Month: October 2025

With the placement of the lower arm, the Tower of Jesus Christ now reaches a height of 162.91 meters

BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Basílica de la Sagrada Família has entered a historic new phase in its long journey toward completion. Today, the first part of the cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ has been placed, signaling the start of the final phase of construction of the temple’s central and tallest tower.

The lower arm of the cross, measuring 7.25 meters and weighing 24 tons, was carefully positioned on the tower’s summit. It arrived last July in four separate panels, which were assembled on a work platform above the main nave, 54 meters high, for glazing, stonework and interior finishing.

Designed with double-twist geometry, the cross transitions from a square base to an octagonal upper section. Its exterior features white glazed ceramic and glass. The materials were chosen for their luminosity and resistance to atmospheric conditions. When fully assembled, the cross will stand 17 meters tall—about the height of a five-story building—and span 13.5 meters wide.

Placing the lower arm represents a significant milestone in the construction of the Tower of Jesus Christ. This tower, the tallest of the central group, is the symbolic and architectural centerpiece of the Sagrada Família, reflecting Antoni Gaudí’s original vision of a spiritual ascent culminating in light.

The inauguration of the tower take place in June 2026, coinciding with the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death. The Sagrada Família will host a series of special events and public celebrations leading up to the inauguration. To view the full program of activities, visit: sagradafamilia2026.org.

Editor’s note: Video and photos of the placing of the f
irst part of the cross on the Tower of Jesus Christ
 can be downloaded here:

https://tinyurl.com/SagradaFamilia-GMG-103025

Media Contacts (for U.S. Media):

Gabriel Marketing Group (For Sagrada Família)
Michiko Morales, michim@gabrielmarketing.com
Michael Tebo, michaelt@gabrielmarketing.com

Media Contacts (for Global Media):

Anna Perarnau, aperarnau@sagradafamilia.org 
Irene Savall, press@ext.sagradafamilia.org

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SOURCE Sagrada Familia

Press Release from the Volvo Environment Prize Foundation

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Naomi Oreskes, a world-renowned earth scientist and historian from Harvard University, is the recipient of the 2025 Volvo Environment Prize. She is being honored for her influential work on the history of science, climate change, and scientific consensus, and is also the co-author of the acclaimed book Merchants of Doubt (2010). 

Oreskes holds the position of Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and serves as an Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard. She began her career as a geologist before transitioning to research in the history of science. Previously, she taught for 15 years at UCLA and joined Harvard in 2013, a university with a long-standing tradition in the history of science. Founded in 1636, it was established during the Scientific Revolution—a time when figures like Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler challenged conventional ideas, paving the way for Newton and others who laid the foundations of modern science.

The history of scientific development spans hundreds of years, featuring rapid advancements from the invention of the primitive telescope to particle accelerators, leading to space travel, modern medicine, and computing. However, as Oreskes notes in her various works, scientific advancement does not always follow a continuous upward trajectory.  

“New findings are always questioned”, she says. “That’s how science works. Through this process of questioning, we can discern good claims from bad ones, separating the wheat from the chaff, and figuring out what seems to be true about the world.” 

Oreskes says science isn’t reliable because of a single method, but because scientific claims are rigorously scrutinized. “Most people think that science is reliable by virtue of its method,” says Oreskes. “But that idea is wrong. In reality, there is no singular scientific method. What makes scientific claims reliable is the process by which they are vetted. Only the claims that pass this scrutiny can we say constitute scientific knowledge.”

In the climate science debate, Naomi Oreskes has been actively engaged for several years, navigating a landscape where discussions can be intense and findings are often challenged. In 2010, she co-authored Merchants of Doubt, drawing parallels between the climate change debate and earlier public controversies, particularly regarding the tobacco industry’s denial of the link between smoking and severe diseases—a connection now widely accepted. 

Oreskes argues that opposition to the notion that human activities contribute to climate change is not a scientific debate; the discussion is settled. There is a broad consensus within the scientific community that humans are driving climate change. 

“I mean, if anything is proven, climate science is proven,” she asserts. “Science, as we know it, has been practiced for about 500 years, making it one of the longest-standing institutions on Earth, sustained because scientists have developed methods that typically yield reliable answers.” 

She believes there is little need for further research to confirm that human emissions cause climate change, but emphasizes the necessity for more social research focused on adaptation.

“The tragic part of that history is that we could have avoided this problem had we started addressing it 30 years ago when scientists first warned, ‘Hey, pay attention.’ Now it’s too late. We are facing a future centered on adaptation and creating resilience.” 

Despite occasional public resistance to climate science, Oreskes does not perceive a significant decline in public trust. “Trust in science actually hasn’t diminished significantly. Public opinion polls indicate that in most parts of the world, trust in science remains fairly strong. About 60 to 80% of people express a moderately high level of trust in science, which is encouraging,” she adds. 

The Jury for the Volvo Environment Prize stated in their motivation for the 2025 award: “Naomi Oreskes stands as a leading figure in the contemporary history and philosophy of science, shaping our understanding of how scientific knowledge is collectively constructed and addressing the challenges of misinformation in public discourse.”

Volvo Environment Prize

Since its inception 36 years ago, the Volvo Environment Prize has grown to become one of the most respected environmental awards in the scientific community. The award ceremony will be held on December 11, 2025, in Stockholm, Sweden, alongside a seminar. 

For more information about the 2025 laureate and the award, please visit www.environment-prize.com.

Journalists wanting further information, please contact:


Claes Eliasson, Head of Media Relations


+46 76 553 7229


press@volvo.com

For more information, please visit

volvogroup.com
 
For frequent updates, follow us on LinkedIn

The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs more than 100,000 people and serves customers in almost 190 markets. In 2024, net sales amounted to SEK 527 billion (EUR 46 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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SOURCE AB Volvo

CHANGSHA, China, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (“Zoomlion”; 1157.HK) is marking World Cities Day 2025 through its continued support for sustainable urban development, interconnected transportation, and smart cities of the future. Through ongoing participation in landmark construction projects, the company is helping accelerate the global shift toward more inclusive, and technology-driven urban living.

Urbanization has become one of the defining global trends of our time. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, a figure expected to climb to nearly 70% by 2050. This rapid growth brings shared challenges such as traffic congestion, aging infrastructure, and the need for sustainable development. In line with the United Nations’ World Cities Day 2025 theme of “People-Centered Smart Cities,” Zoomlion is contributing not only through technology and engineering, but through integrated, human-first approaches to urban development.

In the Middle East, Zoomlion is driving Saudi Arabia’s modern urbanization with work on the Quadrilateral City Project and the Mukaab project in Riyadh, one of the world’s tallest temperature-controlled buildings. Its ZR420GW rotary drilling rig is tackling deep, hard-rock foundations while supported by on-site engineers, expert guidance, dedicated parts supply, and a rapid-response team. The company is also providing infrastructure support for the NEOM New City, where Zoomlion’s local service teams provide real-time technical assistance and parts support.

In Africa, Zoomlion helped complete Egypt’s Alamein New Town, home to Africa’s tallest all-concrete residential tower, and has also contributed to the country’s New Administrative Capital. The company’s reach extends further into Africa through contributions to the Rosso Bridge linking Senegal and Mauritania, stadium construction in Chad, and a flagship venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco. These projects are supported by Zoomlion’s growing regional workforce, with over 90 percent of its 300-plus Africa-based employees hired locally.

Across Asia, Zoomlion’s rigs support Malaysia’s Pan-Borneo Highway, a major regional transportation corridor designed to improve urban-rural connectivity. In eastern China, the company’s full-casing drilling rig, the largest of its kind globally, is advancing the Suzhou Xitang River Drinking Water Project, a vital initiative to enhance water security and urban environmental resilience.

Zoomlion’s efforts go beyond engineering, representing a lasting commitment to building more livable cities. As the world moves toward smart cities, Zoomlion remains committed to innovation and local collaboration, and long-term practice that empowers communities and supports sustainable urban transformation.

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SOURCE Zoomlion

SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Under the Business Finland (BF) – Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) Joint Innovation Call, a bilateral program sponsored by both the Finnish and Chinese governments, ROTOBOOST (Finland) and Baowu Clean Energy announced on October 21, 2025 the official launch of a China–Finland cooperation to deploy Thermo-Catalytic Decomposition (TCD) methane pyrolysis technology for producing low-carbon hydrogen and high-quality solid carbon in steelmaking and aluminum—two of the world’s most energy- and CO₂-intensive industries.

 

Approved by both governments in September 2025, the launch gathered representatives from Chinese and Finnish authorities, Baowu, ROTOBOOST, partner organizations, and experts from industry and academia.

Why it matters

Steel and aluminum underpin the global economy yet remain hard to abate at scale. Viable pathways must pair deep emissions reductions with compelling unit economics. This initiative combines Baowu’s process leadership with ROTOBOOST’s TCD platform to deliver on-site, low-carbon hydrogen and monetize circular solid carbon—advancing decarbonization and profitability.

About the technology

ROTOBOOST’s TCD methane pyrolysis splits natural gas into hydrogen-rich gas and solid carbonwithout direct process CO₂, enabling on-demand hydrogen supply and carbon products for industrial use. In May 2025, ROTOBOOST became the first TCD company to receive TÜV SÜD certification for the low-carbon footprint of both its hydrogen and carbon products. Earlier this year, the parties signed a cooperation agreement in Shanghai.

Project focus and scope

• On-site low-carbon hydrogen for steel: Deliver a stable, cost-effective hydrogen supply at Baowu sites to enable DRI/EAF and other hydrogen-enabled routes, integrated with existing utilities and operations.
• High-value carbon utilization (production-grade): Deploy ROTOBOOST solid carbon with production specifications into electrode and composite applications across steel and aluminum value chains, with commercial batches and established processing routes.
• Commercial deployment & performance assurance: Commission and operate modular TCD units under full commercial conditions, delivering defined hydrogen volumes and material-performance matrix with transparent monitoring and decision-grade techno-economics—supporting rapid multi-site rollout.
• Data, MRV & certification: Capture critical real-operation data (mass/energy balances, emissions factors, hydrogen purity, carbon specs) to produce auditable LCA/GHG inventories; align with internationally recognized standards and pursue accredited third-party verification to enable globally accepted emissions-reduction data and certificates for customer reporting and procurement programs.

Strategic impact

Operating under the BF–MOST joint innovation framework, the collaboration targets four practical bottlenecks to industrial decarbonization—reliable low-carbon hydrogen supply, cost and unit economics, integration with existing assets, and materials performance.

By generating decision-grade technical and economic evidence at operating sites, the partners aim to deliver a replicable, technology-plus-application blueprint for large-scale deployments in steel and aluminum globally.

Next steps

Joint engineering, safety and integration studies begin immediately, followed by phased deployments and performance validation to inform wider roll-out across steel and aluminum production.

About Baowu Clean Energy

Baowu Clean Energy is a decarbonization and industrial gas platform within Baowu Group, the world’s largest steelmaker, focused on clean energy solutions and process innovation to advance green-steel production and circular value chains. (Baowu Clean Energy)

About ROTOBOOST

ROTOBOOST is a Finland-based technology company specializing in Thermo-Catalytic Decomposition (TCD) of methane to produce low-carbon hydrogen and high-value solid carbon for industrial applications. Its modular systems enable on-site, on-demand deployment across steel, aluminum, maritime, and power markets. (ROTOBOOST)

Media Contact

Info@rotoboost.com

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SOURCE ROTOBOOST

BEIJING, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — JA Solar, a trusted global partner in green energy, and Australian solar innovator 5B have signed a landmark module supply agreement during the All Energy Australia 2025 exhibition. The agreement covers more than 100 MW of JA Solar’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules for a large-scale solar project in Western Australia, marking the largest collaboration to date between the two companies.

Built on years of close technical cooperation, this agreement combines the complementary strengths of JA Solar and 5B to deliver greater value for PV developers. JA Solar’s high-efficiency modules, renowned for their reliability, have been rigorously tested and optimized for seamless integration with 5B’s Maverick system. The Maverick is a prefabricated, re-deployable solar array designed so that solar farms can be built faster, safer, and at lower cost.

Certified to withstand wind speeds of up to 93 meters per second, the Maverick system provides exceptional durability in extreme weather, a timely advantage as Australia enters its peak storm season. When paired with JA Solar’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules, the combined solution enables fast-track installation, reduced balance-of-system costs, and consistent energy output. This synergy results in shorter project timelines, lower operational risks, and stronger returns for customers operating in challenging environments.

The signing ceremony brought together senior leaders from both companies, including Daniel Li (VP, East Asia & South Pacific, JA Solar) and David Griffin (CEO of 5B), alongside key regional and technical heads. Their presence highlighted the strategic depth of the partnership and the alignment across commercial, engineering, and market development teams.

“This agreement is more than a supply contract, it is a blueprint for how global technology and local ingenuity can come together to deliver real-world impact,” said Daniel Li. “By combining JA Solar’s proven module performance with 5B’s advanced deployment technology, we are empowering customers with solutions that are bankable, scalable, and built for Australia’s unique conditions.”

The partnership between JA Solar and 5B reflects a shared vision of accelerating the transition to renewable energy through technical excellence, operational synergy, and deep local collaboration, delivering greater value for the customers who are building the future.

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SOURCE JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd.