Germany getting massive grid boost: German grid operator Amprion will invest EUR 36.4 bn (c.USD 40 bn) in its transmission networks through 2029 to upgrades lines and cables to handle more renewable power, Reuters reported on Thursday. The earmarked investment marks a 32.4% increase from the previous figure in an earlier five-year plan ending in 2028. Power utility RWE — a shareholder in Ampriom — is also reportedly exploring a partial or full exit from its stake due to high capital requirements.

About the operator: Amprion operates 11k km of high-voltage lines from the North Sea to the Alps, with financing covered largely by external funding and grid fees — which make up around a quarter of German retail power bills.

Volkswagen Group’s EV sales jumped 59% y-o-y to 217k units in 1Q, while Chinese sales dropped 37% amid intensifying competition, according to a press release (pdf) issued Wednesday. The figure was driven by a 112% surge in European deliveries to 158k, up from 74k last year. Porsche EVs — part of VW’s portfolio of brands — led the 1Q growth, with a 326% spike in EV deliveries to 18.4k compared to 4.3k in 1 Q of last year.

The motivation? The first phase of the EU’s strict emissions rules on automakers entered into effect this year with a specter of up to EUR 15 bn in fines for automakers who miss the targets. To achieve the targets and avoid fines, companies will either have to pool their emissions or spur sales of EVs models at the expense of petrol-powered cars.

China’s inaugural green sovereign bonds attracted some CNY 6 bn (c. USD 689 mn) from investors with bids exceeding CNY 37 bn (c. USD 5 bn), Bloomberg reported last week. The yields were finalized at 1.88% and 1.93%, lower than the initial pricing of around 2.3% and 2.35%. The bonds will be listed in Hong Kong, with plans for trading on the London Stock Exchange.

Greece to invest EUR 5.8 bn in green energy + tech: Athens-based Public Power Corporation (PPC) will invest around EUR 5.8 bn (c. USD 6.4 bn) to establish a green energy and technology hub in Greece’s Western Macedonia region, according to a statement released last week. PPC will utilize sites formerly used to extract coal, with plans to install 3 GW of renewable energy capacity with 860 MW of storage capacity. The plans also include a 300 MW data center that could be potentially upscaled to 1 GW, depending on future demand. Operations are expected to being in 2027. Some EUR 1.2 bn will also be allocated to build solar parks on former mining sites with an installed capacity of at least 2.1 GW, sufficient to supply around 715k homes and businesses.

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