• US commits $850m to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas sector

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say that applications are open for $850m in federal funding for projects that will help monitor, measure, quantify and reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sectors. Leaks of methane cause plumes of potent greenhouse gas to escape into the atmosphere and, as the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted in a report published last year, slashing it is imperative to limit global warming. While methane has 80 times the warming power of CO2 in the first 20 years after reaching the atmosphere, unlike CO2 it does not remain in our atmosphere for as long. This means that reducing methane emissions will have a significant impact in lowering global temperatures. In the latest update of the IEA’s Global Methane…

  • Camera system can detect alcohol intoxication on the faces of drivers

    A camera-based system that can identify drunk drivers just by analysing their faces has been developed by researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU). A series of videos were taken of people in a driving simulation who were in various levels of alcohol intoxication – sober, low intoxication and severely intoxicated. The team developed a machine learning system that uses discernible cues from standard RGB (red, green and blue) videos of the drivers’ faces to gauge the degree of alcohol-related impairment. These included facial features, gaze direction and head position. “Our system detects varying levels of alcohol intoxication impairment, with an overall accuracy of 75% for the three-level classification,” ECU PhD student Ensiyeh Keshtkaran said. “This not only benefits vehicles equipped…

  • Microsoft quietly shelves underwater data centre project

    Microsoft has quietly shelved its underwater data centre project, dubbed Project Natick, according to an interview with the company’s head of cloud operations. The Project Natick trial was launched in 2013 to explore the possible benefits of data centres located underwater such as lower latency for its users and dramatically reduced cooling costs. Cooling in particular makes up a significant proportion of the energy used in a data centre – almost as much as the power used by the IT equipment. Due to the higher density of water and its ability to transport heat more effectively than air, deep-sea data centres are much more efficient than those on land. In the decade since the trial began, Microsoft deployed a prototype in 2015 and then a test system off the coast of Scotland in 2018. The…

  • Coalition of global economy leaders – Mission 2025 – urges governments to boost climate plans

    Mission 2025, a coalition of global economy leaders, is urging governments to produce ambitious climate plans. It aims to rebut the view that moving faster to tackle the climate crisis is “too difficult, too unpopular or too expensive”. For many years, scientists have stressed that preventing global warming from exceeding 1.5°C is not an aspirational target but a scientific imperative. The upper threshold of the Paris Agreement is 2°C: any higher and the UN has warned that it would have a catastrophic impact around the world. In December 2023, global governments agreed at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels, but there have been signs that countries are slowing or even rolling back on climate action. The UN stipulates that governments are required to submit new national climate…

  • BT Group rolls out energy-saving ‘cell sleep’ technology to over 19,500 EE mobile sites

    BT Group has implemented energy-saving ‘cell sleep’ technology across its EE mobile sites nationwide, with anticipated energy savings of up to 4.5 million KWh per year across EE’s estate. Being the UK’s largest provider of fixed-line broadband and mobile services, BT Group’s networks account for around 89% of its total energy consumption. To increase network energy efficiency, BT has announced that it will introduce ‘cell sleep’ software across its EE mobile sites following successful trials in each of the UK’s home nations. This ‘cell sleep’ technology puts certain 4G LTE capacity carriers to sleep when the capacity is not needed. How it works is that the data from each site informs the statistical algorithms. Machine learning then predicts periods of low traffic for each site. The…

  • Apple once again found in breach of EU’s ‘rulebook’ for online platforms

    The European Commission (EC) has opened another non-compliance investigation against Apple. The tech giant’s App Store was found to be in breach of rules that prevent third-party developers from freely pointing customers to cheaper alternative options. Just three months ago, Apple was fined €1.8bn by the EU for promoting its music-streaming service over rivals. In August 2023, the EC’s landmark rules for online platforms – the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) – came into effect to rein in the power of giants such as Alphabet, Amazon and Meta. The DMA aims to curb anticompetitive behaviour and keep ‘gatekeepers’ from suppressing market competition. But the EC says that the App Store “prevents app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels…

  • Mitsubishi robot sets Guinness World Record for solving Rubik's Cube in 0.305 seconds

    Mitsubishi Electric has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the fastest robot to solve a puzzle cube. We often hear the expression ‘in the blink of an eye’ to describe something very quick. But how quick? According to Harvard University's bionumbers database, a blink takes 0.1 to 0.4 seconds. The Japanese company’s TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronised Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot) has solved a Rubik’s Cube in 0.305 seconds, in quite literally less than a blink of an eye. The robot recently received the Guinness World Record for this achievement, beating the previous record time of 0.38 seconds, which was set by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology robot in 2018. By comparison, the human record for solving a Rubik’s Cube is 3.13 seconds, set in June 2023 by Max Park, a 21…

  • Could large language models help run and maintain the energy grid?

    This is the question researchers at Harvard University attempted to answer when examining the potential that large language models (LLMs) could bring to the energy sector. LLMs are a type of artificial intelligence that can recognise, summarise, translate, predict and generate content having been trained using very large datasets, such as those that power ChatGPT. Having already found use cases across multiple industries, a team at Harvard’s John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has now published a study exploring the promise of LLMs to help run and maintain the energy grid. The research team, which included engineers from Houston-based energy-provider CenterPoint Energy and grid operator Midcontinent Independent System Operator, used GPT models to explore the…

  • Tarmac starts trials of all-electric 7.5 tonne tipper truck

    In a UK-first, sustainable building materials and construction solutions company Tarmac has started trials on an all-electric tipper truck. Tarmac has a big operation in the UK, with 6,000 employees working across 350 sites. It has set itself the ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and reaching net zero before 2050. Part of this roadmap includes decarbonising operational equipment and vehicles. It was an early signatory of the EV100 global initiative, with a commitment to transition to net zero electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. As such, in recent years Tarmac has been researching electric options for its vehicles. Last year it started operation of an all-electric battery readymix concrete truck, along with an electric bond coat sprayer. To add to this EV line-up…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Report reveals findings of a year that saw ‘record highs in an energy-hungry world’

    A report published by the Energy Institute (EI) has revealed that 2023 saw record global energy consumption, with coal and oil pushing fossil fuels and their emissions to record levels, despite a record increase in renewable energy power. The EI, the chartered professional membership body for people who work across the world of energy, has released the 73rd annual edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy. This analyses data on world energy markets from the prior year. The report – co-authored with KPMG, a multinational professional services network, and Kearney, a global management consulting firm, with additional research undertaken by Heriot-Watt University – presents full global energy data for 2023. It found that in 2023 global primary energy use climbed to a record high…

  • AI could save UK public sector workers 23 million hours per week – Microsoft study

    Artificial intelligence (AI) could save public sector workers in the UK 23 million hours every week by eliminating basic administrative tasks, according to research commissioned by Microsoft. The study, Harnessing the power of AI for the public sector, suggests that the scale of administration required of the UK’s public sector is drawing workers away from delivering frontline services. It found that proper implementation of AI would save an estimated 5.93 million public sector employees four hours every week, equating to 23 million hours in total. The study, carried out by Dr Chris Brauer, director of innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, makes various role-specific claims about the role that AI could play in the future. Doctors and nurses, for example, could save around…

  • Lab-grown burgers and cricket salads will be the norm by 2054, researchers predict

    What will our dinner plates look like in 30 years? Consumer attitudes towards food ethics and sustainability could see insect proteins and lab-grown meats becoming the norm. That‘s according to the findings of the Co-op’s Responsible Retailing report with research conducted at the University of York. What we eat is a contentious issue. Meat and dairy farming contribute to a rise in the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, whereas vegan diets have come under fire recently as ‘fake meats’ have been shown to be an ultra-processed food and therefore linked to cardiovascular disease. The Co-op predicts that, in the next 30 years, diets will have a greater balance of protein, carbohydrate and fibre and more pulses or seeds, with the diversity of protein options increasing with both high-quality…

  • Virtual reality programme to allow students to speak to AI Holocaust survivors

    School students will be given the opportunity to “talk” to Holocaust survivors through a combination of AI and virtual reality (VR). Developed by the Holocaust Education Trust (HET), the Testimony 360 programme combines digital eyewitness testimony and virtual tours of historical sites associated with the Holocaust. Four Holocaust survivors were recorded, each answering hundreds of questions about their life stories in order to create the programme. Pupils can then ask their questions to a digital representation of the survivors, and the AI will interpret and play back the relevant clip. Each session takes about 2.5 hours and is open to all year 9-13 students. The VR headsets will also allow students to explore key sites linked to the survivor testimonies, including their pre-war home…

  • Amid AI boom Nvidia surges past Apple to become world’s most valuable company

    US chipmaker Nvidia experienced another rise in share price gains yesterday, putting it in the top spot as the world’s most valuable company. During his keynote speech at the Computex tech trade fair in Taiwan at the beginning of this month, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said: “Today, we’re at the cusp of a major shift in computing. The intersection of AI and accelerated computing is set to redefine the future.” It’s a future the chipmaker is certainly betting on, having made numerous AI-related announcements this year, including its Nvidia Blackwell platform and the Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper superchip. It is a future its investors are also betting on as shown in the 3.5% surge its shares took yesterday, giving Nvidia a market value of about $3.33tn. This puts Nvidia in the top…

  • Code First Girls teaches 200,000 women coding for free to help plug gender and tech skills gap

    Code First Girls – a provider of free coding courses for women in the UK and around the world – has announced it has taught more than 200,000 women tech skills for free. Starting out in 2012 as a free, part-time course to get female graduates interested in coding, Code First Girls has evolved into a community of coders, instructors and mentors who provide free coding courses for women in the UK and globally. According to research by Tech Nation, only 26% of the tech workforce are women. The representation of women in IT roles has improved in recent years – from 15% in 2020 to 19% in 2023. But even if this trend continues, says BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, it will take another 283 years to match the 48% of women in the wider workforce. Trade association techUK estimates that…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Four European tech start-ups awarded funding from $1bn Nato Innovation Fund

    The $1bn Nato Innovation Fund has directly invested in four European tech companies to help strengthen the defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The Nato Innovation Fund was founded two years ago to finance deep tech start-ups in defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The fund is backed by 24 of Nato’s 32 member states. “Enabling capital and support for strategic technologies is key to securing a safe and prosperous future for the Alliance’s one billion citizens,” said Andrea Traversone, managing partner of the Nato Innovation Fund. The fund has now revealed the four start-ups in Europe and the UK that have been allocated funding. They include: ARX Robotics: German defence tech start-up developing autonomous unmanned ground systems with scalable hardware…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Global offshore wind power installations surge by 21% over the past year

    Global installations of offshore wind turbines increased by a massive 21% over the past 12 months, from 61.5GW to 75GW, a report has found. According to RenewableUK, China and the UK have retained their top positions in offshore turbine building at 36.7GW and 14.7GW operational capacity respectively. Germany is third with 8.3GW, the Netherlands fourth with 3.7GW and Denmark fifth with 2.7GW. The symbolic threshold of 75GW is roughly equivalent to the energy requirements of the entirety of the UK in 2020 and the new capacity added over the past year generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 14 million UK homes. The global pipeline of projects at all stages of development (operational, under construction, consented, in planning or at an early stage of development…

  • US plans to invest $900m to ramp up deployment of small modular reactors

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will fund up to $900m to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). In a statement by the DOE, the development of SMRs will help the US increase its nuclear energy capabilities, drive clean energy goals and create skilled job opportunities. The advantages of SMRs over nuclear power reactors lie predominantly in the fact that they are a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor and are modular. These features alone help lower overall project costs compared to large nuclear power plants. SMRs can more easily be built in factories as prefabricated units, then shipped and installed in a variety of settings not suitable for larger nuclear power plants. Another advantage is that SMRs have the ability to meet…

  • Connected health surge in biopharma and medtech, new report finds

    The biotechnology and pharmaceutical (biopharma) industry expects a fifth of its annual revenue to come from connected health services/products in the next five years, according to a new Capgemini report. The connected healthcare market is growing exponentially. The Covid-19 pandemic, and being prevented from seeing healthcare providers (HCPs) face-to-face, spurred on the integration of digital technology into healthcare. From mobile apps and smart medication adherence monitors to the integration of generative AI technologies, the adoption of connected health continues to accelerate post-pandemic. According to Market.US, a market research and analysis company, the global connected health market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25%, reaching $520.6bn by 2032 from…

  • Comment: Election insecurity – why our government can’t protect us from cyberwarfare

    David Critchley, regional director of UK & Ireland at Armis, draws insights from new research to showcase the risk cyberwarfare poses to democracy, as well as society, in a crucial election year. 2024 will see half of the global population head to the polls. This includes elections in the US, Europe, Africa, India and, of course, the UK. While this should be a cause for celebration, the threat of cyberwarfare is now jeopardising democracy. The digital realm has erupted into an invisible war, where the UK is under constant attack. Yet, in this kind of warfare, everyone is on the front line: every company, every person. There are no borders. That’s what makes this such an effective form of warfare. It’s not simply about data breaches or financial gains either. These attacks are a calculated…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK electricity prices could dip 20% by 2028

    Reduced demand for gas coupled with high levels of gas storage across Europe should see baseload electricity prices in the UK drop by around 20% over the next four years, energy experts have said. According to Aurora Energy Research’s latest forecast, carbon prices are also predicted to fall – further lowering prices to an estimated £19/MWh by 2028. As long as the falls are reflected in domestic energy bills, the lower prices should come as some relief to households that have been battered by record-high energy prices since the Ukraine war began in 2022. However, Aurora does not foresee further falls beyond that date due to delays at Hinkley Point C, Britain’s next nuclear power plant. While originally planned to be brought online as early as 2017, it is now not expected until 2029 at…

  • Alstom signs £370m deal for 10 Elizabeth line trains that will secure future of Derby plant

    Alstom, a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer, has signed a contract worth around £370m for 10 new nine-car Aventra trains for Transport for London’s Elizabeth line, along with maintenance until 2046. The Elizabeth line is the fastest-growing railway in the UK. The route passes through 41 stations, stretching over 60 miles, from Reading and Heathrow airport in the west through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. According to Transport for London (TfL), the Elizabeth line has seen more than 350 million journeys since it opened two years ago in May 2022. On average, there are around 700,000 passenger journeys on the line every weekday, with the busiest day recorded on 18 April 2024 when there were 787,000 journeys across the line. With passenger demand predicted…

  • Rio Tinto’s lithium mine project in Serbia poised to get green light

    Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) industry could be given a boost if the Rio Tinto lithium mine in Serbia gets the green light, two years after the project was called off. To increase the production of EVs there needs to be a ramp-up in the minerals used to produce them. Lithium is crucial as this light yet energy-dense metal is a key component of the batteries that will power these vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries have resulted in a huge spike in demand for lithium over recent years. However, there has been speculation as to whether there will be sufficient resources to meet demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast that the supply of lithium by 2030 will reach 420,000 metric tons, not quite reaching the forecast demand, which is estimated at 443,000 metric tons. However…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray drone completes testing as it is seen gliding in the ocean

    Northrop Grumman, the multinational aerospace and defense technology company, has for the past four years been developing a massive uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) called Manta Ray for the US military. In 2020, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a military research and development agency, released a request for proposals on a new class of UUV that is capable of performing long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without human supervision. Northrop Grumman answered the call with a type of UUV called an extra-large glider, which features a propulsion mechanism that includes an hydrodynamic hull and a buoyancy system that enables the craft to glide forward using minimal power to undertake long missions. Taking its name from the massive ‘winged…

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