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Infinity Power Taps AIKO for 773.5 MWp South African Solar Portfolio, Extending Africa Partnership Beyond 2 GWp

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YIWU, China, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AIKO will supply its high-power ABC (All Back Contact) solar modules for three utility-scale solar projects in South Africa under an agreement with Infinity Power, the largest African pure-play renewable energy provider. The deal marks the partnership’s first project in South Africa, and pushes their combined project collaboration across Africa past the 2 GWp milestone.

Under the agreement, AIKO will provide high‑efficiency ABC 1,195,136 modules expected to generate more than 1,871 GWh of annual energy for the 773.5 MWp combined portfolio covering three large‑scale Infinity Power projects — Highveld, Onderstepoort Solar 1 (OS1) and Onderstepoort Solar 2 (OS2). Awarded under Bid Window 7 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), the projects will operate under planned 20‑year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Eskom and will be built under two EPC packages — Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy on Highveld and PowerChina Guizhou Engineering on the OS1 and OS2.

Located in Mpumalanga, South Africa, once operational, the Highveld project will generate clean energy sufficient to power approximately 167,000 homes, while avoiding approximately 660,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. Onderstepoort Solar 1 and 2 located in the northwest, are expected to power approximately 289,000 homes and avoid more than 1.1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, bringing the Infinity Power portfolio’s total estimated annual CO₂ emissions avoided to approximately 1.7 million tonnes, based on public estimates.

Infinity Power was awarded 1.28 GW in solar capacity during this bidding round, the largest allocation among successful bidders in Bid Window 7. As the largest African pure-play renewable energy provider, the company develops, builds and operates large-scale solar and wind projects across the African continent.

Ahmed Zakaria, Director of EPC and Strategic Procurement at Infinity Power, said: “Our decision to partner with AIKO on our South African portfolio based on their capability to meet our technical requirements and reliable delivery commitment we have witnessed across our projects in Egypt. AIKO’s ABC technology delivers the efficiency and execution certainty required to deliver large‑scale projects under the REIPPPP framework, and we look forward to bringing full portfolio into commercial operation.”

AIKO’s ABC modules, AIKO-A645/650-GRH66Dw, were selected on the strength of both performance and execution. With the REIPPPP launched to tackle South Africa’s energy crisis, and tender tariffs falling with each successive round, project economics have become a decisive factor in module selection. The high power output of ABC modules reduces the total module count and balance-of-system (BOS) components such as mounting structures and cabling, lowering overall system costs and keeping projects economically competitive under the auction mechanism. In South Africa’s high-irradiance, high-temperature conditions, the modules’ superior temperature coefficient maintains more stable power output, lifting energy yield across the project’s full lifecycle, with efficiency reaching up to 24.1%. Low degradation rates (≤1% in the first year, and 0.35% annually from years 2 to 30) secure stable generation throughout the 20-year PPA term, enhancing long-term returns and project bankability. Full traceability across module production and delivery, together with a delivery schedule aligned to the two EPC packages, provides further certainty of execution across the three sites.

The agreement marks AIKO’s first collaboration with Infinity Power in South Africa and their third overall collaboration in Africa, following the 258.5 MWp Nefer Benban and 1.2 GWp Nefer Menya projects in Egypt. With cumulative cooperation now exceeding 2 GWp, the partnership continues to expand, underscoring a global benchmark developer’s sustained confidence in the efficiency and reliability of ABC technology, as well as its recognition of AIKO’s supply capabilities and product quality.

About Infinity Power  

Infinity Power, a joint venture between Infinity and Masdar, is the largest African pure-play renewable energy provider. Infinity Power targets power generation projects in Africa through renewable energy sources, namely solar and wind, as well as other technologies such as battery storage, aiming for 10 GW of operational capacity by 2032.

The company has a substantial operational portfolio of approximately 1.3 GW across Egypt, South Africa and Senegal, helping to avoid over 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, alongside 6.3 GW of wind and solar capacity under development, including 3.8 GW in advanced development. For further information about Infinity Power, visit www.weareinfinitypower.com

About AIKO

AIKO is a top-ranked solar technology leader specializing in the research, development, and manufacturing of solar generation products. The company offers solar cells, ABC (All Back Contact) modules, and scenario-based packaged solutions. Guided by the mission of “Leading Humanity into the Carbon-Free Era,” AIKO continues to pursue extreme innovation and cutting-edge technology. For more information, please visit https://aikosolar.com. 

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ARC Stages Singapore’s First Full-Sized Humanoid Fight Night

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October 9, 2026

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Professional Martial Artists Pilot Robots REAL-TIME on Stage

SINGAPORE, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ARC held Singapore’s first full-sized humanoid fight night at *SCAPE on Wednesday, 7 October. Professional combat athletes in full-body motion capture suits controlled Unitree G1 and EngineAI T800 humanoids in real time, in front of an audience of more than 380 people.

Highlights

A first for Singapore: the country’s first full-sized humanoid fight night, with every robot controlled in real time by a human pilotProfessional fighters as pilots: Muay Thai, MMA, boxing and kung fu athletes, including national and international championsTwo platforms, one team: a new team format in which the lightweight Unitree G1 and the heavyweight EngineAI T800 fought side by side against a matching pairEngineAI T800 debut: the 1.73m, 75kg humanoid’s first appearance in Singapore

The main card introduced a new team format. Iron Fang and Steel Shadow each fielded one Unitree G1 and one EngineAI T800, putting a 35kg lightweight and a 75kg heavyweight on the same side. The teams met in survival mode, with fighters from Muay Thai, MMA, boxing and kung fu taking turns to pilot.

Before the first fight, the programme featured a group humanoid dance, a dance battle and a kung fu demonstration, with a humanoid mirroring a martial artist’s movements as he performed.

A live heads-up display tracked each humanoid’s health points on the main screen. Next to it, a split feed showed the pilot and avatar side by side, so the audience could watch every move on the pilot platform repeated by the humanoid in real time.

The pilots

Sham Raaj, “The Indian Warrior” (EngineAI T800). A two-time professional national WMO champion and international WBC Muay Thai continental champion from Singapore. He co-founded and coaches at two Muay Thai gyms, Gifted Fight Academy and Fight Therapy.

Eugene Chung (EngineAI T800). A combat athlete turned robot pilot, Eugene has competed internationally in the emerging sport of humanoid robot combat.

Lukas Leasure (Unitree G1). A US-born, Singapore-based professional MMA fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a coach, a ONE Championship judge and the owner of Stronghold MMA.

In the lightweight fight, Lukas Leasure, piloting Iron Fang’s Unitree G1, dropped low and countered, knocking Steel Shadow’s avatar to the mat. It was the biggest reaction of the night.

A public arena for the humanoid age

ARC pairs each human pilot with a humanoid avatar, and uses live events to test, in public, how far that partnership can go.

“Last night was not yet the sport. It was a demonstration of the idea,” said Antonio Gai, founder of ARC. “Every fight on that stage was part of a larger answer: that the humanoid era can be a story about partnership, not replacement. We chose Singapore to make that case first because it is a city that takes the future seriously, in public.”

Katena’s real-time control system linked each pilot to their avatar, translating full-body movement onto the humanoid as it happened.

More international ARC showcases are planned over the coming months, with Singapore the first.

About ARC

ARC is a new combat sport built around the pilot-avatar pair. A human pilot wears a full-body motion capture device, and a humanoid avatar in the arena mirrors every movement in real time.

ARC is also being built as a public arena for the humanoid era, where pilots, avatars and the teams behind them prove what they can do in front of an audience. After events in New York and Chicago on the Unitree G1, ARC Night Singapore is its first event with adult-sized robots being full-body mirrored to fight in real-time. [arcleague.com]

About Katena

Katena is the portal for humanoid control. Its real-time pilot-avatar system powers every ARC event and underlies the broader mission of deep human–humanoid partnership. [katena.ai]

Instagram: @arc_katena
X: @arc_katena
TikTok: @arc_katena

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SOURCE ARC

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Penetron Crystalline Technology Supports Long-Term Durability of Slovakia’s D1 Hubová-Ivachnová Motorway

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October 9, 2026

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Completion of the D1 Hubová–Ivachnová motorway section strengthens a critical northern Slovakia transport corridor, improving road safety, travel times, and regional connectivity. The Penetron System of crystalline concrete waterproofing products was specified to enhance the durability and service life of exposed concrete elements.

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The D1 Hubová–Ivachnová motorway section is a major transport infrastructure project in northern Slovakia and a key component of the country’s principal east–west motorway corridor. The approximately 14.9-km (9.2-miles) section will create a northern bypass of Ružomberok, a center of Slovakia’s paper industry and a popular tourist destination, helping divert transit traffic from the urban area and improve network reliability.

Designed for a technically demanding alignment, the project comprised 19 bridge structures, three interchanges, and the approximately 3.6 km twin-tube Čebrať Tunnel. The route crosses mountainous terrain with complex geological conditions and severe seasonal exposure, placing high demands on concrete durability, waterproofing, and corrosion protection strategies.

“Motorway infrastructure in this region is exposed to demanding environmental conditions throughout the year,” says Evgeniy Artukh, Director of Penetron Slovakia. “Concrete elements must withstand repeated moisture exposure, freeze-thaw cycling, and de-icing chemicals, making durable concrete protection essential to long-term infrastructure performance.”

To mitigate the effects of harsh environmental exposure, the project’s civil engineers specified the Penetron System of crystalline waterproofing technology for the exposed concrete bridge curbs. These components are routinely subjected to water infiltration, freeze-thaw cycles, and chloride attack from de-icing salts, all of which can accelerate concrete degradation and corrosion of reinforcing steel.

Applied directly to the prepared concrete surface as a topical treatment, Penetron’s active crystalline technology penetrates the concrete and reacts with moisture and components of the concrete matrix to form insoluble crystals within pores, capillaries, and microcracks. This crystalline network helps reduce concrete permeability and restrict the penetration of water and aggressive chemicals.

“By providing protection from within the concrete structure, the Penetron System helps improve resistance to harsh exposure conditions and supports a longer service life with reduced maintenance requirements,” adds Evgeniy Artukh.

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs, and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives, and distribution channels.

For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.

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SOURCE The Penetron Group

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CaixaBank Expands Strategic Collaboration with Google Cloud to Accelerate AI and Data Capabilities

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October 9, 2026

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New agreement incorporates advanced generative AI, security, and infrastructure capabilities to drive technological transformation

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and MADRID, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CaixaBank today announced an expanded strategic agreement with Google Cloud, strengthening its technological capabilities in key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data management, data analytics, and cloud infrastructure. Building on an alliance established in 2023, the expanded agreement, which extends the collaboration until 2033, will increase the entity’s adoption of AI and cloud technologies, and accelerate the development of tools aimed at improving operational decision-making for its employees while enhancing the personalization of products and services for its millions of customers.

As part of the new agreement, CaixaBank will deploy Gemini Enterprise, Google Cloud’s AI platform for building, governing, and deploying agents. These agents will empower CaixaBank’s teams to synthesize complex financial information, automate routine tasks, and optimize daily workflows.

To support CaixaBank’s strategic goals, the expanded collaboration will focus on three key pillars:

Data analytics and agentic AI: CaixaBank will turn large data repositories into actionable insights. Using Gemini Enterprise, teams will deploy specialized AI agents to streamline document management, classification, and complex content summarization, accelerating internal decision-making.Hybrid infrastructure and security: CaixaBank will pair its private environment with Google Cloud’s secure infrastructure to improve system resilience, scalability, and service availability to accommodate future growth. The rollout also adds advanced threat detection and security monitoring under CaixaBank’s strict governance and responsible AI frameworks.Workforce training and enablement: The program also includes specialized professional services, collaborative initiatives, and training courses to facilitate the adoption of new technological capabilities and team enablement. The work will be carried out under CaixaBank’s governance and its security, privacy, and responsible AI frameworks.

Through this expanded alliance, CaixaBank reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with cutting-edge AI and technology partners. By leveraging Google Cloud’s advanced AI and data capabilities, the bank is poised to drive the continuous transformation of its business model and define the future of digital banking.

About CaixaBank
Innovation is one of CaixaBank’s strategic pillars and a key element in reinforcing its leadership in the financial sector. With the largest digital customer base in Spain’s financial industry, exceeding 13 million customers, the bank promotes a vision of innovation based on the combination of technology, expertise and customer proximity. Its goal is to develop new products and services, improve the user experience, increase operational efficiency and create new growth opportunities.

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers a powerful, optimized AI stack—including AI infrastructure, leading models like Gemini, data management capabilities, multicloud security solutions, developer tools and platform, as well as agents and applications—that enables organizations to transform their business for the Agentic Era. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.

 

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SOURCE Google Cloud

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