SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 2, 2024 — H2, Inc. will deploy a 1.1MW/8.8MWh vanadium flow battery (VFB) system in Spain. This is the largest VFB project in Spain. The project to be commissioned by Spain government’s energy research institute, CIUDEN, is a Public Foundation for energy research depending on Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, aims to deploy a long-duration solution that provides maximum power for 8 hours. H2 successfully won the bid in collaboration with local Spanish companies.

H2 will supply the entire battery system, which is the core of the project. The battery used will be H2’s newly developed modular flow battery, EnerFLOW 640. VFB is a more competitive solution than lithium-ion batteries in terms of fire safety and life expectancy, with almost no degradation over 25 years. In addition, it is very environmentally friendly because the vanadium electrolytes can be either recycled or reused after the project period is over. More specifically regarding the EnerFLOW 640, this VFB has the smallest footprint ever achieved with a VFB, thanks to H2’s latest high-performance stacks, unique three-block design and HyperBOOST technology. The project is scheduled to be completed in a total of 16 months, with installation targeted for the second half of 2025.

Notably, Spain is a leader in energy transition within Europe, aiming to use renewable energy for over 80% of its total energy generation by 2030 as part of its net-zero targets. To ensure a stable power supply, Spain has set a target to install 20GW of energy storage and has selected vanadium flow batteries as the energy source for an 8 hour long-duration project. The growing demand for large-scale LDES (Long-Duration Energy Storage) across the world highlights how VFB plays in mitigating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality.

H2 is a specializing in flow batteries, with proprietary technology developed in-house and a production capacity exceeding 330 MWh in South Korea. Through this project, H2 has established a cornerstone for entering the European LDES market, with Spain serving as a gateway to the growing market. It strengthens H2’s position in the European market, by adding this to the ongoing U.S. largest 20MWh project in California. In other words, H2 is successfully building a diverse market portfolio in the core LDES markets of the U.S. and Europe.

Dr. Shin Han, founder and CEO of H2, stated, “Large-scale LDES are rapidly growing as essential technology to prevent global warming and achieve carbon neutrality, with vanadium flow batteries at the center of this growth. This Spanish project is another strong example of how H2 is leading the global LDES market through the implementation of state-of-the-art flow batteries. H2 will continue to increase the global deployment of its flow batteries, fully utilizing the production capacity lately ramped up significantly. Moreover, H2 is planning to build a second VFB factory in South Korea soon to secure gigawatt-hour scale production. Therefore, you can expect to see many more global activities and projects utilizing H2’s top-notch flow batteries”

 Vapesol, a Portuguese leader in footwear sole manufacturing, has announced a landmark achievement in sustainability and efficiency: becoming the first company globally to reach 100% reuse and zero waste in its EVA sole production. This significant milestone, achieved through the introduction of the innovative “Eva Powder” brand, sets a new sustainability benchmark for the footwear industry. The breakthrough will be officially unveiled at Lineapelle in Milan this February, the world’s premier international trade fair for footwear components.

Décio Pereira, CEO of Vapesol, shared, “Our process involves not only recycling misshapen soles but also redesigning processes to eliminate unnecessary waste entirely.” This initiative has successfully tackled the challenge of reducing the environmental footprint associated with sole production, transforming what was once considered waste into a valuable resource.

Producing approximately 4,500 pairs of EVA soles daily, Vapesol previously faced a waste output that constituted about 10 to 11 percent of its total production. “This resulted in around 50 tonnes of waste annually, which had a significant environmental impact as it decomposed slowly in landfills over many years,” Pereira explained. However, with the implementation of the Eva Powder process, these 50 tonnes of waste can now be fully reintegrated into the production cycle without any loss of the soles’ physical or mechanical properties.

Eva Powder has earned the RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) Certification in EVA by Intertek, marking Vapesol as the first company to achieve this certification for EVA soles. This certification underscores the company’s commitment to sustainable practices and innovation within the industry.

By transforming deformed soles into valuable resources and eliminating waste, Vapesol is spearheading a revolution that not only redefines EVA sole production but also contributes to a more sustainable and innovative world. In an era where sustainable footwear production is not just a trend but a necessity, Vapesol’s efforts resonate with the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly and ethical options. These consumers, increasingly knowledgeable and concerned about sustainability, seek products that minimize environmental damage and reduce ecological footprints.

Vapesol is poised to introduce the groundbreaking EVA POWDER at the upcoming Lineapelle event in Milan from February 20-22. This launch positions Vapesol as the world’s first company to achieve zero waste in the EVA material injection sector for soles, marking a significant step forward in sustainable footwear manufacturing.

About Vapesol
Vapesol is a leading Portuguese company specializing in the manufacture of footwear soles. With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and quality, Vapesol has been at the forefront of developing eco-friendly solutions that meet the demands of the modern consumer while reducing environmental impact.

Sungrow announced that it supplied its inverter solutions to an 800kW solar project which was carried out with the Spanish public transport operator Metro Ligero Oeste.

Metro Ligero Oeste serves more than 200,000 inhabitants, adding 28 stations and covering 22.4 km of tracks between the towns of Pozuelo de Alarcón, Boadilla del Monte, Alcorcón, and Madrid.

The project, located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain, consists of the installation of six units of Sungrow’s string inverters, the SG110CX and two units of the SG50CX, thanks to the dedicated team of SICA installers and with the valuable support of Saltoki, whose commitment, as its Head of PV division says, lies in extending the scope of renewable energies to more customers such as Metro Ligero Oeste.

This project is not only an advance for Metro Ligero Oeste, but also marks a significant milestone towards the environmental sustainability of the transportation company. Its environmental improvement will result in the self-generation of approximately 13% of the energy it consumes and the annual clean energy generation of 1.2 GWh.

“This measure maximizes the company’s positive contribution to sustainability while mitigating our environmental footprint and reducing the negative impact of climate change,” said Pablo Escoda, General Manager of Metro Ligero Oeste. “This initiative is part of our commitment to the environment and the efficient use of energy and takes us a step further by now committing to self-consumption and producing part of the 100% clean energy we already consume through the installation of solar plants,” he added.

“Our mission is to drive change towards a society that benefits from renewable energy. This project is a clear demonstration of our commitment. It not only strengthens the energy autonomy of the facilities, but also enhances the passenger experience,” states Guillermo Donézar, Head of Distribution Southern Europe at Sungrow.

The pilot project is critical to advancing a cleaner and more sustainable future. It also symbolizes the joint commitment of Sungrow and Metro Ligero Oeste towards renewable energy and environmentally friendly transportation.

About Sungrow

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. (“Sungrow”) is the world’s most bankable inverter brand with over 405 GW installed worldwide as of June 2023. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 27-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power over 150 countries worldwide.