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Portugal is expanding its use of ocean energy with the CorPower Ocean C4, a wave-energy device designed to convert the c...
08/11/2026

Portugal is expanding its use of ocean energy with the CorPower Ocean C4, a wave-energy device designed to convert the constant movement of ocean waves into electricity. The buoy uses the up-and-down motion of the waves to drive a power-generation system, providing a renewable source of energy from Portugal’s Atlantic coastline.

The C4 is part of Portugal’s efforts to demonstrate that wave power can contribute to a cleaner and more diversified electricity system. Unlike solar power, wave energy can operate day and night, and the movement of ocean waves is more predictable than many other renewable resources. The technology is still being tested and developed to improve reliability and reduce costs.

Projects like the C4 show the potential of Portugal’s powerful Atlantic waters as a source of clean electricity. If wave-energy technology can be deployed economically at larger scales, it could complement Portugal’s existing wind and solar generation while helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Source: CorPower Ocean, European Marine Board, European Commission.

Data centers are becoming increasingly important because they power cloud computing, AI, streaming, online services and ...
08/10/2026

Data centers are becoming increasingly important because they power cloud computing, AI, streaming, online services and much of the digital economy. But their rapid expansion also raises questions about electricity and water use, particularly in regions already facing pressure on freshwater resources. The International Energy Agency estimates that data centers accounted for about 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, with demand expected to grow sharply as AI expands.

Clean water, meanwhile, is a fundamental human necessity. The World Health Organization and UNICEF emphasize that access to safe drinking water is essential for health and human well-being, yet billions of people still lack safely managed drinking-water services. This makes responsible water management increasingly important as industries and communities compete for limited freshwater resources.

The message highlights a broader principle: technological progress should not come at the expense of essential human needs. Data centers can support innovation and economic growth, but their energy and water demands need to be carefully managed through efficient cooling, water recycling, responsible site selection and cleaner energy sources. The goal should be to advance technology while protecting the resources people depend on every day.

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF.

Scientists have developed artificial leaves that mimic the way plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide i...
08/10/2026

Scientists have developed artificial leaves that mimic the way plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into useful chemical fuels. These devices use sunlight to drive chemical reactions, producing fuels such as syngas or hydrogen-based energy carriers without relying on conventional batteries for energy storage.

The technology combines solar cells with specialized catalysts that split water and process carbon dioxide. Because the system can use sunlight directly as its energy source, it offers a potential pathway for producing fuel while also making use of CO₂ that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere. Researchers are working to improve efficiency, durability, and scalability before such systems can be deployed widely.

Artificial-leaf technology could eventually provide a cleaner way to manufacture fuels for sectors that are difficult to electrify, including aviation, shipping, and heavy industry. It is still largely at the research and development stage, but the concept shows how solar energy could be used not only to generate electricity, but also to produce storable fuels from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

Source: University of Cambridge, Nature Energy, European Research Council.

Scotland's Shetland Islands are home to pioneering tidal-energy projects that use the powerful movement of ocean tides t...
08/10/2026

Scotland's Shetland Islands are home to pioneering tidal-energy projects that use the powerful movement of ocean tides to generate predictable renewable electricity. Tidal turbines work underwater like wind turbines, with the flowing seawater turning their blades and driving generators. Unlike solar and wind, tidal power is highly predictable because tides follow regular natural cycles.

The Shetland tidal-energy projects demonstrate how coastal communities can make use of their surrounding marine resources to produce low-carbon electricity. The technology is particularly promising for island regions, where reducing dependence on imported fuels can strengthen local energy security while creating opportunities for new clean-energy industries.

Tidal power remains a developing technology, but projects in Scotland are helping demonstrate its potential in real-world conditions. With stronger tidal resources and continued improvements in turbine technology, marine energy could become another important part of Scotland's renewable-energy mix alongside wind and solar.

Source: European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Scottish Government, Crown Estate Scotland.

China is pursuing an ambitious space-based solar power project that could eventually place a massive solar-collecting st...
08/10/2026

China is pursuing an ambitious space-based solar power project that could eventually place a massive solar-collecting structure in geostationary orbit about 36,000 kilometers above Earth. Chinese scientists have described a concept roughly 1 kilometer wide, designed to collect sunlight in space and transmit the energy back to Earth using microwave beams. The idea has been compared to putting a giant power plant in orbit.

The major advantage is that solar panels in space could receive sunlight almost continuously, without nighttime, clouds, or atmospheric interference limiting generation as much as they do on Earth. However, the claim that one station could generate more energy than all the oil on Earth should be treated as a long-term theoretical comparison, not a demonstrated result. The technology is still under development, and China is currently testing wireless power transmission on the ground.

China's latest tests show real progress: researchers at Xidian University have successfully transmitted 1,180 watts over about 100 meters and powered a moving drone wirelessly. The country is targeting a megawatt-class demonstration in orbit by around 2030, but a full-scale 1-kilometer space solar station remains a much more distant engineering challenge.

Source: Xinhua News, South China Morning Post, Xidian University research.

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