Qaasid News

Download Our App

Category: 3. Business

  • Hydrogen Europe

    Hydrogen Europe

    Press Release 

    Brussels, 4 December 

    Today, the European Commission launched the 3rd auction of the European Hydrogen Bank (EHB), with a budget of €1.3 billion supplemented by the mobilisation of another €1.7 billion from national budgets, bringing the total allocation to €3 billion.  

    This comes on top of the regular Innovation Fund call which will dedicate €2.9 billion for manufacturing of clean technologies and decarbonisation projects, meaning a cumulative €6 billion is potentially available to the hydrogen sector.  

    The EHB auction will allocate funds across multiple segments:  

    • €600 million allocated to a renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) hydrogen basket,  
    • €400 million to a RFNBO and low-carbon hydrogen basket, 
    • €300 million for projects with offtakers in the maritime or aviation sector. 

    In addition, Germany and Spain have announced national top-up funds via the Auction-as-a-Service (AaaS) mechanism: 

    • Germany will contribute €1.3 billion for renewable hydrogen production that will flow into the Denmark–Germany pipeline, serving offtakers connected to the German Kernnetz.  
    • Spain will add €415 million (€278.6 million for renewable hydrogen and €136.4 million for the maritime and aviation basket), on top of the €487.5 million it allocated in the second auction.  

    These commitments underscore the growing importance of the AaaS model as a tool to scale national hydrogen projects across Member States, leveraging on the EU evaluation process. The deadline for bids to the 3rd auction is set for the 19 February 2026. 

    Furthermore, the European Commission launched the Innovation Fund 2025 (IF25) call for Net-Zero Technologies (regular grants). The total budget amounts to €2.9 billion, distributed across five topics:  

    • Cleantech (€1 billion),  
    • Large-scale projects (€1.2 billion),  
    • Medium-scale (€300 million),  
    • Pilot projects (€300 million), 
    • Small-scale projects (€100 million). 

    The cleantech, medium-scale, and pilot baskets have been increased by 40-50% each since IF24, while the large-scale and small-scale topics remain the same size. The deadline for the IF call is 23 April 2026. 

    Daniel Fraile, Chief Policy Officer of Hydrogen Europe, states: “The launch of the 3rd auction and call for grants is excellent news as we continue to support the growth of a decarbonised hydrogen market. We encourage the European Commission to continue supporting the Hydrogen Bank and Innovation Fund as a means of unlocking public and private investments into this important technology.” 

    Hydrogen Europe also welcomes: 

    • The opening of the EHB to low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen, in line with the Low-Carbon Delegated Act, as well as the increased funding share for maritime and aviation, two critical hard-to-abate sectors.  
    • Stricter project-readiness requirements, such as requiring developers to provide equity support, which will help ensure that only mature, investment-ready projects apply, reducing delays and enabling more realistic bids, 
    • The revision of cumulation rules, which now enable projects to access EU funding for their hydrogen consumption operational expenses, subject to safeguards against double funding. 

    However, we are concerned that the new resilience criteria, focused on components origin, creates loopholes for easy circumvention. This is a step back from the second auction’s process-based approach, which better captured real EU added value and safeguarded Europe’s industrial base.  

    We urge the European Commission to announce subsequent auctions and continue this valuable funding mechanism for the hydrogen sector.  

    For more information: 

    European Commission announcement: €5.2 billion of EU Emissions Trading revenues earmarked for clean transition technologies 

    Call document for 3rd EHB auction: Call document for the call “Innovation Fund fixed premium auction call 2025 for Hydrogen” 

    Call document for IF25 NZT call: Call document for the call “Innovation Fund call 2025 Net Zero Technologies” 

    European Hydrogen Bank 

    Link to Fixed Premium Auction for RFNBO hydrogen production call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Fixed Premium Auction for RFNBO and/or electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen production call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Fixed Premium Auction for RFNBO and/or electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen production for the maritime and aviation sectors call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Innovation Fund 

    Link to Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies – General decarbonisation – Large-Scale Projects call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies – Pilot projects call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies – Clean-tech manufacturing call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies – General decarbonisation – Small-Scale Projects call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal 

    Link to Innovation Fund 2025 Net Zero Technologies – General decarbonisation – Medium-Scale Projects call: EU Funding & Tenders Portal | EU Funding & Tenders Portal  

    Continue Reading

  • ‘Never seen anything like this’: alarm at memo from top US vaccine official | US healthcare

    ‘Never seen anything like this’: alarm at memo from top US vaccine official | US healthcare

    America’s top vaccines official promised, in a long and argumentative memo to staff on Friday, to revamp vaccine regulation after claiming that at least 10 children died from Covid vaccination – but he offered no evidence for that allegation and scant details on the new approach.

    The top-down changes, without input from outside advisers or publication of data, worries experts who fear vaccines such as the flu shot may quickly disappear and that public trust will take a major hit.

    “The ultimate outcome will be fewer vaccines and more vaccine-preventable illness,” said Dan Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases until this year.

    The 10 child deaths were among children aged seven to 16 in 2021 to 2024 and reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a crowdsourced database to which anyone may submit reports, according to Vinay Prasad, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and the chief medical and scientific officer at the US Food and Drug Administration.

    Prasad offered no other details about the children’s cases, including which conditions led to their deaths, how those deaths were linked to vaccination, or why initial investigations ruled the deaths unrelated and why subsequent investigations disagreed.

    “For the first time, the US FDA will acknowledge that Covid vaccines have killed American children,” Prasad wrote in the memo, reviewed by the Guardian, calling into question whether Covid vaccines killed “more healthy kids than it saved”.

    Paul Offit, an infectious diseases physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said of the memo: “When you make that kind of sensational claim, I think it’s incumbent upon you to provide evidence that supports that claim. He didn’t supply any evidence.”

    The Covid vaccines have been given to millions of people around the world and are safe and effective. The statements and the approach diverge sharply from the regulatory agency’s history.

    “I just have never seen anything like this,” said Jernigan, who worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 31 years, frequently in close collaboration with the FDA.

    It’s highly unusual for the top vaccines regulator to share information in an email to all staff without first convening the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), or publishing the data in a public presentation or study, Jernigan said.

    While there are no causes for mortality mentioned in the memo, Prasad highlights myocarditis, or heart inflammation, a very rare side effect that appeared after initial vaccination. Myocarditis is much more common and severe with Covid infection, and vaccination reduces the risk of infection and of severe illness. If myocarditis were behind some or all of the children’s deaths, an autopsy would reveal such damage – and autopsies are standard for children who die unexpectedly, Offit said.

    It would also be necessary to prove that myocarditis was caused by vaccination, not by infection with Covid or any other viruses that may cause heart damage, Offit added.

    Tracy Beth Høeg, a sports medicine physician who is now senior advisor for clinical sciences at FDA, began leading the investigation over the summer, Prasad said. Elsewhere in his memo, Prasad credited the FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, for finding these cases, vowing that the new regulatory changes would prevent such future searches.

    “Never again will the US FDA commissioner have to himself find deaths in children for staff to identify it,” Prasad wrote.

    The deaths are “certainly an underestimate” and “[t]he real number is higher”, Prasad wrote, without offering any evidence for the claim.

    The health department and Prasad did not respond by press time to the Guardian’s questions about evidence for attributing the children’s deaths to Covid vaccination or details of how regulations for vaccine approvals would change.

    The development of Covid vaccines under the first Trump administration was “one of the greatest scientific and medical advances in our lifetime”, said Offit, a member of VRBPAC until he was removed earlier this year. “Now you have the head of CBER saying that your vaccine killed at least 10 children?”

    The White House did not respond to the Guardian’s questions about claims that the Covid vaccines resulted in child deaths.

    With the deployment of Covid vaccines, officials stepped up communication about how to report any adverse events that happen after vaccination.

    “As Covid emerged, with it being a new vaccine and with the rollout to so many people, CDC increased its advertising and its requests for people to submit reports, essentially mandating physicians to report anything that they might see and then making sure that people knew that they could report them,” Jernigan said.

    The CDC even established a new system called V-safe, where recent vaccines received text messages asking about side effects and encouraging them to report all symptoms to VAERS, resulting in an influx of reports.

    Another database, called Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), draws on the medical records of about 10% of the US population, including 500,000 children. The VSD is a “robust” way to study whether the signals caught in VAERS are appearing in confirmed medical records, Jernigan said. That was how myocarditis was first detected after vaccination, and it was how very rare blood clots from the Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccine were quickly detected.

    While the Prasad memo focused largely on Covid vaccines, it made two apparent nods to other concerns common among anti-vaccine activists.

    Officials at the FDA “have not been focused on understanding the benefits and harms of giving multiple vaccines at the same time,” Prasad said, without listing such potential harms, for which there is no available evidence.

    The benefits, on the other hand, include greater access to and uptake of vaccines, since families have to make fewer trips to doctors’ offices, experts said. Yet Prasad said the FDA guidelines on offering multiple vaccines would be changed, without specifying how.

    “Concomitant vaccines have been used with the existing system for a long time with no evidence of harm,” said Dorit Reiss, professor of law at UC Hastings College of Law. Changing that “without evidence of harm will make it harder to put vaccines on the market”.

    The memo also briefly addressed measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines. They provide benefits to those around them “when administered to high enough fractions of society”, Prasad wrote, but it is not clear if he believes the MMR shots would still be beneficial if uptake falls.

    Because of these determinations, the FDA will change how it regulates vaccines, including requiring randomized trials showing clinical outcomes – like the reduction of illness – instead of demonstrating immune responses for most new products, Prasad wrote. The FDA will “revise the annual flu vaccine framework”, including the surrogate assays – tests to understand how well the vaccines work, he wrote.

    For vaccines like the flu, conducting new trials each year instead of checking for immune responses is “not possible”, Offit said. Such studies would need to be conducted during flu season, which would mean the vaccines would be outdated and available far too late.

    While the new rules present challenges for all respiratory vaccines, updated flu and Covid shots especially “cannot be delayed”, Reiss said. “I don’t know if we will have influenza vaccines next year in the US.”

    Making the shots less accessible in the US would lead to preventable deaths, and it follows the second-worst influenza season on record, she said, noting: “It’s not a great time to take away influenza vaccines.”

    Undermining confidence in vaccines is “so dangerous and irresponsible”, Offit said. And the stakes are high, he said. “Children are getting hospitalized and children are still dying from this virus.”

    The confusion makes it harder for the public and physicians to understand what the evidence says and to trust the health agencies offering guidelines, Jernigan said.

    “It’s getting harder for them to know which recommendations to follow and who they can trust,” he said.

    Continue Reading

  • Alternative microfabrication processes for resource-efficient and sustainable thin-film space solar cells

    Alternative microfabrication processes for resource-efficient and sustainable thin-film space solar cells

    Enabling & Support

    04/12/2025
    19 views
    0 likes

    Since the late 1990s, high-efficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells have become the standard for satellite power systems due to their excellent efficiency and radiation tolerance. However, their production is resource- and energy-intensive, which conflicts with Green Space sustainability goals. 

    While material-efficient fabrication of terrestrial silicon solar cells is already commercially mature, such processes are generally incompatible with the harsh conditions of the space environment. To address this challenge, Fraunhofer ISE, supported by ESA’s Discovery & Preparation element, is developing a mask-and-plate microfabrication approach as a reliable alternative manufacturing method for III-V based solar cells for space applications.

    For more than 30 years, III-V solar cells have become the standard power source for satellites thanks to their high efficiency and strong radiation tolerance compared with silicon-based solar cells.

    These devices are fabricated by growing very thin semiconductor layers on germanium substrates using a process called epitaxy. After the layers are grown, the cells are manufactured using specific processes. This precise manufacturing approach is compatible with the harsh conditions in space, but it is resource and energy intensive, which clashes with Green Space sustainability goals.

    This resource intensity stems from three main factors: the reliance on germanium (Ge) as the substrate; the energy-intensive epitaxial growth process; and the subsequent microfabrication, which involves photolithography and metal evaporation steps – both costly, time-consuming, and energy-demanding steps.

    Low-cost thin-film space solar cells

    Promising work is underway to enable substrate re-use and efforts are targeting more efficient epitaxial processes. However, microfabrication is not really tackled yet for space solar cells. While material-efficient technologies are already available for conventional terrestrial silicon solar cells production, the requirements for space solar cells usually prevent their implementation, as some materials used in these technologies are incompatible with the reliability needs of the space environment.

    A team from Fraunhofer ISE is developing an innovative mask-and-plate approach to microfabricate III-V space solar cells without the use of photolithography or metal evaporation, a solution supported by the European Space Agency through its Discovery & Preparation element. The idea was submitted via ESA’s Open Discovery Ideas Channel (OSIP).

    A solution based on inkjet-printing technology

    AlternateSpace, the solution developed by the team, is a compelling alternative that addresses sustainability concerns by replacing photolithography with inkjet printing technology, a technique that is well-established in the graphics and TV screen manufacturing industries.

    The use of hotmelt inks in this process offers several advantages: the technique does not rely on toxic or photoactive materials, it can be applied directly in a precisely controlled pattern and it eliminates wet-chemical development steps, significantly simplifying the process chain and reducing chemical waste.

    For metal contact deposition, this innovative approach also replaces metal evaporation with electroplating. This allows metal to be deposited only on areas where the semiconductor material is not covered by ink with no subsequent lift-off steps required.

    This alternative solution required extensive optimisation, including testing various inks and adjusting parameters, such as resolution and temperature, to achieve reliable small contact openings. The mask’s chemical compatibility was verified by testing the hotmelt ink across different electrolytes, temperatures and pH values.

    The subsequent metallisation involved the evaluation of different metal stacks for electroplating and explored nickel-phosphorus plating as a non-ferromagnetic alternative to standard nickel. A final sample featuring silver front side contacts on nickel-phosphorus emerged as a space-compatible option.

    Towards fully functional thin-film space solar cells

    Towards fully functional thin-film space solar cells

    After a fully defined process route that incorporates all the newly developed steps, a fully functional photolithography-free solar cell based on space-compatible electroplated metal contacts is expected in December.

    “This work marks a key step toward cost-effective, sustainable and efficient III-V solar cell technology. It paves the way for a scalable and economically viable manufacturing route for next-generation III-V space photovoltaics. The results of the activity highlight the key role of ESA’s Discovery & Preparation programme in generating novel ideas that can drive the development of future space technologies”, commented Erminio Greco, Solar Generators Engineer at the European Space Agency.

    “By replacing photolithography and metal evaporation with scalable inkjet printing and electroplating, Fraunhofer ISE demonstrates a simplified process with significantly reduced chemical waste. This approach aligns with the goals of green space sustainability and cost reduction. After the successful demonstration of this approach, we aim towards a collaboration with industry to further develop, stabilise and finally scale the process towards industrial realisation”, commented Oliver Höhn, Head of the III-V Semiconductor Technology Group at Fraunhofer ISE.

    Continue Reading

  • The grid storage industry set a wild goal for 2025 —…

    The grid storage industry set a wild goal for 2025 —…

    In 2017, the early leaders in energy storage made an audacious bet: 35 gigawatts of the new grid technology would be installed in the United States by 2025.

    That goal sounded improbable even to some who believed that storage was on a growth trajectory. A smattering of independent developers and utilities had managed to install just 500 megawatts of batteries nationwide, equivalent to one good-size gas-fired power plant. Building 35 gigawatts would entail a 70-fold growth in just eight years.

    The number didn’t come out of thin air, though. The Energy Storage Association worked with Navigant Research to model scenarios based on a range of assumptions, recalled Praveen Kathpal, then chair of the ESA board of directors. The association decided to run with the most aggressive of the defensible scenarios in its November 2017 report.

    In 2021, ESA agreed to merge with the American Clean Power Association and ceased to exist. But, somehow, its boast proved not self-aggrandizing but prophetic.

    The U.S. crossed the threshold of 35 gigawatts of battery installations this July and then passed 40 gigawatts in the third quarter, according to data from the American Clean Power Association. The group of vendors, developers, and installers who just eight years ago stood at the margins of the power industry is now second only to solar developers in gigawatts built per year. Storage capacity outnumbers gas power in the queues for future grid additions by a factor of 6.5, according to data compiled by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

    “Storage has become the dominant form of new power addition,” Kathpal said. ​“I think it’s fair to say that batteries are how America does capacity.”

    Getting from basically no grid batteries to 35 gigawatts

    Back in 2017, I was covering the young storage industry for an outlet called Greentech Media, a beat that was complicated by how little was happening. There was much to write about the ​“enormous potential” of energy storage to make the grid more reliable and affordable, but it required caveats like ​“if states change their grid regulations to allow this new technology to compete fairly on its merits, yada yada yada.”

    Those batteries that did get built in 2017 look tiny by today’s standards. The locally owned utility cooperative in Kauai built a trailblazing 13-megawatt/52-megawatt-hour battery, the first such utility-scale system designed to sit alongside a solar power plant. And 2017 saw the tail end of the Aliso Canyon procurement, a foundational trial for the storage industry in which developers built a series of batteries in Southern California in just a handful of months to shore up the grid after a record-busting gas leak — adding up to about 100 megawatts.

    “You saw green shoots of a lot of where the industry has gone,” said Kathpal.

    California passed a law creating a storage mandate in 2010, then found a pressing need for the technology to neutralize the threat of summertime power shortages. Kauai’s small island grid quickly hit a saturation point with daytime solar, so the utility wanted a battery to shift that clean power into the nighttime. These installations weren’t research projects; they were solving real grid problems. But they were few and far in between.

    Kathpal recalled one moment that encapsulated the storage industry’s early lean era. At the time, he was developing storage projects for the independent power producer AES. One night around midnight, he parked a rented Camry off a dirt road and pointed a flashlight through a sheet of rain. It was his last stop on a trip to evaluate potential lease sites for grid storage ahead of a utility procurement — looking at available space, proximity to the grid, and stormwater characteristics. But once the utility saw the bids, it decided not to install any batteries after all.

    “The storage market is built not only from Navigant reports but also from moments like that,” he said. ​“We had to lose a lot of projects before we started winning.” 

    Now that same utility is putting out a call for storage near its substations — exactly the kind of setting Kathpal had toured in the rain all those years ago.

    Indeed, many of the projects connected to the grid this year started with developers anticipating future grid needs and putting money on the line for storage back around the time ESA was formulating its big goal, said Aaron Zubaty, CEO of early storage developer Eolian.

    “Eolian began developing projects around major metro areas in the western U.S. starting in 2016 and putting the queue positions in that then became operational in 2025,” Zubaty said. The 200-megawatt Seaside battery site at a substation in Portland, Oregon, is one example.

    Storage market twists and turns

    Though the storage industry pioneers somehow nailed the 35-gigawatt goal, market growth defied their expectations in several important ways.

    ESA had expected more of a steady ramp to the 35 gigawatts, said Kelly Speakes-Backman, who served as its chief executive officer from 2017 to 2021. But the storage market ran into plenty of false starts, such as when states passed mandates to install batteries but never enforced them, and when federal regulators ordered wholesale markets to incorporate storage but regional implementation dragged on for years.

    Continue Reading

  • Fujitsu and Scaleway partner to accelerate European sustainable transformation and data sovereignty with FUJITSU-MONAKA CPU-based AI inference

    Fujitsu and Scaleway partner to accelerate European sustainable transformation and data sovereignty with FUJITSU-MONAKA CPU-based AI inference

    The rapid proliferation of generative AI has dramatically increased data center power consumption, creating a global societal challenge. In Europe, this has led to increased demand for infrastructures that reconcile performance, energy efficiency and data sovereignty. Specifically, many organizations now operate AI models continuously in production and require predictable performance, controlled operating costs and a reduced environmental footprint. CPU-based architectures are particularly well suited to these requirements because they offer stable performance, efficient energy use and simple integration within existing environments.

    Fujitsu, with its advanced computing technologies, is developing the FUJITSU-MONAKA processor, which employs world-leading technologies cultivated in its supercomputer development activities. Built on leading-edge 2-nanometer technology and featuring unique technologies such as its own microarchitecture optimized for advanced 3D packaging and ultra-low voltage circuit operation, it is designed to deliver both high performance and power efficiency across diverse computing applications including enterprise AI.

    Aligning with its objective to provide organizations, from innovative startups to large enterprises, with infrastructure that matches their operational and strategic requirements, Scaleway offers a full spectrum of cloud services, from its AI Factory with powerful GPUs to highly efficient computing infrastructure, to offer the appropriate architecture for each use case while maintaining full transparency on performance, cost and environmental impact.

    Building on their ongoing discussions to define key use cases, the two companies will commence this joint Proof of Concept (PoC) in the second half of 2026. Based on the results, the parties will consider establishing and providing pilot environments for customers from 2027 onwards. Moving forward, Fujitsu and Scaleway will explore the commercialization of new CPU-based AI inference services optimized for the European market.

    Continue Reading

  • Eversheds Sutherland helps power ILOS Energy’s solar portfolio in Ireland – Eversheds Sutherland

    1. Eversheds Sutherland helps power ILOS Energy’s solar portfolio in Ireland  Eversheds Sutherland
    2. Germany’s ILOS Energy secures €143m for 217MW Cork solar farm  Silicon Republic
    3. German energy company building €143m solar farm in Cork  Cork Beo
    4. ILOS Energy secures €143m finance for Cork solar farm project  Irish Examiner
    5. German renewables firm ILOS secures €143m debt deal for Cork solar farm  Business Post

    Continue Reading

  • ‘Tough market conditions’ hit half-year retail sales at Frasers Group | Frasers Group

    ‘Tough market conditions’ hit half-year retail sales at Frasers Group | Frasers Group

    The owner of Sports Direct and Flannels has said sales have fallen at its UK retail businesses amid heavy discounting by rivals and “very subdued” consumer confidence.

    Frasers, which is controlled by former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said sales at its UK sports division were down 5.8% in the six months to 26 October to £1.3bn despite growth at the main Sports Direct chain because of “planned decline” at its Game outlets and the Studio Retail online arm.

    Michael Murray, the chief executive of Frasers Group, which also owns House of Fraser department stores, Jack Wills and dozens of other brands and a number of shopping centres, said “market conditions are tough” and “consumer confidence is very subdued”.

    The company said it remained cautious about the second half of its financial year but still expected to meet full-year profit expectations of up to £600m, after its bottom line was boosted by a big increase in the value of its investment in the Hugo Boss brand.

    Sales fell by 3.7% at its premium division as it said it had closed more House of Fraser, Jack Wills stores and outlets relating to a string of brands it bought from JD Sports in 2022 including Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green and 1980s brand Tessuti.

    Total sales for the group rose 5% to £2.6bn in the half year, after strong growth internationally where the group has snapped up a number of new businesses, and pre-tax profits almost doubled to £412m largely as a result of the increased value of the Hugo Boss stake. Operating profits increased 18% to £219.8m.

    “Trading has improved compared to last year’s budget-affected period;
    it is still weaker than [the year to April 2024], with excess inventory in the sector continuing to weigh on the wider market,” Frasers said.

    skip past newsletter promotion

    Murray said: “We’ve made a solid start to [the year to April 2026] even though market conditions are tough, consumer confidence is very subdued and excess inventory continues to weigh on the industry, leading to increased promotional activity. While we remain cautious into the second half, our focus is unwavering as we confront these challenges head-on.”

    Continue Reading

  • Central America Transport Weight Rules

    At Maersk, your safety and that of everyone traveling on Central American roads is a top priority. That’s why we want to share important information regarding weight and dimension regulations for land transportation in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, as outlined in the Acuerdo Centroamericano Sobre Circulación Por Carreteras, En Materia De Pesos Y Dimensiones De Vehículos De Carga. This supports our shared commitment to road safety.

    As part of compliance with the Acuerdo Centroamericano sobre Circulación por Carreteras, en Materia de Pesos y Dimensiones de Vehículos de Carga, we present a summary of the established limits to help you plan your shipments safely and without setbacks.

    Approximate Maximum Weights by Equipment Configuration








    Country
    Chassis
    Tractor Unit
    Tare Container Weigh: Tons.
    Max Total Weight 1
    T3-S2 (2 axles)
    Max Total Weight
    T3-S3 (3 axles)


    Country


    Central America


    Chassis

    3.8-6 Tons (2 axle)

    3.9-8 Tons (3 axle)


    Tractor Unit


    7-12 Tons


    Tare Container Weigh: Tons.

    20 std’ 2.05 – 2.28

    40 std’ 3.7

    40 HC 3.9

    45 HC 3.9 – 4.9

    40 HR 4.5 – 4.6


    Max Total Weight 1
    T3-S2 (2 axles)


    37 Tons.


    Max Total Weight
    T3-S3 (3 axles)


    41 Tons.

    *Approximate weights may vary depending on the manufacturer and model.

    Terms and Recommendations for Services Contracted with Maersk

    • Services under Store Door (SD) and Multicarrier modalities are governed by the terms and conditions available at: Terms for Carriage | Maersk Terms / Standard Trading Conditions | Maersk Terms

    • Maersk is not responsible for additional charges such as fines, penalties, and/or any other fees resulting from exceeding the weight and dimension limits.

    • We recommend validating any special requirements with your account executive before scheduling your service.

    • Maersk reserves the right to refrain from performing land movements if the weight, load balance, or configuration poses a risk to drivers or the public.

    • When excess weight prevents the safe or legal mobilization of the container, the customer must commit to transloading the cargo, which involves redistributing or dividing the cargo into one or more vehicles to comply with legal limits. The customer will assume all costs, time, and responsibilities related to or associated with transloading, including relevant safety measures.

    • Additionally, please consider the indications on each container regarding the maximum allowable payload.

    We appreciate your cooperation in continuing to provide a safe, efficient service aligned with local regulations.

    For more information, please contact your sales or customer service representative.

    Continue Reading

  • EU to launch antitrust probe into Meta over use of AI in WhatsApp, source says – Reuters

    1. EU to launch antitrust probe into Meta over use of AI in WhatsApp, source says  Reuters
    2. EU to launch anti-trust probe into Meta over use of AI in WhatsApp, FT reports  Dawn
    3. Meta policy may prevent rivals from offering services through WhatsApp in Europe, EU regulators say  MarketScreener
    4. Italy antitrust watchdog may curb Meta as WhatsApp AI probe widens  Reuters
    5. Meta’s block on AI bots over WhatsApp subject to formal EU probe  MLex

    Continue Reading

  • New research from ERM and GlobeScan finds climate change dominates expert priorities worldwide

    New research from ERM and GlobeScan finds climate change dominates expert priorities worldwide

    New research from GlobeScan and the ERM Sustainability Institute shows that climate change remains the most urgent global sustainability priority for 2025 according to sustainability professionals across the world, while concern for other critical issues such as biodiversity, diversity, and water scarcity has declined slightly. The findings also reveal a growing emphasis on renewable energy, low-carbon development, and cross-sector collaboration.

    The survey of 391 expert stakeholders from business, civil society, government and academia across 57 countries, took place between 26 August and 21 October, 2025. The survey ranked the top sustainability issues, captured most important sustainability developments, and explored views of leadership in the NGO and corporate sectors. 

    Top sustainability issues, developments and priorities

    • Climate change remains the top concern (cited as urgent by 94 percent of respondents), while urgency around issues such as biodiversity, deforestation, diversity, water scarcity, and labor conditions in supply chains has weakened.
    • Legislation continues to be viewed as the most impactful driver of sustainability progress, though its perceived importance has declined significantly compared to 2024 (cited by 18 percent of experts in 2025 vs. 33 percent in 2024).
    • Emerging priorities include renewable energy and low-carbon development, biodiversity initiatives, and global/multi-stakeholder collaboration.

    Expert views on corporate and NGO sustainability leadership remain steady

    • Patagonia retains its position as the most recognized corporate sustainability leader (cited by 36 percent of experts), with IKEA, Unilever, and Natura &Co following. Meanwhile, companies such as Schneider Electric, Microsoft, Interface, and Ørsted gain recognition in specific regions.  
    • WWF remains by far the most recognized NGO for sustainability leadership (cited by 44 percent of respondents), followed by Greenpeace (cited by 15 percent), World Resources Institute (cited by 12 percent) and The Nature Conservancy (cited by 10 percent).

    Integrating sustainability into business strategy is viewed as key to sustainability leadership

    • Making sustainability a core business driver is seen as the top attribute of corporate sustainability leaders (cited by 26 percent of respondents).
    • Demonstrating evidence of impact and actions and focusing on supply chains are also consistent drivers of recognized leadership.

    Chris Coulter, CEO at GlobeScan said: “This year’s survey highlights both progress and persistent challenges. Climate change remains the defining issue, but we also see stakeholders pointing to companies and NGOs that are focused on driving more innovation and collaboration in the sustainability agenda.”

    Mark Lee, Global Director of Thought Leadership at ERM, said: “Our survey findings reflect the strong belief across sectors and regions that sustainability must be embedded in business strategy and drive commercial results. These are the key factors that define sustainability leadership today, and the companies that adopt this approach will be well-positioned to benefit from enhanced resilience and value creation opportunities.”

    A clear mandate for action

    The 2025 Leaders Survey results set a clear mandate for organizations to act decisively. Leadership organizations in all sectors are encouraged to focus on sustainability issues that deliver measurable impact and financial value, secure clean and reliable energy, and meet rising regulatory and stakeholder expectations, even as budgets tighten. Success will depend on falling costs for renewable and low-carbon technologies, accelerating operational and value chain decarbonization, and embracing digital solutions.

    At the same time, the research findings reveal both progress and stagnation, underscoring that sustained innovation and cross-sector collaboration will be essential to maintain momentum and drive meaningful change in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.

    Notes to editors

    The GlobeScan / ERM Sustainability Institute Leaders Survey is an annual study that highlights the most urgent priorities in the current global sustainable development agenda.

    The 2025 survey examines private sector and civil society sustainability leadership in addition to monitoring priority issues over time and tracking notable shifts in their perceived importance. This year’s survey was conducted between August and October 2025 and reflects input from almost 400 sustainability experts across nearly 60 countries.

    About GlobeScan

    GlobeScan is an insights and advisory firm specializing in trust, sustainability, and engagement.

    We equip clients with insights to navigate shifting societal and stakeholder expectations, crafting evidence-based strategies that reduce risks and create value for their organizations and society. 

    Established in 1987, we have offices in Cape Town, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, London, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, and Toronto. GlobeScan is a participant of the UN Global Compact and a Certified B Corporation. 

    Learn more here.

    About the ERM Sustainability Institute 

    The Sustainability Institute is ERM’s primary platform for thought leadership. The purpose of the Institute is to define, accelerate, and scale sustainability performance by developing actionable insight for business. We provide an independent and authoritative voice to decode complexities. The Institute identifies innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges built on ERM’s experience, expertise, and commitment to transformational change. 

    About ERM

    Sustainability is our business.

    As the world’s largest specialist sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, deploying a unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. This approach helps clients to accelerate the integration of sustainability at every level of their business.

    With more than 50 years of experience, ERM’s diverse team of 8000+ experts in 40 countries and territories helps clients create innovative solutions to their sustainability challenges, unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. Learn more here.

    Continue Reading