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UK faces energy generation crisis from 2028; Hinkley Point C delayed again

In 2020, nuclear power accounted for 16 per cent of UK electricity generation, but the timetable for the closure of the EDF-owned facilities by 2028 will result in a significant reduction in the UK’s generating capacity. While the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) has acknowledged there will be a gap in generating capacity, it said it was “not concerned with there being a shortage owing to its confidence that electricity capacity could be bought from other sources ahead of time.” Nevertheless, the PAC recommends that DBEIS and EDF should “double-check whether it would be technically feasible, safe and cost-effective to extend the lives of any of the remaining operating stations”. The Committee, which is formed from a cross-party group of MPs, also said that…

E+T Magazine in Nuclear Power
US pledges £2.9bn to advance carbon removal initiatives

Carbon removal initiatives are intended to reverse the effects of climate change. The nascent technology's capability to remove carbon dioxide has been hailed by the Biden administration as being vital to ensure that the country meets the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In pursuit of this commitment, the US Energy Department has launched a $3.5bn (£2.9bn) programme to fund four large-scale carbon removal projects. The pledge is part of the 202 1 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and it will oversee the creation of four regional direct air capture hubs to spur the widespread deployment of the technology and carbon dioxide transport and storage infrastructure. “The UN's latest climate report made clear that removing legacy carbon pollution from the air through direct air capture…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
Agricultural sector at risk of cyber attacks, study warns

Since the industrial revolution, technological development has been linked to an improvement of agricultural techniques, resulting in an increase in the global food supply. Now, the idea of farms being run by robots and smart machinery is closer than ever. However, that progress could be hampered by the actions of hackers. A new risk analysis done by the University of Cambridge, published in Nature Machine Intelligence , warns that the future use of artificial intelligence in agriculture comes with substantial potential risks for farms, farmers and food security that are at present poorly understood and underappreciated. “The idea of intelligent machines running farms is not science fiction,” said Dr Asaf Tzachor, a researcher behind the study, “but so far no one seems to have asked the…

E+T Magazine in Cybersecurity
Maverick v machine: are AI drones ready to replace real-life pilots?

Is there still a place in the skies for Maverick? That was the call sign for Lt Pete Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise in the ‘Top Gun’ movie, released over 35 years ago way back in 1986 – and now returning in the long-time-coming sequel out this month. In ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, Lt Mitchell has grown up and is now a test pilot avoiding the desk jobs that would ground him. But when he finds himself training new Top Gun graduates for a special assignment, he himself could end up on a mission that will demand the ‘ultimate sacrifice’, according to the pre-release publicity. And he’s again flying alongside Iceman, played by Val Kilmer. Sounds exciting, huh? While this kind of danger makes for an exciting movie, it’s better avoided in real life. The military would prefer their expensive plane…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
Carving out a new plastics economy

The world’s plastic waste problem has reached a crescendo. The estimates are stark: over the next 20 years production is expected to double, creating the risk that, if nothing is done, the roughly 14 million tonnes leaking into the ocean each year will grow twofold. These stark statistics were surely at the forefront of the minds of the 173 country reps as they came together to pledge to develop a historic and legally binding global treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastics. The resolution, agreed at the UN environment assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, in February, will see a plan hashed out over two years to end plastic pollution, including provisions for financial and technical support. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this treaty,” says Yoni Shiran, partner at SYSTEMIQ…

E+T Magazine in Manufacturing
Transport for London proposes expanding ULEZ to entire city

The zone was first introduced in April 2019 and charges non-compliant vehicles – mostly diesel cars that are more than six years old and petrol cars that are more than 15 years old – £12.50 for each day they are in the zone. TfL said that more than four in five vehicles in outer London, which would be affected by the expanded zone, already meet ULEZ standards. The newly proposed boundary would cover almost all (96 per cent) of Greater London and is designed to make sure there are opportunities for vehicles to turn around should they not wish to enter the Zone. Six months after the rules were originally introduced, roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution was shown to have fallen by 36 per cent when compared to February 2017. The ULEZ was already expanded significantly in October last…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Back Story: Kate Todd-Davis, ‘Digital solutions will be pivotal in progressing manufacturing’

Shini Somara: What do you do? Kate Todd-Davis: I’m a manufacturing engineering degree apprentice, creating and updating processes for the manufacture of critical aerospace components. SS: What are the benefits of doing an apprenticeship? KT-D: Engineering as a profession has always been the right fit for me. Despite being a good student in school, I always had in the back of my mind that work experience was more important for my future career than anything else. Attending a Russell Group university was my Plan B. Before completing my A Levels, I did some work experience at a nuclear power station in Hartlepool. This two-month experience was organised through a mentoring scheme and confirmed to me that there was no point in going back to the intensely academic environment of university for…

E+T Magazine in Women in Engineering
Canada to ban Huawei and ZTE from 5G network

Canada is following in the footsteps of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, as the country decides to exclude Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks, claiming national security risks. The decision has been delayed for almost four years amid diplomatic tensions with China. The rest of the Five Eyes network – the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand – has already banned the equipment, claiming links between the company and the Chinese state. Countries including Germany and Spain have also begun to take similar steps. Huawei has always maintained it is an independent company and rejected these allegations. "We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks," said Canada's Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. "Providers who already have this equipment installed…

E+T Magazine in Telecommunications
How structural engineers are playing their part in tackling the climate emergency

The construction industry faces its own unique challenges when it comes to decarbonising. The nature of its work, and the materials that are at the core of its operations, means it needs to work harder than other industries to keep up with the green transition. According to Built Environment Declares - a global petition that serves as a public commitment to take positive action in response to climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse - the sector desperately needs a paradigm shift. It states: “If we’re to reduce and eventually reverse the environmental damage we’re causing, we will need to re-imagine our buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system”. Structural engineers at COWI became signatories to the…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Hands-on review: Tronsmart Bang Party Bluetooth speaker

The Bluetooth speaker market is, much like the Bluetooth headphone and earbuds market, a very overcrowded space. There are myriad options to choose from, from the well-established, mega-budget, big-brand names (JBL, Sony, Beoplay in the speaker space, for example) to a roiling sea of hundreds, if not thousands, of cheaply cheerful wannabe, me-too new Chinese brands. Tronsmart, for our money, has been quietly establishing a niche for itself somewhere between the two. Still far from being a household name, at least by doubling down on the twin pillars of quality products at a reasonable price, their hardware rarely disappoints. We previously tested, and also enjoyed (true to this day), Tronsmart's Studio 30W , a sleek and inconspicuous black belter of a portable speaker, ideal for home…

E+T Magazine in Signal Processing
The measure of: Pearlsuite floating holiday home

Designed for Italian mobility brand Jet Capsule, the Pearlsuite offers up to 22m2 of interior space with retractable roof and a walkable external deck. The concept targets beach resorts, providing them with the opportunity to expand their number of rooms in a matter of weeks, creating floating communities with zero carbon footprint, zero infrastructures, and at a very low implementation cost. Image credit: Lazzarini Design Studio The units will be built with the most modern nautical techniques based on an enforced main shell connected with a circular hull. Clients can also equip the suite with an electric engine and can therefore self-position themselves or cruise at 5 knots from point A to B, based on an advanced GPS positioning system and autopilot features. …

E+T Magazine in Engineering with a Disability
Renewables can re-power energy network in face of total failure, test shows

Traditionally, large power stations are used to energise the higher voltage transmission network in the unlikely event of a partial or total shutdown of the electricity system, followed by a ‘top-down’ restoration of demand at lower voltages. The National Grid ESO conducted a trial in Galloway, south-west Scotland, which saw a hydro generator connected to the distribution network self-start, energise the local transmission and distribution network, and power up wind turbines on two wind farms within an isolated test network. While there has never been a need to restart the electricity system from scratch, the success of the trial creates a blueprint for incorporating distributed, green energy sources as a tool for firing up Britain’s electricity system. The three-year Ofgem-funded Distributed…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
International law should rule cyberspace, Attorney General will say

Cyberspace should be ruled by international law, according to the Attorney General. Suelle Braverman is expected to use her appearance at the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank to set out the UK’s position on cyber security and international law. She will describe the importance of using international law to help inform decisions on what constitutes unlawful action in the digital space. Braverman's speech will take place against the backdrop of the global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the accusations of state-sanctioned cyber attacks related to the conflict. The Attorney General is expected to use this opportunity to highlight how a united international approach to the issue would help establish and shape a framework to respond adequately to these occurrences. …

E+T Magazine in Cybersecurity
Oceanic acidity at highest level for at least 26,000 years, WMO report finds

The 'State of the Global Climate' report found that four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat, and ocean acidification – all set new records in 2021. It said the worrying results pointed towards “harmful and long-lasting ramifications” for sustainable development and ecosystems. The ocean absorbs around 23 per cent of the annual emissions of anthropogenic CO2 to the atmosphere. This reacts with seawater and leads to ocean acidification, which threatens organisms and ecosystem services, as well as food security, tourism and coastal protection. As the pH of the ocean decreases, its capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere also declines. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that “there is very high confidence that…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
Robot samples environmental DNA to monitor ocean health

Most of the ocean’s biodiversity is still unknown, with up to 2,000 new species being described every year. In order to obtain some more clues regarding the biological diversity in the world’s oceans, scientists have turned to robots. As they move around the ocean, aquatic species leave behind tiny parts of genetic material. A research team from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is using autonomous underwater robots to obtain these samples, known as environmental DNA (eDNA) and learn more about biodiversity changes in sensitive areas, the presence of rare or endangered species, and the spread of invasive species - all critical to understanding, promoting and maintaining a healthy ocean. “We know that eDNA is an incredibly powerful tool for studying ocean communities, but…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Deepfake-detection algorithms retrained to improve success rate

Deepfakes are images and videos which combine mixed source material to produce a synthetic result. They are the latest in a long line of still image and video manipulation techniques and their ability to pass as convincing realities is outpacing the progress of tools to spot them effectively. The use of deepfakes can range from the trivial and amusing to the outright malicious and disturbing - including the erasure from official photographs of political figures now considered undesirable by a new regime, or the superimposition of celebrity faces into often highly explicit sexual imagery - so methods to better detect them are increasingly sought after, with the latest techniques often based on networks trained using pairs of original and synthesised images. The new method, devised by scientists…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Financial Conduct Authority to be given powers to bolster access to cash

A report from Merchant Machine last year found that if the current trend of declining cash usage in the UK continues, the country could become entirely cashless in just five years. But with more than two million Brits still thought to be almost entirely reliant on cash in their daily lives, particularly the elderly, vulnerable and those in rural communities, the government has been forced to take action to maintain its availability. New measures will be legislated for in the upcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill that will give the FCA powers to allow it to address cash access issues at both a national and local level. The government has said it will soon set out its expectations for a reasonable distance for people to travel when depositing and withdrawing cash. Economic secretary…

E+T Magazine in Engineering with a Disability
Electric flying boat aims to transform Norweigan commute

Forget flying taxis and electric cars. Norway is instead betting on flying boats. The seaplane - currently being tested in the towing tank at SINTEF, a Norweigan independent research organisation - is expected to be able to take off from Norway's Trondheim Fjord or Flesland Airport in Bergen and land in the Geiranger Fjord one hour later. The plane has been designed by Norwegian startup Elfly, whose vision is to make electric flight available for passenger traffic as soon as possible. The project is a collaboration between Elfly, SINTEF, NTNU, Norwegian, OSM Aviation and Norsk Titan. It has also received financial support from the Research Council of Norway, with a view to getting a full-scale prototype in the air within the next three years. “This will be a kind of battery-powered flying…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Sea Rocket: the SP80 boat aiming to break the world sailing speed record

The SP80 craft has been built for the record books, designed for a top speed of 80 knots (about 90mph, 150km/h) with only the wind as its source of power. Switzerland-based SP80 described the boat as a ‘sea rocket’, and says it plans to officially launch it at the end of this year. The project is sponsored by Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille. Under construction since the summer of 2021 at Italian shipyard Persico Marine, the SP80 has been designed by a team of engineers and students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne who have combined sailing, kitesurfing and engineering principles. The boat will be bigger than the initial concept – ten metres long and seven metres wide – but will still be towed across the waves by a giant kite. The cockpit will have room for two pilots…

E+T Magazine in Marine Transport
‘Let’s design products with their demise in mind’

“Whatever they are doing, whatever they are buying, I want consumers to ask one question,” says Joe Macleod: “I want them to ask how this ends.” For the organisations manufacturing and marketing the products we consume, the question is slightly different: “I want them to ask how should this end?” These two questions, which form the thematic bedrock of Macleod’s latest title, ‘Endineering’, focus on “how we can improve what we are making, and how we can go about reclaiming the materials and have better brand equity relationships so that we can get over the massive and wasteful problems we have in consumerism today”. While he is specifically talking about the consumer lifecycle of digital devices, these questions could apply to almost any consumer experience, says Macleod. He’s identified a…

E+T Magazine in Recycling
View from India: Customised solutions can unfold opportunities in 5G

India’s increasing internet penetration, combined with the digital economy envisioned by the government, has left consumers eagerly awaiting 5G technology. Touted as the fifth-generation technology, 5G has an important role to play in the upcoming rollout of wireless devices, remote healthcare, contactless services, connected systems, Internet of Things devices, smart cities and autonomous vehicles. A wide range of industries are on the cusp of a new revolution to be ushered in by 5G devices, chipsets and service providers. “5G technologies would mostly be lapped up by factories, offices and enterprises. Testing is critical for ensuring the resiliency of network operations; 5G testing can be deployed at the time of configuration,” said Mohmedsaeed Mombasawala, general manager of Keysight Technologies…

E+T Magazine
Amputees able to move robotic arm with their mind

Current commercial prosthetic limbs often use a sensor or a cable to pick up on muscle movements in a patient’s existing limb. However, these methods tend to be cumbersome, unintuitive and typically take months of practice for amputees to adapt to. A team of r esearchers at the University of Minnesota have created a more accurate, less invasive alternative, based on the premise of allowing an amputee to move their prosthetic with their mind. The new technology consists of a small, implantable device that attaches to the peripheral nerve in a person’s arm. When combined with an artificial intelligence computer and a robotic arm, the device can read and interpret brain signals, allowing upper limb amputees to control the arm using only their thoughts. “It’s a lot more intuitive than any…

E+T Magazine in Rehabilitation and Prosthetics
Teardown: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, has the muscle to justify its £1,149 price. The engine room is the latest 4nm in-house Exynos 2200 processor (replaced by the equally powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 outside Europe and Africa). The chip’s eight-core configuration combines one 2.80GHz core based on the ARM Cortex-X2, three 2.50GHz Cortex-A710s and four 1.80GHz Cortex-A510s. Most notably, the S22 Ultra leverages this for photography and the display. The rear four-camera array combines a massive 108MP main wide-angle unit with a 12MP ultra-wide-angle one, and two 10MP telephoto cameras with respectively 3x and 10x optical zoom. Further AI enhancements help bring the zoom potential up to 100x. Samsung has made further hardware and software improvements, packaged…

E+T Magazine in Telecommunications
Pollution killed nine million people in 2019, study says

Nine million people died in 2019 because of pollution, a new study has revealed, surpassing the annual global tolls for war, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs and alcohol. The research – published as an update to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health – has identified pollution as the largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death, responsible for 16 per cent of all deaths globally. Overall, air, chemical and water pollution accounted for one in six deaths worldwide. Despite the well-documented effects of pollution on mortality rates, little has been done to address this public health crisis, with public attention and funding only seeing a minimal increase in the last four years. Since the commission’s last analysis in 2015, the number of deaths from pollution…

E+T Magazine in Air Pollution

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