• E+T Expert Engineering: Advanced nuclear technology PART 2: SMRs explained

    In part 1, we looked at the benefits of nuclear power in providing vast amounts of low-carbon energy. The challenge, however, is that building new nuclear power stations requires enormous investment and often takes more than a decade to construct. This is where part 2 comes in. A simple solution to the challenge is miniaturising the technology into small modular reactors or SMRs. Built in a factory as modular components, the modules are transported to and assembled on-site, radically reducing construction time. A single SMR could be used on its own to meet localised power demands or scaled up to many for larger demand.

  • £12bn plan to upgrade Scotland’s electricity grid kicks off

    A major five-year £12bn plan to upgrade central and southern Scotland’s electricity grid has begun, supporting the UK’s move towards an “all-electric future”. ScottishPower’s transmission business, SP Energy Networks, has officially started its rewiring programme in Scotland that will see 12 new major substations built and over 570km of transmission lines upgraded or replaced. The Scottish grid is under pressure. The renewable energy generated by onshore and offshore wind turbines is putting strain on the current grid, causing bottlenecks and curtailment. The volume of power available from wind turbines is sometimes curtailed (reduced or switched off at source) due to limited grid capacity to transfer the power. As such, generators are instructed by the system operator to turn down or switch…

  • Artemis II astronauts begin trip to the far side of the Moon

    Nasa has launched its Artemis II mission with the goal of conducting a manned fly-by of the Moon on the back of the super heavy-lift Space Launch System. The 10-day mission’s goals include testing the life support systems aboard the Orion capsule and its manual piloting controls. The crew will travel roughly 47,400km behind the far side of the Moon before using lunar gravity to ‘slingshot’ them back toward Earth. They are also verifying the ability of Nasa’s Deep Space Network to maintain high-speed communication and precise tracking as they reach a distance of more than 370,000km from Earth. Artemis II has been in the planning stages for several years, although the scope of the mission has changed several times amid fluctuating goals and long-term plans for Nasa. Originally, the astronauts…

  • Virgin Galactic raises ticket prices to $750,000 ahead of relaunch

    Virgin Galactic has ramped up its ticket prices for trips to suborbital space to $750,000 (£568,000) per person ahead of plans to relaunch commercial flights in the autumn. Founded over 20 years ago by Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic’s price for early adopters was a comparatively low $200,000 until 2013. Since then, it has been creeping up, costing $600,000 between 2023 and 2025 and now $750,000 for a seat on the new Delta Class fleet. Despite its long history, Virgin Galactic has only flown an estimated 23 paying customers to space since its founding and around 60 overall including researchers and service personnel. Its VSS Unity spacecraft only completed 12 spaceflights before it was retired in 2024, leading to a lengthy period of downtime for the service. VSS Unity was considered…

  • ‘Smart’ DNA drugs precisely target cancer tumours

    A ‘smart’ DNA-based system that precisely identifies cancer cells and releases drugs only at the tumour site has been developed by researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland. A major challenge in oncology today is targeting cancer cells without damaging healthy surrounding tissue. The research team at UNIGE has developed a ‘smart’ drug based on synthetic DNA strands that can do just that, in a process similar to two-factor authentication on a banking website. While there are currently methods capable of delivering drugs precisely to cancer cells – antibody-drug conjugates being the most promising – they face limitations such as poor tissue penetration, large size and restricted drug payload capacity. In comparison, UNIGE’s new DNA-based technology offers advantages…

  • Volvo’s hydrogen truck begins on-road testing ahead of 2030 launch

    Volvo’s hydrogen-powered trucks are currently undergoing on-road trials in northern Sweden’s harsh cold climate, ahead of a planned commercial launch by 2030. The trials aim to verify the vehicle’s hydrogen combustion engine, which is essentially a modified internal combustion engine designed to run on green hydrogen instead of diesel. The engine features high pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology, developed by Cespira, a joint venture between Volvo Group and Westport Fuel Systems. The technology allows engines to burn renewable fuels such as hydrogen or bio-methane while maintaining the power and performance of traditional diesel engines. The HPDI fuel system consists of a fully integrated “tank-to-injector” solution. It works by injecting a small amount of ignition fuel into the…

  • Return of direct ferry between Scotland and Europe edges nearer to reality

    The reinstatement of a direct ferry route between Scotland and France is closer to reality after a £3m commitment from the government. The new route will be launched 15 years after the last passenger service ended between the Scottish port of Rosyth and Zeebrugge in Belgium. It was discontinued in 2010 because of falling passenger numbers, competitive pressure from budget airlines and increased running costs. The route continued for a few years as a freight-only service, before that was also discontinued in 2018. The newly proposed service would operate from Rosyth and land in Dunkirk, offering both freight and passenger services. It would improve links between Scottish exporters and Dunkirk’s state-of-the-art rail terminal, which connects the port to major centres across the EU. The EU…

  • Unique skull vibrations could act as password for headset users

    In the future, headset users could log into platforms simply through the distinct vibration patterns of their skulls, according to a study. Tiny vibrations, generated by breathing and heartbeats, resonate through the skull in patterns unique to each person’s bone structure and soft facial tissues. A software security system developed by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey, US, detects these vibrations, enabling users to seamlessly log in to virtual and augmented reality platforms without the need to disrupt the immersive experience by taking off their headset to type in passwords or personal identification numbers. Yingying Chen, a distinguished professor and chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering at the Rutgers School of Engineering and a corresponding…

  • Flexible hydrogel could power your wearables using just body heat

    A soft material that converts body heat into electricity could pave the way for self-powered wearable devices, according to a new study. Researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, found that a soft hydrogel was able to capture wasted heat and turn it into usable electrical power with “record efficiency”. Low-grade heat is widely distributed in industrial processes, the environment and even the human body, accounting for a significant share of global energy loss. In their research, the team investigated how efficiently a soft hydrogel material could convert this wasted heat into electricity using the thermal diffusion process known as the Soret effect. The hydrogel achieves this by controlling how charged particles move through a soft polymer network…

  • Heathrow’s plan for major increases to landing fees blocked by the regulator

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has rejected efforts from Heathrow to significantly raise its landing fees to fund a series of upgrades to the airport. While Heathrow Airport is privately owned and run, it is strictly regulated by the CAA as it has an effective monopoly on many international long-haul flights, which could lead to steep price increases without government intervention. With the current regulatory period coming to an end, the CAA has just published its initial proposals for the next period covering 2027 to 2031. While Heathrow wanted a 17% increase to landing charges (around £33 per passenger), the CAA set the cap on airport charges at between £27.20 and £30.50 per passenger. The airport is currently undergoing a £10bn transformation plan that will see the demolition…

  • External displays on driverless vehicles could reduce risk to runners and pedestrians

    Driverless cars could be fitted with external displays to help them communicate with vulnerable road users such as runners and cyclists. Researchers at the University of Glasgow and KAIST in South Korea have used augmented reality tech to explore how runners’ behaviour differs from walkers’ when crossing roads and junctions. They found that runners are much more likely to take risks when negotiating traffic than walkers and often took less time to process the road conditions around them. On several occasions, they were ‘struck’ by virtual vehicles in the team’s simulated road tests. The team suggested that displays of lights on the exteriors of cars called external human-machine interfaces, or eHMIs, could enable them to communicate their intentions more quickly and effectively. These…

  • Supply chain deal brings Rolls-Royce SMR a step closer to roll-out

    Rolls-Royce SMR has partnered with Swedish nuclear technology firm Studsvik AB to support its small modular reactor (SMR) programme, marking another step towards deployment. Studsvik, an established supplier of nuclear analysis software and specialised services to the international nuclear industry, is the latest in a string of collaborations Rolls-Royce SMR has signed over the past year as it moves towards commissioning its modular, ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plant. In a bid to kickstart what energy secretary Ed Miliband called the “golden age” of nuclear energy, the government confirmed last summer it was to invest £14.2bn in the upcoming Sizewell C nuclear plant, as well as a further £2.5bn for SMRs. It also confirmed that it had selected Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder to…

  • Semi-autonomous robots could speed up hunt for life on Mars

    The ongoing search for life on Mars could be sped up through the use of semi-autonomous robotic explorers that can carry out investigations of the surface, researchers say. Communication delays between Earth and Mars rovers can range between four and 22 minutes and impose data transfer constraints because of uplink and downlink limitations. These limitations force scientists to plan operations well in advance. Rovers are designed for energy efficiency and safety, and to move slowly across hazardous terrain. As a result, exploration is typically limited to only a small portion of the landing site, with rovers traveling up to a few hundred metres a day, making it difficult to collect geologically diverse data. A team at the University of Basel in Switzerland have been testing a semi-autonomous…

  • Fourth Scotland–England subsea link reaches £3bn contract milestone

    Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4) has secured £3bn in major contracts for its 640km electricity transmission link between Scotland and England. The contracts cover the high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) converter stations and the subsea and underground electricity cables. Siemens Energy will deliver the converter stations in Fife and Norfolk, while Italian subsea cable manufacturer Prysmian will provide the cable system, including 530km of subsea cable and over 116km of underground cable. EGL4, a joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission, will transmit up to 2GW of electricity. The converter station in Fife will change alternating current into direct current, the most efficient way for high-voltage electricity to travel across large distances. Once converted…

  • Private 'underwater hypercar' completes sea trials ahead of first delivery

    Dutch submersible manufacturer U-Boat Worx has revealed it will deliver the “world’s fastest submersible” for private use to its first client following successful sea trials. The 6.5-metre-long Super Sub can carry three passengers on a journey of up to 10 nautical miles (around 18.5 km), reaching depths of 300 metres. Powered by a 62kWh battery, it offers up to eight hours of exploration time underwater. According to U-Boat Worx, testing in the waters near the Caribbean island of Curaçao revealed what its engineers intended: “A private submersible that behaves less like a traditional underwater craft and more like a performance vehicle designed for three-dimensional freedom.” Super Sub’s propulsion system features four proprietary thrusters that deliver a total of 100kW of horizontal…

  • Thawing permafrost risks unleashing billions of tonnes of locked-away carbon

    Climate change could be exacerbated by thawing permafrost that releases large amounts of greenhouse gases once it has defrosted. Permafrost is soil that has been frozen for extensive periods and is found over large areas of the Arctic. Historically, it has acted as a vital barrier against climate change, as it contains roughly 1,700 billion tonnes of carbon, around three times the amount currently in the atmosphere. But rising temperatures has led to thawing, which could lead to the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, creating a self‑reinforcing process. Professor Paul Glover from the University of Leeds, who led the research, said: “It is now widely recognised that climate change is leading to significant thawing of permafrost, with a 42%…

  • EV interest jumps sharply as Iran war sends fuel prices surging

    Interest in electric cars has jumped amid rising fuel prices since the Middle East conflict began, according to Autotrader. Autotrader, an online marketplace for buying and selling cars, has reported a sharp increase in enquiries for both new and used electric vehicles (EVs) since the Iran war began at the end of February. A significant share of the world’s oil comes from the Middle East. Missile strikes and drone attacks have meant traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime shipping route for global oil supplies, is effectively at a standstill. This is driving up fuel prices worldwide. While not quite at the extremes of 2022 yet, the instability of what might be in store and further fuel price rises is driving people to consider EVs. Autotrader saw a 28% jump in EV enquiries…

  • Quantum navigation system fitted to London train offers alternative to unreliable GPS

    Network Rail is introducing quantum navigation technologies that can measure the position of trains with extreme precision. The location of trains on the network is typically determined using an electric track circuit that runs a current from one rail to the other through a relay. When a train runs on a section, it causes the current to bypass the relay, which is picked up by the signalling network. This is also supplemented by various technologies, including GPS and automatic warning systems that can monitor the exact position of carriages. But these technologies are vulnerable to a number of faults that can cause major delays including broken rails, a blown fuse, faulty electrical parts, cable theft or loose connections, all of which form a break in the track circuit. Network Rail is…

  • UK must back North Sea oil and gas drilling alongside renewables, says industry body

    UK domestic oil and gas production in the North Sea should continue alongside the expansion of offshore wind capacity to secure energy supply, according to an Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) report. In its Business outlook report 2026, OEUK warns that the UK “urgently” needs to produce its own oil and gas because without it the country risks becoming reliant on “energy imports at a time of rising global instability”. According to its analysis, oil and gas still supplies around 75% of the UK’s energy needs and is expected to meet around one-fifth of demand by 2050. David Whitehouse, chief executive of OEUK, said: “This is not an either renewables or oil and gas scenario. We urgently need greater supplies of secure, domestically produced energy including oil and gas, which will remain a critical…

  • UK injects £100m into mothballed CO2 plant due to shortages from the Iran war

    A mothballed factory in Teeside that produced carbon dioxide will be reopened with £100m in government funding because of fears the UK could face shortages of the gas following the war in Iran. The Ensus plant primarily manufactured bioethanol and outputs CO2 as a by-product, but it was shuttered last year after a trade deal removed tariffs on ethanol imports from the US. CO2 is a vital component in healthcare and food production, where it’s used to make fertilisers and packaging that keeps food fresh. But the war in Iran is increasingly disrupting the production of fertiliser in Europe, leading the government to reopen the plant to ensure supplies remain secure. The Department for Business and Trade said it had intentionally kept the facility on standby after its closure in the autumn…

  • ‘Wetware’: Is your next computer a living one?

    From brain organoids and neuron/microchip hybrids to fungal networks, computers made using living cells are forcing a rethink of traditional IT systems and could result in more sustainable and efficient AI. As tech firms look to build data centres half a mile long to power their AI, fuelling massive energy demand in the process, others are asking if a new breed of ‘living’ biocomputers can provide a more sustainable and effective alternative to traditional computers based on silicon. Recent advances underscore the potential of so-called ‘wetware’ as a medium for computation. The world’s first commercial biological computer, CL1 launched by Australian start-up Cortical Labs last year, merges human neurons grown from stem cells with a traditional silicon chip to create dynamic neural networks…

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  • OpenAI to close Sora video generation platform as rivals gain ground

    OpenAI has confirmed it will shut down its AI video generation platform Sora after just two years as the firm looks to refocus its resources on its core product ChatGPT. Sora was first launched in February 2024, but it wasn’t until the introduction of Sora 2 last September that the platform hit the mainstream, with users creating highly realistic video content based on single text prompts. But despite its initial popularity, daily users have fallen in recent months, stabilising at roughly 750,000 – a relatively low number compared to other OpenAI products. The platform also required vastly more computing resources per user interaction than a typical text-based interaction with ChatGPT. Some estimates suggest that a single 5-10 second video generation consumes roughly 1kWh of electricity…

  • Battery electric vehicles to dominate HGV market by mid-2030s

    Battery electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could become a viable alternative for long-distance and heavy-duty applications by the mid-2030s, according to a new study. The study, published by the Faraday Institution, provides an assessment of the UK’s current HGV market and its transition to zero-emission technologies. The HGV sector is a significant part of the UK’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing substantially to the logistics industry. However, it is also a major source of emissions with 99% of the existing HGV fleet relying on diesel engines. With the average HGV travelling around 100,000 miles a year, the sector accounts for 16% of carbon emissions in the transport sector and 6% of the UK’s overall carbon emissions. The HGV industry is transitioning towards…

  • Nasa to land humans on the Moon every six months while it builds a lunar base

    Nasa is planning to make manned trips to the lunar surface every six months from 2028 as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a permanent Moon base. The agency said it would begin to incorporate more commercially procured and reusable hardware in its lunar trips in a bid to lower the cost of the Artemis programme. Artemis was formally established in 2017 and launched its first uncrewed mission in November 2022 using the long-delayed super heavy-lift launch rocket Space Launch System. Artemis II, the programme’s first crewed flight, was originally planned to take place in 2024, followed by a crewed landing on the Moon for Artemis III in 2025. However, in December 2024 the agency confirmed it would target April 2026 for Artemis II and mid-2027 for Artemis III, which will now involve…

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