One of the biggest criticisms of renewables has always been: “Wind and solar are only cheap because basic LCOE ignores intermittency, storage and reliability costs.” The new 2026 IRENA report directly tested that claim by modelling firm renewables: • solar/wind • batteries • overbuild • reliability targets • firming costs Not just raw generation costs. And the conclusions are highly relevant to the UK. 1) Hybrid renewables dramatically reduce firming costs The report shows that combining: • wind • solar • batteries is far cheaper than trying to firm wind or solar alone. That matters because this is essentially the UK strategy already underway: • offshore wind • onshore wind • solar • BESS • interconnection • flexible demand The technologies complement each other. Solar helps daytime/summer generation. Wind is generally stronger overnight and in winter. That reduces storage requirements and lowers total system costs. 2) Firm renewables are becoming cost competitive with fossil fuels The report estimates that firm solar storage systems in strong renewable regions are already around: USD 54–82/MWh today. Some projected below: USD 50/MWh by 2035. For comparison: • new gas generation in many markets is now ~USD 100/MWh • new coal in China ~USD 70–85/MWh Importantly: these figures INCLUDE storage and reliability costs. 3) The report is refreshingly honest about limitations IRENA explicitly says: • not every renewable generator must be firm • grids rely on diversity and flexibility • lithium batteries alone become expensive at very high reliability levels Which is exactly why: • grid expansion • interconnection • long duration storage • diversified renewables matter. 4) This is likely conservative The modelling is mainly based on existing 4-hour lithium-ion batteries. It barely factors in emerging storage technologies like: • sodium-ion • iron-air • advanced flow batteries which could reduce long-duration storage costs even further over the next decade. 5) The strategic implications are huge The debate is no longer: “Can renewables generate cheap electricity?” That question is already settled. The debate is increasingly: “How cheaply can renewables provide reliable electricity?” And the answer is: far more cheaply than many expected only a few years ago. Especially as: • batteries scale • grids strengthen • offshore wind expands • long-duration storage matures • and hybrid systems become standard. Source: IRENA 2026 “24/7 Renewables: The Economics of Firm Solar and Wind” irena.org/Publications/2026/… #NetZero #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #OffshoreWind #BatteryStorage

CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics announces ASHS/Asphalt Slurry Hydrogenation conversion project in Xinjiang. 1.5GW wind power to produce 65kt green hydrogen mixed w/ nanocatalyst in slurry bed reactor to transform low cost solid asphalt into synthetic crude oil. Import residue heavy oil/asphalt very cheaply from Central/North Asia & convert into 1.6mt of crude oil. This is fairly profitable when crude is at $90 per barrel. It also has 2 more projects: 5mt/yr in Songyuan, Jilin & 1.6mt/yr in Shanshan, Xinjiang. China is continuing work to turn crap into useful energy source by applying green electricity derivatives in its bid for energy independence. mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pwtZlBhYo…

The preliminary Pentagon cost estimate of the war in Iran is $1 billion a day, a congressional official told me.