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* China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) will officially launch an island-wide independent customs operation on Dec. 18, 2025, which marks the anniversary of the milestone Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978 that ushered in the reform and opening-up, underscores China's unwavering commitment to high-standard opening-up.
On June 10, 2021, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China, which determined to establish and improve the Hainan Free Trade Port customs supervision special zone system with closed-off customs operations on the entire island.
With a zero-tariff system fundamentally in place after the independent customs operation, high-quality global resources can flow into Hainan with greater freedom and efficiency, Wu said. Trade liberalization and facilitation are defining features of a free trade port.
An aerial drone photo shows a duty-free shopping mall in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, May 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] The Hainan Free Trade Port will launch island-wide independent customs operations on Dec 18, a key step in transforming the tropical island into a globally significant free trade hub, a senior official announced Wednesday.
The Government of Tuvalu worked with the e8 group to develop the Tuvalu Solar Power Project, which is a 40 kW grid-connected solar system that is intended to provide about 5% of Funafuti 's peak demand, and 3% of the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation's annual household consumption.
Due to Tuvalu’s limited land area, the solar panels will run along the landing strip at Tuvalu’s airport alongside the soccer field. The contract price for the solar PV facility was about $5 million, with the remaining funding provided by IDA.
In response, Tuvalu has prioritized renewable energy as a dual strategy for mitigating emissions and adapting to climate impacts. Solar energy, in particular, is well-suited to Tuvalu’s tropical climate, which offers abundant sunlight throughout the year.
The Tuvalu National Energy Policy (TNEP) was formulated in 2009, and the Energy Strategic Action Plan defines and directs current and future energy developments so that Tuvalu can achieve the ambitious target of 100% renewable energy for power generation by 2020.
Due to the wide range of BESS capabilities as mentioned above, Korean power system plans to provision BESS to relieve generation curtailment and to provide FR service in the short-term applications, and to maintain frequency stability by providing FFR service in a low-inertia system for the long-term applications.
Market mechanism Korea's BESS sector has experienced significant growth, with an installed capacity of 1.6 GW at the end of 2019 (Yoen, 2022). Despite initial economic challenges, government policies have driven BESS market expansion by fostering technology development and policy initiatives.
In total, 14 companies were involved, including HD Hyundai Electric, Hyosung Heavy Industries, LS Electric, Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution, and others. HD Hyundai Electric announced the completion and start of operation of its 336MW BESS for the utility a couple of months ago.
(Li et al., 2023) BESS utilize several types of battery technologies, including Li-ion, lead-acid, redox flow, sodium-sulphur, zinc-bromine flow batteries, and solid-state batteries, with new ones continuously being introduced (Rahman, 2020).
For certain projects, backup power must be provided for the BESS auxiliary load as required by the BESS supplier or fire codes. Some BESS suppliers mandate uninterrupted power to maintain the operation of thermal management systems, ensuring battery temperatures remain within desired limits to minimize degradation.
Project owners are also responsible for the electricity costs associated with the BESS auxiliary load during operation. The electricity cost for auxiliary loads depends on the energy consumption (kWh) and the pricing structure set by independent system operators or utilities. For example:
Some BESS suppliers mandate uninterrupted power to maintain the operation of thermal management systems, ensuring battery temperatures remain within desired limits to minimize degradation. BESS fire safety standards, such as NFPA 855, outline minimum requirements for backup power for fire safety systems.
If a BESS product cannot meet these backup power requirements as mandated by the code or the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), an external backup power source needs to be provided. Options for backup power include local distribution network feeders (if available with sufficient kVA rating) or backup generators.
