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/daily ·26 OCT 2026 ·MONDAY ·2 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

The day in AI

01 / The Day

MONDAY 26 OCT 2026, ranked

06

Singapore Greenlights 1.3 GW Cross-Border Clean Electricity Corridor

Singapore Energy Market Authority granted conditional approval to a Sembcorp-led consortium to import 1.3 GW of clean electricity by 2035 via a subsea corridor drawing from offshore wind in Vietnam and solar-plus-storage in Malaysia.

  • 1.3 GW import would cover roughly 15-20% of Singapore current peak demand
  • Subsea interconnectors link Vietnam offshore wind and Malaysia solar-BESS to Singapore
  • Milestone toward Singapore target of importing 4 GW of low-carbon power by 2035
Why it mattersA confirmed regional power corridor for Southeast Asia hub economy validates the geopolitical and technical viability of ASEAN green grid ambitions.
01 carbon-pulse.com↗

Australia Energised Record 2.3 GW / 7.1 GWh of Batteries in H1 2026

The Clean Energy Council reported Australia brought 2.3 GW / 7.1 GWh of utility battery storage online in the first half of 2026 alone, exceeding all 2025 total capacity additions, alongside FIDs on 2.6 GW of new generation.

  • H1 2026 battery additions surpassed entire 2025 storage deployment
  • Additional 2.6 GW of new generation capacity secured FID in the same period
  • Australia now leads the developed world in per-capita utility battery deployment pace
Why it mattersAustralia H1 2026 figure suggests the coal-exit-driven storage buildout has hit an inflection point, with investment and deployment timelines compressing sharply.
02 pv-magazine-australia.com↗

Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells Hit Over 20% at Commercial Scale

Chinese researchers overcame the efficiency drop-off that plagues thin-film scale-up, producing large-area flexible perovskite solar modules at 750 cm2 with power conversion efficiencies consistently exceeding 20%, more than double prior records for comparable module sizes.

  • 750 cm2 prototype exceeds 20% PCE — more than doubling prior records at comparable size
  • Flexible form factor enables rooftops, vehicles, and wearable energy-harvesting applications
  • Addresses the key commercialisation barrier preventing perovskite from leaving the lab
Why it mattersScale-up efficiency loss has been the showstopper for perovskite decade of lab dominance — eliminating it at 750 cm2 puts commercial flexible perovskite on a credible near-term roadmap.
03 globaltimes.cn↗

NASA SPEARS Battery Operates at -170C, Eliminating Heating Systems

NASA SPEARS program unveiled prototype solid-state cells that retain charge transfer and operate at -170C (-274F) under lunar-analog conditions, avoiding the energy-wasting auxiliary heaters current batteries require at sub-zero temperatures.

  • Operates down to -170C, far beyond the -40C limit of conventional Li-ion
  • Eliminates auxiliary heaters that currently waste 10-15% of EV range in cold climates
  • Freeze-resistant architecture removes the thermal-runaway risk of liquid electrolytes
Why it mattersA battery that works at -170C without heaters is equally transformative for lunar rovers, polar EVs, and cold-chain logistics — one chemistry change fixes all three.
04 news.flalingo.com↗

Donut Lab Battery: 92% Capacity at -30C, 80% Charge in 15 Minutes

Finnish startup Donut Lab reported independently validated results showing its NMC chemistry retains 92% of capacity at -30C during discharge and recharges to 80% state-of-charge in under 15 minutes, at 250 Wh/kg energy density.

  • 92% capacity retention at -30C — far better than current lithium-ion in cold weather
  • 80% recharge in 15 minutes at -30C without any active heating requirement
  • 250 Wh/kg energy density with dendrite suppression independently validated
Why it mattersCold-weather fast charging is the last major performance gap between EVs and petrol for northern European and North American winter drivers — Donut Lab directly closes it.
05 battery-digest.com↗

Singapore Launches Nuclear Manpower Programs, Eyes 2027 IAEA Review

Singapore unveiled three domestic workforce programs to build technical and regulatory capability in advanced nuclear energy ahead of its scheduled 2027 IAEA nuclear infrastructure review, a mandatory prerequisite for any nuclear build decision.

  • Three programs cover regulatory, engineering, and policy competencies for advanced nuclear
  • 2027 IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Review is a mandatory pre-licensing prerequisite
  • Singapore imports over 95% of its energy, citing nuclear as a path to energy security
Why it mattersIAEA NIR completion is the formal tripwire before Singapore can contract for nuclear technology — these manpower programs telegraph that a build decision is moving closer.
06 technode.global↗
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