EV Growth in Emerging Markets, UK Battery Boom & Sweden’s Nuclear Expansion

EV sales are climbing worldwide, including in fast-growing emerging markets, while Britain’s battery storage rollout shows no sign of slowing. Renewables now support over 16 million jobs globally, Sweden backs new nuclear with targeted state aid, and a fresh warning emerges over looming battery mineral shortages.

⚡ EV Sales Head Toward 40% by 2030, Emerging Markets Step Up

Under current policies, electric cars are on track to account for over 40% of global car sales by 2030. And it’s not just the usual markets—affordability is driving EV adoption in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. A global tipping point is coming, faster than many expected.

🔋 UK Grid-Scale Battery Storage Passes 5GW

Battery storage is booming in Great Britain, with over 5GW of grid-scale capacity now operational. Nearly 1GWh was added in a single quarter, and average durations are climbing past 1.5 hours as longer-duration 3-hour systems enter the mix. Momentum remains strong.

🌍 16 Million Jobs Now in Renewable Energy

Worldwide, more than 16 million people now work in the renewable energy sector—double the number from 2012. Solar PV alone supports 7 million jobs, with China leading at 7.3 million total renewable jobs, Brazil at 1.6 million (mostly in biofuels), and the EU at 1.8 million across clean energy.

☢️ Sweden Approves State Aid for New Nuclear

Sweden’s parliament has greenlit financial support for new nuclear reactors, likely through state-backed loans and contracts-for-difference (CfDs). Aid is targeted at reactors sited alongside existing plants and sized at 300 MWe or more—though exceptions are possible “for special reasons.”

📉 Battery Mineral Deficit Looms by 2034

A new visual forecast from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence shows today’s surplus of key battery minerals could turn into a sharp deficit by 2034. With EV and energy storage demand climbing, the decade ahead may bring supply bottlenecks—unless mining and recycling scale fast.

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