IET EngX

Grid

List

Labour urges end to ‘dither and delay’ over Newport Wafer Fab

Jo Stevens, the shadow Welsh secretary, has called on the government to take action to protect jobs at the south Wales chipmaking plant. Newport Wafer Fab is the UK’s largest chipmaking plant and produces chips that can be found in everyday devices such as kettles, hairdryers, smartphone chargers and cars. Built in 1980, it has since passed through several owners. In 2021, it was sold for £63m to Nexperia, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and owned by partially state-owned Chinese company Wingtech Technology. This acquisition thrust Newport Wafer Fab into the ongoing ‘chip wars’. In November 2022, the government blocked the sale following a national security probe. Then business secretary Grant Shapps wrote on social media at the time: “I’ve issued a Final Order under the [National…

E+T Magazine in Semiconductor Technology
UK quits treaty that gave fossil fuel firms power to sue governments over climate policy

The UK is pulling out of a multi-country energy agreement that allowed fossil fuel firms to sue governments when their profits were negatively impacted by net zero policies. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) was signed in 1994 as a way to incorporate energy sectors in Russia and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. It was signed before climate change had become a major political issue globally, and fossil fuel firms would often use it as a way to recoup some lost revenue when national policies hampered their extraction efforts. But the ECT has faced ramping criticism in recent years for its ability to act as an obstacle to policies designed to combat climate change, and for actively disincentivising national governments from complying with international climate treaties such…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
EU lawmakers agree on certification scheme for carbon removal projects

The EU has provisionally agreed on a framework that defines technologies used to remove carbon from the atmosphere as part of climate change mitigation efforts. The voluntary framework is intended to speed up the deployment of carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities across the EU. Carbon removal technologies are often seen as a solution to the challenge of limiting global warming to within 2°C above pre-industrial levels. They could be particularly useful for hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation and certain industrial processes. The European Commission initially proposed regulations to create the framework in November 2022 as a first step towards the further integration of carbon removal schemes into EU climate policy. With lots of possible technologies falling under…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Online Safety Bill could take years to implement by Ofcom, MPs warn

Ofcom needs to work quickly to implement the Online Safety Bill as it could take years before the public starts to see its benefits, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have said. The Online Safety Bill finally passed in September after years of delay from the government. It aims to make the UK “the safest place in the world to be online” by ensuring that online companies do not subject their users to racism, sexual abuse, bullying, fraud and other harmful material often found on the internet. But Ofcom, which will enforce the new regulations imposed by the bill, has significant work to do in producing the legislation and documentation needed as guidance. Questions also remain over how it will manage public expectations for what the regulatory regime will achieve, the PAC said. …

E+T Magazine in STEM Education and Skills
UK offshoring emissions through used car exports

A University of Oxford study has found that exported used vehicles generate far more emissions per mile than those kept in the UK. Researchers used MOT results for all 65 million used vehicles on British roads between 2005 and 2021 to compare the pollution and emissions intensity of vehicles exported to those scrapped, destroyed or driven in Britain. The data revealed considerably higher rates of carbon dioxide and pollutant emission in exported vehicles – of the seven million vehicles exported legally, these generated at least 13% more CO2 per kilometre than scrapped cars and 17% more than used vehicles kept on British roads. Significantly more nitrogen oxide (53%) was emitted per kilometre from exported compared with scrapped cars. Exported vehicles also had poorer fuel efficiency by…

E+T Magazine in Air Pollution
US government announces $1.5bn grant for chipmaker GlobalFoundries

In the first major award from its $39bn fund to help boost domestic chipmaking capacity, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) is to give $1.5bn in subsidies to GlobalFoundries. In recent months, the DOC – which is overseeing the fund – has announced two smaller awards: $162m for Microchip Technology and $35m for BAE Systems. GlobalFoundries, which ranks among the world’s largest contract chipmakers, will use the funding to build a new chipmaking facility in Malta, New York state – which aims to ensure a steady supply of advanced chips for automakers including General Motors – while also expanding its existing operations at that site and in Burlington, Vermont. This Vermont site will be home to the first US facility capable of producing a type of chip used in electric ehicles, the power grid…

E+T Magazine in Semiconductor Technology
Wind-assisted tanker with aluminium sails goes to sea

The MT Chemical Challenger, the world’s first chemical tanker ship to be equipped with rigid aluminium ‘sails’, has left Rotterdam on its maiden journey. Chemship’s 16,000-tonne tanker aims to reduce its fuel consumption with the assistance of four 16m-high aluminium sails, which more closely resemble aircraft wings than conventional sails. It is hoped that this will cut fuel consumption by 10 to 20%, with an annual reduction of 850 tonnes of CO2. The Chemical Challenger will undergo trials during its first journey, which ends at Istanbul. “Today, we launch the first wind-assisted chemical tanker, which we hope will serve as an example to the rest of the world,” Chemship CEO Niels Grotz told AFP at the ship’s unveiling. The vast majority of international shipping is powered by oil-based…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Tap water could be freed from chlorine and ‘forever chemicals’ with cold plasma system

Chlorine and ‘forever chemicals’ could be removed from drinking water in the future thanks to a new technique that uses cold plasma for disinfection. The technology – which looks like a strobe-lit coffee pot – requires no added chemicals or replacement parts, has low energy usage and could help to cut the carbon impact of cleaning the UK’s water supplies. The technique also helps to remove PFAS, otherwise known as forever chemicals, before water enters the wider environment. PFAS have been associated with negative impacts on human health in the past. Cold plasma is the electrical impulse – the jumping electrons – that spark when you ignite a gas hob. The spark is visible because it charges the air producing light and heat – this is plasma. The team developing the technology is one of…

E+T Magazine in Water Supply
Proposed relaxation of drone rules could enable remote inspections of infrastructure

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has proposed new rules for drones that would allow them to be used for inspecting infrastructure such as railways, powerlines and roads, or make crucial medical deliveries. The regulator has launched a consultation to allow drones to operate beyond the line of sight of remote pilots. While some drones have been flying beyond visual line of sight in the UK for several years, these flights are primarily trials under strict restrictions. The proposed measures could enable beyond line of sight operations of drones by remaining at low heights and close to buildings or infrastructure. This means drones can fly where it is anticipated there would be fewer aircraft operating. “Our proposals are a positive step towards unlocking the next stage for drone flying…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
EU to levy antitrust fine against Apple for music streaming practices – report

The EU is gearing up to fine Apple €500m for favouring its own music streaming service over competitors, the Financial Times (FT) has reported. Citing five people with knowledge of the ongoing investigation, the FT said the fine is likely to be announced next month. It follows a lengthy investigation over concerns that it was leveraging its iOS operating system to favour Apple Music over alternatives such as Spotify and YouTube Music. The probe is looking into whether Apple blocked the rival firms from informing iOS users that subscriptions would be cheaper if accessed from outside the App Store. If paid for via an app downloaded through the store, Apple takes 30% of all transactions for in-app purchases and 15% or 30% for subscriptions depending on various factors. This has forced many…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Long-term rail strategy urged as passenger numbers expected to double by 2050

The government has been urged to introduce a long-term rail strategy as new research suggests the number of UK rail passengers could double by 2050. On behalf of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), consultancy firm Steer found that rail passenger volumes could grow between 37% and 97% by 2050 compared to the pre-pandemic peak. This equates to between 1.6% and 3.0% average growth per annum. Furthermore, Steer said it was confident that rail demand in the UK will grow beyond today’s network “under any scenario”, regardless of government policy. Rail services and operators will need to accommodate to meet the increased demand. Almost 1.76 billion rail journeys were taken in 2018/19, which was a record high, despite a minor fall in growth the previous year. However, the pandemic saw passenger…

E+T Magazine in Railways
Waymo issues recall after two of its autonomous cars crash into the same vehicle

Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has issued a recall notice for its self-driving cars after two of them hit the same pick-up truck in an accident in December. The firm currently operates commercial robotaxi services in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Francisco, California, with new services planned in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas. But two accidents that occurred on the same day last year in Phoenix caused Waymo to issue a recall that could potentially involve 444 autonomous vehicles. On December 11, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a backwards-facing pickup truck that was being “improperly towed”, according to a blog post from the firm. Following contact, the tow truck and towed pickup truck did not pull over or stop traveling, and a few minutes later…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
EDF makes loss in the UK as Hinkley Point C costs soar

Energy firm EDF has said its UK operations have made a loss for the sixth year running as the UK and France continue to bicker over who should pay for the rising costs of the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. The firm, which is wholly owned by the French government, is a major supplier of energy infrastructure domestically and is at the forefront of the UK’s plans to ramp up nuclear power. It owns major stakes in upcoming nuclear plants Hinkley Point C (66%) and Sizewell C (50%). But it admitted that it spent £3.6bn on its UK operations last year while only earning £3.4bn before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). It made losses in the five previous years too. Despite the loss, it said its earnings grew from 2022 due to improved sales to medium and large businesses,…

E+T Magazine in Nuclear Power
Methane satellite will map and monitor leaks on Earth

Google has partnered with the US Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on a project using satellite imagery to identify and monitor sources of methane emissions. Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, produced from oil and gas, landfill, agriculture and other sources. It is extremely potent in the short term, having more than 80 times the warming power of CO2 in the first 20 years after reaching the atmosphere. A major partnership will set out to track sources of methane emissions associated with oil and gas operations. It involves the EDF, Google, Harvard University, the Smithsonian and the New Zealand Space Agency, among others. According to the EDF: “Methane from fossil fuel operations, agriculture and other industries has a massively outsized influence…

E+T Magazine in Satellites
Hybrid rice containing beef cells could pack a protein punch

A ‘meaty’ rice containing beef muscle and fat cells could serve as an affordable, sustainable source of protein, researchers have said. The food was developed by Professor Jinkee Hong’s team at Yonsei University, South Korea. The team aimed to combine grain and animal cells to create a “new complete meal”. Each grain of the hybrid rice contains synthetic (lab-grown) beef muscle and fat cells. The grains – which provide the appropriate scaffolding and nutrients for the meat cells to grow – were first coated in fish gelatine and food enzymes to help the beef cells adhere. The researchers allowed the cells to grow throughout the grains for five to seven days, which was followed by placing the rice in a medium that encouraged the cells to multiply within the grains themselves. The result…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
State-sponsored hackers using AI for cyber attacks, Microsoft warns

Microsoft has said that hackers affiliated with foreign states have begun using AI to carry out “malicious” cyber attacks on Western targets. The tech giant said that over the last year, the speed, scale and sophistication of attacks has increased alongside the rapid development and adoption of AI more broadly. Meanwhile, those fending off the attacks “are only beginning” to recognise they can also use AI to shift the cyber-security balance in their favour. In 2019, Microsoft injected $1bn into OpenAI, which unveiled its wildly successful ChatGPT tool in 2022. It later announced a further $10bn investment in the firm and has incorporated it into its Bing search platform. Open AI said it had already been forced to contend with five state-affiliated actors that sought to use its AI services…

E+T Magazine
SpaceX launches Odysseus lunar lander

A robotic lunar lander has been successfully launched in a first step towards becoming the first private spacecraft to land on the Moon. The 1,908kg Nova-C lander – known as Odysseus or ‘Odie’ – was built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines. The company has its own ambitious space programme, which aims to provide a raft of lunar services, including lunar data services. The launch, from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was originally intended to take place a day earlier, but was delayed by a complication regarding its methane fuel. Instead, Odysseus was launched from Kennedy on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 01.05 EST today (15 February). Seven and a half minutes after lift-off, the rocket’s first stage returned safely to ground at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket…

E+T Magazine in Space
Southern Water admits data breach may impact nearly half a million customers

Utility firm Southern Water has admitted that nearly half a million customers may have been affected by a data breach. In a blog post, it said that personal details for 5% to 10% of its 4.6 million customers had been stolen by hackers. According to a report by the BBC, the data included names, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and bank account details. While it didn’t specify which details were accessed, the firm said it would be contacting customers affected by the breach. “We are very sorry that this has happened,” Southern Water said in the post. “We continue to work with our expert technical advisers to confirm whose data is at risk. Our initial assessment is that this is the case for some of our customers and current and former employees.” The leak was first detected after…

E+T Magazine
China’s Belt and Road Initiative pivots to renewables and away from fossil fuels

The Chinese government launched the controversial initiative in 2013, which aims to develop large-scale infrastructure in foreign countries in an effort to enhance its economic influence globally, as well as to address domestic overcapacity issues by exporting excess industrial capacity. It has faced both praise and criticism, with supporters arguing that it can promote economic development and connectivity among participating countries, while critics raise concerns about debt sustainability, environmental impact and the geopolitical implications of China’s increased influence. The report from Wood Mackenzie, Belt & Road at 10: powering on through growing pains, found that overseas power projects built by Chinese companies now amount to an estimated investment value of around $200bn (£160bn…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Domestic EV manufacturing faces roadblock due to ‘gigafactory gap’, MPs warn

The UK faces a huge “gigafactory gap”, with less battery production capacity than needed for the nation’s future needs, according to a report from the cross-party Business and Trade Select Committee. If the gap is not plugged, the committee says, automotive production in the UK could decline, putting hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. Using low-carbon energy sources, the UK could become a major centre for “midstream” refining processes for critical materials such as lithium. Doing so would establish the UK as a “frontrunner” in building sustainable and ethical batteries, compared with those from China and European countries, the report found. Currently, China accounts for 78 per cent of the world’s cathode production, and its dominance over large parts of the battery supply chain…

E+T Magazine in Power Conversion
UK-built satellite to help monitor climate change from space

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is providing £3m to support the build of the new pathfinder satellite – intended to be one of the first in the Atlantic Constellation project – with co-funding from Open Cosmos, based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. This Constellation will consist of 16 satellites equipped with Earth observation and telecommunications payloads. Once operational, it will provide observations every three hours, which help to provide forewarning of upcoming natural disasters alongside broader climate monitoring. The satellite, which will be built in the UK, will be of the same design and launched in the same orbital plane as three others from Portugal, becoming the first batch sent up for the Constellation. Science minister Andrew Griffith said: “Earth…

E+T Magazine in Space
Government earmarks £960m to boost clean energy usage in manufacturing

The government has earmarked £960m for clean energy manufacturing projects as part of a wider £4.5bn package designed to bolster the UK’s manufacturing sector. The announcement of the investment, called the Green Industries Growth Accelerator, comes after the steel sector urged the government to reduce industrial electricity prices in the wake of moves to shift production processes away from fossil fuels like coal towards carbon-neutral options powered by green energy. The manufacturing sector makes up over 43 per cent of all UK exports and employs around 2.6 million people. But from next year, carbon-intensive industries such as steelmaking and car production will be forced to gradually reduce their emissions at the rate needed for the UK to reach net zero goals. Sectors such as North…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
National Trust says climate change threatens 70 per cent of historic buildings

The body said that without “urgent and large-scale action” on addressing climate change, more than 70 per cent of its 500 historic properties will be at medium or high risk of climate-related hazards by 2060. It launched a Climate Change Hazard Map in 2021 to improve understanding of risks such as flooding and coastal erosion for its properties. New layers have now been added to the map that allow regional teams to flag localised threats posed by climate change. In the report, A climate for change: adaptation and the National Trust, the body says it faces various short-term risks including flooding, wildfires, drought and coastal erosion. In the long term, it also wants to plan for extreme weather events that will threaten wildlife habitats and increase humidity, which will make it more…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
COMSOL Releases Version 6.2 of COMSOL Multiphysics

It also features high-performance multiphysics solvers for the analysis of electric motors, up to 40 per cent faster turbulent CFD simulations and an order of magnitude faster impulse response calculations for room and cabin acoustics. Additionally, it is now up to 7 times faster to perform boundary element analysis (BEM) for acoustics and electromagnetics when running on clusters. Turbulent flow simulations are now up to 40 per cent faster, showcased here by high-Mach-number flow through a ramjet nozzle. /COMSOL Image credit: COMSOL Effective Simulation Apps and Digital Twins Surrogate models deliver accurate simulation results much faster than the full-fledged finite element models that they approximate. When used in simulation apps, this leads to near-instantaneous…

E+T Magazine

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Community Rules & Guidelines