diff --git a/doc/release_notes.rst b/doc/release_notes.rst
index 49249a30..a5454c3b 100644
--- a/doc/release_notes.rst
+++ b/doc/release_notes.rst
@@ -314,6 +314,8 @@ Upcoming Release
   directly as methanol demand rather than with fixed methane and electricity
   demands from today's industry sector ratios.
 
+* Mark downloaded files as ``ancient`` rather than ``protected``.
+
 PyPSA-Eur 0.10.0 (19th February 2024)
 =====================================
 
diff --git a/rules/retrieve.smk b/rules/retrieve.smk
index d9ba58e2..58c15f5f 100644
--- a/rules/retrieve.smk
+++ b/rules/retrieve.smk
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ if config["enable"]["retrieve"] and config["enable"].get("retrieve_databundle",
 
     rule retrieve_databundle:
         output:
-            protected(expand("data/bundle/{file}", file=datafiles)),
-            protected(directory("data/bundle/jrc-idees-2015")),
+            ancient(expand("data/bundle/{file}", file=datafiles)),
+            ancient(directory("data/bundle/jrc-idees-2015")),
         log:
             "logs/retrieve_databundle.log",
         resources:
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ if config["enable"]["retrieve"]:
                 keep_local=True,
             ),
         output:
-            protected("data/shipdensity_global.zip"),
+            ancient("data/shipdensity_global.zip"),
         log:
             "logs/retrieve_ship_raster.log",
         resources:
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ if config["enable"]["retrieve"]:
             zip="data/WDPA_shp.zip",
             folder=directory("data/WDPA"),
         output:
-            gpkg=protected("data/WDPA.gpkg"),
+            gpkg=ancient("data/WDPA.gpkg"),
         run:
             shell("cp {input} {params.zip}")
             shell("unzip -o {params.zip} -d {params.folder}")
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ if config["enable"]["retrieve"]:
             zip="data/WDPA_WDOECM_marine.zip",
             folder=directory("data/WDPA_WDOECM_marine"),
         output:
-            gpkg=protected("data/WDPA_WDOECM_marine.gpkg"),
+            gpkg=ancient("data/WDPA_WDOECM_marine.gpkg"),
         run:
             shell("cp {input} {params.zip}")
             shell("unzip -o {params.zip} -d {params.folder}")
diff --git a/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py b/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
index 0e4367d1..fb290130 100755
--- a/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
+++ b/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
@@ -2708,9 +2708,8 @@ def add_industry(n, costs):
     )
 
     p_set_methanol = (
-            industrial_demand["methanol"]
-            .rename(lambda x: x + " industry methanol")
-            / nhours
+        industrial_demand["methanol"].rename(lambda x: x + " industry methanol")
+        / nhours
     )
 
     if not options["regional_methanol_demand"]:
@@ -2732,10 +2731,7 @@ def add_industry(n, costs):
         bus2="co2 atmosphere",
         carrier="industry methanol",
         p_nom_extendable=True,
-        efficiency2=1
-                    / options[
-                        "MWh_MeOH_per_tCO2"
-                    ],
+        efficiency2=1 / options["MWh_MeOH_per_tCO2"],
         # CO2 intensity methanol based on stoichiometric calculation with 22.7 GJ/t methanol (32 g/mol), CO2 (44 g/mol), 277.78 MWh/TJ = 0.218 t/MWh
     )