it also has an associated Spanish company

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