Energy Transition, Renewables, Emissions, Carbon
August 12, 2026
ET Highlights: India's SECI’s new renewable ammonia auction plan; China’s 2025 green fuel target; US data centers’ emissions accounting
Energy Transition Highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.
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India's SECI proposes 1 mil mt/year new renewable ammonia auctions: official
Solar Energy Corp. of India Ltd. has proposed an auction for 1 million metric tons/year of renewable ammonia under India’s government subsidy framework, according to its managing director, Akash Tripathy.
The proposal follows a maiden round completed last year for 724,000 mt/year of renewable ammonia, building on momentum in India’s renewable ammonia procurement and production pipeline.
The move sits within the broader rollout of India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in 2023 with a budget of 197.44 billion Indian rupees (about $2.07 billion) that supports production of renewable hydrogen, electrolyzers and renewable ammonia, and remains under implementation.
Tripathy said his organization would proceed once the fertilizer ministry provides approval for the 1 million mt/y proposal. He also noted that renewable ammonia capacity auctioned so far is moving toward production, supported by Green Ammonia Purchase Agreement and Green Ammonia Sale Agreement frameworks that provide contracting and project visibility.
Benchmark of the Week
$651.47/mt
Platts assessed Middle East renewable-derived ammonia delivered into Far East Asia (with high capacity factors) on Aug. 10.
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China builds 8 mil mt/y green fuel capacity in 2025: NEA report
China had built about 8 million mt/year (oil-equivalent) of green fuel production capacity by the end of 2025, according to the National Energy Administration’s first Green Fuel Development Report. The capacity spans green methanol, green synthetic ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels and biomethane, underscoring China’s rapid push into low-carbon fuels for shipping, aviation and other hard-to-abate sectors.
FACTBOX: Energy affordability dominates US midterm contests as climate takes backseat
Rising energy costs have taken a central spot in US 2026 midterm campaigns, with candidates prioritizing consumer affordability over climate messaging. Democrats have linked gasoline price increases to President Donald Trump's foreign policy decisions, while electricity rate hikes — and grid cost impacts — are emerging as a key voter concern amid data center growth.
FACTBOX: European drought snarls inland commodity flows, cuts power supplies
Record temperatures in Europe have left its two busiest waterways – the Rhine and the Danube – at critical lows, shutting down key trade arteries and stymying power plants due to cooling water restrictions. Rhine water levels hit an all-time low of under 20 cm at Germany's Kaub chokepoint, where barges make their way from the country's south into Switzerland, on Aug. 5.
RWE's Lingen electrolyzer plant produces first green hydrogen
The first volumes of green hydrogen from RWE AG's GET H2 Nukleus hydrogen project in Lingen, Germany, have been produced and delivered, according to the German power producer. With commissioning of the plant underway, renewable hydrogen was successfully transported via a hydrogen pipeline infrastructure of about 120 kilometers to chemicals producer Evonik Industries AG's plant in Marl, Germany, RWE said.
Virginia data centers put REC claims under hourly matching pressure
Hyperscale data centers in Virginia and other fast-growing US power markets should face more rigorous electricity emissions accounting as their load growth increases pressure on the grid and raises questions about renewable energy certificate claims, according to EnergyTag. Alex Piper, head of US policy and markets at EnergyTag, said data centers are among the electricity users best suited for hourly accounting because of their large and growing power demand.
New Zealand to maintain ETS price controls through 2031
New Zealand will extend price control settings for its emissions trading scheme through 2031 while progressively reducing the volume of carbon units available at auction, according to the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport. The government will cut base auction volumes by 74% to 1.1 million New Zealand Units in 2031 from 4.3 million NZUs in 2027, according to the settings.