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2025 CIFTIS: Green technology empowers global trade in services

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CIFTIS

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 September 2025 – Global trade in services is accelerating its shift toward greener and smarter development, with green technologies and environmental solutions emerging as new growth drivers and creating broader opportunities for international cooperation.

At the ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, new-type energy storage technology, interactive waste-sorting bins, unmanned weed-cutting boats, and a range of other green products and services have attracted wide attention.

Beistar CZ, a Czech company making its debut at CIFTIS, showcased an energy storage technology that converts surplus grid electricity into thermal energy, storing it inside a unit filled with hot air and high heat-resistant material, at a cost about one-fiftieth that of battery storage.

George Jermakov, technology director at Beistar CZ, said he hopes the technology would be “used and useful” in China. “There are no greater opportunities anywhere in the world than in China,” he added, noting that he was impressed by the country’s open business environment, with CIFTIS serving as a good example.

Jermakov also highlighted China’s strong push for sustainability. “There is a great wave in China to go green,” he said. “Many steps have been taken by the government and the people, and they are moving faster and faster toward their goals.”

The 2025 CIFTIS, held in Beijing from Sept. 10 to 14 with the theme “Embrace Intelligent Technologies, Empower Trade in Services,” has drawn nearly 2,000 on-site exhibitors. Participants include representatives from more than 20 of the world’s top 30 countries and regions in services trade.

TestraBin, developed by Australian company Sencity, is an interactive garbage-sorting bin. Equipped with three sensor-fitted slots for different types of waste, the bin is ringed with electronic screens that reward correct sorting with playful animations or digital content such as a basketball dropping through a hoop.

“In the past, a lot of money was spent on public campaigns to encourage people to sort their waste. This product makes the process interactive and fun,” said Wanchen Zhao, vice president of Sencity. “Every time we showcase it in China, people show great interest. Many see it as a glimpse of the next era, where everyday items are infused with more technology and interactivity.”

Chinese companies are also unveiling a wide range of homegrown green innovations at this year’s fair, underscoring the country’s dual role as a major market and an important source of technological solutions for the global green transition.

An unmanned street-sweeping vehicle developed by Beijing Environment Sanitation Group has attracted wide attention at the fair. Equipped with lidar, 360-degree cameras and ultrasonic radar, the vehicle can clean up to 6,000 square meters per hour, equivalent to the workload of six to eight workers.

The group, which provides integrated services ranging from public-space cleaning to waste collection, transportation and treatment, has offered consulting and technical support to countries including Mongolia, Pakistan, Laos, Bangladesh and Chad.

An unmanned weed-cutting vessel, equipped with sharp blades to clear aquatic plants, was also on display at the fair. A smart system embedded in the vessel simulates plant growth to identify the best time for removal, providing a modern solution for aquatic vegetation management.

“For a city of more than 20 million people like Beijing, many of these urban management solutions can be applied to cities elsewhere in the world,” said Chen Nan, a technician with the Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, which developed the vessel.

Huatong Technology, a one-stop provider of zero-carbon industrial park solutions, also attracted attention at the fair. The Chinese company develops such parks by integrating renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass to boost green power use and clean transport, while retrofitting buildings, upgrading equipment and operating a central platform to monitor energy use and cut emissions.

With about 20 years of experience in energy saving and carbon reduction, Huatong Technology has completed over 10,000 projects in China across high-tech zones, industrial and logistics parks, as well as cultural and agricultural parks.

China’s services trade topped 1 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time in 2024. In the first seven months of 2025, it expanded 8.2 percent year on year to nearly 4.58 trillion yuan (about 644.9 billion U.S. dollars), official data showed.

Meanwhile, the trade structure has continued to improve, shifting away from reliance on traditional sectors such as logistics toward more value-added, knowledge-intensive and innovation-driven fields.

“China is at the forefront of major green technologies. It is the low-cost producer of wind, solar, long-distance power transmission and zero carbon power supplies,” said Jeffrey Sachs, chairman of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, in a speech at the fair.

Sachs added that the world is facing the urgent challenge of environmental transformation and China can use its global capacity to accelerate the transformation.

 

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SLB commissions new fluids systems plant in Pemba to support Mozambique’s offshore energy development

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New facility expands in-country drilling and completion fluids capability, advancing the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique

PEMBA, Mozambique, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –SLB (NYSE: SLB) (www.SLB.com) announced the opening of a new fluids systems plant in Pemba, Mozambique. The new facility strengthens in-country capacity to prepare, store and deliver drilling and completion fluids for offshore operations, reinforcing the infrastructure needed as Mozambique’s offshore activity grows and its role as a strategic energy hub for East Africa continues to expand.

The commissioning of the plant, also known as a liquid mud plant, coincides with SLB marking 70 years of operations in Mozambique. It reflects the company’s long-term commitment to investing in people, infrastructure and capability that support the country’s long-term offshore energy development plans.

 




  

With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the liquid mud plant provides a scalable platform for future growth, supporting multiple customers and rising offshore activity while improving logistics and enhancing operational flexibility.

As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions

“As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions,” said Miguel Baptista, Central, East and Southern Africa, Managing Director, SLB. The new liquid mud plant strengthens local energy infrastructure, expands opportunities for local content development, and enhances our ability to support customers as they deliver some of Africa’s most significant offshore energy resources.”

The liquid mud plant project was delivered with strong local participation and that momentum is expected to continue into operations. During project delivery, more than 100 jobs were created in Pemba with nationals representing 80% of the workforce, reflecting a focus on building local capability.

The project was delivered with a strong focus on safety, operational integrity, and quality, achieving more than 67,000 hours worked without a recordable safety incident.

This key infrastructure strengthens SLB’s ability to support consistent service quality and enhance supply chain readiness for increasing offshore activity across Mozambique, supporting customers execute safely and efficiently while developing local skills and expertise.

Key Points:

  • SLB has commissioned a new fluids system plant in Pemba, expanding in-country drilling and completion fluids capability for offshore operations.
  • With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the facility provides a scalable platform to support growing offshore activity in Mozambique.
  • The investment marks the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique, strengthening local capability and supporting long-term offshore energy development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of SLB.

 

 




 

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South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) welcomes 4,600 MW battery storage prioritisation and calls for integrated energy planning

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Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –The South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) (www.SAESA.org.za) welcomes the prioritisation of 4,600 MW of battery energy storage under the first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 Section 34 determination.

 




  

The timing is significant. Recent Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) modelling and assumptions discussions highlighted a fundamental shift that South Africa’s energy planning now needs to capture: we cannot plan the future power system by counting megawatts of generation alone.

We must plan for when energy is available, where it is available, how it moves through a constrained grid and how it is stored and dispatched when the system needs it most.

The announcement reinforces that shift. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply.

For SAESA, the message for the IEP is clear: storage, flexibility and system services must be modelled as integral components of South Africa’s future electricity architecture, with their contribution considered from the outset of generation planning.

“The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited,” says SAESA.

The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited

Partnership with C&I Energy + Storage Summit

SAESA is an association partner of the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, created by VUKA Group, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg.

The summit brings together commercial and industrial energy users, project developers, financiers, regulators and solution providers to explore practical approaches to energy security, procurement and storage deployment.

For businesses assessing how storage can support their operations, the event offers an opportunity to meet SAESA and engage with the wider energy community on the decisions shaping South Africa’s evolving electricity system.

Commercial and industrial energy decision-makers are invited to apply to attend as hosted buyers. Qualifying buyers receive complimentary summit access and curated opportunities to engage with industry partners.

 

Meet SAESA at C&I Energy + Storage Summit: Join the Hosted Buyer Programme

The Hosted Buyer Programme connects commercial and industrial energy decision-makers with solution providers shaping South Africa’s evolving private energy market.

Qualified energy buyers receive complimentary access to the summit and curated engagement with industry partners exploring energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.

Apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme (https://apo-opa.co/4ehLijJ)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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Afreximbank welcomes launch of Africa Credit Rating Agency as an important step in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture

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Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, October 8, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcomes today’s launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and expanding the continent’s capacity to generate credible, independent analysis of African credit risk.

 




 
 

Credit ratings play an important role in determining access to capital, influencing investor perceptions and shaping the cost at which governments, institutions and businesses can finance development. It is therefore essential that assessments of African credit risk are independent, rigorous and evidence-based, while reflecting a complete understanding of the structures, institutions and economic realities being assessed.

The establishment of AfCRA adds an important African-led source of credit opinion to the market. Its value will not be measured by whether it produces more favourable ratings, but by the credibility of its analysis, the quality of its data and transparency of its methodology, and its ability to deepen understanding of African sovereigns, sub-sovereigns and corporate credit.

This is particularly important given that many African issuers remain unrated, while local-currency and sub-sovereign markets continue to have limited rating coverage. Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets.

AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans

Alongside fellow members of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), Afreximbank has consistently maintained that African Multilateral Financial Institutions should be assessed on the basis of their fundamentals, performance, legal frameworks, mandates and operating models. Ensuring that these institutional characteristics are properly understood is essential to achieving informed, balanced and credible assessments of African risk.

Commenting on the uniqueness of the African market, and need for AfCRA’s rating methodology to reflect this, Mr Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President, Afreximbank, said: “The rating methodology AfCRA develops must recognise the uniqueness of our environment and its institutional structures. The Agency must set its own standards and not follow those set elsewhere — it must build a unique identity that conforms to an ‘African best practice.”

Highlighting the need for the autonomy of the Africa Credit Rating agency as it takes off, Mr Denya added: “Most importantly, AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans. We must all use it, and in return expect a complete assessment of where we (Africa) stand: the strengths the market has ignored, and the weaknesses we still need to fix.”

AfCRA should therefore be seen as complementary to existing international and regional rating agencies, broadening the range of credible analysis available to investors and issuers while strengthening competition, transparency and analytical capacity within Africa’s credit markets.

As Africa seeks to mobilise the scale of capital required for industrialisation, trade, infrastructure and economic transformation, credible African institutions that improve information, strengthen market confidence and deepen the continent’s financial markets will become increasingly important.

Afreximbank congratulates the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and all those involved in bringing AfCRA from concept to launch, and looks forward to the contribution the Agency will make to deeper, more transparent and more efficient African capital markets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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