• Derby chosen as location for Great British Railways HQ

    The official home of GBR will be located in Derby, the government has announced. The Midlands city has been chosen from a shortlist of six that also included Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. The new public body will own the rail infrastructure, procure passenger services and set most fares and timetables, the government has said.  "Derby will become the heart of Great Britain's rail industry, bringing together track and train, as well as revenue and cost," said transport secretary Mark Harper.  "This means we will finally treat the railway as the whole system it should be rather than a web of disparate interests that it's become." The city was chosen through a " rigorous assessment process", as well as a public vote. Derby's application was said to have demonstrated …

  • Government borrowing soars amid rising energy bills

    The UK government borrowed £16.7bn in February, reaching the highest level for the month since records began in 1993, according to  the Office for National Statistics (ONS).  The figure marked a year-on-year increase of £9.7bn.  The rise in public borrowing was said to be caused by spending on energy support schemes that aimed to help households and businesses cope with soaring energy bills. The cost of these schemes has totalled an estimated £34bn s ince they were first introduced in October.   Nonetheless, the ONS has stressed that the interest paid on government debt was £6.9bn in February - £1.3bn less than a year earlier - due to changes in inflation rates. “Borrowing is still high because we’re determined to support households and businesses with rising prices and are spending…

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    E+T Magazine

  • Decarbonise public buildings ‘five times faster’ to meet net-zero targets, report says

    The 'Public Building Energy Efficiency' report, conducted by network service providers Neos Networks, examined the actual energy usage and efficiency of over 450,000 public buildings in England and Wales. It analysed their display energy certificates (DECs) and ‘operational ratings’ (annual CO 2 emission kg per m 2 ), and highlighted the areas requiring immediate action and major investment in retrofitting public building stock. The report projects that nine out of ten (91 per cent) public buildings will need upgrading in the next seven years if they are to meet stated net-zero targets. CO 2 emissions from public buildings need to be reduced five times faster than they’re currently falling to meet the target of ‘75 per cent reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2037’. The report's analysis of…

  • £14bn needed to tackle pothole backlog, report warns

    This is the equivalent of £68,000 per mile of local road in England and Wales – and would take an average of 11 years to complete, an annual survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has found. It also showed that local authority highway teams in England and Wales only received around two-thirds of what they needed to stop local roads from further deterioration. Despite a small increase in overall highway maintenance budgets, less is being spent on the carriageway itself and rising costs due to inflationary pressures mean engineers have reported being forced to postpone or cancel road schemes to make savings. The data also showed that in the last year, the gap between what local authorities received and what they said they would have needed to keep roads to their own target conditions…

  • Disposal of 80 million solar panels creates headache for recyclers

    The solar panels will generate around 100,000 tonnes of waste at the end of their life, according to a study led by the University of South Australia. Most solar panels are expected to last around 25 to 30 years before their energy-generation capacity declines significantly. In a new paper, the researchers called for incentives for producers to design solar panels that can be more easily recycled if they are damaged or out of warranty. “Australia has one of the highest uptakes of solar panels in the world, which is outstanding, but little thought has been given to the significant volume of panels ending up in landfill 20 years down the track when they need to be replaced,” said professor Peter Majewski. “There are some simple recycling steps that can be taken to reduce the waste volume…

  • US innovative transport projects to receive $94m in funding

    The US will support a series of smart mobility projects using the funding from its November 2021 infrastructure law, which pledged to dedicate $500m (£408m) over five years for these types of initiatives.  US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said the grants would "foster innovations that improve people's day-to-day lives, making transportation safer, more reliable, more efficient, and more sustainable". One of the challenges the Transportation department will aim to tackle is road safety. Last year, t raffic deaths jumped 10.5 per cent to 42,915 in 2021, the highest number killed on American roads since 2005. After declining for years, traffic deaths jumped sharply after Covid-19 lockdowns expired in 2020 and more drivers engaged in unsafe behaviour, leading officials to look for…

  • Q&A: Chris Hayhurst, MathWorks

    What are you looking for when judging innovation award entries? The most impressive and attractive innovations are ones that address some of the world’s biggest challenges. We have seen entries that could have a significant and direct impact on health, sustainable development, energy, and climate change. Increasingly, engineers want to work on problems that can make a difference and it is hugely rewarding and motivating to see the impact of their work. The awards can help those engineers to see that their work is recognised and get feedback that others also see the potential for global impact. One of those innovations was Oxford PV, which has been recognised for scaling up production of Perovskite PV panels to commercial levels, which could have a direct impact on the future of renewable energy…

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    E+T Magazine

  • Amazon set to axe a further 9,000 jobs worldwide

    Andy Jassy, chief executive of the technology giant, told staff that the move will reduce jobs in its web services, advertising, PXT solutions division and its Twitch livestreaming arm. The cuts come on top of 18,000 job cuts the business had already announced in January. In the same month, Amazon revealed its intention to shut three UK warehouses and seven delivery stations, affecting more than 1,200 further jobs. The company, which employs roughly 1.5 million people worldwide and more than 50,000 in the UK, did not say which locations will be most affected in the latest round of job cuts. In a letter to workers, Jassy said: “As we’ve just concluded the second phase of our operating plan this past week, I’m writing to share that we intend to eliminate about 9,000 more positions in the…

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    E+T Magazine

  • Time is running out to prevent climate disaster, say scientists

    The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has called for drastic and deep GHG emissions cuts to keep the average global temperature less than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all,” the report’s authors write.  The report has been compiled by 93 authors from research done over the last six years by hundreds of the world's top climate scientists. It shows that human activities have  already warmed the Earth by 1.1ºC, resulting in more frequent extreme weather and increased food and water scarcity for millions of people. If no change occurs, current policies set to warm the Earth by a further 2ºC above pre-industrial temperatures by 2100, making the planet's climate…

  • Emissions from waste textiles could be cut with chemical sorting process

    The sector currently accounts for around 10 per cent of global carbon emissions and almost 90 per cent of post-consumer fibre waste is disposed of through incineration or in landfills. Among these forms of waste, synthetic fibre has become a major threat to the environment and human health because, like other plastics, it is not biodegradable in nature. Owing to its low cost and durability, polyester is the most widely used synthetic fibre on the planet, accounting for more than half of all fabrics annually produced. Now, a research team from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a “chemical sorting” process that separates polyester from waste textiles that are disposed of in a mixed and contaminated form. In the process, a unique chemical compound…

  • Energy firms face ‘tsunami’ of industrial action, union warns

    According to Unite, around 1,400 offshore workers across five companies are planning to strike, which could bring platforms and offshore installations to a “standstill”. The latest round of industrial action will hit BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour, Ithaca, Shell and Total. Fossil fuel extractors have enjoyed bumper profits over the last year as the war in Ukraine ramped up pressure on the oil and gas markets. In November, BP reported a massive rise in its global profits , leading to calls for the government to increase windfall taxes to soften the blow of high prices on UK households. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Oil and gas companies have been given free rein to enjoy massive windfall profits in the North Sea; drilling concessions are effectively licences to print money.…

  • UK and Ukraine announce a ‘new era of modern trade’ with new deal

    Kemi Badenoch, the UK's business and trade secretary, alongside Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and minister of economy, virtually signed a new 'Digital Trade Agreement' (DTA) to help Ukraine support its economy through the current crisis.  The Department for Business and Trade today hosted a number of Ukrainian ministers, along with 200 UK and international business representatives and officials, to celebrate the signing of the digital trade deal between the two nations.  The digital trade agreement is expected to support Ukrainian businesses by cutting red tape and helping them to trade with the UK more efficiently, as well as make it easier for UK companies to work with Ukrainian businesses and support their economic recovery. Under the deal, Ukrainian businesses…

  • UK must invest in smart and green shipping solutions, MPs tell government

    The UK’s maritime sector needs more investment in new technology and cleaner fuels to compete internationally, MPs said. The TSC has published a report on the government’s Maritime 2050 strategy, published in 2019. Although the document was originally praised for its long-term vision, MPs have criticised the lack of a specific action plan to achieve the goals set.  The reviewers called for “great clarity” about how the government’s vision for the UK to be a world leader in zero-emission shipping will be achieved. The committee urged the Department for Transport (DfT) to publish the outcome of a consultation on regulating innovative technology so that “momentum” is not lost. This includes a “defined plan" for decarbonising the maritime sector with "clear, measurable targets" for both home…

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    E+T Magazine

  • BBC urges staff to delete TikTok from company devices

    According to PA, guidance reportedly sent to staff at the broadcaster on Sunday said: “We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason. If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted.” The move comes after the social media app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, was banned on UK government phones amid fears around the potential extraction of sensitive data. A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously. We constantly review activity on third-party platforms – including TikTok – and will continue to do so.” However, the BBC will continue to utilise the video-sharing platform to promote its own content, including news stories, but has…

  • UK manufacturers stave off recession despite inflationary pressures

    A report from Make UK shows a marked improvement in the sector compared to the final quarter of 2022. The figures echo gradual improvements seen in other data regarding the state of the UK and European manufacturing sector. The improvement is being driven by strong demand in the electronics and mechanical equipment sectors, with the balance of orders in the electronics sector extremely strong, the Manufacturing Outlook report said. This could be due to several factors, including companies investing in digitalisation and extra capacity to counter labour shortages or, to take advantage of the final period of the super deduction scheme before it ends this month. Demand for electronics goods is especially strong from overseas, in particular the EU. The report also showed that the sector is…

  • Biodegradable and recyclable glass could help waste crisis

    The widespread use of persistent, non-biodegradable glass that cannot be naturally eliminated can cause long-term environmental hazards and social burdens. While glass is widely recycled, and can be recycled indefinitely unlike plastic, much of it still ends up in landfill when recyclers find it too difficult or expensive to separate the material out from other materials. According to Recycle Across America, “More than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year — that is the equivalent of filling up two Empire State Buildings every three weeks.” To solve this problem, a research group led by professor Yan Xuehai from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a family of eco-friendly glass of biological origin fabricated…

  • Next-generation technology to measure climate change from space

    The new Nasa Quantum Pathways Institute will build technology and tools to improve the measurement of important climate factors.  “We are peering into a universe that we’ve never peered into before,” said Daniel Blumenthal, a professor at  UC Santa Barbara.  Led by colleagues at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Blumenthal and the other researchers will focus on quantum sensing, which involves observing how atoms react to small changes in their environment. The observations will then be used to infer the time variations in the gravity field of the Earth, allowing scientists to improve the accuracy in measurements of several important climate processes, such as sea level rise, rate of ice melt, changes in land water resources and ocean heat storage changes. “There have been tremendous…

  • Choose your shade: enter our greenwash special coverage

    Welcome to our greenest ever issue. You can tell because this month we talk more about environmental issues than we’ve ever done before. We use buzzwords like climate change, sustainable, net zero and kinder to the planet. We’ve got lots of headlines in green too, pictures of the national treasure that’s David Attenborough, some police carting off Greta Thunberg, and lots of lovely trees in an architect’s vision of a utopian sustainable future. And just look at all that green on our cover! It all goes to show just how amazingly green we are. Whether it’s a brochure to sell another product, an annual report to reassure investors, or PR to show a caring side, words and pictures come quite easy. It’s the backing it up with action that’s the harder part. Organisations want it known that they…

  • UK funds Rolls-Royce lunar nuclear reactor project

    Rolls-Royce's Micro-Reactor programme aims to develop technology that will provide the energy needed for humans to live and work on the Moon. The project will receive £2.9m of new funding from the UK Space Agency, following £249,000 provided for an initial study in 2022, and will aim to develop a lunar nuclear reaction by  2029.  Nuclear power has the potential to dramatically increase the duration of future Lunar missions and their scientific value, as it can provide the energy necessary t o support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments.  However, power sources have been particularly difficult to transport to outer space. For this reason, Rolls-Royce's vision of a relatively small and lightweight nuclear microreactor could be the key to enabling continuous…

  • Baidu gets approval to launch driverless taxi service in Beijing

    The firm plans to deploy 10 fully autonomous vehicles in a technology park developed by the government, after it was granted a licence to commence a test service in December. Baidu is often considering to be the Chinese equivalent of Google, offering online searches alongside a suite of other products and services. The last five years has seen it increase its involvement in driverless technology as part of efforts to diversify its business model. This started in 2018 with the launch of a self-driving bus using its software. The new Beijing service has received government approval to run in the Beijing suburb of Yizhuang, which is a corporate hub. Public transport users will be able to book heavily subsidised rides through the company’s Apollo Go app. Image credit…

  • Crocodile-inspired e-skin could improve prosthetics

    The development of flexible electronic skin could greatly help innovation in the fields of rehabilitation, healthcare, prosthetic limbs and robotics. The team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech) and the University of Ulsan in South Korea, was inspired by the qualities of crocodile skin to develop a new type of stretchable pressure sensors, which can detect various types of touch and pressure. Crocodiles possess a remarkable ability to sense small waves and detect the direction of their prey. This ability is made possible by an incredibly sophisticated and sensitive sensory organ located on their skin. The organ is composed of hemispheric sensory bumps that are arranged in a repeated pattern with wrinkled hinges between them. When the crocodile moves its body, the…

  • Drone system to inspect electricity pylons will save nearly £3m

    The three-year project, which is funded by Ofgem’s Network Innovation Allowance, could save time and cost compared with traditional ground patrols. Insulators are often made of glass or ceramic and protect pylons from the current on the power line to prevent the tower becoming live. They produce electric fields when in operation, which have distinct profiles that are altered by defects on the insulator. A purpose-built electric field sensor system can be flown by drone near to a pylon to analyse the insulators’ e-field profiles and assess their health, without the need for circuit outages, lineworkers scaling pylons, or insulator samples being sent for forensic analysis. National Grid estimates that the initiative could save £2.8m over a 15-year period through cost and resource efficiencies…

  • Wales’ business, economic and research links with EU to get new funding

    The Welsh government’s ' Agile Cymru ' programme will support Welsh businesses and organisations to take forward economic co-operation in both the Irish Sea region and with other European regions. The programme will award grants over the next 12 months to businesses and organisations in Wales to maintain and develop new partnerships, networks and collaborations with important regions and nations in the rest of Europe. In February, the Welsh government launched a new 'Irish Sea Framework' to guide and influence actions to increase economic co-operation across and around the Irish Sea region. In support of this, Agile Cymru offers grants of up to £40,000 to Welsh businesses and organisations, for travel, engagement, consultancy, forming networks, feasibility studies and pilot projects.…

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    E+T Magazine

  • The Gallery: Rome’s World Expo bid aims for solar utopia

    Expo 2030 Roma would take place in Tor Vergata, a vast area in the Italian capital that, although being home to one of the country’s leading academic hubs as well as residential buildings, has experienced neglect in recent decades. The plan aims to reverse that decline through sustainable, long-term development including a 150,000m2 solar park with peak generating capacity of 36MW that it is claimed would be the world’s largest urban, publicly accessible solar farm. Image credit: Cover Images The design incorporates hundreds of ‘energy trees’ that open and close their panels throughout the day, harvesting energy while also offering shade to visitors. From above, this infrastructure gives the entire Expo site a signature mosaic look and is complemented by the Eco…

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