News on China's scientific and technological development.
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China uses coal power exhaust to produce low-cost fertiliser for farms
The process avoids the need for underground storage by redirecting industrial emissions into agricultural production.By
May 17, 2026 03:57 PM EST
A new industrial process at a coal-fired power plant in China is converting smokestack emissions directly into fertiliser instead of storing the carbon underground. Chinese media described the process as a closed system in which flue gas enters one end of the pipeline and fertiliser emerges from the other.
The method builds on carbon capture technology, which removes carbon dioxide from industrial emissions before it reaches the atmosphere. In most carbon capture projects, the extracted CO2 is compressed into liquid form and transported for long-term underground storage in geological formations.
In this case, however, the captured gas is being repurposed as a raw material for production, creating a link between emissions reduction and agricultural manufacturing.
Lower-cost carbon capture route through fertiliser production
Traditional carbon capture systems often depend on suitable underground geology and expensive infrastructure, making them difficult to scale across many industrial sites. In China, Jiangnan Environmental Technology (JNG) has adopted a different approach by using ammonia to absorb sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide released during coal combustion, then converting those captured compounds into fertiliser, the South China Morning Post .The process avoids the need for underground storage by redirecting industrial emissions into agricultural production. By combining pollution control with fertiliser manufacturing, the company is positioning the technology as a lower-cost alternative that could reduce emissions while creating a commercially useful byproduct.
The technology developed by JNG builds on decades of progress in industrial emissions control. Early in the 20th century, sulphur removal relied on limestone–gypsum methods that were effective but generated large volumes of waste. This was later replaced in many facilities by ammonia-based desulphurisation, which converts sulphur dioxide into ammonium sulphate fertiliser.
The company has now extended the approach by using ammonia to capture both sulphur dioxide and from coal-fired power plant emissions. These gases are then converted into ammonium sulphate and ammonium bicarbonate, producing fertiliser as a usable end product while treating industrial exhaust.
Chinese facility captures 10,000 tons of CO2 for fertiliser production
The system is reported to capture around 90 per cent of carbon emissions generated in the process. In August 2025, a pilot project based on this technology went into operation at a coal-fired power plant in Ningbo, located in Zhejiang. The installation is designed to capture approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year while producing about 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser as a byproduct. The project is being used to test the scalability of combining emissions capture with fertiliser production at industrial facilities.A 2025 study found that fertiliser produced through the coal power plant process increased rice yields by 6.2 per cent compared with crops grown using conventional fertiliser. Researchers reported that the results point to improved agricultural performance when the emissions-derived product is used in place of standard inputs.
The same study also indicated a notable reduction in nutrient runoff. Levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium released into the surrounding environment were significantly lower than those associated with conventional fertiliser use, suggesting potential environmental benefits alongside higher crop productivity.
Trials of the fertiliser have reportedly been conducted in several countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Brazil, according to project information. The tests are intended to evaluate how the product performs across a range of soils, climates, and agricultural conditions. It is also claimed that switching to this type of fertiliser could reduce farmers’ input costs by up to 50 per cent, suggesting potential economic advantages alongside its emissions-related benefits.
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China’s new lithium battery reaches 451 Wh/kg with 3-minute charging and 700 cycles
New lithium-metal battery reaches 451.5 Wh/kg while supporting roughly three-minute charging cycles.By
May 21, 2026 05:04 PM EST
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences said they developed a solid-state lithium-metal battery that achieved an energy density of 451.5 Wh/kg while operating under ultra-fast charging conditions equivalent to roughly three-minute charge and discharge cycles.
The team reported that the battery maintained stable cycling for 700 cycles with 81.9 percent capacity retention when paired with a 4.7V high-nickel cathode under a 20C charging rate.
Researchers focused on improving polymer electrolytes based on polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, a material widely studied for solid-state batteries because of its oxidation stability and ionic conductivity.
According to the researchers, conventional plasticizers used in PVDF electrolytes often suffer from poor electrochemical stability, leading to side reactions that reduce compatibility with lithium-metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes.
Fixing unstable electrolytes
To solve the issue, the team developed what it described as a “compatibilizing-solvent plasticization” strategy. The approach uses a temporary volatile solvent during electrolyte preparation to improve compatibility between the polymer and stable plasticizers. As the solvent evaporates during film formation, the plasticizer remains trapped inside the polymer network.The researchers said the method enabled the formation of a lithium fluoride-rich interfacial layer while suppressing unwanted side reactions at both electrodes.
The study abstract also reported an average lithium plating and stripping Coulombic efficiency of 99.1 percent over 1,400 cycles.
Researchers used sulfolane as the representative plasticizer in the electrolyte system. According to the study, interactions between the polymer and sulfolane suppressed plasticizer migration and stabilized the electrolyte structure during battery operation.
The team also demonstrated an ampere-hour-level pouch cell using a thin lithium-metal anode with an N/P ratio of 1.1. The pouch cell achieved an energy density of 451.5 Wh/kg, more than double the energy density typically associated with many commercial lithium iron phosphate EV battery cells.
Racing toward commercialization
The pouch cell also passed a nail-penetration test, which researchers described as evidence of strong intrinsic safety performance.The latest findings arrive as battery makers and research institutes push to commercialize solid-state battery systems capable of delivering higher energy density, faster charging, and improved safety compared to conventional .
Several Chinese battery developers are targeting commercial solid-state battery systems in the 400 Wh/kg to 500 Wh/kg range between 2026 and 2027 while continuing work on lithium-metal and semi-solid-state technologies.
Despite accelerating investment in next-generation battery systems, lithium iron phosphate chemistry continues to dominate China’s market because of lower costs and large-scale manufacturing maturity.
The researchers said the work could expand the design space for PVDF-based polymer electrolytes and provide a potential pathway toward practical lithium-metal batteries with both high energy density and fast charging capability.
The study was published in the Journal of the .
DJI & Insta360 absolutely decimated GoPro market share as they are considering a sale or merger.
For all the silicon value hype, automated scientific instruments like this is what's required for any hope of RSI. Otherwise, Claude/GPT will be circling in a loop trying to optimize itself without any real-world knowledge outside its training set distribution.
I don’t doubt that the US will eventually reinvent itself. I do doubt that it can do so in the timescales people imagine when they throw that talking point around though. And I say this as someone who used to be extremely positive about this country.
CNPC Powder is increasing its production of metals powder by 8000t per year as its existing plant expands with 76.5亩 project entering production at end of this year out of 266亩 full plot. This new 8000t facility looks to fully enter production in 2026/8. It is opening new factory in California (expecting 4-6 automated product lines for Al, Nickel, Iron & Ti powders), expecting to enter production in 2027Q1. It partnered with California Metals for this.