[UK grid to spend £20.9bn to achieve net zero emissions]The UK power network operator will have a £20.9bn budget to expand the grid to connect millions of electric vehicles, smart systems and small renewable energy projects over the next five years. The budget will be used for service, maintenance, upgrades and repairs by six UK distribution network companies from April 2023, and has been approved by regulator Ofgem. The plan, which includes tree-cutting, flood protection and other energy security measures, aims to improve the resilience of the UK's 800,000km of overhead and underground transmission lines to deal with more severe weather events in the future. Editor/Xing Wentao
Pavlodar Oblast of Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation with Xuechuan Agriculture of China to implement a large-scale potato processing project. The project plans to build a modern agricultural and industrial park, with an annual processing capacity of 100000 to 200000 tons of potatoes, covering planting, research and development, processing, and supporting facilities, with a total investment of 100-200 million US dollars. Xuechuan Agriculture has strong capabilities, and this cooperation will make up for the shortcomings in local agricultural deep processing, create employment opportunities, and both parties have expressed their long-term willingness to cooperate and provide support.Editor/Gong Ziwei
On May 13, 2026, Sinopec Deep Ground Engineering achieved a new breakthrough in the Sichuan Chongqing Natural Gas Base, with the proven geological reserves of the Ziyang Dongfeng shale gas field in Sichuan reaching 235.687 billion cubic meters, marking the birth of China's ultra deep shale gas field with a capacity of billions of cubic meters. The gas field is buried over 4500 meters deep, and the research team has overcome multiple technical challenges, achieving a strategic leap from deep to ultra deep shale gas in China, which is of great significance for strengthening national energy security.Editor/Gong Ziwei