• Octopus enters home battery market with own product range

    Octopus Energy has launched the 2kWh and 5kWh ‘Nook’ home battery range to “help people tap into the cheapest energy possible”. The announcement was made by the energy supplier’s founder and CEO Greg Jackson (above) at an event held as part of London Climate Action Week. Consisting of two different sizes depending on the size of property, the batteries will charge when electricity on the grid is cheapest and then discharge the power into the home when electricity is at its most expensive. “Home batteries are a brilliant piece of tech and one of the smartest ways to cut energy bills right now. Offering Octopus batteries to our customers is a big step in our mission to help people to tap into the cheapest energy possible,” said Jackson. The smaller of the two – Nook Cube – is a shoebox…

  • Plasma process turns spent coffee grounds into solid carbon fuel

    A “world-first” plasma technology rapidly transforms wet organic waste into a valuable energy resource without any need for pre-drying, according to a study. Researchers at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in South Korea have developed a “world-first” flame plasma pyrolysis (FPP) technology to rapidly convert wet spent coffee grounds into usable biochar, a carbon-rich form of charcoal. Coffee is a popular drink worldwide and one that generates an enormous amount of waste. Once coffee is brewed, its spent wet grounds often end up thrown away and in landfill or incinerated, where it contributes to carbon emissions. For many years research has been undertaken as to how to convert this vast waste resource into fuel or carbon products. But to do so requires the…

  • Ukraine’s nuclear plants to receive UK-made uranium fuel supplies through loan

    The UK will provide a £210m loan to Ukraine to enable it to purchase enriched uranium for its fleet of nuclear power plants. The country has faced relentless attacks on its energy infrastructure since the start of the war with Russia in 2022. A report by Eurelectric in February estimated that approximately 50% of Ukraine’s total energy infrastructure and production capacity has been destroyed during the war, with over 67% of thermal generation capacity lost. The country has four long-standing nuclear power plants, although Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station has been under Russian control since 2022. The remaining three lie deep within Ukraine’s territory and are reliable energy generators for a country that faces challenges trying to meet the electricity demand of its people in the face…

  • New 30-metre-wide underground tank to clean up sewage pollution in Lake Windermere

    A water company is to build a new 30-metre-diameter stormwater storage tank to divert pollution from England’s largest lake. United Utilities has pledged its commitment to improve water quality in Lake Windermere following years of pressure from campaigners over repeated sewage and wastewater discharges. Windermere, within the Lake District in Cumbria, is a Unesco world heritage area. As the largest natural lake in England, it is 18km in length and 1.6km at its widest. Known as a ribbon lake because of its long and narrow dimensions, it is home to unique native wildlife, including the Arctic char, and is a popular swimming spot. However, like many waterways in the UK, it suffers from sewage pollution. Campaign group Save Windermere was founded in 2021 to put pressure on water companies…

  • E+T Podcast: Episode 23 | Is the future of clean energy hiding 5km underground?

    Is deep geothermal energy the missing piece in the UK’s green transition? In this episode of E+T Off the Page, hosts Tim Fryer and Jack Loughran sit down with Dr. Ryan Law, CEO of Geothermal Engineering Limited, to look inside the UK's first operational deep geothermal power plant at United Downs in Cornwall. The episode covers how geothermal energy succeeds as a reliable, green, 24/7 base-load power source where intermittent options like wind and solar face daily challenges. Dr. Law also explains the massive "lithium bonus," detailing how extracting critical minerals directly from deep geothermal fluids is completely reshaping the economic landscape of clean energy. The discussion also dives into the real-world logistics of deep-earth engineering, exploring the unique financial, planning…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • New baldness drug boosts hair coverage by up to 86% in six months

    A new oral treatment for male pattern hair loss is on the horizon following successful late-stage clinical trials. Male pattern hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is a very common hereditary and hormonal condition affecting men of any age. From puberty there may be telltale signs of the condition, including noticeable hair loss on top of the head or a receding hairline. Over time, affected follicles shrink completely and stop producing hair. Due to its prevalence, the market is a awash with all kinds of treatments and ‘miracle’ cures – from pills to ointments – in the hope they will stimulate hair growth. Into this busy marketplace has entered a newcomer with a non-hormonal drug that has shown some very promising results in phase 3 clinical trials. Developed by US-based biopharmaceutical…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • £8.3bn a year ‘wasted’ as Britain pays more for infrastructure than peers

    Transport infrastructure projects in the UK cost far more and take far longer than European equivalents, according to a new report. The report says the UK gets much less infrastructure than counterparts such as Germany, Italy and Spain despite spending the same amount – and it is down to what it calls infrastructure investment cost premium. In other words, there are too many complex, time-consuming and expensive hurdles to overcome in the planning stages, causing construction to be delayed and completion dates pushed back. Meanwhile, equivalent infrastructure schemes in Europe are approved and built much faster. The report – Building more for less – published by think tanks Britain Remade and the Centre for British Progress, finds that on average the UK pays 65% more per unit of infrastructure…

  • Fast-tracked Heathrow runway review paves way for 2029 planning decision

    Construction on Heathrow’s third runway could start in the early 2030s after the government pushed through “the fastest ever review of a national policy statement”. The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a public consultation on the framework for future decisions on Heathrow’s third runway prior to a final planning decision in 2029. The consultation proposes that any scheme must have a clear strategy to create jobs and realise the economic benefits of expansion, be compatible with the UK’s legally binding climate targets, not breach legal air quality limits, and ensure noise emissions do not worsen for local residents. Planning proposals from developers looking to build the third runway will be assessed against these criteria. Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave the initial go-ahead…

  • Floating nuclear power plants could power data centres from offshore

    A London-based energy firm wants to develop Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPP), which comprises small modular reactors (SMR) built into commercial shipping vehicles. Core Power is launching a feasibility study into the proposal that would see an SMR design developed by BWXT built directly onto a floating vessel. The Generation III+ integral pressurised water SMR design has a capacity of 195 megawatts (MWe) of electricity and 575MWth per reactor. Standard modern nuclear reactors typically generate between 1,000MWe and 1,600MWe, which would rate the power output of the ship at about one-fifth to one-eighth of the size of a traditional nuclear plant. FNPPs are designed to be built in shipyards and moved close to end users and areas of high demand. By shifting construction into a controlled…

  • Norway greenlights world’s first full-scale ship tunnel

    Norway will start building the first full-size ship tunnel in the world next year after the government allocated NOK 8.6bn (£671m) in its budget for the long-delayed project. The Stad Ship Tunnel project will allow coastal ferries and small passenger ships to bypass the Stad peninsula in Norway’s Vestland county for the first time. The Stad peninsula is considered to be one of the most dangerous and exposed areas along the Norwegian coast for ships, and some 33 maritime deaths have occurred in the area since the Second World War. Ships also have to contend with storms that occur along the peninsula for roughly 100 days in the average year, frequently forcing them to drop anchor and wait until the weather has cleared. The tunnel will allow them to bypass this and ensure uninterrupted navigation…

  • Snapchat unveils £1,600 standalone AR glasses with AI assistance

    Snapchat has announced a pair of augmented reality glasses dubbed SPECS that can overlay “contextual AI assistance” over the world around you. The firm made a previous attempt at smart glasses in 2016, but they failed to take off with consumers and Snapchat took a £30m hit to its finances from the venture. Since then, a number of technologies have advanced that could give smart glasses more utility – particularly AI, which can provide far more context to surroundings that equivalent technologies could in 2016. Snapchat is not the only social media firm taking on the augmented reality space, with Meta recently releasing models with Ray-Ban and Oakley that are equipped with cameras, microphones and AI capabilities. Unlike Meta’s devices, SPECS can operate entirely on their own and don…

  • A mini-fridge-sized lab on the ISS could unlock the secrets of quantum computing

    Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have upgraded a device the size of a mini fridge that is designed to cool atoms to near-absolute zero as a way to develop new quantum technologies. The Cold Atom Lab (CAL) enables orbiting scientists to leverage the unique environment of microgravity to accomplish cutting-edge research that cannot be done anywhere else. It can cool matter down to below -237°C, only slightly hotter than absolute zero (-273.15°C). At this extreme cold, atoms form a large quantum object called a Bose‑Einstein condensate, which is often thought of as a fifth state of matter, beyond solids, liquids, gases and plasma. This collection of matter waves follows the rules of quantum mechanics despite being much larger than subatomic particles, and the microgravity…

  • Nationalisation of Thames Water closer as government objects to rescue deal

    The government has objected to a proposed £10bn rescue deal from Thames Water’s creditors, a move that could bring the water company a step closer towards public ownership. In recent years, Thames Water, one of the biggest water and sewerage companies in the UK, has increasingly found itself in hot water – mostly due to the nearly £15bn debt it has racked up. A 2023 analysis of its accounts showed that the firm had repeatedly made cuts and underinvested in critical water infrastructure in the south-east of England, while at the same time paying out billions to shareholders. To help claw its way out of its debts, the private firm stated in 2024 that it would require an increase in customer bills of 40% (59% after accounting for inflation). The industry regulator Ofwat rejected these…

  • £219m to boost UK homegrown sustainable aviation fuel production

    The UK government has announced a new Low Carbon Fuels Fund (LCFF) to scale up domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Due to launch later this summer, the £219m funding programme aims to position the UK as global SAF production hub. According to the government, the sector will support more than 15,000 jobs and add up to £5bn to the UK economy by 2050. Commenting on the announcement, aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister Keir Mather said that the investment will help to ensure that the “UK leads the world in the fuels that will power the future of flight”. Of the fund, £93m will be made available in the next month to UK companies that are looking to develop and scale up SAF production. Applications will open in mid-July and those closest to the actual production…

  • Threads hits 500 million users as it closes in on X

    Threads, the social media platform set up in 2023 to rival X, has now reached 500 million monthly active users (MAU), according to Meta. The new data, which was revealed in a blog post, means that its MAU is nearly equivalent to X, which is estimated to have between 500 million and 570 million users logging in on a monthly basis. Threads attributed the sharp growth to a feature known as “communities” that was introduced in October. The feature allows users sharing similar interests to congregate into specific subsections on the platform to discuss particular topics. “Those communities built Threads into what it is, and now we’re adding new tools to help them become even more meaningful and dynamic,” Meta said. Bluesky, another social media platform that opened registrations to the public…

  • Autonomous 450g micro-drones can keep constant watch over battlefield

    A micro-drone system has been developed that provides military forces with autonomous reconnaissance capabilities to give them constant awareness of their surroundings. Developed by Teledyne FLIR Defense, the Black Recon system can launch drones from military vehicles to provide detailed knowledge of the battlefield, even when GPS services and other communication systems face disruption from hostile forces. “Black Recon represents a major step forward in integrated reconnaissance for ground forces,” said Dr JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “By bringing autonomous launch, recovery and recharging directly to the vehicle, we give operators persistent situational awareness, faster access to actionable intelligence and greater protection in high-tempo missions.” The system itself…

  • Rolls-Royce SMR to supply Sweden’s first new nuclear power plant in over 40 years

    A multi-billion pound contract with Swedish development firm Videberg Kraft will see Rolls-Royce SMR deliver three small modular reactors (SMRs) on Sweden’s west coast. UK nuclear technology firm Rolls-Royce SMR won the contract following a selection process that started in 2022 where both large-scale nuclear plants and SMR designs were assessed. The deal includes three SMRs constructed as part of the Videberg Project on Sweden’s Värö Peninsula. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to the deal as a “major win for Britain’s economy” that will see “UK engineering showcased on the world stage”. It marks the third contract for Rolls-Royce SMR following a deal with Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) announced earlier this year to deliver the UK’s first three SMRs at Wylfa in North Wales…

  • UK offshore wind to get £9bn boost from Japanese investment deal

    The UK and Japan have announced new investment deals that will see Japanese firms invest more than £9bn on UK infrastructure and financial services and up to £9bn on UK floating offshore wind. The announcement was made during a summit meeting at 10 Downing Street between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Takaichi Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan, who is currently visiting London as part of a European trip. The two leaders announced numerous deals relating to technology and business cooperation, including the UK-Japan Frontier Technology Partnership. This new partnership will see the UK’s expertise in software and research combined with Japan’s hardware and manufacturing capabilities to accelerate developments in AI, quantum, nuclear and defence tech. According to a statement from the…

  • Britain faces ‘deindustrialisation’ without energy bill relief, says Make UK

    Britain risk rampant deindustrialisation if domestic energy prices remain at current levels, Make UK has warned. The body warned that an increasing number of manufacturers are moving production overseas, or actively considering doing so, in response to soaring costs. Electricity in the UK is more expensive than in many of its European counterparts and remains more costly than it was before the 2022 price spikes driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is largely because the UK relies on gas to provide a consistent base load energy supply and the fuel has been subject to significant market volatility. British manufacturers have been hit particularly hard, while businesses looking to expand or modernise have faced delays connecting to the grid. While the government has said it will…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Social media ban for under-16s to launch in the UK next spring

    Keir Starmer has announced plans to ban people under the age of 16 from social media using the same model that was deployed in Australia late last year. During the announcement, the Prime Minister said he hoped the measures would be introduced next spring and aimed to avoid the lengthy delays that plagued the Online Safety Bill (OSB). Australia’s implementation, which the UK intends to replicate, impacts all platforms whose purpose is to enable social interaction alongside the posting of user-generated material. The law affected platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, although the UK does not intend for messaging services including WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the ban. Australia’s enforcement strategy does not penalise children or parents. Instead…

  • Fibres in jacket pull drinking water directly from ambient air

    A jacket embedded with textile fibres capable of extracting and storing drinking water from the air offers a new approach to atmospheric water harvesting. Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin have developed a textile that can be incorporated into a jacket to harvest moisture from the air as the user is moving around. The moisture is funnelled into harvesting units, which can be detached once full and placed into a foldable unit that can be heated to produce water. The textile is capable of producing between 400ml and 900ml of drinkable water per day depending on humidity levels, according to the researchers. While water harvesting technologies are not new, with this particular design the team was focused on a wearable system that would allow for easy access to drinking…

  • UK sovereign AI lab to be hosted at the University of Cambridge

    AMD, Dell and the University of Cambridge have announced plans to establish the Sovereign AI Innovation Lab (SAIL) designed to support AI research and development across the UK. SAIL, hosted by the University of Cambridge’s Research Computing Service, has been designed as a collaborative hub focused on open and interoperable AI infrastructure built using AMD technologies. The aim is that researchers, public bodies, healthcare organisations and industry partners will be able to build, validate and scale trusted AI tools on sovereign infrastructure. Coinciding with this announcement, the university also officially launched the Zenith AI supercomputer (above), the UK’s largest AI-for-science platform. Powered by 5th Generation AMD EPYC processors and AMD Instinct MI355X GPU accelerators integrated…

  • Evil engineer: How do you make a billboard advert visible from orbit?

    Dear Evil Engineer,I got into out-of-home (OOH) advertising in 2008. After learning how it worked from some of the best in the business, I created my own OOH company and set my focus on steady, continuous expansion, placing digital billboards in high-traffic thoroughfares. This was first in the south-east of England, then throughout the UK, and finally expanding through Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region. This included buying up advertising space on some of the most ancient tourist attractions – it takes rare imagination and negotiating skills to convince the Tourist Board of Jordan to turn Al-Khazneh into a 40-metre-high digital billboard, but it wasn’t for nothing that I got where I am today (top of OOH Magazine’s 10 Advertising Stars to Watch for two years in a row). I…

  • Europe unveils first end-to-end manufacturing flow for security-critical chips

    Europe has unveiled an end-to-end manufacturing flow for security-critical semiconductors to reduce its reliance on foreign chip suppliers. The new 300mm wafer production facility is based at GlobalFoundries’ Dresden site in Germany, with the chips produced there specifically targeted at aerospace, defence and critical infrastructure sectors. It marks the first time that these technologies will be produced at scale in Europe. Global semiconductor contract manufacturing firm GlobalFoundries has teamed up with Dutch semiconductor startup Qualinx to produce its security-sensitive Qualinx QLX3xx, a family of ultra-low-power global navigation satellite system systems-on-chip. Developed for positioning, navigation and timing applications, potential uses include military platforms, critical communications…

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