• North Sea drilling will not lower UK energy bills – new analysis

    Draining the North Sea of all oil and gas would cost households more than a fully renewable-powered UK, according to a new Oxford Smith School analysis. Conflict in the Middle East has triggered renewed calls for the UK to restart drilling in the North Sea. The argument is that if we produce more of our own oil and gas, household energy bills would fall. However, analysis from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (Oxford Smith School), an interdisciplinary research centre of the University of Oxford, finds that the effect would be minimal. Their analysis shows that even if the UK maximised oil and gas extraction from the North Sea and returned revenues collected directly to households, the reduction in energy bills would be a modest £16 to £82 a year. In comparison, a…

  • $35,000 teepee brings modern, plug-and-play comforts to wilderness living

    An off-grid teepee – powered by solar panels – that contains a toilet, shower, satellite broadband and small kitchen with cooking capabilities to bring modern comforts to almost anywhere has been created by an architectural duo. Klumpen is a portable, teepee-shaped room costing $35,000 (£26,000 plus £2,200 shipping in the EU) that can be placed next to a remote cabin to provide 21st century comforts. The teepee was designed by architectural duo Himmelsfahrtskommando, who also plan to launch an aluminium, extreme-conditions edition designed for volcanoes and glaciers at a significantly pricier $198,000. The self-sufficient system includes a water storage tank and a greywater recycling system to collect run-off from the shower and kitchen to be repurposed through a process involving filtering…

  • £1.7bn boost for city-centre projects in northern England

    Mayors in city regions across the North are set to gain from £1.7bn in government investment to accelerate city‑centre regeneration. The investment will support housing, office and transport developments across the Northern Growth Corridor, including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and York. The funding is intended to help mayors accelerate both new and stalled schemes, supporting jobs and expanding opportunities in city centre regions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the funding during her Mais Lecture on 17 March, a major annual speech on the economy. The Northern Growth Corridor is part of a plan revealed by Reeves in which she identified investment in towns, cities and areas previously overlooked as one of her top priorities to build a stronger and more secure…

  • Road repair backlog hits record £18bn despite major funding boost

    Local authorities in England and Wales face a record £18.6bn backlog of road repairs despite increases to funding last year. The annual ALARM study, published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), shows that only half (51%) of the local road network is reported to be in good structural condition, with 15 years or more life remaining, up 3% from last year. Almost one in six local roads – equivalent to over 32,500 miles – are reported to have less than five years’ structural life remaining. When the Labour government came to power it pledged to repair an additional one million potholes across England in each year of the parliament. It also promised an extra £1.6bn investment to be distributed to local councils to help them cope with the high costs of backlogs. But the AIA said that although…

  • Total grid collapse deepens Cuba’s worsening energy crisis

    Cuba’s national electricity grid collapsed yesterday, leaving the majority of its near 11-million citizens without power. Grid operator UNE said it was still investigating the cause of the blackout, but the incident occurred less than two weeks after a sudden failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the island’s largest power station. This triggered a massive blackout stretching from Pinar del Río through central provinces, including Havana. The country is currently facing a major economic crisis that has been worsened with the advent of US attacks on Venezuela and Iran. While the Iran conflict has seen oil prices spike all over the world, Venezuela was one of Cuba’s primary oil suppliers, and that supply has now been cut off as the US took control of the domestic sector. This…

  • Sustainable aviation fuel could entirely replace jet fuel in breakthrough

    Washington State University (WSU) researchers have developed a technique to produce a form of aromatic kerosene directly from vegetable oils that, when blended with paraffinic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), can entirely supplement fossil-fuel-derived jet fuels. SAF is touted as a way to lower emissions in the aviation sector in the short term – but it cannot be used on its own and needs to be mixed with regular jet fuel to act as a drop-in replacement. SAF is typically used to produce paraffinic fuels, while aircraft require aromatic molecules for proper performance. Made from sustainable sources, including materials such as household waste or used cooking oil, SAF produces on average 70% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using fossil jet fuel on a life-cycle basis. The technique, known…

  • Giant TBM starts work on 2.2km electricity tunnel under the Thames

    A 271.5-tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) has started excavating a 2.2km tunnel to carry electricity beneath the River Thames. The arrival of the ‘Caroline’ TBM marks a major milestone in the National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury project. Launched from a 48.7 metre-deep shaft in Tilbury, Essex, it will begin tunnelling its way towards a reception shaft in Gravesend, Kent. The project is a new high-voltage electricity link that will replace the existing 1960s Thames Cable Tunnel. It forms part of The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations. Energy minister Michael Shanks, who officially launched the TBM on site in Essex, said: “This major engineering project is part of the biggest upgrade in Great Britain’s electricity network in a generation. “Not…

  • UK’s ‘most powerful’ quantum computer heading to Cambridge

    A 256-qubit quantum computer housed at the University of Cambridge is set to ‘supercharge’ quantum research in the UK. In partnership with US quantum technology firm IonQ, the project will see the first commercial-scale quantum computer installed at a UK university. The system will be housed in the new IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre located on campus and marks the university’s largest-ever corporate research partnership. “This is a true partnership, with long-term investment, shared research and co-development in all areas of quantum technology, bringing together physics, engineering, medicine, computer science, policy and more,” said Professor Mete Atatüre, head of the Cavendish Laboratory, the physics department of the University of Cambridge. As part of the collaboration, Innovate…

  • From tractors to satellites, digital technology moves deeper into agriculture

    Farming’s rural nature has long been an obstacle to technology adoption in the sector – but more accessible communications, together with AI, are opening the door. Agriculture is one of the UK’s key strategic industries but has not traditionally been seen as a leading user of digital technologies. However, that is starting to change thanks to increasing functionality in farm machinery, satellite connectivity, the incoming 6G hybrid communications standard and, inevitably, AI. According to NFU Mutual’s Agri-Tech Report, around 60% of farmers were using some form of precision agriculture by 2023 – although many remained cautious about the costs of adoption. A 2024 survey by the National Farmers Union found its members wanted to see more research and results in AI, alongside measures to reduce…

  • Average EU electric car price drops €1,800 as affordable models arrive

    The average price of an electric vehicle in the EU has fallen for the first time since 2020, with consumers saving an average of €1,800 (£1,500) as carmakers release affordable models to meet climate targets. But according to non-profit Transport and Environment (T&E), the recent easing of carmakers’ 2030 obligations could delay the point at which EVs reach price parity with combustion vehicles. The price has dropped for the first time since 2020, driven by the release of more affordable models to comply with the bloc’s car CO2 targets. The average price of EVs decreased by €1,800 to €42,700 (–4%) in the EU last year – a stark contrast to the period between 2020 and 2024 when the price climbed by €5,000. Lucien Mathieu, cars director at T&E, said: “The EU targets are delivering cheaper…

  • Advanced radiation-blocking material could shield astronauts on deep space missions

    A nanotechnology-based material developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could block harmful space radiation, enabling safer human spaceflight. Researchers at MIT in the US have developed boron nitride nanotubes that are able to block dangerous ionising radiation. This could make long-duration, deep-space missions to Mars possible. Ionising radiation in deep space cannot currently be fully mitigated by traditional shielding. When space radiation hits the aluminium used in most spacecraft it creates secondary neutrons. Exposure to these high-energy particles could damage an astronaut’s DNA and cause serious long-term health risks. Ionising radiation is not an issue in missions closer to Earth as our magnetic field provides protection from this radiation. But if humans…

  • 1,140-lens telescope set to uncover the universe’s hidden structure

    Construction has begun on a next-generation telescope, dubbed MOTHRA, that is designed to reveal the cosmic web – a largely unknown network of gas and dark matter that connects galaxies across the universe. MOTHRA is a distributed-aperture telescope composed of 1,140 high-end Canon telephoto lenses, which together synthesise the power of a single giant telescope. This design has grown out of the Dragonfly Telephoto Array concept which initially demonstrated the capability to find and study extremely faint, extended structures. Dark matter is still little understood by scientists but appears to make up most of the matter in the universe. Astronomers know it exists because of the way its gravity affects galaxies and the movement of stars. By studying it, scientists hope to explain how galaxies…

  • Inaccessible rail network ‘locking millions out’, report warns

    Upgrading outdated stations and infrastructure should take priority over building new railway schemes, argues a report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). The report – En route to inclusive public transport – is calling on the government to integrate the retrofitting of stations and disabled access points directly into the procurement process. It argues that the government cannot build its way out of the current inaccessible transport system with impressive new projects while old barriers remain embedded across the network. These barriers mean that passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility cannot easily navigate stations due to lack of step-free access – for instance, steep stairs, narrow passageways, no elevators to reach platforms and big gaps between the train…

  • Government unveils package to boost girls and women in tech careers

    Measures aimed at attracting and retaining girls and women in the tech sector have been launched by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The package aims to boost female participation in tech through supporting girls and women at every stage of their careers. It includes initiatives to attract more girls into considering tech as a future career, a £4m placement programme to help women in tech advance their careers and a pilot ‘returnship’ scheme supporting those re-entering jobs after a career break. Secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Liz Kendall said: “I am very aware of the reality women face in tech. Women aren’t being given a fair shot – whether that’s getting into the sector, staying in it or returning after time away. If we don’t address…

  • Major UK study shows clinicians and AI working together to cut breast cancer deaths

    The use of AI in breast cancer screening could save many lives, according to a landmark study. The research, led by Imperial College London, involved 175,000 women – the largest NHS study to date. The findings clearly show the advantages of using AI to identify breast cancer earlier, reduce errors and help deliver life-saving treatment sooner. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes and roughly 55,000 new cases per year. Diagnosis usually follows a mammogram or breast screening, with images assessed by clinical radiologists. The NHS is under pressure as there is currently a 29% shortfall of radiologists in the UK – almost 2,000 – and this is predicted to rise to 39% by 2029. The study looked at the potential of using AI technology…

  • Japan plots chip industry comeback with fivefold boost to production by 2040

    Japan has set a target to boost its chip production eightfold by 2040 as it tries to catch up with global rivals and capitalise on the AI boom. The country was a global leader in semiconductor production in the 1980s, capturing more than half of the market by the end of the decade. To counter this, the US instituted the US-Japan Semiconductor Agreement in 1986, which contained anti-dumping provisions and other measures to try and strengthen its domestic producers. After Japan failed to stick to the agreement, 100% tariffs were imposed on all electronics being made in the country the following year. This encouraged technology firms to look abroad for their chip supply, especially Taiwan, which was on the ascendancy in the sector after the founding of TSMC in 1987. Japan is now about a decade…

  • Strategic oil reserves could be tapped as war squeezes Middle East fossil fuel production

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed that member countries release emergency oil stocks to counter the price shock seen across the world in the wake of US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The war, which began on 28 February, immediately impeded oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil passes through the strait, transporting product from high-producing Middle East countries primarily to ports in Asia. But export volumes of crude and refined products are currently at less than 10% of pre-conflict levels, which has seen the price of Brent crude soar from around $70 at the end of February to nearly $100 in recent days before dropping again slightly. The inability of operators in the Gulf to transport their produce is forcing them to curtail production…

  • Government sets out £700bn plan for roads, rail and energy projects

    The government has detailed an expanded 10-year Infrastructure Pipeline for the UK that includes 734 road, rail, energy and water projects costing over £700bn in private and public funding. The Treasury’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) said the projects will require an estimated annual average construction and infrastructure workforce of between 629,000 and 706,000 over the next five years. The expanded dataset is designed to make it easier for firms to use the information as a future planning tool. Other changes include new project metrics on potential investment opportunities, including details about the type of investment sought and how much. Chief secretary to the treasury James Murray said that upgrades to the UK’s infrastructure were “a vital…

  • Dolphin‑shaped robot can vacuum up oil spills from ocean surface

    A remotely-operated minibot developed by Australian researchers can quickly clean up oil spills using a specialised filtering system. Rapidly cleaning up large-scale oil spills presents an environmental and technological challenge. In future, this work could be undertaken by schools of ‘electronic dolphins’ that skim the surface of oil slicks, absorbing the pollution with high efficiency. A team at RMIT University in Melbourne built the foot-long device with an onboard filtering system that is able to repel water while absorbing oil floating on the surface. The oil is drawn through the filter via a pump into an onboard collection chamber. “Oil spills can take a huge environmental and economic toll. We wanted to create a system that can be deployed quickly, steered accurately and used…

  • Can nanotechnology help feed a world of nearly 10 billion people?

    Could nanotechnology provide the next green revolution in agriculture? With the global population set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, the world needs to produce more food than ever before. Using current farming methods, that means more fertiliser, more pesticides, more water and more energy. But there are obvious problems. Water is a limited resource, with three out of four people worldwide facing possible drought conditions by 2050. Energy is also scarce, especially as the world transitions to renewable sources to avoid catastrophic climate change. Pesticides pollute the environment, decrease biodiversity and negatively affect human health, while fertilisers also cause environmental damage, especially when they are washed into rivers and oceans where they create algal blooms and dead zones…

  • Editor's comment: Momentum remains behind net zero

    Eighteen months ago, E+T took another look at the IET’s updated Critical Targets. This, in turn, was based on a series we began back at the height of the Covid-19 crisis that examined the challenges facing humanity and what the role of our sector would be in solving those challenges. It is a theme I fully intend to return to in the future. The issue you hold in your hands covers perhaps the greatest of these challenges: the technology behind feeding the eight billion inhabitants of the planet, securing the sustainable materials and the technology we can trust, protecting vulnerable environments, providing energy without overheating the planet and communicating to those on the periphery of mass populations. There is so much to aim at and so much to be achieved. Which is why I found a speech…

  • Heat radiation offers new way to transmit ‘hidden’ data in plain sight

    A virtually unhackable communication system hides data transmission within natural heat radiation, a new study has shown. Led by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the study uses a phenomenon known as ‘negative luminescence’. The method works by blending data signals into the background of natural heat radiation – the faint glow of heat that objects give off in infrared – which is detected using a thermal camera. As the data transmission process is hidden, it means the communication is difficult to intercept or hack. This makes the process ideal for transmitting sensitive data in sectors such as defence and finance. Bad actors seeking to intercept today’s data transfer technologies abound, but as Michael Nielsen, lead author from UNSW, puts it: “If someone doesn…

  • Flying taxis prepare for take-off in 26 US states

    US regulators have approved a range of pilot programmes that will see electric taxis take to the skies of 26 states. Otherwise known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, the upcoming transport option is aimed at delivering short-haul flights in urban areas. However, it’s one thing building an aircraft and another getting it certified for flight. This is an area where many eVTOL companies are struggling: getting past the testing stages into operation because of stringent regulations and safety rules. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said its new programme is aimed at capturing this nascent market before widespread deployment in other countries. The pilot projects will create “one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in…

  • Mixing wind, wave and solar could smooth the bumps in renewable power

    The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow – so can renewables become a more reliable energy source? Rapid decarbonisation efforts are seeing countries around the world increasing the share of energy that comes from renewable sources. However, unlike the reliable and consistent fossil fuel generators used in the past, renewables introduce an intermittency that can threaten grid stability. The problem lies with the unpredictable nature of wind and solar power, which rely on weather patterns. Baseload generators – typically gas power stations in the UK – are spun up in the short term to fill the gap when needed. Unfortunately, this undermines broader efforts to decarbonise the grid and leaves energy security in the hands of other countries, potentially even rogue states…

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