Mes: diciembre 2020

SHANGHAI, Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) («Daqo New Energy», the «Company» or «we»), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced that its subsidiary Xinjiang Daqo New Energy has signed long-term high-purity polysilicon supply agreements with a subsidiary of JA Solar (SZ:002459) and with another leading solar company.

Under the supply agreement with JA Solar, Daqo New Energy will provide JA Solar with high-purity mono-grade polysilicon in a total amount of 32,400 MT ~ 43,200 MT between January 2021 and December 2023. Actual volume and prices will be negotiated monthly by both parties according to market conditions.

Under the other supply agreement, Daqo New Energy will provide high-purity mono-grade polysilicon to a leading solar company in a total amount of 12,000 MT between January 2021 and December 2022. Actual volume and prices will be negotiated monthly by both parties according to market conditions.

Mr. Longgen Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Daqo New Energy, commented, «We are very pleased to further strengthen our cooperation with JA Solar and another leading solar company, both of whom have been our long-term customers for years. Including the volume of these two agreements, approximate 79,800 MT of our polysilicon has already been booked under long-term supply agreements for 2021. We believe solar PV will play an increasingly important role in the global energy market as we are entering into the era of grid-parity and as the levelized cost of solar PV is being continuously reduced. As always, we will focus on our core business by accelerating our capacity expansion and providing high quality products to contribute our effort to the fast-growing solar PV market.»

About JA Solar

JA Solar is a manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic products. With 12 manufacturing bases and more than 20 branches around the world, the company’s business covers silicon wafers, cells, modules and photovoltaic power stations. JA Solar products are available in 135 countries and regions and are used extensively in ground-mounted power plants, commercial & industrial rooftop PV systems and residential rooftop PV systems. With its advantages of continuous technological innovation, sound financial performance, and well-established global sales and service networks, JA Solar has been well received and highly recognized by clients from home and abroad. The company has been listed on Fortune China 500 and Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises for several consecutive years.

About Daqo New Energy

Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) («Daqo» or the «Company») is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company is one of the world’s lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon. Daqo’s highly-efficient and technically advanced manufacturing facility currently has a nameplate annual polysilicon production capacity of 70,000 metric tons.

For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the «safe harbor» provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as «will,» «expects,» «anticipates,» «future,» «intends,» «plans,» «believes,» «estimates» and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies; global supply and demand for polysilicon; alternative technologies in cell manufacturing; the Company’s ability to significantly expand its polysilicon production capacity and output; the reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications; the Company’s ability to lower its production costs; changes in the political and regulatory environment; and the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in China and many other countries and the impact of the outbreaks and the quarantines and travel restrictions instituted by relevant governments on economic and market conditions, including potentially weaker global demand for solar PV installations that could adversely affect the Company’s business and financial performance. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents the Company has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For further information, please contact:

Daqo New Energy Corp.
Investor Relations Department
Phone: +86-187-1658-5553
Email: dqir@daqo.com

Christensen

In China
Mr. Rene Vanguestaine
Phone: +86 178 1749 0483
E-mail: rvanguestaine@christensenir.com

In the U.S.
Mr. Tip Fleming
Phone: +1-917-412-3333
Email: tfleming@Christensenir.com  

For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daqo-new-energy-announces-long-term-high-purity-polysilicon-supply-agreements-with-two-customers-301198010.html

SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Sigora Solar has chosen to give a portion of their profits this year to both World Central Kitchen and New Hill Development Corporation to support those most impacted by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sigora is helping both their missions to feed those struck by disaster and to create more resilient food networks around the world. These donations are a direct result from the Take Back 2020 campaign earlier this year.

In April, Sigora’s campaign launched across 14 states to bring back some security when everything else seemed out of control. They offered a discount to go solar and promised to donate a portion of each sale to local communities affected by COVID-19. Despite the unknown challenges which lay ahead, Sigora didn’t want to lose their momentum of empowering people and communities to take control of their energy and start saving money, according to Logan Landry, Sigora Solar’s CEO

«When the pandemic started, we made a promise to help people,» said Landry. «We knew this year was going to be extraordinarily tough for many and we had a responsibility to help, if we could. New Hill Development and World Central Kitchen are incredible organizations helping in one of the most fundamentally necessary ways possible, making sure the most vulnerable among us still have enough to eat.»

The money donated to New Hill Development will be distributed in partnership with Community Kitchen, formerly Frontline Foods Charlottesville, a program that provides nourishing food to those in need by purchasing meals from local restaurants. These efforts will feed 650 people within the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

«While the pandemic has affected all of us, it’s hit communities of color disproportionately harder. This becomes undoubtedly clear when considering heightened levels of food insecurity. Supplying meals is a small but essential way we can support one another during a difficult time,» said John Kluge, city-lead for Community Kitchen.

World Central Kitchen acted early when the pandemic struck and started «Restaurants for the People» which has worked closely with community and government leaders and organizations around the country to identify local food and nutrition needs, brought in small, independent restaurants into their network, and have helped bring in revenue for restaurants to cover bills and rehire employees.

These programs seemed to be the perfect fit for Sigora to give back to the communities they serve, according to Tad Luttrell, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Sigora Solar. The Take Back 2020 campaign was developed to help people transition their power to solar and start saving money on their electric bills. A portion of each of those sales contributed directly to the donations being made to New Hill Development and World Central Kitchen.

«We knew our team would do whatever it took to drive through the challenges posed by the pandemic, but there were also those who were going to be left hurting through no fault of their own,» said Luttrell. «We are fortunate enough to sell a product that saves people money and pays for itself which has helped us continue to grow in 2020. Partnering with these amazing organizations allows us to give back.»

Sigora and World Central Kitchen seem to be kindred organizations with the work they both began in Haiti following the catastrophic earthquake in 2010. Sigora Solar brings much needed infrastructure support to underserved communities and families in Haiti through its One-For-OneTM program, which creates a value-add for domestic customers by «paying it forward.» For every domestic household or commercial customer that goes solar, a family or essential service provider in Haiti gains access to clean, affordable, 24/7 electricity through their partnership with Sigora Haiti & HADPRE. In 2020, Sigora’s efforts in Haiti also included a donated rooftop solar system for St. Louis du Nord Hospital, battery system installation for the only breast cancer clinic in Haiti, three Tesla Powerpack utility-scale batteries added to the grid, and installed an additional 200+ new streetlights.

World Central Kitchen started a culinary school in Haiti to train aspiring chefs and prepare them for jobs in the growing hospitality and tourism industry. The school graduates over 40 students per year and the students are placed into internships with high-end restaurants and hotels.

About Sigora Solar:
Sigora Solar is the largest residential and commercial solar company in Virginia, with more than 40% of the Commonwealth’s installed distributed generation capacity. Sigora’s unique Produce+ReduceTM package provides solar and energy efficiency services paired with a PEARL certification to monetize those upgrades. Sigora’s One-For-OneTM program expands energy equity, providing households in Haiti access to electricity through Sigora Haiti. Sigora now operates in 13 states, establishing itself as a top 25 residential solar company in the Country. Sigora’s mission is to empower people and communities to take charge of their energy and build a more sustainable and equitable energy future.

About New Hill Development:
New Hill is a non-profit Community Development Corporation established in 2018. Charlottesville is undergoing significant growth and development and it is imperative that the Black community be actively participating in this process. We want to help rebuild our appropriated assets, and celebrate our history and culture. We believe that New Hill, guided by the needs stated by the Black Community, can begin to restore what was lost through urban renewal and years of marginalization.

New Hill Development Corporation is an African-American led social enterprise established to build financial resilience, economic opportunity and affordable housing in the Greater Charlottesville Black community. We envision a resilient Black community thriving within a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community.

Yolunda Harrell – e: yharrell@newhilldev.com     p: 434-465-9164
John Kluge – e: jkluge@refugeeinvestments.org     p: 917-916-0422

About World Central Kitchen:
World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. World Central Kitchen is a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to those who need them most. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve activated thousands of restaurants and kitchens to feed marginalized and vulnerable communities and our brave medical professionals on the front lines. WCK’s Restaurants for the People program attacks the growing hunger and economic crises on two fronts by paying local restaurants to cook fresh meals for their neighbors in need—at the same time getting food to hungry people and keeping restaurants and their teams open and working. We know that a nourishing meal in a time of crisis is so much more than a plate of food—it’s hope, it’s dignity, it’s a sign that someone cares about you and that you are not alone. When we work urgently to get fresh meals to people in need, we’re sharing so much more than a meal, and that’s why we do what we do. Learn more here.

Media Contact

Josh Palubicki, Sigora Solar, 9207077612, josh.palubicki@sigorasolar.com

John Kluge, New Hill Development Corporation, 917-916-0422, jkluge@refugeeinvestments.org

 

SOURCE Sigora Solar

OXFORD, England, Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — First Light Fusion, an Oxford-based global leader in researching energy generation via inertial fusion, has raised $25 million from both existing and new investors. The funding round was led by Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI) and includes IP Group plc and Hostplus.

The new funding will enable First Light to add 23 new employees across its science, engineering and simulation departments taking the total team to over 60 and allowing First Light to significantly upgrade computational and experimental resources. First Light will also use the new funding to accelerate other core workstreams, including planning for its prototype gain-scale experiment and further grid-scale reactor development. In addition, First Light has expanded its Oxford HQ by a further 11,000 square feet, to accommodate the enlarged team of scientists and engineers, and the new equipment.

2020 has been another year of major developments at First Light, despite the impact of covid-19.

The first ever high-resolution 3D x-ray tomography of First Light’s targets has been produced, showing how to improve target manufacturing in unprecedented detail.

The company also took the opportunity to complete a major upgrade of its unique pulsed power device, «Machine 3», the biggest pulsed power machine in the world dedicated to researching fusion energy. Machine 3 is capable of discharging up to 200,000 volts and in excess of 14 million ampere – the equivalent of nearly 500 simultaneous lightning strikes – within two microseconds. Similar to a railgun, it’s designed to use electromagnetism to fire projectiles at around 20km/s into a «target» to create the conditions necessary to achieve fusion.

The completed upgrades to Machine 3 have dramatically improved the delivery of the electrical current (ie. getting more current into the load to force the acceleration of the projectile), while also improving the repeatability of the machine (enabling First Light to more rapidly deliver new experimental «shots»). First Light has already started a new shot campaign with the upgraded device.

The next step in the technological development will be to achieve ‘gain’, whereby the amount of energy created outstrips that used to spark the reaction.

Fusion is the ultimate source of the universe’s energy and is the same process that powers stars, including the Sun. First Light Fusion was founded to address the urgent need to decarbonise the global energy system. The company’s inertial confinement approach aims to create the extreme temperatures and pressures required for fusion by compressing a target using a projectile travelling at massive speed. First Light believes its technology can accelerate the pathway to a commercial grid-ready reactor by enabling a faster and more cost-efficient approach than other fusion schemes.

First Light’s ambitious programme of development remains on track. It expects to demonstrate «gain» (getting out more energy than went in) this decade, and a first-of-a-kind plant in the 2030s.

Dr Nick Hawker, CEO of First Light Fusion said:

«We are delighted to be further strengthening our partnership with both OSI and IP Group while welcoming new investors to the company. It is vital that as we progress towards achieving fusion, we continue to advance our other workstreams so we can maintain momentum towards both gain, but also delivering a workable grid-ready fusion reactor. We remain confident in our technology and excited about the potential of our unique approach, which we believe offers the best and fastest way to make fusion energy a reality.»

For more information please contact:

First Light Fusion Ltd                                                                                        

Gianluca Pisanello, Chief Operating Officer  
+44 (0) 1865 807 670

Powerscourt Group (Public Relations Adviser)

Peter Ogden, Steve Marinker, Jack Holden    
+44 (0) 20 7250 1446

About First Light Fusion

First Light Fusion was founded by Professor Yiannis Ventikos, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at University College, London, and Dr Nicholas Hawker, formerly an Engineering lecturer at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

The company was spun out from the University of Oxford in July 2011, with seed capital from IP Group plc, Parkwalk Advisors Ltd and private investors. Invesco and OSI provided follow-on capital.

The business has grown from a research-focused university project to a fully-fledged company that has developed not only a strategy for how to make fusion energy work, but also a sustainable business model based on the technology.

The team comprises experts in relevant scientific and engineering fields plus the management experience necessary to address the challenges which lie ahead. The company has been able to attract a world class advisory board, meaning it can benefit from decades of relevant experience to help it streamline the path towards realising its vision.

First Light’s inertial confinement approach aims to create the extreme temperatures and pressures required for fusion by compressing a target using a projectile travelling at massive speed (a pulse). First Light’s approach to fusion, which is safe, clean, and virtually limitless, has the potential to transform the world’s energy system. Unlike existing nuclear, there is no long-lived waste, no meltdown risk, and raw materials can be found in abundance.

 

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-light-fusion-raises-25-million-301198006.html

SOURCE First Light Fusion

RISHON LEZION, Israel and SAO PAULO, Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Agrowing Ltd., an Israeli world leading provider of award-winning AI-Enabling multispectral sensors, and Vetorgeo, a Brazilian startup focused on Agriculture 4.0 solutions, collaborating with São Paulo University (UNESP) announce a significant breakthrough in leaf-level and aerial HLB detection in Citrus.

HLB is considered the main Citrus disease worldwide. The disease has no cure. It decreases oranges’ production as infected trees must be removed from orchards as soon as they are detected to stop the disease’s spreading. Currently, the removal of infected trees is carried out after the visual confirmation of symptoms of HLB by trained inspectors teams. However the visual inspection takes long time, it is not sufficiently accurate, it is expensive and tedious.

VetorGEO’s research team has been developing a new detection method utilizing Agrowing’s high resolution 4 and 10 band multispectral sensors.

Preliminary tests were carried out in highlighted leaves using Agrowing’s 4 band 10MP per band sensor. The tests demonstrated the possibility to identify and isolate multispectral signatures of HLB symptoms in Citrus leaves.

The outstanding accuracy obtained in the preliminary test opened the possibility for the development of two disruptive solutions in the detection of HLB: A. The use of the Agrowing’s sensors for confirmation of inspectors’ visual observation (increasing their accuracy), and B. Early aerial detection of HLB infected trees by a UAV (drone).

VetorGEO has already initiated an aerial research to verify the feasibility of detecting HLB infected trees from 60m altitude. Tests carried out in orchards with advanced symptoms of the disease showed promising results. The challenge now, is to detect the initial symptoms of the disease.

VetorGEO is conducting these very days PCR tests of selected trees, suspected to be infected with HLB, based on the multispectral imagery, which was acquired by Agrowing’s 8MP and 12MP per band 10 band sensor. Once the PCR tests will be analyzed it will be possible to assess the accuracy level of such high altitude aerial detection.

Dr. Kelly Pazolini, VetorGEO’s scientific researcher, says that even if the aerial detection will eventually prove to be only as accurate as the professional visual inspection (up to 70% accurate), it will be a huge step forward. «The rapid detection of trees, which are suspected as infected by HLB, in large orchards, will enable growers to conduct PCR tests for such selected trees without delay, enabling fast decision making, reducing production losses, production costs, and even more important – prevention of HLB spreading.»

Today, visual inspections are performed by 4 inspectors on a tractor pulled platform. Well trained inspectors may inspect 2500 to 3000 trees per day. According to VetorGEO, a single UAV equipped with Agrowing’s 10 band 8 or 12 Megapixel per band sensor will scan over 300ha per day, 150,000 – 175.000 trees, not only reducing the cost of the visual inspections dramatically but enabling the desired early detection of such infected trees.

VetorGEO’s research team intends to fine tune its AI algorithms for HLB detection based on the actual PCR results, aiming at as low as possible false negative results and as high as possible percentage of accurate positive detection, even at the expense of having up to 50% false positive results.

Agrowing’s award-winning multispectral sensors are unique in their high-resolution, number of spectral bands (4/10/14), wide dynamic-range and their ability to acquire aligned multispectral data from both high and low altitude.

Agrowing and VetorGeo are interconnected with the Brazilian universities USP and UNESP, in the respective areas of phytopathologies and remote sensing, providing tools and sensors for various scientific projects.

Bayer Crop Science LATAM (BAYERCROP.NS) has recently selected VetorGEO out of 150 companies for a project, where VetorGEO will start in January of 2021 a research exploring the effectiveness of VetorGEO/Agrowing multispectral solution in different crops for Bayer.

«We are naturally happy with the results of VetorGEO’s HLB research.» Says Ira Dvir, Co-Founder and CEO of Agrowing. «Agrowing’s research in potatoes produced incredible results, detecting early Blight and Alternaria with almost no false negative or false positive identification. Growers do not care about technology as such, they need trustworthy actionable data, to control the spreading of pests and diseases like HLB, and our sensors were designed with this goal in mind, taking precision agriculture from the good old NDVI to the next level AI. We encourage researches and service providers to explore new horizons using our 10 and 14 band sensors.»

VetorGEO is a Brazilian company with Israeli participation, focused on developing technologies for digital precision agriculture, providing solutions for agricultural diagnosis. VetorGEO is focus on citrus, collaborating in scientific research groups with the leading Brazilian universities Usp and Unesp.

The Israeli Agrowing, founded in 2014, collaborates with academic institutes around the globe, like the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Israeli Technion and Unesp, with the goal of enhancing its line patented products and image acquisition technology, to provide service providers with the best multispectral sensor and methods for fast and accurate AI identification of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies.

In October 2019, Agrowing’s Quad-lens sensor won the press award as one of the three innovative products of the Commercial UAV Expo Americas.

Media Contact

Ira Dvir, Agrowing Ltd., +972 523409760, info@agrowing.com

Neto Salvador, VetorGEO, +55 17 992293434, neto@vetorgeo.com.br

Twitter, Facebook

 

SOURCE Agrowing Ltd.