Polski
CCS Under the Microscope, Chinese Solar Overtakes Coal, and Americans Set Records in Energy Storage
Three news stories, three continents, one common denominator: decarbonization is accelerating, but not without friction. This week we ask whether carbon capture is a genuine tool or an expensive smokescreen, celebrate a symbolic milestone in China, and look at how Americans are tackling the challenge of grid stability.
01 · Carbon Capture
Carbon Capture on Trial – Europe Bets on CCS, but Doubts Are Growing
The Dutch fertilizer plant Yara in Sluiskil is set to become home to the largest commercial CCS project in Europe. The facility is expected to capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and ship it to Norway, where the gas will be permanently stored beneath the seabed. The project is financially backed by the European Commission, which in itself speaks volumes about how much hope Brussels is placing in this technology [1].
The trouble is that critics won't let CCS off the hook. As the experts quoted point out, the technology still captures only 0.2% of global CO2 emissions worldwide - a drop in the ocean compared to what's needed. There's also an uncomfortable fact: some CCS installations around the world are used less for cutting emissions and more for boosting oil extraction, which undermines the whole point of the exercise from a climate perspective [1]. Sluiskil is meant to prove that it can be done differently - but the pressure to demonstrate that CCS actually works grows with every euro spent on its development.
02 · Solar Energy
China: Solar Overtakes Coal for the First Time – At Least on Paper
While Europe argues over whether CCS is a genuine tool or an expensive alibi, the other side of the world has just seen a record that seemed unthinkable not long ago. On September 1, 2026, China's National Energy Administration announced that the country's installed solar (PV) capacity (1.286 billion kW) had overtaken that of coal-fired power plants (1.285 billion kW). It's the first time this has happened in the history of China - a country that remains the world's largest CO2 emitter [2].
Over the past seven months, solar power output grew 15.5% year-on-year, a sign of just how much momentum China's solar sector is building. Still, it's worth keeping a cool head: installed capacity isn't the same as actual energy output, and coal continues to supply far more real electricity than the sun [2]. Symbolically, though, it's hard to imagine a clearer signal that China's energy transition has entered a new phase.
03 · Energy Storage
The US: Energy Storage Is Growing Faster Than Anyone Expected
Records are being broken not just in energy production but in energy storage too - and it's this piece of the puzzle that determines whether a growing share of renewables in the energy mix can be handled safely at all. In the second quarter of 2026, the US energy storage market added a record 20.2 GWh and 6.7 GW of new capacity, mostly in the utility-scale segment. Arizona came out on top, setting a record of its own at 6.2 GWh [3].
These numbers haven't gone unnoticed by analysts - Benchmark raised its forecast for total US energy storage capacity by 2030 by 11.5%, to 683 GWh [3]. It's a clear signal that energy storage is moving from a niche technology to a cornerstone of grid stability as the share of solar and wind power keeps growing - a topic that should be of particular interest to the Polish market, which is still at an early stage of this transition.
Summary
Summary: Three Stories, One Direction
CCS is stirring controversy, Chinese solar is breaking symbolic records, and American energy storage is outpacing forecasts - each of these stories shows that decarbonization isn't a single technology but an entire ecosystem of solutions that need to work together. The debate over what actually works and what's just a well-marketed idea is only just heating up.
Want to talk about which of these technologies actually make sense for Polish industry and energy? Join us at Decarbonisation Expo Poland - the trade fair for decarbonization, net-zero, and sustainable energy management technologies, where these topics will be discussed not in theory, but at the stands of real exhibitors.
Invitation
From controversial CCS in Sluiskil to China's solar records and America's energy storage boom - these topics will be hotly debated at Decarbonisation Expo Poland. Meet exhibitors of carbon capture, renewable energy, and energy storage technologies, talk to experts about what actually works, and see the solutions that could transform Poland's energy sector. Book your spot today.
Decarbonisation Expo Poland 2026Footnotes
[1] Euronews — https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/09/delay-tactic-or-genuine-solution-carbon-capture-under-fire-again-as-eu-invests-in-unproven[2] Hong Kong Free Press — https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/01/china-says-solar-power-capacity-surpasses-coal-for-first-time/
[3] Electrek — https://electrek.co/2026/08/31/the-us-added-a-record-20-2-gwh-of-battery-storage-in-just-3-months/