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ENERGY

‘Car of the future’ to be tested in Denmark

Japanese car maker Honda has chosen Denmark as the global test country for its new hydrogen-fuelled cars.

'Car of the future' to be tested in Denmark
Honda Clarity. Photo: Foto-VDW/Depositphotos

Five families across the country will be given test versions of the cars during the next few months, reports MetroXpress.

Honda hopes that hydrogen-powered cars, along with electric and hybrid models, will form two thirds of its production by 2020, according to the report, phasing out petrol and diesel engines.

Hydrogen-powered cars are currently only available in the United States and Japan.

“The Japanese car maker Honda has chosen Denmark as a global test country for its new hydrogen car, the Honda Clarity, because Denmark is a world leader when it comes to sustainable energy and the environment,” Honda Denmark’s head press officer Thomas Larsen told MetroXpress.

The 11 hydrogen fuel stations currently located in the country also make it a good choice for the trial, Larsen added.

Denmark’s minister for climate Lars Christian Lilleholt told the MetroXpress newspaper that price and accessibility of the cars would be crucial in determining whether they become a success on the Danish market.

READ ALSO: Danes buying cars like never before

“The price and ease of refuelling the car are crucial. The current price of a hydrogen car would make it difficult for some people… But technological advances make prices better and better. I can certainly see perspectives with hydrogen,” Lilleholt said.

Although it is not yet available on the Danish market, Honda’s hydrogen car currently costs around 500,000 kroner ($75,000) in Japan and the United States. 

READ ALSO: Half of new cars in Norway now electric or hybrid

BUSINESS

France’s EDF hails €10billion profit, despite huge UK nuclear charge

French energy giant EDF has unveiled net profit of €10billion and cut its massive debt by increasing nuclear production after problems forced some plants offline.

France's EDF hails €10billion profit, despite huge UK nuclear charge

EDF hailed an “exceptional” year after its loss of €17.9billion in 2022.

Sales slipped 2.6 percent to €139.7billion , but the group managed to slice debt by €10billion euros to €54.4billion.

EDF said however that it had booked a €12.9 billion depreciation linked to difficulties at its Hinkley Point nuclear plant in Britain.

The charge includes €11.2 billion for Hinkley Point assets and €1.7billion at its British subsidiary, EDF Energy, the group explained.

EDF announced last month a fresh delay and additional costs for the giant project hit by repeated cost overruns.

“The year was marked by many events, in particular by the recovery of production and the company’s mobilisation around production recovery,” CEO Luc Remont told reporters.

EDF put its strong showing down to a strong operational performance, notably a significant increase in nuclear generation in France at a time of historically high prices.

That followed a drop in nuclear output in France in 2022. The group had to deal with stress corrosion problems at some reactors while also facing government orders to limit price rises.

The French reactors last year produced around 320.4 TWh, in the upper range of expectations.

Nuclear production had slid back in 2022 to 279 TWh, its lowest level in three decades, because of the corrosion problems and maintenance changes after
the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hinkley Point C is one of a small number of European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) worldwide, an EDF-led design that has been plagued by cost overruns
running into billions of euros and years of construction delays.

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