Regeneration

• Microgrid Encorp, LLC ("Encorp"), a global leader in distributed energy solutions, and Natron Energy, Inc. (“Natron”), the global leader in manufacturing sodium-ion batteries, today announced they have completed the commercial design of a modular, scalable Hybrid Power Platform that uses Natron’s sodium-ion batteries as a backup and peak shaving energy source.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231003495712/en/
  Encorp’s Hybrid Power Platform using Natron’s sodium-ion battery technology is an important step in decarbonizing industrial power applications.
• By partnering with Natron, Encorp ensures its Hybrid Power Platform uses the safest battery technology available.
• “Encorp’s Hybrid Power Platform using Natron BluePack™ sodium-ion batteries is not only a sustainable energy solution, but also highly cost effective,” said Michael Clark, Encorp CEO.

• Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners ("Quinbrook"), a specialist investment manager focused exclusively on the infrastructure needed to deliver the energy transition, has held a final close of the UK focused Quinbrook Renewables Impact Fund (“QRIF”, or the “Fund”).
• Quinbrook raised GBP 620 million of investor commitments to QRIF’s strategy, substantially exceeding the QRIF’s initial GBP 500 million target.
• “Select UK power infrastructure assets can have valuable diversifier benefits to portfolio investments which are strongly correlated to GDP.
• The differentiated strategy and the sheer scale of impact the Fund seeks to have in the UK market has proven highly attractive to QRIF’s institutional investors,” Rory Quinlan, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Quinbrook.

• Pressure on the UK government to confirm its plans for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail project is growing as the Conservative party prepares for its annual conference.
• Much of the country is keen to hear about the fate of HS2.
• The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, are weighing up the rising costs versus the benefits of HS2.

The rising costs of HS2

• Over the decade since 2013, when construction commenced on the first phase of HS2, it has come under regular scrutiny because of rising costs.
• At £300 million per mile, this is considerably higher than typical costs for constructing high-speed rail in Europe, according to analysis by The Times.
• With an estimated cost of £37.5 billion in 2013 (at 2009 prices), HS2 represented considerable public investment to achieve what’s now commonly referred to as “levelling up”.
• Government support for HS2 to achieve wealth creation outside the capital continued, however.
• The David Cameron-led government supposedly saw HS2 as a “counterbalance” to extreme “local austerity”.

Unachievable

• According to leaked analysis carried out by the DfT last year, increasing costs means HS2 will “deliver just 90 pence in economic benefit for every £1 it costs”.
• But these links could be built faster and cheaper than HS2.

• Yatsen with its high-end technological skincare brand, Galénic, made a grand debut at the event and became China's first emerging beauty group to be certified as a Gold-Level Benefactor of the IFSCC.
• During the event, Yatsen announced that it entered into a strategic cooperation with Lubrizol, a global peptide giant.
• In this year's IFSCC Congress, Yatsen announced that it was invited to be a Gold-Level Benefactor of the IFSCC.
• Galénic and Lubrizol will delve into scientific skincare, aiming to create more scientifically effective skincare products for the everlasting beauty of consumers around the world.