• Ericsson tests pre-standard 6G in over-the-air robot trial

    Ericsson says it has carried out the world’s first 6G over-the-air (OTA) trials after the technology was used to control AI-powered robots and conduct real-time video streaming. 6G is not expected to be made widely available until the end of the decade at the earliest, but operators are already assessing technologies that can deliver faster data speeds and much greater network capacity than 5G, as well as ultra-low latency. 6G is also likely to improve energy efficiency and reliability, which could help to power smart cities, advanced healthcare and next-generation industrial automation. Ericsson said the technology used in its trial was “pre-standard”, as the final standards and technical specifications will need to be confirmed by an industry body known as 3GPP. In last week’s 6G OTA…

  • Honor unveils ‘Robot Phone’ equipped with a gimbal-mounted 200MP camera

    A ‘Robot Phone’ with a camera module that extends on a gimbal has been unveiled by Chinese smartphone firm Honor at MWC Barcelona. The device has been designed to interact with the user through an embedded AI that can assist with taking photos and videos, and even “dance” to music. The firm said that the AI has been equipped with “multimodal perception”, allowing the robotic element to identify sounds, track motion and maintain visual awareness. The camera gimbal is housed in a chunkier-than-usual hump on the back of the device. It can be used in that setting, as with a traditional smartphone, or swing out to rest on the top of the device, where it has 360-degree motion for taking high-resolution selfies or tracking shots. Honor said that the 200MP sensor “closes the gap” between smartphone…

  • AI data centre boom could push up UK electricity demand and carbon emissions

    Campaign groups warn that the soaring electricity demand from new AI data centres could drive up the UK’s carbon emissions. In a letter to UK technology secretary Liz Kendall, six non-governmental organisations, including Friends of the Earth and Foxglove, are calling for data centre developers to reveal if their projects will increase the UK’s net greenhouse gas emissions. This comes as the energy regulator Ofgem recently published a consultation to review how new projects are connected to the power grid as the connection queue grows. Ofgem has seen a surge in demand for connection applications – the total capacity of contracted connection offers rose from about 41GW in November 2024 to around 125 GW by June 2025. For comparison, peak electricity demand in Great Britain on 11 February…

  • Electric car batteries improving faster than global warming can degrade them

    Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are expected to degrade faster in the future as global temperatures increase, but research has found that gains to battery performance in recent years will more than offset this effect. Climate change is causing temperatures to increase unevenly around the world, leading to concerns that significant rises could impact the battery performance of EVs in some locations. To maximise efficiency, range and longevity for lithium-ion batteries, the “sweet spot” is generally considered to be between 20-25°C. However, a study led by University of Michigan researchers shows that batteries have gotten a lot better over the past several years and the gains will more than offset their expected heat-related degradation. “Thanks to technological improvements, consumers…

  • BMW to pilot humanoid robots at its Leipzig battery plant in Germany

    German carmaker BMW has launched a pilot project to integrate humanoid robots into real-world battery production. Developed with Zürich-based Hexagon Robotics, the AEON humanoid robot features technologies such as advanced sensors and AI-driven mission control to enable it to automate heavy, repetitive battery-assembly tasks. Hexagon Robotics launched AEON in June 2025 and is working with partners, including BMW, to adapt it to specific industrial processes. The robot underwent an initial test deployment at BMW Group’s Leipzig plant in December 2025. Its human‑like body allows for a wide range of hand and gripper elements or scanning tools to be attached, while wheels attached to the end of its ‘legs’ enable fast, convenient movement. During the pilot phase, due to start this summer,…

  • Drax power plant to stop burning Canadian wood pellets within the next year

    Drax power station plans to stop burning controversial Canadian wood pellets and switch to a US-only supply from 2027. Located near Selby in North Yorkshire, Drax started life as a coal-fired power station when it was opened in 1974, but started co-firing biomass by 2010 in response to government concerns about the UK’s carbon emissions. Generating approximately 6% of the UK’s electricity, the plant has received billions of pounds in renewable energy subsidies from the government levied on household energy bills as wood-burning is classed as a source of clean energy. This is on the condition that the biomass pellets are made from waste or low-value wood from sustainable, commercially managed forests. To feed this biomass plant, Drax owns wood pellet production plants in Canada. According…

  • Snake-like robot to retrieve radioactive debris from inside Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant

    A third trial to inspect and retrieve a small amount of radioactive debris from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been announced by plant operator the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco). The remotely operated robotic arm, measuring 22 metres and weighing 4.6 tonnes, will snake through narrow passages to conduct internal investigations and retrieve a sample of melted fuel debris from inside the nuclear plant. In 2011, a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami wrecked the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The meltdown was considered the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986. Tepco is currently engaged in a decades-long effort to decommission the plant. This includes dealing with large amounts of highly radioactive melted fuel inside three reactors damaged during…

  • Captured landfill CO2 to boost crop growth in Wiltshire growing domes

    Researchers are planning to extract gas that has built up under a landfill site in Wiltshire and use it for heat, power and CO2 in a growing dome to create ideal year-round growing conditions for crops. When organic waste such as food scraps, paper and garden waste break down in a landfill site, it typically decomposes anaerobically due to a lack of oxygen. This process, driven by naturally occurring microorganisms, produces landfill gas mainly composed of methane and carbon dioxide that cannot easily escape once the landfill site has been capped. The Royal Wootton Bassett Crapper and Sons landfill site is now planning to produce purified CO2, captured from the landfill gas-to-power process, which will be pumped into newly erected bio-secure growing domes to promote photosynthesis. Three…

  • Industry insight: Why new grid connection rules favour ready-to-build energy projects

    This article has been provided by Matthew Ling, business development director at Leep Utilities. When the National Energy System Operator (NESO) announced a new pipeline of deliverable energy projects at the end of last year, it was the next step in a massive overhaul of the grid connection process. The biggest change grid connection in decadesNESO’s shift from a first‑come, first‑served model to a first‑ready and needed, first‑connected approach represents the most significant overhaul of the grid connection process in years. The need for reform was clear: capacity hoggers with no genuine projects would secure a 100 MVA connection, then attempt to sell it on at inflated values. These companies would often lack the knowledge and expertise of more experienced partners, for example trying…

  • Satellite-powered mobile data from Starlink goes live on Virgin Media O2 network

    Virgin Media O2 has switched on its ‘Direct to Cell’ satellite mobile connectivity, which will rapidly expand data coverage to underserved, primarily rural areas of the UK. The firm, which was formed last year in a £31bn merger, said the service will expand O2 coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales, taking the network’s landmass coverage from 89% to 95%. The technology provides coverage using a satellite constellation operated by Elon Musk’s Starlink. The Direct to Cell satellites were initially launched in 2023 and connect over laser backhaul to the Starlink constellation, which provide the data connectivity. The system works on all handsets supporting 4G without any other specialised hardware. Virgin Media O2 said that customers would be automatically connected via…

  • UK’s first geothermal power plant switches on in Cornwall

    The UK’s first ever geothermal power plant will be going live today, bringing a new source of low-carbon energy generation onto the electricity grid. The United Downs power station, which is being developed by GEL Energy, is based in Cornwall and will produce around 3MW of power. While the amount of energy produced is relatively low compared to other baseload generators, GEL has two additional deep geothermal sites under development, which will deliver a further 10MW by 2030. The British Geological Survey has calculated that more than 200GW of thermal heat, hot enough to generate power, could be produced from onshore geothermal sources. To put that in perspective, the upcoming Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant will generate around 3.2GW when it comes online in the early 2030s. Nevertheless…

  • UK start-up Wayve raises further $1.2bn to scale its AI self-driving vehicle platform

    Wayve’s latest $1.2bn funding round includes investment from major global firms, valuing the London-based start-up at $8.6bn. The Series D equity round was led by global financial investors, with participation from Microsoft, Nvidia and Uber, alongside investment from global automakers Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Stellantis. This funding will allow the start-up to roll out its end-to-end AI platform for self-driving vehicles on a global commercial scale. Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said: “This investment accelerates our path to widespread commercial deployment and positions us to build the autonomy layer that will power any vehicle everywhere.” The start-up, which has previously received funding from big-name investors including a $1.05bn funding round in 2024, was founded…

  • First coordinated hydrogen network in Britain could pave the way for larger-scale roll-out

    Four energy firms are joining forces to build the UK’s first hydrogen network in the Humber, linking hydrogen production with industrial customers and power stations. The prototype system for producing, transporting, storing and distributing hydrogen as an energy carrier could underpin larger-scale hydrogen deployment in the UK in the future, the firms said. The Humber Hydrogen network will be built by National Gas, Centrica, Equinor and SSE Thermal. National Gas already has extensive experience in gas pipeline infrastructure, Centrica will contribute knowledge in energy storage, Equinor has large-scale hydrogen production experience, and SSE Thermal adds expertise in power generation and integrating hydrogen into industrial and energy systems. No country has yet implemented a nationwide…

  • Reddit fined £14m for failing to protect UK children’s data

    Reddit has been fined £14.47m by the data regulator for failing to protect the privacy of children using the platform. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that Reddit, the fourth most-visited social media platform in the UK, had used the personal information of children “unlawfully” and did not adequately check the age of its UK users. Websites operating in the UK typically use a mix of self-declaration, technical checks and third‑party verification services to attempt to verify the age of users. Reddit generally relies on a provider called Persona that checks selfies or ID photos when users try to access age‑restricted content. But users are still able to create an account without any form of age verification to check areas of the site deemed inappropriate for children. …

  • Regular cross-Channel rail freight to return through the Channel Tunnel

    A new £15m deal will restore regular container services through the Channel Tunnel, shifting freight from trucks to trains. The government-backed deal will help boost trade between the UK and continental Europe. While cross-Channel freight trains never completely stopped, regular container services have largely disappeared in recent years. What does pass through is limited to bulk, single-customer orders. As a result, most freight is transported by ship and then on lorries, substantially increasing road traffic and pollution. The return of regular scheduled freight train services will ease traffic on the road network, particularly in the south-east at the Dartford Crossing and M20/M2 corridors, and decrease carbon emissions. It will also enable British businesses to directly import and…

  • Air conditioning could emit more carbon than the US by 2050

    Air conditioning systems around the world have the potential to produce more carbon dioxide a year by 2050 than the US does today, researchers have said. The study from a team at the University of Birmingham anticipates that air con usage will double over the next 25 years as increasingly high temperatures force people to remain indoors to stay cool. Even mid-range predictions suggest that electricity for cooling could reach 4,493TWh annually, and in the worst case be responsible for more carbon emissions globally than the modern-day US. Today, regions that need cooling the most, such as South Asia and Africa, have the least access to air con whereas wealthier regions such as Europe and North America have lower cooling needs but higher usage. In future, most of the extra emissions are…

  • European quantum project to test secure multi-user quantum networks over 20km

    A €6m German research project aims to move quantum communication networks out of the lab and into real-world, multi-node infrastructure. Currently, quantum communication can only take place through a direct link between two specific points. The QCyber project, led by the University of Stuttgart, aims to develop secure quantum network applications for multiple users. Professor Stefanie Barz of the University of Stuttgart, who is coordinating the project, said: “Quantum networks studied so far typically connect only two users. But in practice, often multiple parties need to communicate securely at the same time.” The €6m QCyber project, which will run until the end of 2028, is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space over three years. It will field-test…

  • Scrapping business class could halve aviation emissions, according to study

    Higher load factors and less premium-class seating could make air travel far more efficient, according to a University of Oxford study. Aviation is widely recognised as a hard-to-abate sector. Although there are mandates in place for the use of sustainable aviation fuels and much research into hydrogen-powered and electric aircraft – as well as other designs and technologies including blended wing aircraft – much of these remain in the early stages. In an international study led by the university, researchers set out to discover what impact could be made to reducing aviation’s carbon emissions by simply using planes more efficiently. For instance, this could be by ensuring they aren’t flying with empty seats by scaling back on premium-class seating and replacing older, inefficient aircraft…

  • From the archives: Time zones, microchips and Teflon

    Tanya Weaver looks back at standard time zones, Teflon products and the birth of microchips. Teflon as we know it today was discovered by accident in 1938. Chemist Roy J Plunkett was experimenting with refrigerant tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in the labs of US chemicals company DuPont. During these tests he noticed that one cylinder of TFE gas failed to release as expected when its valve was opened. Cutting the cylinder open, he found that the gas inside had solidified into a white, waxy substance. Intrigued, he did some tests that led him to the conclusion that the gas had polymerised spontaneously, forming polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin. This slippery solid had several remarkable properties including being inert to virtually all chemicals and an extremely high melting point. Having…

  • Tech firms must remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours – or face UK block

    The UK government has proposed new plans requiring tech platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours, or risk fines and potential blocking. Under the plans, victims would only have to report the image once to ensure its removal across multiple platforms, rather than having to contact each platform individually. Once flagged, tech firms will not only be legally required to remove the content within 48 hours but to ensure it’s automatically blocked at every future upload. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to 10% of the platform’s qualifying worldwide revenue or having its services blocked in the UK. The government said that intimate image abuse should be treated with the same severity as child sexual abuse and terrorism content. The new law is being made…

  • ATLAS-1 satellite to demonstrate high-speed, secure laser communication from space

    Space start-up Astrolight is preparing to launch its first laser-based communication satellite, which can provide data rates of up to 1Gbps from space without the use of radio waves. With the Earth’s orbit getting increasingly crowded, operators of smallsats – compact, low-mass spacecraft typically weighing under 500kg – are struggling with radio spectrum licensing. The limitation means they often have to sacrifice downlink speed to afford missions and face a higher risk of signal interference. While big players such as Starlink already use laser communication as an alternative means of communication, very few smallsat-friendly solutions have been proven in orbit. The Lithuania-based Astrolight has been developing a satellite dubbed ATLAS-1 with a focus on keeping the size, weight and power…

  • Green hydrogen to fuel construction at Lower Thames Crossing as project targets net zero

    Over 2,500 tonnes of green hydrogen from UK hydrogen supplier GeoPura will power construction machinery at the Lower Thames Crossing project. The hydrogen will replace more than 12 million litres of diesel at the site in Essex. According to National Highways, which is managing the project, the use of hydrogen is expected to save an estimated 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions during construction. Approximately 23km in length, the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing will connect Kent, Thurrock and Essex with two tunnels – one northbound and one southbound – running beneath the River Thames. The project was given the go-ahead by the UK government last year, with an expected completion date of 2031. National Highways has said that it will be the first major British infrastructure project to be carbon…

  • Hinkley Point C faces further delays as costs continue to mount

    Hinkley Point C, the UK’s first nuclear plant in a generation, is now not expected to start generating electricity until 2030 at the earliest in yet another delay to the project. French energy giant EDF, which has been overseeing construction on the nuclear plant, blamed the delay on lower-than-expected productivity on its major electromechanical installation programme. The programme includes installation works such as piping, cabling and system integration for both reactor units – although only Unit 1, the first reactor, is expected to begin generating in 2030. Unit 2 is generally expected to come online about one year after Unit 1, which suggests it will be the early 2030s based on how the project timeline is currently understood. Workers only lifted the 245-tonne steel dome onto Unit…

  • Proximity to US nuclear plants linked to 115,000 cancer deaths since 2000

    People living near nuclear power plants in the US face a higher risk of cancer compared to the average across the country, researchers at Harvard University have said. The study is the first this century to compare the proximity of nuclear power plants with cancer mortality across all facilities in the US and across every county. It also comes as countries around the world are looking to ramp up installations of nuclear power plants as a low-carbon source of baseload energy on the electricity grid. The researchers looked at data collected between 2000 and 2018 using “continuous proximity”. Advanced statistical modelling was used to capture the cumulative impact of all nearby nuclear power plants, rather than just one, even those located across the Canadian border. The data also took other…

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