• National Grid anticipates major power surges during England’s World Cup matches

    The National Grid is preparing for massive peaks in electricity demand during the World Cup, with Scotland and England’s group games anticipated to drive especially high usage. According to the National Energy System Operator (NESO), games that feature domestic teams could see demand rise by up to 600MW – equivalent to the output of a single massive generator unit at a major thermal power station. NESO expects that it will generate around 40–50% of the demand from renewable sources, and that requirements will be roughly 20% lower than during 1998 World Cup matches – largely down to the improved efficiency of televisions and devices, which use much less energy than those in use during past tournaments. As the largest World Cup ever staged, featuring 40 more games than any previous tournament…

  • Airbus unveils autonomous helicopter for military and disaster response missions

    Airbus has revealed an entirely autonomous version of its H145 helicopter, which is designed to deliver payloads for both civilian and military operations. The U145, which was unveiled during the ILA Berlin airshow, is preparing to undertake its maiden flight with a safety pilot onboard towards the end of 2026, with commercial availability at the beginning of the next decade. The aircraft can lift up to 3,800kg of cargo and is envisioned as a craft that could support roles such as disaster management, firefighting, armed scouting, surveillance and drone mothership functionality. Airbus also envisages the aircraft being used to support missions alongside other crewed aircraft, with autonomous helicopters operating alongside traditional helicopters and fighter aircraft. “With the U145…

  • Wayve and Uber say first London robotaxi service is ‘ready to go’

    London could see a commercial autonomous taxi service launch as early as this summer. Uber, a US-based transportation firm that pioneered a ride-hailing smartphone app connecting passengers directly with nearby drivers, has launched a ‘list of interest’ on its app. Those users who sign up could be among the first to ride in London’s first Wayve robotaxis. These rides will initially take place with a safety driver onboard and will start as soon as regulators give the go-ahead for launch. “We’re hopeful to be launching in the next couple of months. We’re ready to go. We’re just waiting for a couple of last approvals,” Kaity Fischer, Wayve’s vice-president of commercial and operations, told European news agency AFP. “This is the first time the general public will be able to hail an autonomous…

  • Russian satellites may be capable of continent-wide GPS jamming, scientists warn

    Russian satellites may have the ability to block GPS signals on a continental scale, according to tests from a group of scientists. While Moscow has repeatedly denied that it has carried out hostile actions such as GPS jamming and spoofing, Western intelligence authorities have traced local signal blackouts back to Russian territories in the past. But a paper from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University in California claims that a small constellation of Russian satellites in the Molniya (‘lightning’) orbit could have the capability of causing GPS signal drops on a continental scale. The Molniya orbit is a unique, egg-shaped orbit used by Russia in the past for military, communications and spy satellites. The paper says: “On scores of occasions since 2019…

  • Electrical industry warns against rushed roll-out of unregulated plug-in solar

    Plug-in solar PV units should only enter the mass market when the necessary safety frameworks are in place, electrical industry bodies have warned. A joint statement was issued by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), Electrical Safety First (ESF), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) and Scottish construction trade association SELECT. It is in reaction to the government’s announcement earlier this year about a raft of new energy and cost-of-living measures to “double down, not back down, on our mission for clean energy”, one of which is easy access to plug-in solar panels. Popular in other European countries such as Germany, these low-cost portable panels can be placed on balconies…

  • New quantum behaviour in plutonium could reshape nuclear science, according to study

    Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered unusual quantum behaviour in a plutonium compound, with potential applications across various fields including nuclear science and quantum computing. First synthesised and isolated in 1940, plutonium is a highly radioactive, human-made metallic element used as a fuel in nuclear reactors, as a compact heat source for spacecraft and in nuclear weapons. It is the sixth element in the actinide series, a group of elements known for their complex electronic structures. To understand how plutonium’s electrons govern critical properties such as magnetism and electrical conductivity, scientists must observe those properties at the quantum level. This helps them to predict how nuclear materials will age, how to improve reactor safety and how…

  • London City Airport's plan to allow larger jets faces setback over noise concerns

    Proposals to allow larger aircraft to land at London City Airport could be put on hold as local politicians have expressed concerns about noise pollution. The airport, the capital’s most centrally located, was given permission to ramp up passenger numbers by 40% in 2024 after ministers overruled Newham Council, which had objected to the plan. But the application did not allow for an increase in the number of flights. Instead, numbers would be boosted by allowing airlines to land higher capacity next-generation planes that operate at a lower decibel level on their descent compared with others of a similar size. But in a letter to the airport’s chief executive Andy Cliffe, the London Assembly Environment Committee expresses concern “about the potential noise impacts of the proposed lower…

  • Electric TaxiBot to tow aircraft before take-off at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has launched semi-robotic electric TaxiBots to tow commercial aircraft between the gate and runway, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by around 299kg per flight. Following successful trials earlier this year, easyJet and the airport have announced that four easyJet Airbus A320neo aircraft will be fitted with TaxiBot systems. Developed by sustainable aviation solutions provider Smart Airport Systems in collaboration with aviation services firm Menzies Aviation, TaxiBot is a semi-robotic towing tug that enables aircraft to taxi between the gate and runway without using their main jet engines. Operating at speeds of up to 23 knots (42km/h), a pilot controls the TaxiBot from the cockpit and only starts the aircraft engines just before departure on the runway. During…

  • Waymo to turn retired robotaxi batteries into grid storage

    Waymo has said it will repurpose expired batteries from its electric vehicles (EVs) for grid storage. The driverless car firm, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, said that battery storage was “critical” to sustaining the growth of renewables in the US. Standard consumer EV batteries can be expected to last up to 15 years before they are depleted enough to require replacement – but because Waymo operates a commercial fleet, its vehicles are on the road for far longer than typical consumer vehicles, meaning the batteries need to be replaced sooner. EV batteries can be used effectively in stationary settings such as grid storage facilities, even at 70% capacity. Waymo has signed a deal with B2U Storage Solutions to ensure that the batteries in its Jaguar I-PACE fleet will…

  • Prototype supersonic passenger jet under development in Russia

    The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has revealed that Russia is currently building a prototype supersonic passenger jet. According to Russian news agency TASS, majority state-owned Russian aerospace and defence conglomerate the UAC has said that the country will be bringing supersonic passenger travel back to the skies. In an interview with the news agency, Vadim Badekha, CEO of UAC, said: “Yes, such work is underway at the Zhukovsky Research Centre [a Russian national research centre for aviation based in Moscow], and we are actively assisting. “The work is no longer confined to paper – it is already being carried out in hardware. A prototype of such an aircraft is under development, and we believe the Zhukovsky Research Centre will successfully complete this work.” TASS also reported…

  • Offshore wind farms could cover 11% of North Sea by 2050

    Offshore wind developments could cover 58,500km2, or 11%, of the North Sea by 2050, according to a new study. Led by Heriot‑Watt University, the study examined both operational offshore wind farms and projects already in national development pipelines across all seven countries with North Sea waters: the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the UK, Norway and France. Hypothetical wind farms were added to bring each country’s total capacity in line with its stated commitments. Dr Simon Waldman, assistant professor of energy technologies at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, said: “Our scenario shows the scale that we would be looking at if every country were to build the amount of offshore wind capacity that they have promised.” “It…

  • Fusion firms target early 2030s commercial launch as CFS and Helion hit key milestones

    The race to build the first commercially viable fusion plant is on, with US firms Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and Helion making strides this week towards getting a facility up and running in the early 2030s. Massachusetts Institute of Technology spin-off CFS has announced the publishing of five peer-reviewed papers that delve into the technology behind its upcoming ARC fusion reactor and confirm the key physics that will enable ARC to continuously deliver 400 megawatts (MW) of net electricity to the grid. While relatively small in scale, ARC’s output is roughly 40% of a conventional fission reactor, so it will make a meaningful contribution to the grid once online. CFS is also nearing completion on its SPARC plant, a test unit that is capable of achieving up to 140MW of fusion power…

  • Smart glasses and AI pose growing threat to exam integrity, says Ofqual

    Gadgets including smart glasses and invisible earpieces could undermine the legitimacy of the exam system by making it easier for students to cheat, the chief of Ofqual has warned. Chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham, who leads the body that regulates Britain’s qualifications and examinations, said that Ofqual had to “move really fast, because technology is moving fast”. The regulator’s own data showed that mobile phone and smart device offences accounted for 2,225 malpractice cases in the summer 2025 exam series, or 44.3% of all cases. It has been the most common category of cheating in every summer exam series since 2018. Devices such as Monorean Pro explicitly advertise their ability to “cheat on a test without getting caught”, incorporating miniature Bluetooth earpieces and device controls…

  • Floating 400kW solar farm powers up at Cheshire quarry

    A 400kW floating photovoltaic (FPV) array has been installed at Bathgate Silica Sand’s Cheshire quarry to supply the industrial sand producer with renewable electricity. Made up of 650 floating solar panels on North Arclid Lake, the array was installed over a six-month period by Scottish marine energy firm Nova. Developed in partnership with environmental engineering firm RSK Group, work on the project began in December 2025, with first power delivered in May 2026. Quarry operations were able to continue as normal during the entire project installation. The array, which is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, will help Bathgate Silica Sand to decarbonise its century-old quarry operations and reduce its energy bills. While conventional solar farms sometimes attract controversy because…

  • Train passengers being forced ‘off grid’ by poor mobile phone signals, warns Ofcom

    Ofcom is calling for a nationwide effort to improve mobile connectivity across the UK rail network. The UK communications regulator measured mobile performance across 24 segments of key railway lines covering England, Scotland and Wales. The research revealed that mobile performance was poor on between 58% and 83% of tests carried out on trains, depending on mobile network. Good performance is defined as achieving minimum download speeds of 5Mbits per second, upload speeds of at least 1.5Mbits per second, and a response time of 50 milliseconds or less. This would typically allow people to make video calls, stream content or scroll social media. EE met those good performance standards 42% of the time, Three met them 21% of the time, O2 20% and Vodafone only 17%. Ofcom says that these…

  • Airbus begins testing passenger aircraft capable of non-stop UK-Australia flights

    The first of a new breed of aircraft designed to fly for up to 22 hours to enable non-stop travel between Australia and the UK has completed its initial test flight. Qantas, Australia’s largest airline, has ordered a total of 12 modified A350 aircraft that can make the flight without needing to refuel. The first of this batch has now completed a test flight in Toulouse, France, where it flew for three hours 43 minutes reaching an altitude of slightly above 41,000 feet. The aircraft was fitted with special flight test instrumentation and flown by a dedicated Airbus flight test crew. The A350-1000ULR variant will be able to travel a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles once fully deployed, enabling non-stop flights between Sydney, New York and London for the first time. This is made possible…

  • Google plans to release 32 million ‘good’ mosquitoes in US

    Google’s Debug programme is seeking federal approval to release up to 32 million non-biting mosquitoes in Florida and California in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. The tech giant has issued an application to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking approval to release up to 16 million male mosquitoes annually for two years. The EPA is reviewing the permit request, which comes as health officials in California recently reported detecting West Nile virus in mosquito samples. The Debug initiative aims to “stop bad bugs with good bugs”. For more than a decade, its scientists and engineers have been developing technology to mass-produce and release sterile male mosquitoes to eliminate disease-spreading mosquitos. Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal, killing…

  • Switzerland hosts world’s largest underground battery to store excess energy

    Switzerland has finished digging a massive hole on the German border that will be used to house the world’s most powerful underground battery. Energy firm Flexbase will be building the giant redox flow battery. which is expected to be connected to the grid at some point in 2029 and will be capable of storing up to 2.1GWh of energy at any one time, with a power output of 1.2GW. The facility will be based on vanadium flow battery technology developed by Invinity Energy Systems. Many grid-scale batteries are underpinned by lithium-ion technology, which is also used in electronics and electric vehicles. Redox flow batteries on the other hand store energy in large tanks of liquid electrolytes. They are typically non-flammable and do not degrade over decades of heavy cycling, unlike lithium-ion…

  • Power dense 100kW superconducting motor brings electric aviation a step closer

    Researchers have demonstrated a 100kW fully superconducting axial-flux motor that could help pave the way for lighter, more efficient hydrogen-electric aircraft. Developed by researchers at the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASL) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, the prototype system uses high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology to carry very large electrical currents with almost no resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures: 20 Kelvin (K) or -253°C. This could allow aircraft motors to achieve much higher power density than conventional electrical machines, a key requirement for future hydrogen-electric and fully electric aircraft. One of the main challenges with developing electric aircraft is ensuring sufficient power is generated while keeping propulsion…

  • National Grid aims to boost nature recovery alongside grid upgrades

    National Grid has launched a new market mechanism to connect electricity infrastructure projects with suppliers delivering biodiversity and habitat restoration. As National Grid embarks on The Great Grid Upgrade, the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations, it will work with suppliers to help meet its environmental and biodiversity commitments. The launch of the new Qualifying Utilities Dynamic Market (QUDM) scheme will see pre-qualified suppliers deliver nature-based solutions at scale as major infrastructure projects are delivered. Creating a marketplace for nature restoration projects means that National Grid will be able to meet its environmental commitments, including achieving a minimum of 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on all new projects requiring planning permission…

  • Former UK Paralympian could become first disabled astronaut to live in space

    Former Paralympian John McFall could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit on the world’s first commercial space station. Haven-1 is a planned space station in low-Earth orbit that is in development by US aerospace company Vast. If launched, it will be the first ever commercial space station and is currently scheduled for a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 early next year. The UK Space Agency has signed a deal with Vast to find potential sponsorship opportunities for McFall to live aboard the station and conduct research into human physiology, prosthetics in microgravity and movement in space. The findings could have benefits for disabled people on Earth, such as the design of lighter, more adaptable prosthetics, and an improvement to our understanding of conditions…

  • Faster shift to renewables could save EU billions, study finds

    Accelerating the roll-out of renewable energy could generate up to €600bn in net benefits across the EU, according to a study. An international study, led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) in Germany, has evaluated how different responses to rising and volatile fossil fuel prices could affect Europe’s energy systems, economic development, air quality, climate and public health. The team took a holistic approach with their study, combining a number of established models to evaluate the overall societal and economic impact of different short-term measures and long-term strategies. The results show that a long-term strategy of rapidly shifting to large-scale renewable energy will not only close the energy supply gap but also help mitigate climate change and improve…

  • AI-monitoring system could help tackle overcrowding on UK train network

    An AI-monitoring system that can track passenger numbers on trains to prevent overcrowding has been developed by Loughborough University computer scientists. The technology uses depth-sensing cameras and onboard AI to monitor passenger numbers and movement throughout the network. Rather than recording conventional video footage, it captures depth information only, allowing passenger flow to be monitored without identifying individuals. The researchers, who worked with rail technology company TrainFX on the technology, said the system could help operators better manage capacity, improve passenger information and reduce overcrowding across the network. Currently, operators often rely on delayed or incomplete data, meaning some carriages become overcrowded while others still have space available…

  • Hinkley Point C’s second reactor lifted into place by world’s largest crane

    The world’s largest crane lifted Hinkley Point C’s second nuclear reactor into place before its precision installation inside the reactor building. The crane, known as Big Carl, made lifting the 500-tonne cylinder a simpler process than the installation of the first reactor, which required a bespoke, temporary lifting system. The power station received its first nuclear reactor in 2023, which has subsequently been installed and welded in place on Unit 1 of the power station. Once inside the Unit 2 reactor building, the 13-metre-long reactor pressure vessel was lifted and rotated into a vertical position by the large internal ‘polar’ crane and lowered carefully on to a support ring with just 40mm clearance on either side. Work on Unit 1 has moved on to the fitting-out of pipes, cables…

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