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China expected to hit peak coal consumption in 2025 as push for clean energy intensifies

With a boom in solar and wind installations over recent years, a new report predicts that China's coal consumption could peak by 2025. China, the world’s biggest polluter, is heavily reliant on coal. In 2023, the country’s global operating coal capacity grew by 2% in 2023 to 2,130GW. But there are signs the world’s second-largest economy may be weaning itself off the fossil fuel. Not only did coal power permits fall 83% in the first half of this year but China is also leading the way in renewables development with 180GW of utility-scale solar and 159GW of wind power already under construction. A new report – China’s climate transition: outlook 2024 – by think tanks Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) assessed…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Scientists issue warning over legacy plastic waste as UN looks to cut production by 2040

Legacy plastic production will continue to contaminate the environment – posing risks to humans and animals – even if UN targets to reduce new plastic production are met, scientists have said. The UN is meeting this week to finalise the Global Plastics Treaty – a legally binding agreement that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040 that will introduce new rules to regulate how plastic is produced and consumed. But researchers from the University of Cambridge, GNS Science in New Zealand and The Ocean Cleanup in the Netherlands have said that even if global production and pollution of new plastic is drastically reduced, the billions of tonnes of legacy plastic waste already in the environment will continue to break down into tiny particles called microplastics for decades or centuries. These…

E+T Magazine in Waste Management
Mercedes-Benz 'solar paint' will be used to charge its future EV models

Mercedes-Benz has released details about its research projects that will “shape the mobility of tomorrow” – including solar paint. Among the new technologies being researched, and discussed at a series of workshops in Stuttgart, Germany, are sustainable materials. The carmaker’s R&D department has set a technology challenge of reducing the environmental impact of every component and material as far as possible. Everything is being scrutinised to reduce CO₂ emissions, increase the use of recycled materials and enable a circular economy. For instance, one material being researched is a highly realistic leather alternative made from recycled plastic and biotechnology-based materials. The firm is also working on a new kind of ‘solar paint’ that could generate enough electricity for more than…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Aviation firms ordered to cut jet fuel use as government launches ‘Jet Zero Taskforce’

Aviation firms will soon be obliged to replace more than a fifth of their jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as the government launches a revamped ‘Jet Zero Taskforce’ looking at how the sector can cut its carbon emissions. Building on the previous Jet Zero Council, which was set up under the Conservatives in 2020, transport secretary Louise Haigh has introduced the taskforce. It will see the government regularly meeting with senior figures in the sector such as the CEOs of major airlines and airports, as well as fuel producers, trade bodies and universities. Aviation, which accounts for approximately 3% of total CO2 emissions worldwide, is considered a hard-to-abate sector because of a lack of technologically mature alternatives to traditional jet-fuelled engines such as electric…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Grid decarbonisation efforts threatened by climate change impact on hydropower

Changes in water availability caused by climate change could decrease the ability of hydropower facilities to generate energy, making grid decarbonisation efforts more difficult, researchers have said. A team from University of California San Diego estimated that in the Western US hydropower generation could decline by up to 23% by the year 2050, even as electricity demand rises by 2%. Hydropower accounts for more than 22% of all electricity generation in the Western US – primarily from states including California, Oregon and Washington. As the energy produced is zero carbon, it is considered one of the key ways to wean the US off fossil fuels for its power. But the researchers estimated that an additional 139 gigawatts of power capacity would need to be built between 2030 and 2050 –…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Supersonic test flight achieves Mach 0.82 as it paves the way for commercial supersonic travel

Colorado-based Boom Supersonic has successfully completed the eighth test flight of its supersonic Colorado XB-1 demonstrator, with the aim of achieving Mach 1 by the end of the year. The XB-1 demonstrator’s test programme began in March 2024, when it took to the skies for the first time. The company says that the flight test programme, consisting of a series of 10 supersonic flights, is to confirm the aircraft’s performance and handling qualities before it reaches supersonic speeds. The company recently completed its eighth test flight on its path to achieving Mach 1 by the end of the year. Mach 1, the speed of sound, is around 767 miles per hour (1,234 km/h). This eighth flight, which took place from California’s Mojave Air and Space Port, lasted about 54 minutes and saw the XB-1…

E+T Magazine in Road transport systems
What will Great British Energy actually do?

The UK government is gradually unveiling details about Great British Energy, a new publicly owned energy company. So what might it look like? We already have public ownership of energy in this country,” argued Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary at the launch of Great British Energy on 25 July. But, he added, it is owned “by foreign governments”. The creation of Great British Energy (GB Energy) was one of the Labour Party’s key manifesto commitments. And since coming to power, they’ve wasted no time in setting the company up. In July, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a founding statement, confirmed that the company would be headquartered in Scotland, and named Juergen Maier, a former Siemens chief executive, as its chair. It would be capitalised with £8.3bn of…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
BAE demonstrates ‘game changer in the underwater battlespace’

BAE Systems’ Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, known as Herne, has successfully completed its first underwater trials off the coast of Portsmouth. Herne has been built to help autonomously monitor vast expanses of the seabed without the limitations of a human crew. BAE Systems’ engineers have created a configurable design for Herne with the latest in battery, propulsion and autonomy technology to ensure the craft’s maximum mission endurance. Following successful trials of the technology on a surface vessel earlier this year, BAE Systems’ engineers in Portsmouth have now completed sea trials. These saw the craft conduct a pre-programmed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, powered by Nautomate. This is BAE Systems’ platform agnostic high specification autonomous…

E+T Magazine
Nasa developing autonomous underwater robots to study Jupiter’s icy moon

Nasa is developing swarms of smartphone-sized underwater robots designed to explore the oceans of other planets in our Solar System. The Europa Clipper, which was launched last month, is a space probe with a mission to study Europa, a Galilean moon of Jupiter. Once it reaches its destination in 2030, the spacecraft will prepare to aim its science instruments towards the surface of Europa during 49 flybys, looking for signs that the ocean beneath the moon’s icy crust could sustain life. Nasa is now developing an ocean-exploration mission concept called SWIM (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers), which envisions sending dozens of self-propelled robots under the surface in a bid to carry out exploration in areas that traditional rovers would be incapable of searching. Once delivered to…

E+T Magazine in Space
COP29: $300bn package to help developing nations tackle climate change is approved

The world’s poorest countries will receive a combined $300bn annually by 2035 to help them address the growing impacts of climate change, countries at the COP29 climate conference have agreed. The new pledge, which followed 48 hours of intense bargaining between represented countries, represents a tripling of previous ambitions. Developing countries have long called for greater financial assistance from richer nations to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change. This is because developed countries have been the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution, while developing countries typically face the brunt of the worst impacts of the world’s changing climate. But despite the enhanced pledges announced over the weekend, India’s representative…

E+T Magazine in Management of Technology
Comment: Why it’s still invaluable to claim R&D tax relief to fuel business growth

Despite a mixed picture for R&D in the UK, engineering and technology companies can still use mechanisms to strengthen and protect claims for R&D tax relief and help avoid HMRC R&D enquiries. The world of research and development (R&D) tax relief has recently been overshadowed by a combination of stricter HMRC policies, increased compliance requirements and bad press, which is largely down to rogue specialist R&D boutique firms offering flawed advice. Despite this challenging environment, R&D remains crucial for innovation-driven industries, particularly in engineering and technology. These sectors are among the most active in pursuing R&D, and they continue to benefit from the government’s R&D tax relief schemes, which reduce the financial risks and costs associated with innovation, fostering…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
Europe and Japan space agencies strengthen tie-up to explore asteroids, the Moon and beyond

The European Space Agency (ESA) has deepened its relationship with Japanese counterpart the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) under a new joint statement that will see them collaborate further. Over the past two decades ESA and Jaxa have collaborated on a number of missions. The most recent is the EarthCARE satellite, which lifted off in May 2024 to study clouds and aerosols in the Earth’s atmosphere. The latest joint statement between the two involves collaborating on ESA’s Ramses mission to the asteroid Apophis. Roughly 375 metres across, the asteroid will pass within 32,000 km from Earth’s surface on 13 April 2029. Being this close to Earth is an extremely rare natural phenomenon. As part of ESA’s Space Safety programme, the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses) mission…

E+T Magazine in Space
Google’s online search monopoly could end if US court forces it to sell Chrome

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed a number of measures to end Google’s monopoly on web searching, including the forced sale of Chrome. Google currently handles more than 90% of online queries. Its web browser Chrome also dominates personal computers, tablets and smartphones. In many cases, it’s the default browser on these devices, with Google having entered exclusive deals with device manufacturers including Apple. In a landmark case in August 2024, the US district court found Google liable for maintaining monopolies in US general search services and US general search text advertising. Amit Mehta, the judge presiding over the case, branded the tech giant a “monopolist”. He accused Google of illegally crushing its competition in online search. To ‘remedy’ the situation…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
British Steel opens £10m stocking facility for 'railways of the future'

British Steel has opened a £10m stocking facility with capacity to hold 25,000 tonnes of finished rail. The new rail hub is based at British Steel’s headquarters in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, where the vast majority of rail laid in the UK is made. The investment forms part of British Steel’s strategy to support Network Rail in its delivery of track maintenance, renewal and enhancement activities. This dedicated storage facility will ensure that there is enough rail stock as and when Network Rail requires it. From this location, rails can be safely handled, stored and available for loading. Craig Harvey, British Steel’s commercial director, rail, said: “We are committed to building the railways of the future, and this investment supports the government’s ambition to improve rail…

E+T Magazine in Railways
India successfully tests first long-range hypersonic missile

India has conducted a flight trial of a long-range hypersonic missile, capable of carrying various payloads over distances exceeding 930 miles. The successful test of the missile was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off Odisha’s eastern coast. The hypersonic missile was developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the laboratories of the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners. India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh took to X to post about the achievement: According to a statement posted on the DRDO’s website, the missile was monitored by various range systems across multiple domains, with data from down-range ship stations confirming successful terminal manoeuvres and…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
Ofgem gives go-ahead to Eastern Green Link 1 subsea cable between Scotland and England

Energy regulator Ofgem has awarded a £2bn funding package for the 196km Eastern Greenlink 1 (EGL1) interconnector project. The UK government has pledged to decarbonise all electricity by 2030. This requires a drastic revamp of the grid, with thousands of miles of planned high-voltage cables. There are many projects currently underway to connect both onshore and offshore wind to meet government targets via a mix of subsea, overhead and underground cables. One of these electricity ‘superhighway’ projects is the Eastern Green Links, which consists of four links between Scotland and England. These links will transport the vast amount of renewable energy generated in Scotland to other areas of the UK. In August 2024, Ofgem approved £3.4bn of funding for delivery of Eastern Green Link 2 …

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
BAE Systems invests £25m in new artillery production facility in Sheffield

Work is under way on a new BAE Systems artillery development and production facility in Sheffield that will create 50 high-skilled jobs. BAE Systems is on an investment drive. Last month, the firm announced it was investing £220m to significantly upgrade its UK aerospace technologies factory in Rochester. The company also recently invested £300m to upgrade its Glasgow-based shipbuilding facilities and £200m to upgrade its UK munitions business. It has now announced its latest investment – £25m for a new 94,000 sq ft facility in Sheffield. This factory will specialise in artillery expertise that will deliver the company’s M777 lightweight towed howitzer manufacturing capability. This weapon is used by the ground forces of Canada, Australia, India and the US. Construction on the facility…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
‘World’s largest’ offshore solar project now operational off coast of China

The first solar units from CHN Energy’s 1GW offshore PV project have connected to China’s energy grid. Developed by CHN Energy’s Guohua Energy Investment, the offshore PV project is located 8km off the eastern coast of the city of Dongying and spans approximately 1,223 hectares. CHN Energy claims it is the “first and the largest” offshore PV installation of its kind in the world. It features 2,934 PV platforms, with each measuring 60m in length and 35m in width. These platforms were installed using large-scale offshore steel truss platform fixed-pile foundations. In a statement on its website, CHN Energy says that this project “marks the first time in China that a 66-kilovolt offshore cable paired with an onshore cable has been used for high-capacity, long-distance transmission in the…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
News analysis - Steel sector

Faced with foreign competition, an overproduction crisis and a raft of closures, how can british steel compete in the current climate? The UK’s steel industry has been in decline for decades, but the sector is now facing some particularly challenging hurdles that present an existential threat to domestic producers. Can anything be done to rescue what used to be one of Britain’s crowning industries, or are we seeing the dying embers of a fire about to be snuffed out? China became the world’s largest steel producer as far back as the late 1990s, and in 2023 it accounted for 54% of the world’s production. Western producers have long struggled to compete on price due to comparatively higher wages and material costs, but this has never been more acute than in 2024. Recent sluggishness in the…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
Contrail avoidance is a ‘simple and cheap’ way for aviation to reduce its climate impact

Climate-damaging emissions from aircraft jet engines could be tackled for less than £4 a flight, a new study by campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) says. Contrails, or vapour trails, are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, typically at aircraft cruising altitudes several kilometres above the Earth’s surface. While the exact warming effect of contrails is uncertain, it is believed to be greater than warming caused by aviation’s CO2 emissions. A study published by T&E finds that with only 3% of flights generating 80% of contrail warming, a ‘quick fix’ lies in tweaking the flight paths of these aircraft. Rerouting this small amount of flights could reduce global contrail warming by more than half by 2040, the study says. It also estimates…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
UK government’s £500m skills drive to support next generation of engineers and scientists

Thousands of postgraduate students will be backed by a £500m government fund to study biological, engineering and environmental sciences at 45 UK universities. Today (13 November) is National Engineering Day, which raises public awareness of how engineers make a difference in the world and celebrates how they shape the future. It is no coincidence that science and technology secretary Peter Kyle chose today to announce the new £500m fund that will help in the government’s pursuit of “driving long-term economic growth”. Over 4,700 postgraduate engineering and science university places will be made available through the fund. The Doctoral Landscape and Doctoral Focal Awards, provided by UKRI (UK Research and Innovation), will allow these students to study projects in biological, engineering…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
VW and Rivian increase tie-up agreement to $5.8bn to ‘help accelerate EV adoption’

Developers and engineers from VW and Rivian will work together in a new tech venture to “help accelerate EV adoption”. In June 2024, Volkswagen and EV (electric vehicle) start-up Rivian entered a joint venture (JV) to create next-generation software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms. The $5bn deal has been upped to $5.8bn. Now, the JV aims to make EV more accessible to customers by pooling expertise, speeding up innovation, reducing development costs and scaling new technologies. RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian, said: “We’re thrilled to see our technology being integrated in vehicles outside Rivian – this is an important enabler to help accelerate EV adoption.” The JV will employ a team of developers and software engineers based in Palo Alto, California. There are also three other…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
Nasa backs sustainable aviation with $11.5m for green aircraft designs

Nasa is giving five projects a cumulative $11.5m to progress designs for new sustainable aircraft. The agency has asked industry and academia to come up with studies looking at aircraft concepts, key technologies and designs that will allow commercial aviation to fit within net zero 2050 goals. The sector accounts for approximately 3% of total CO2 emissions worldwide, but is considered a hard-to-abate sector because of a lack of technologically mature alternatives to traditional jet-fuelled engines, as well as the low scale-up of sustainable aviation fuel production. Through Nasa’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050 initiative, it has awarded funds to five projects: • Aurora Flight Sciences – a company owned by Boeing that is examining new alternative aviation…

E+T Magazine in Space
COP29: Starmer plans to cut UK’s emissions by 81% by 2035

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to cut the UK’s emissions by 81% by 2035 and called for greater international collaboration on climate change. Speaking at the COP29 climate conference, he said his government “recognises that the world stands at a critical juncture in the climate crisis” and that the UK “has a critical role to play”. The pre-existing target was to cut emissions by 68% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels, so the newly announced target represents a ramping up in ambition for the following five years. Starmer also said that the UK’s energy independence and economic stability hinges on being able to decouple itself from fossil fuels and adopting future-facing technologies. While the target covers greenhouse gas emissions that occur within the UK’s borders, it excludes…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects

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