Tokyu Railway has finalized a corporate PPA to procure electricity from 98 MW (DC) of newly built solar capacity, marking a significant step in Japan’s corporate renewable market. Starting in fiscal 2026, the 25-year agreement will supply green power to major Tokyo metropolitan lines, including the Toyoko and Den-en-toshi lines. By fiscal 2028, approximately 30% of Tokyu’s annual traction electricity—110 million kWh—will be sourced from these new assets. Building on its 100% renewable operations achieved in 2022, this initiative underscores Tokyu's role in supporting Japan's transition from FIT subsidies toward market-based mechanisms. The move reflects a broader trend among Japanese conglomerates to secure long-term decarbonization through large-scale, offsite PPA structures.

Sweden installed 21,600 grid-connected solar plants last year, bringing the total to 314,600 installations and approximately 5.5 GW of cumulative capacity. This capacity is enough to cover the annual electricity consumption of about 13.4% of Swedish households. While total capacity continues to rise, the 15% growth rate marks a significant slowdown from the nearly 70% surge seen between 2022 and 2023. Despite the cooling pace, industry body Svensk Solenergi suggests last year’s 652 MW addition likely represents the market's low point, with solar remaining a vital piece of Sweden's fossil-free energy puzzle.

Australian engineering firm Worley Ltd has been awarded the front-end engineering and design FEED contract for the RjukanLH2 project, set to be the Nordic regions inaugural liquid green hydrogen facility in Norway. Led by Norwegian Hydrogen AS, the 25-MW plant is designed to produce 10 tonnes of liquid hydrogen per day using renewable electricity and next-generation modular alkaline electrolysers to serve the maritime and industrial sectors. The agreement includes an exclusive option for EPC services, with the execution phase slated to commence in the second half of 2026 and initial fuel deliveries targeted for 2028. Logistics giant Samskip has already been secured as an off-taker for the project.

Greece’s Public Power Corp (PPC) has completed 2.13 GW of solar PV installations on former lignite mine sites, creating the largest PV cluster in Europe. Capable of generating 3,150 GWh annually, the cluster covers nearly 6% of the country’s electricity consumption. Key projects include the 550 MW Phoebe plant and the 940 MW Amyntaio complex, developed in partnership with Germany’s RWE. To support these utility-scale assets, PPC is also deploying large-scale energy storage systems to enhance grid stability. PPC Deputy CEO Konstantinos Mavros noted that this transformation of coal mines into a green energy hub secures Greece's energy independence amid a volatile global landscape.

[Lead-Zinc Miner Updates] Yesterday, Luoping Zinc & Electricity (002114) responded to investor questions on its interactive platform, stating that the capacity of the Jinpo lead-zinc mine under its subsidiary Guizhou Derong Mining had not changed before and after the production resumption, and the actual production status would be publicly disclosed in the company's annual report.

Several major European markets recorded their lowest daily average electricity prices of the year last week, driven by decreased demand, higher solar production, and falling gas prices. On April 5, Germany’s price plunged to -€16.34/MWh—its lowest since July 2023—while France also saw negative daily averages. Except for Italy, weekly averages across most European markets stayed below €100/MWh, with Spain and Portugal recording the lowest averages at around €12/MWh due to robust solar output. While supply concerns and storage levels continue to fluctuate gas futures, the surge in renewable energy has significantly exerted downward pressure on power costs.

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Overseas Market Offers Remained Flat, Trading Sentiment Was Subdued] April 9, 2026: The ferrochrome and chrome ore market saw limited fluctuations...

New Zealand’s Electricity Authority has introduced new rules to relax grid connection limits for solar and storage systems. Starting in late April 2026, residential solar and battery setups will receive a default export limit of at least 10 kW, with options for dynamic, flexible limits in some areas. This initiative aims to reduce network costs by maximizing the use of distributed energy and paving the way for technologies like vehicle-to-grid charging. Additionally, the industry is tasked with developing standardized assessment tools to streamline connections for larger projects and provide clearer investment transparency.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News Brief] Recently, Trina Green Hydrogen completed production testing and successfully delivered multiple sets of its second-generation Tianqing series 1000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolysis cells to a large-scale green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol project in China. The product features a skid-mounted modular design equipped with proprietary high-current-density electrode technology, capable of stable operation at 3,500 A/m² with industry-leading power consumption metrics. It also offers a 30%-110% wide-load adaptability, enabling efficient matching with intermittent green electricity hydrogen production scenarios powered by wind and solar power.

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China's alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, the PEM electrolyzer market remained at 2.7 GW, with no new capacity additions for the time being. Sungrow Hydrogen's alkaline electrolyzer systems and proton exchange membrane electrolyzer systems were simultaneously delivered to Oman, Europe, and South America; Trina Green Hydrogen delivered multiple sets of second-generation Tianqing series 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers to green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol projects in China; Hande completed the delivery of one set of 1 Nm³ PEM hydrogen production system to a Chinese university. Project-related developments: Shandong Energy Group Inner Mongolia Branch: The winning bid candidates for the 2026 Shenglu Power Plant hydrogen production station electrolyzer project were publicly announced. The first winning bid candidate was Beijing Mingyang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and Tianjin Dalu Hydrogen Production Equipment Co., Ltd. ranked second. CNMC Orient Tantalum Industry: For the 50 m³ electrolytic hydrogen production and purification system, the first winning bid candidate was Tianjin Dalu Hydrogen Production Equipment Co., Ltd. with a bid price of 1.68 million yuan. The second and third candidates were Shenzhen Wenshi Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Zhongdian Fengye Technology Development Co., Ltd., with bid prices of 1.79 million yuan and 1.99 million yuan, respectively. Beijing Zhongdian Fengye Technology Development Co., Ltd.: Officially signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Haitai New Energy. The in-depth cooperation will focus on five key areas: first, integrated development of PV-to-hydrogen systems to create standardized solutions; second, advancing integrated wind-solar-storage-green hydrogen projects to build benchmark projects in regions of China rich in wind and solar resources; third, conducting technology R&D and process optimization to overcome key technologies and jointly develop new energy hydrogen production process packages; fourth, leveraging both parties' resources for marketing and sales to jointly expand China and non-China markets; fifth, jointly applying for scientific research and industrial support projects and participating in the formulation of industry standards. CNOOC (Shanxi) Precious Metals Co., Ltd., Jinzhong City: Its Shanxi Province's first MW-class proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis hydrogen production unit was successfully commissioned. Zaoyang Tongda Passenger Transport Co., Ltd.: Issued a tender announcement for the procurement of 20 hydrogen energy buses. The procurement covers 20 hydrogen energy buses with a maximum price limit of 21 million yuan. The project does not accept consortium bidding. Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd.: Announced the signing of an agreement with its affiliated company GF Hydrogen Africa Sarl to provide a 20 MW green hydrogen production system for Morocco, with a total consideration of approximately $6.2 million. China Coal Shaanxi Energy Chemical Group Co., Ltd.: Published the transaction result announcement for the feasibility study report compilation service for the China Coal Shaanxi Xi'an Kang green electricity-coupled biomass-to-green methanol integration project. The supplier is Hualou Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. Inner Mongolia Green Hydrogen Steel Union Technology Co., Ltd.: Its green electricity-green hydrogen shaft furnace reduction-electric furnace short-process all-green steel production line project released the winning bid announcement for the preliminary survey and mapping portion. The winning bidder was Tianjin Geological Engineering Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., with a winning bid amount of 3.0362 million yuan. It is reported that the tender for the civil construction portion of the project was completed in February. Inner Mongolia Huadian Huayang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The winning bid result for the survey and design service for the wind-solar-storage portion of the Inner Mongolia Huadian Damao Banner 1 million kW wind-solar-to-hydrogen integration project was announced. Power supply engineering: total new energy installations of 1,000 MW, including 700 MW wind power and 300 MW PV, with supporting construction of one 100 MW/200 MWh LFP battery ESS power station, two 220 kV step-up substations, access roads, collector lines, and other equipment and facilities. Hydrogen production plant: construction of 88 units of 1,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment and supporting facilities, with an annual hydrogen output of 547 million Nm³; supporting construction of one 220 kV hydrogen production main step-down substation and other facilities and equipment. The total project investment is 6.7645 billion yuan, with 30% self-owned capital. Ordos Hanxia New Energy Co., Ltd.: At the hydrogen production plant of the Narisong PV-to-hydrogen industrial demonstration project in Jungar Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region — the site of China's first 10 kt-class PV-to-hydrogen project — the first truckload of high-purity green hydrogen meeting the 99.999% national standard was successfully dispatched after completing the filling operation, marking the first shipment of 2026. Policy Review 1. The National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Standards for Determining Major Accident Hazards in the Electric Power Sector and Regulations on Governance, Supervision and Administration," Order No. 41 of 2026. The document states that under the major hazard determination standards, any of the following conditions occurring in the power grid or power equipment and facilities shall be determined as a major hazard, including: for DC ±800 kV and AC 1000 kV and above transformers (converter transformers), monitored acetylene content reaching 0.000005 liters per liter or weekly increment exceeding 0.000002 liters per liter, or hydrogen content exceeding 0.00045 liters per liter, or total hydrocarbon content exceeding 0.00045 liters per liter. 2. The Henan Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued a notice on the list of key construction projects in Henan Province for 2026. The document states that Henan Province has 1,418 provincial key projects for 2026 with a total investment of approximately 3.2 trillion yuan, aiming to complete annual investment of over 1 trillion yuan. 3. The General Office of the Gansu Provincial People's Government issued a notice on the implementation plan for accelerating scenario cultivation and opening up to promote large-scale application of new scenarios. The document states, in the clean energy sector, the plan is to promote the coordinated layout of "generation-grid-load-storage-production," accelerate the construction of industrial cluster scenarios for wind power, PV, concentrated solar power, hydrogen energy, energy storage equipment, and new energy battery industries. A number of green electricity direct-connection scenario projects are expected to be promoted, and new energy consumption models such as virtual power plants and smart microgrids are expected to be popularized. The plan is to accelerate the deployment of green electricity-to-hydrogen scenarios through multiple models including new energy direct supply, off-grid operation, and green electricity trading, expand the diversified application of green hydrogen in industry, transportation, energy storage, and power generation, and strive to build the Hexi "Green Hydrogen Corridor" innovation scenario. Enterprise Developments Shanghai Hydrogen Maple Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Partnered with US-based Apollo Mechanical Contractors to secure a commercial order for low-temperature solid-state hydrogen storage technology from Klickitat Valley Health Hospital in Washington State, US. Its independently developed titanium-based solid-state hydrogen storage technology successfully entered the US application market. AiH2 Technology (Group) Co., Ltd.: Officially signed a cooperation agreement with Chongqing Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone. Both parties will leverage the by-product hydrogen resources of the Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone to build the largest kt-class magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen supply and storage base in south-west China. Huawang (Qingdao) Hydrogen Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd. : The groundbreaking ceremony for the hydrogen refueling station construction project at Qingdao Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park was officially held in Boli Town, West Coast New Area, Qingdao. Panzhihua Huacheng New Energy Co., Ltd. : The pre-acceptance work for the Madian hydrogen refueling station's liquid hydrogen and gaseous hydrogen expansion project was successfully completed. China Classification Society (CCS) Wuhan Branch : Officially issued a certificate of approval to CSSC 712 Research Institute, marking a key breakthrough in China's marine SOFC technology and entering a new stage of standardized and industrialised development. Yunnan Energy Investment Weixin Energy Co., Ltd.: Issued an inquiry letter for the procurement of hydrogen storage tanks for the turbine department, with a procurement quantity of 4 units. AECC Hunan Aviation Powerplant Research Institute: Its independently developed MW-class hydrogen-fueled aviation turboprop engine AEP100 successfully completed its maiden flight. The flight lasted 16 minutes and covered a distance of 36 kilometers. Shandong Hi-Speed Service Development Group Co., Ltd.: The winning bid candidates for the Phase II PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production and energy storage portion of the hydrogen highway and zero-carbon service area key technology integration and demonstration Gaomi Service Area hydrogen refueling station comprehensive utilization project were publicly announced. According to the announcement: the first winning bid candidate was Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. with a bid price of 21.27 million yuan; the second winning bid candidate was Luyu Hydrogen Energy (Xiamen) Technology Co., Ltd. with a bid price of 21.95 million yuan; the third winning bid candidate was Jiangsu Huade Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. with a bid price of 21.75 million yuan. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) published patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory-tested lifespan of 80,000 hours. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing an Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity approaching that of platinum-based materials. Technology Footprint / Technical Specifications 1. The team led by Professor Yu Ying at Central China Normal University developed a three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructured catalytic electrode, a core part for seawater hydrogen production. 2. Dalian University of Technology designed an electron pump catalyst with an asymmetric photo-responsive structure to maintain the asymmetry of electron distribution. 3. The research team from the School of Electrical Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment at Xi'an Jiaotong University successfully developed a Ru/Ti₃C₂Oₓ@NF bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis. 4. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo achieved efficient recovery and recycling of platinum group metals and ionomers from PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. 5. Teams from Xi'an Jiaotong University and Peking University jointly developed a novel osmium-based catalyst, significantly improving AEM water electrolysis hydrogen production efficiency and economics, facilitating the scale-up of low-cost green hydrogen.