If you look at the construction, engineering and manufacturing industry you will soon see that this has been pushed towards digital transformation. A lot of this has been driven by the pandemic and a major study has found that this has really resulted in a different turn of events. The study that has been done has found that up to 31% of manufacturers across the globe have been considered to be fit for the future and that they are now able to deal with the challenges that come with the future more as well. They are now dealing with increased competition as well as ever-changing expectations from employees. Rising customer demand is also another huge factor. Of course, when you look at the fit for the future businesses, you will soon see that they have been ranked as such because they are all well-prepared for the risks that they face and that they are able to safeguard themselves against any change for the future. If you look at the FFTF businesses out there you will soon see that the continuity plan has worked well for them, and they have been able to protect themselves quite a lot over the years too.
Analysis has also shown that there is a strong link between things like business performance as well as being FFTF. Of course, organisations that were able to score a 10-point increase in their scores soon found that they were able to outperform the competition. They were able to do this by up to around 36% which is amazing to say the least.
Of course, this is all very good to say the least and it just goes to show how much things have changed, that being said, businesses who do not adapt are seemingly going to fall behind.
If you work in the sector of nuclear & defence or if you work in the industry of renewables then you’ll be interested to know that China is now in the process of building six reactors. The construction work has started and it has also been approved by the council. The approvals are for the various locations ad everything so far is being supported, with the green light to go ahead. China has national conditions and that is why they have to make sure that they respond to the challenges that are being faced in the environment. They need to try and strengthen the energy supply that is around right now ad they also need to promote the construction of projects too. This will help them to stay up to date with the latest developmental needs.
The council has come out to say that nuclear power has to be developed and that it has to be done in an orderly manner as well. It needs to be done under absolute supervision and safety has to be a priority at all times. Comprehensive evaluations are also taking place over the plant projects and they are also included in the national plans as well. All of this has so far been approved. The plants have a lot of units each and they have been approved in their respective phases. Who knows what the future holds but right now it looks like a lot of work is being done to ensure that people get the power that they need through ways that do not damage the environment. Nuclear power is the future and it would seem that China is trying to push forward with that as much as possible so they can secure their place in the future of the world.
A new freeze-thaw battery is being released. The battery freezes energy until later use and this is a huge step forward when you look at things such as seasonal storage and the fact that energy can be used in one season. This could be done in spring but it could be saved until Autumn for example. The overall development of this right now is small but it is said that the prototype right now is the size of a hockey puck. If you work in nuclear & defence or if you are in the business of renewables then you will know what a great advancement this is.
The longer duration for energy storage is super important when you look at how important it is to increase the resilience of the grid. This is especially the case when you look at bigger amounts of renewable energy in general. The research does help to mark a very important step when it comes to battery storage and it is also a solution that will overcome the self-discharge limits that are associated with battery tech in this day and age. If you look at longer duration batteries then you will soon see that you can charge them with energy that is renewable and then you can discharge it months later.
At the end of the day, it is also important to remember that renewable sources tend to ebb and flow when it comes to the cycle of nature. That is why it is so important to make sure that energy can be stored over long periods of time effectively and to also make sure that it is being properly looked after during the time in which it is stored. If not then this could mean further issues.
Studies have shown that US solar panels have fallen for the first time in the first quarter. This is going to be a blow to those who work in renewables and it is also coming as the industry is being investigated by the US over China-based manufacturers. They are dumping the modules by setting up their operation in other Asian countries in an attempt to try and avoid some of the higher US tariffs. This includes those who are seeking solar panels for things like data centres and those who work in tech/IT. Of course, the total amount of shipping containers that have been delivering solar panels to US ports has been down by nearly 20% and you also have them down from the year before. It has also been said that American companies have seen widespread delays and cancellations as they try and cancel their shipments since the investigation began. This could result in tariffs being applied to the imports that have been made in the past.
Of course, the company have also come out to say that they have experienced a lot of delays and they have also had their fair share of cancellations too. They have experienced congestion in the Chinese imports due to Covid and this has also been somewhat disruptive to the whole situation. Of course, nobody will know what is going to happen next but it is concerning to see that the solar panel imports are going to be reduced even more in the future and that China are having a lot to do with this. This is also going to impact the energy industry as well, but all in all, it’ll be interesting to see how things end up working out for the companies involved and their suppliers.
