Thessaloniki gets ready for its metro launch in November
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
The facility located near Lens is the first step in the grand re-industrialization of the North along modern tech lines
President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by local officials, unveiled the first of four planned gigafactories in France’s so-called ‘Battery Valley’. The plant is located in the commune of Billy-Berclau, near the city of Lens, in the far north of the country – an area that used to be the former coal mining and industrial heart of France.
Now, the Automotive Cell Company’s (ACC) factory represents the first step in a drive to re-industrialize the North and make the country more economically robust and competitive on the world stage. It is now well known that President Macron is of the strong opinion that the European Union needs to become a strong economic player if it is not to lag behind and become a pawn in the competition between USA and China.
ACC, which is equally owned by TotalEnergies, Jeep maker Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, has received a 1.3 billion euro package of state aid from France, Germany and Italy as part of a 7 billion euro plan to build a string of new facilities across these countries.
The new plant itself will start production this summer with the aim of eventually employing up to 2,000 people by 2030. It is expected that the gigafactory, which will be the length of six football fields, will manufacture 800,000 lithium-ion car batteries per year, fueling the shift to EVs on the continent and worldwide.
The initiative is touted as part of Industrial Revolution 4.0, a phase in global development, which this time will have to straddle a delicate balance between economic growth and environmental protection. The Billy-Berclau factory promises to be an example of this as the company’s website claims that there will be no noise pollution and discharge of industrial wastewater. Plus, the plant will consume 30% less water than the standard and 90% of the waste will be recycled.
Meanwhile, the construction of a car battery plant by Taiwanese company ProLogium in Dunkirk (also in the North), will add another cog to the Battery Valley.
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin
That’s because the state has to spend money on updating the railway infrastructure rather than subsidizing the cost of the popular pass
Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape
The examples, compiled by Beyond Fossil Fuels, can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition
Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin
The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) sets the stage for stronger cooperation between the EU, national and local level to fast track Europe's transition to climate neutrality.
At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo
The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo
Hostal de Pinós is located in the geographical centre of the autonomous region
Despite its church-y name, the district has long been known as the hangout spot for the artsy crowds
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital