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PPL finalizes award for up to $72 million in federal funding from U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations

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ALLENTOWN, Pa., Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) announced today it has executed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) for an award up to $72 million to help fund a groundbreaking carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture research and development project at the company’s natural gas combined-cycle generation facility in Louisville, Kentucky. OCED awarded PPL with the first tranche of funding – $4.9 million – to begin Phase 1 activities.

The carbon capture project – developed in partnership with the University of Kentucky and others – represents a total investment of more than $100 million and will be hosted at the Cane Run generating station jointly owned and operated by PPL subsidiaries Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas and Electric Company. OCED announced in February of this year that the DOE selected the project for award negotiations.

“Today marks another step forward in our strategy to enable new technologies that can help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future and close the gap to economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions,” said PPL President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sorgi. “We understand that delivering net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require faster action and commercialization of new technology than our industry has ever achieved, and it will require utilities leading the way on innovation.

“We are proud to take the lead in evaluating and piloting carbon capture technology on natural gas combined-cycle generation, and we’re grateful for the DOE’s support. Ultimately, we believe reliable, dispatchable natural gas units will be essential in the years ahead to ensure there’s sufficient supply to meet electricity demand 24/7. Further, we believe natural gas can be a reliable partner in accelerating the transition to renewables while preserving reliability and affordability.”

About the project

The system planned for Cane Run is designed to capture a portion of the CO2 from the natural gas plant’s flue gas using an advanced heat-integrated CO₂ capture technology. It’s expected to capture more than 95% of the carbon emissions from up to 20 megawatts (MW) of the plant’s 691 MW generating capacity, or up to 67,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year. That’s equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 16,000 gasoline-powered cars, according to OCED.

The demonstration project is an important step in assessing the future viability of utility-scale carbon capture technology on natural gas units. Current plans include the captured CO₂ being purified and beneficially reused in its entirety by a nearby industrial customer.

In addition to the University of Kentucky, collaborators on the project include the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Kentucky State University; Visage Energy; and American Welding & Gas. Vogt Power International Inc., a Babcock Power Inc. subsidiary, and Siemens Energy, manufacturers of the Cane Run 7 Generating Station, are contributing technical support as part of the project team on integrating the new CO₂ capture system. Koch Modular Process Systems and others will support the design, fabrication and construction of the carbon capture unit.

Part of PPL’s continued focus on clean energy R&D

The latest research initiative at Cane Run is one of more than 175 research and development projects that PPL is currently collaborating on with over 30 industry and academic partners. Projects range from accelerating low-carbon energy technologies to strengthening network resiliency and building the grid of the future.

PPL subsidiaries LG&E and KU have partnered with the University of Kentucky for nearly two decades on various carbon capture research projects and were founders of the university’s carbon capture research program in 2006. Together with EPRI, the company and university deployed a pilot-scale carbon capture facility in 2014 at the KU E.W. Brown coal-fired generating station.

About PPL

PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably and affordably to more than 3.5 million customers in the U.S. PPL’s high-performing, award-winning utilities are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information, visit www.pplweb.com.

About the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) was established to accelerate clean energy technologies and fill a critical innovation gap on the path to achieving our nation’s climate goals of net zero emissions by 2050. OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system. Visit energy.gov/oced to learn more.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation.

Contact:

For news media: Ryan Hill, 610.774.4033

For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610.774.3389

 

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SOURCE PPL Services Corporation

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BitradeX BXC First Two Subscription Rounds Sell Out, Total Subscriptions Exceed 14M USDT

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LONDON, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BitradeX Capital’s ecosystem equity token, BXC, has completed its first and second subscription rounds, selling a total of 50 million BXC with subscriptions exceeding 14 million USDT. The first round sold out in 90 seconds, while the second closed within 48 hours.

While the fundraising size is not unusually large by crypto standards, the structure of the sale has attracted market attention. The first two rounds were not open to the public, but limited to high-tier BitradeX users. The first round was available only to V5 users and above, while the second round expanded access to V3 users and above.

According to BitradeX’s tier system, V3+ users typically have higher recurring investment activity through AiBot, longer platform usage history, and stronger ecosystem participation. This means the early BXC allocation was absorbed mainly by the platform’s internal high-value user base, rather than short-term speculative participants.

This approach differs from many token fundraising campaigns that prioritize broad public participation and market hype. BitradeX instead adopted a more selective, staged model, gradually lowering the participation threshold while keeping the sale within its active ecosystem community.

BXC is positioned as more than a standard platform token. Its value framework is linked to BitradeX Capital’s broader ecosystem, including its exchange business, AiBot quantitative strategies, BTX Card payments, and Labs incubation platform. Public information indicates that BXC holders may receive staking rewards, benefit from ecosystem buybacks and burns, and gain priority access to Launchpad projects and governance participation.

The third subscription round is launched on April 30 at $0.35 USDT per BXC, with a total supply of 100 million BXC. It is now open to users participating in AiBot recurring investment. The fourth round price is expected to rise to $0.45 USDT.

The long-term value of BXC will ultimately depend on the growth of BitradeX’s underlying businesses, including exchange profitability, AiBot user expansion, and BTX Card adoption. However, the rapid sellout of the first two rounds suggests that BitradeX’s core user base has already shown strong confidence in the ecosystem’s future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitradex-bxc-first-two-subscription-rounds-sell-out-total-subscriptions-exceed-14m-usdt-302767467.html

SOURCE BitradeX Capital

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South and East Asia identified as hotspots of global warming related impacts on male fertility

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BEIJING, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A major new study has shown that South and East Asia dominate patterns of global warming related decline in male fertility with the strongest and most consistent evidence coming from India, Pakistan and the southern parts of China.

The effects of increased environmental temperatures on male reproductive health include declining sperm concentration and motility and increased sperm DNA fragmentation, or genetic damage that can hinder fertilisation and embryo development.

Male related factors account for around 50 per cent of infertility cases around the world and the impact of rising ambient heat on semen parameters raises serious implications across wide areas of Asia where total fertility rates are in serious decline.

Outcomes of the study undertaken by the Taiwan IVF Group and Ton Yen General Hospital, Taiwan (China) in collaboration with Stanford University (USA) are being presented at the 2026 Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE) in Beijing.

Research principal and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Dr Jack Yu Jen Huang, MD, PhD, FACOG said: “Given the temperature sensitivity of spermatogenesis, even modest increases in ambient temperature could have cumulative, population-level effects over time.

“As global warming accelerates, male reproductive health may represent an emerging climate sensitive public health concern.”

The testes function optimally at temperatures lower than the internal body heat level, and previous studies have shown elevated scrotal or ambient temperatures can impair sperm production.

The latest research explored global patterns to reveal comparative data across regions. It is based on a systematic review of international studies on temperature exposure and semen parameter trends between 2000 and 2024. Artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning tools were applied to extract key variables including geographic regions and semen outcomes.

Dr Huang said studies examining occupational heat exposure alone were excluded from the analysis as they reflected localised, job-specific conditions rather than broader climatic trends.

“Our findings therefore represent population level climate associated temperature effects including consistent seasonal variations showing poor semen quality parameters in warmer periods.”

The global patterns on temperature associated lower sperm concentration and motility show South and East Asia as major hot spots of concern followed by the Middle East, Europe and North America.

“South and East Asia are likely more affected due to a combination of factors including higher baseline ambient temperatures and rapid urbanisation that contribute to greater cumulative heat stress on spermatogenesis,” Dr Huang explained.

“With ongoing global warming, chronic heat exposure may increasingly impact male reproductive health.”

Dr Huang said potential approaches to address the issue include:

increasing public awareness of heat exposure and reproductive health;encouraging protective behaviours;expanding research integrating climate and reproductive health data; andexploring clinical and lifestyle interventions to mitigate heat-related effects.

The research team was assisted by research intern Jeffrey Zi Kang Huang from Taipei American School, particularly in the application of artificial intelligence in biomedical research including AI-assisted data analysis and pattern recognition across global datasets.

“Further longitudinal and mechanistic studies will be important to better define causality and guide interventions,” he added.

The ASPIRE Congress is being held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. More than 3,000 scientists, clinicians, nurses and counsellors in assisted reproduction from around the world are attending the Congress.

For further information, go to https://www.aspire2026.com

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/south-and-east-asia-identified-as-hotspots-of-global-warming-related-impacts-on-male-fertility-302767469.html

SOURCE ASPIRE

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eclicktech Attends Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, Highlighting Four Key Trends Shaping AI-Driven Global Marketing

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SHENZHEN, China, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amazon Ads recently hosted its annual flagship event, Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, in Shenzhen, bringing together advertisers, agencies, and technology partners to explore the next phase of AI-powered marketing innovation. This year’s event focused on how AI is reshaping the advertising ecosystem through advancements in audience targeting, creative production, campaign management, and measurement capabilities.

Yeahmobi, the global marketing brand under eclicktech and an Amazon DSP validated partner, attended the event alongside industry leaders and ecosystem partners to discuss emerging opportunities for international brand growth in an increasingly AI-driven media environment.

During the conference, Amazon Ads introduced a series of product and solution updates across four major areas:

Advanced audience targeting powered by Amazon’s first-party data infrastructure to help brands reach high-intent consumers more effectively;AI-assisted creative production designed to improve content efficiency and support personalized advertising at scale;Intelligent campaign management tools aimed at simplifying cross-channel advertising workflows;Enhanced measurement and attribution capabilities to provide advertisers with clearer visibility into campaign performance and return on investment.

According to Yeahmobi, Amazon DSP is evolving beyond a standalone programmatic buying platform into a broader marketing infrastructure supporting the full customer journey, from brand awareness to conversion.

Since becoming an Amazon Ads partner, Yeahmobi has developed integrated advertising solutions spanning awareness, audience engagement, and conversion optimization. The company stated that it has supported brands across sectors including cross-border e-commerce, consumer electronics, AI applications, and financial services in scaling their global advertising efforts through Amazon DSP.

At the event, Yeahmobi also showcased its proprietary advertising management platform, Yeahgrowth, which integrates campaign management, data analytics, and performance optimization capabilities to support centralized multi-platform operations and improved campaign visibility.

“AI is fundamentally reshaping how brands approach global growth,” said William Liu, General Manager of Yeahmobi. “We see Amazon Ads as a strategically important part of the global marketing ecosystem. Our focus is not only on media execution, but also on building scalable growth infrastructure through deeper API integration, AI-driven optimization, and data collaboration.”

Yeahmobi stated that it will continue expanding its collaboration with Amazon Ads to support brands navigating increasingly complex global media environments.

About Yeahmobi
Yeahmobi is a global marketing brand focused on helping businesses achieve international growth through digital advertising, data-driven operations, and AI-powered marketing solutions.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eclicktech-attends-amazon-ads-unboxed-2026-highlighting-four-key-trends-shaping-ai-driven-global-marketing-302767470.html

SOURCE Yeahmobi

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