Latest news with #GreenPowerDenmark
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After kill switches in Chinese solar panels in U.S, Denmark finds suspicious parts in East Asian circuit boards
Denmark has issued an alert, only days after the United States identified "kill switches" in Chinese solar equipment . Suspicious materials have been found in East Asian circuit boards destined for Denmark's green power grid. The findings have evoked concerns of spying, sabotage, and overdependence on overseas technology. What exactly was found in Denmark's energy components Danish power firms found unlisted parts on East Asian circuit boards meant for green infrastructure. The episode illustrates increasing distrust of foreign technology in key energy systems, according to an industry group. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ranger Sees Strange Creature On Riverbank. He Says, 'Oh My God,' When He Realizes What It Really Is Cleverst Undo Technology companies, which had planned to use the parts in green power infrastructure, say the discovery raises questions about energy security and espionage. A week after the US claimed to have found "kill switches" in a shipment of solar panels and batteries from China, it has sparked worries about the possibility of remote power outages or digital espionage, as quoted in a report by The Sunday Times. Live Events ALSO READ: Will Trump deport Belgium's future queen? She's caught up in Harvard foreign student ban and situation is uncertain The issue has gained more attention since the massive blackout that struck parts of Portugal and Spain two weeks ago. Both countries rely significantly on solar energy infrastructure manufactured in China. The Danish government has not yet disclosed the type of electronics, their apparent function, or the nation from which they originated. The components from "the East" were discovered during routine inspections of a "development project" that had never been connected to the grid, according to Green Power Denmark , an umbrella organization for 1,500 Danish renewable technology companies. The organization stated, "It's a clear warning: threats to energy security can hide in plain sight." "Sabotage isn't always the true threat. Unlisted components are another possibility. hidden features. Danish energy companies disassemble and inspect before anything goes online,' as per the report. Could this be a new form of digital sabotage? Green Power Denmark's technical director, Jorgen Christensen, stated that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and that the enigmatic electronics might have been added to the circuit boards to serve an innocent purpose. He told Reuters that it's possible the supplier didn't mean any harm. However, that doesn't alter the fact that these elements shouldn't exist. The head of the lobby group SolarPower Europe , Walburga Hemetsberger, called for an investigation and described the discovery as extremely alarming. The Danish government has not yet stated if it will get involved in the case, though. Experts have warned more forcefully in recent years about the security threat posed by China's monopoly on the supply of numerous types of renewable energy components in Europe, including batteries, turbines, and inverters that balance power voltage as it enters the grid. FAQs What did Denmark find on imported circuit boards? Unlisted electronic components were discovered during routine checks on East Asian-made parts for green energy usage. Do you have proof of sabotage? Not yet, experts say the parts may be harmless, but their undocumented presence remains a major concern.
Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Denmark finds ‘suspicious' components in key infrastructure imports
Danish firms have found 'suspicious' components added to east Asian circuit boards that were supposed to be built into the country's green energy infrastructure, according to an industry body. It has raised concerns about the potential for remote disruption of the power supply or digital espionage, coming a week after the US claimed to have identified 'kill switches' in a consignment of solar panels and batteries from China. So far the Danish authorities have been tight-lipped about the nature and apparent purpose of the extra electronics, as well as which country they had come from. • Chinese 'kill switches' found hidden in US solar farms Green Power Denmark, an umbrella group for 1,500 Danish renewable technology companies, said the components from 'the East' had been
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unexplained components found in Denmark's energy equipment imports, industry group says
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Unexplained electronic components have been found in imported equipment for Denmark's energy supply network, industry group Green Power Denmark said on Wednesday, adding that an investigation was underway to learn more. The findings coincide with an increased focus internationally on potential security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure such as energy grids. "It concerns printed circuit boards that were supposed to be part of components for the energy supply," Jorgen Christensen, technical director at Green Power Denmark, told Reuters. "We don't know how critical it is or whether there are bad intentions behind it," he said. The Danish ministry for preparedness and resilience declined to comment on whether an investigation had been started. The justice ministry, energy ministry and the intelligence service did not reply to Reuters' requests for comment. Christensen declined to specify which country the equipment originated from, who was conducting the investigation or to elaborate on the components' capabilities, including whether they were meant for solar power equipment. "This is highly concerning. It is important that an investigation is underway," Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of solar lobby SolarPower Europe, told Reuters on Wednesday. Christensen said the components were discovered recently during a routine examination of circuit boards that were due to be installed in energy supply equipment. The circuit boards might have been designed for multiple purposes, which could explain the presence of additional components, but Christensen emphasised they should not be included in equipment destined for energy infrastructure. "It's possible the supplier had no malicious intent. We can't say at this point, but that doesn't change the fact that these components shouldn't be there," he said. The findings were first reported by Danish news outlet Berlingske earlier on Wednesday. Reuters last week reported that U.S. energy officials found rogue communication devices in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries that could potentially bypass firewalls and destabilise power grids.
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Unexplained components found in Denmark's energy equipment imports, industry group says
COPENHAGEN, May 21 (Reuters) - Unexplained electronic components have been found in imported equipment for Denmark's energy supply network, industry group Green Power Denmark said on Wednesday, adding that an investigation was underway to learn more. The findings coincide with an increased focus internationally on potential security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure such as energy grids. "It concerns printed circuit boards that were supposed to be part of components for the energy supply," Jorgen Christensen, technical director at Green Power Denmark, told Reuters. "We don't know how critical it is or whether there are bad intentions behind it," he said. The Danish ministry for preparedness and resilience declined to comment on whether an investigation had been started. The justice ministry, energy ministry and the intelligence service did not reply to Reuters' requests for comment. Christensen declined to specify which country the equipment originated from, who was conducting the investigation or to elaborate on the components' capabilities, including whether they were meant for solar power equipment. "This is highly concerning. It is important that an investigation is underway," Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of solar lobby SolarPower Europe, told Reuters on Wednesday. Christensen said the components were discovered recently during a routine examination of circuit boards that were due to be installed in energy supply equipment. The circuit boards might have been designed for multiple purposes, which could explain the presence of additional components, but Christensen emphasised they should not be included in equipment destined for energy infrastructure. "It's possible the supplier had no malicious intent. We can't say at this point, but that doesn't change the fact that these components shouldn't be there," he said. The findings were first reported by Danish news outlet Berlingske earlier on Wednesday. Reuters last week reported that U.S. energy officials found rogue communication devices in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries that could potentially bypass firewalls and destabilise power grids.
France 24
13-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
Europe's biggest 'green' methanol plant opens in Denmark
Sitting next to northern Europe's biggest solar panel field and a large transformer station in the Danish countryside, the site will produce e-methanol, a synthetic fuel made from renewable energy and carbon dioxide. The site, called Kasso, is only the third e-methanol plant in operation in the world after locations in China and the United States, according to the French Bureau of E-fuels. "Our strategy is to scale up. The next plant will be three times bigger," said Jaime Casasus-Bribian, head of projects at Danish company European Energy, which co-owns the plant with Japanese firm Mitsui. The facility will produce up to 42,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year, the equivalent of 50 million litres. The e-methanol will serve as fuel for Maersk ships, raw material for Lego's colourful plastic bricks and a component for Novo Nordisk's insulin injection pens. While the plant is a milestone for Europe, it is small on a global scale. Maersk alone would need two million tonnes of green methanol each year by 2030 if it were to reduce its fleet's carbon footprint by just 10 percent, according to its own estimates. Laura Maersk, the company's first container ship to sail on e-methanol, will fill up at the neighbouring Aabenraa port every quarter, enough to allow it to sail for one month. "This is an encouraging initiative in terms of the sector's potential development," Yann Lesestre, the author of an international report on e-fuels, told AFP. He said, however, that it was too small to be of major significance. "The feedback from the project will be interesting to verify the proper functioning of the technology on a commercial scale," he said. The project has received a 53-million-euro ($59-million) subsidy from a Danish green investment fund. China world leader According to Lesestre's report, the European e-methanol sector accounts for 19 percent of planned capacity worldwide, compared to 60 percent in China. The Jiangsu Sailboat site in China has been operational since 2023 and produces 100,000 tonnes annually. Denmark -- a pioneer in renewable energy, in particular wind power -- has touted its swift development of the project, opening the plant less than two years after receiving the construction permit. "It's a very, very important stepping stone in this whole transition of scaling up the production capacity," said Camilla Holbech, the head of renewable energies, green transition and international cooperation at the Green Power Denmark association. "Stepping into green fuels is very, very important because in that way we can decarbonise sectors that cannot a priori run on electricity," Holbech said, citing shipping as an example. The significant cost gap between this new industry and the fossil fuel industry explains the number of smaller-scale projects, she said. E-methanol production costs could rival those of fossil fuels by 2040 if there is massive investment, according to a report by Green Power Denmark. While the US and Chinese e-methanol plants use recycled carbon, the Danish site uses biogenic carbon, which is carbon found in natural materials, such as trees, plants, and other forms of biomass. E-methanol is made by combining biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen, itself produced by electrolysis, which involves splitting water molecules using an electric current from renewable energy sources, in this case solar power.
