5 Top Cleantech News Stories of 2018

2018 was another busy year for the cleantech sector, and as countries around the world look to move toward greener technology interest should remain strong heading into the new year.

Over the last year, the Investing News Network has had the opportunity to cover cleantech news stories on a wide range of topics, including nuclear fusion, renewable jet fuel and more.  

Below, we take a look back at our most-read cleantech news stories of the year. If you missed the chance to read them when they were first published, scroll down to take a look now.

1. UK Fusion Company Tokamak Energy Burns Through Plasma Milestone

Our most popular cleantech news story of 2018 focuses on private UK firm Tokamak Energy. The company is on a mission to make fusion power a reality, and this year it had a breakthrough with its ST40 reactor, which reached a temperature hotter than the Sun — 15 million degrees celsius, to be exact.

However, despite this breakthrough the firm says there’s still a ways to go. What’s next for Tokamak and when can we expect fusion power to light up the world? Read on to find out.

2. Gevo Targets Wider Audience with Alternative Petroleum Products

Next on our list of top cleantech news stories is the September announcement that renewable energy firm Gevo (NASDAQ:GEVO) had begun trials for its renewable jet fuel. What is renewable jet fuel? It’s fuel derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, and it’s being used to reduce the carbon footprint of flying.

Gevo said at the time that it had supplied 195 flights with its fuel, and said its sales had outpaced its supply. As a result, the company is now looking at how to scale up its operations to meet demand. Riding on the wave of that success, CEO Pat Gruber bought 10,000 shares of the company to get more skin in the game. What’s next for the cleantech company? To continue reading, click here.

3. New Flyer Industries Collaborates with Nova Bus

This article is our third-most-read cleantech news story of 2018. It covers the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium’s launch of the world’s first multi-manufacturer interoperability demonstration for fast-charge electric buses. 

The project involves on-route high-powered charging stations integrating with local utility systems, and will span across three communities in Canada. Click here to find out more about this exciting project, and how stakeholders reacted to the news.

4. Ecolab Gets AWS Certification

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) nabbed the fourth spot on our cleantech news stories list. This company offers products and services related to water, energy and hygiene technologies. These include a range of services, from power generation to retail to chemical processing to building and facilities.

The firm was recognized in May for its contributions to innovation in the water space by the Alliance for Water Stewardship. This award bolsters the company’s credibility in the industry, but how did investors react to the news? Have a look and see.

5. Doug Ford Winds Down Renewable Energy Stocks

Last but not least on our list of top cleantech news stories last year is the announcement that Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe had joined together to fight Canada’s carbon tax. Both politicians claimed the carbon tax would have no significant impact on the environment, and vowed to try to roll it back for their constituents.

How did this impact cleantech stocks? As you might have guessed, it wasn’t good news for green investors, with renewable energy companies taking a hit upon the news. Which stocks proved to be the most vulnerable? Read the article to find out.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!

Securities Disclosure: I, Amanda Kay, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.