As global efforts toward the circular economy and net-zero emissions accelerate, the European Union has continued revising its End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive to establish a vehicle recycling framework centered on circular design, high-value material recovery, and life-cycle management. The policy is enforced to help drive worldwide development of end-of-life vehicle recycling and resource recovery.
The South Korean government treats batteries as a strategic asset tied to national economic and energy security, but industry leaders say the growth and survival of South Korea's companies now depend almost entirely on regulatory shifts in the US and Europe amid fierce competition from China. They are calling for urgent, concrete tax support at home, especially a direct refund system that would also benefit loss-making companies.
The European Commission is considering a new credit system for electric vehicles as part of its latest Automotive Package, Reuters reported, in a move aimed at speeding EV adoption while easing pressure on automakers as the EU moves toward its 2035 internal combustion engine ban. The plan would give smaller battery electric vehicles (BEVs) extra weight in fleet emissions calculations, a change that could reshape competition between mass-market and premium brands.
Walmart and Constellation Energy announced on June 23 that the retailer signed its first nuclear power purchase agreement, securing about 176 MW of zero-emission electricity from the Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The deal comprises two 15-year contracts that include 30 MW of new generation capacity and are scheduled to begin in 2029 and 2030.
Generative AI is driving a sharp rise in electricity demand from data centers and AI computing infrastructure, prompting China to release its 15th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of a New Energy System (2026–2030). The plan incorporates AI power demand into China's national energy strategy for the first time, calling for closer coordination between electricity supply and computing capacity to support AI, advanced manufacturing, and other strategic industries.
Taiwan Power reported a NT$9.0 billion loss in the first four months of 2026, executives said at the company's shareholders meeting on June 26, attributing the shortfall to a spike in international energy prices following the outbreak of hostilities between the US and Iran. The utility said recent signs of a US-Iran de-escalation, along with the possibility of natural gas price cuts by CPC Corp, could help narrow the deficit, and it maintained a 2026 target to limit full-year losses to within NT$28.0 billion.
Hongyi International, an OTC-listed environmental engineering company, has formally rebranded as Tianyi Water & Energy Solutions, marking a strategic shift toward a fully integrated ESG platform that combines water treatment, renewable energy, and environmental engineering. The company is positioning itself to serve both traditional manufacturing and the rapidly expanding high-tech sector, with a particular focus on semiconductor-grade water systems driven by advanced membrane technologies.
As advanced semiconductor processes rapidly transition from 28nm to 3nm and 2nm nodes, more frequent chemical cleaning procedures are driving an increase in demand for liquid chemical waste treatment. Techzone Chairman Chen Li-Li said that semiconductor companies are currently pursuing two major approaches in response to ESG requirements: first, establishing outsourced waste treatment channels; and second, building in-house zero-waste centers to process waste within their own facilities. Both approaches involve close cooperation with Techzone.
Sino-American Silicon (SAS) Products' Sunrise is expanding its integrated smart energy business as artificial intelligence (AI) and data center demand for high-performance computing drives higher electricity demand worldwide. The company said its combined offering could help global firms secure greener, more resilient power supplies while meeting net-zero, RE100, and supply-chain carbon goals.
South Korean battery maker SK On has completed a share swap with China's Eve Energy, giving it full ownership of a battery manufacturing joint venture in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, as the company continues efforts to streamline operations and ease financial pressure.
Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, has entered an agreement to help US-based Forge Nano build a 3 GWh per year battery manufacturing site in Morrisville, North Carolina. The deal capitalizes on both Samsung's desire to avoid US tariffs and the American military's goal to develop non-China supply chains, including in batteries.
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