• Microsoft signs carbon capture deal using controversial technology

    Microsoft has signed a deal with energy firm Stockholm Exergi to help it meet its ambitions to become a net zero carbon company by 2030 by absorbing emissions from biomass power plants. The deal will see some 3.33 million tonnes of permanent carbon removals from bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at a plant in Värtan, Stockholm. But scientists have previously expressed doubt that this method of carbon removal is an efficient way to reduce global emissions. A 2018 letter to the European Parliament signed by nearly 800 scientists said that “cutting down trees for bioenergy releases carbon that would otherwise stay locked up in forests, and diverting wood otherwise used for wood products will cause more cutting elsewhere to replace them”. It called on the body to restrict…

  • Boeing’s Starliner crewed space launch postponed for safety check

    The launch of Boeing’s Starliner, which was heading for the International Space Station (ISS), was called off two hours before lift-off because of a problem with the spacecraft’s rocket. The CST-100 Starliner was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida yesterday (6 May), in its first crewed test flight. The two Nasa astronauts – Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams – were heading to the ISS, where the Starliner would dock for around 10 days before returning to Earth. The two astronauts were in position ready for blast-off, but the decision was taken to halt the flight because of a potential issue with an oxygen relief valve in the Atlas rocket, which sits beneath the Starliner. According to the BBC, flight engineers discovered that the valve in the Atlas rocket, which is run…

  • UK start-up Wayve secures over $1bn to further progress its AI tech for self-driving vehicles

    Substantial investment in artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Wayve marks Europe’s largest AI funding deal to date and “anchors the UK’s position as an AI superpower”. The $1.05bn funding round, which includes investment from SoftBank Group as well as Nvidia and Microsoft, will enable the British company Wayve to develop and launch the first “embodied AI” technology for self-driving vehicles in the UK. The start-up, which has previously received funding from big name investors including Microsoft, Virgin and Baillie Gifford, was founded in 2017 with the aim of reimagining mobility through embodied intelligence. This embodied AI system, called AV2.0, allows vehicles to learn while driving in real-world environments, avoiding the need for mapping and laser-based sensors. As Wayve’s…

  • A singular nuclear explosion in space would threaten a ‘significant proportion of satellites’

    The explosion of just one nuclear weapon in space could destroy or permanently damage “a significant proportion of satellites” that are in orbit around the Earth, the UK’s ambassador to the UN has said. Dame Barbara Woodward, who was speaking at the UN General Assembly debate on the Outer Space Treaty, said: “The resultant radiation and debris would render many orbits unusable for a very long time. “There would be highly disruptive and possibly life-threatening consequences for those essential applications, maps, weather [and] risk-monitoring, which would affect all states, not least developing nations.” Woodward’s comments follow a vote from the UN Security Council in April that rejected a draft resolution introduced by Japan and the US that aimed to prevent the development and deployment…

  • UK government’s climate action plan is unlawful, High Court rules

    The High Court has ruled that the UK government’s latest climate action plan to reach net zero emissions is unlawful as the plan does not provide enough evidence that there are sufficient policies in place to combat climate change. In March 2023, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) approved its carbon budget delivery plan (CBDP). However, soon after the plan was published, environmental campaign groups including Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and the Good Law Project took legal action on the grounds that the CBDP fails to properly account for how it would meet the UK’s domestic climate targets, as required by the Climate Change Act of 2008. In February 2024, former chair of the Climate Change Committee Lord Deben provided a witness statement in support of Friends…

  • Researchers from UK and Czech Republic partner to progress UK fusion plant

    The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has formed a partnership with Centrum výzkumu Řež (CVŘ) to build a test rig that will provide critical data in the development of the UK’s first fusion plant. The UKAEA has signed a multi-year deal with the Czech Republic research organisation to enable unique testing of high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. Data from this testing will be critical in the development of the UK’s first prototype fusion energy power plant, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), which aims to be operational by 2040. STEP was first announced in 2019 when the UK government revealed it was committing £220m to the design of the plant. Three years later, in October 2022, it announced that it would be built on a site in north Nottinghamshire. The reason…

  • Uber faces £250m lawsuit from London’s black-cab drivers for ‘unlawful operations’

    More than 10,500 London black-cab drivers have launched a £250m lawsuit against ride-hailing app Uber for alleged unlawful operations in the capital from May 2012 until March 2018. When Uber arrived in London in 2012, the San Francisco-based tech company had its sights set on a share of the thousands of taxi rides that crisscross the capital every day. Soon commuters were opting for the convenience of hailing an Uber via an app rather than hanging around a street corner waiting for a black cab to pass. This invasion of Uber into the capital started off a long-simmering battle between the tech company and London’s black-cab drivers. This was largely based, according to Warwick Business School, on Uber’s early “cavalier approach to rules around insurance and driver ID”, which led to Transport…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • How hackable are our passwords? Very... according to new IET research

    New research from the IET reveals some worrying insights into the passwords we use for our internet-enabled devices, and some top tips about what we can do to make ourselves more secure. Today is World Password Day, which takes place every year on the first Thursday in May to promote better password habits. Passwords have been in the news already this past week with the UK government having enforced new regulations – the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act – that require manufacturers of internet-connected devices to implement minimum security standards against cyber threats. These new laws include manufacturers banning the use of weak or easily guessable default passwords such as ‘admin’ or ‘12345’. If the password is common, the user must be given the opportunity…

  • Partnership to recover used Nissan LEAF lithium batteries to give them a second life

    A new partnership between Nissan and Ecobat Solutions UK will investigate how to recover, repair and repurpose used electric vehicle (EV) batteries from UK salvage operators for second-life applications. Ecobat Solutions UK has announced that it has formed a partnership with Nissan to investigate how used EV batteries within Nissan LEAFs, which were first launched in 2011, can still have a useful life as part of the circular energy economy. EV battery recycling is an issue. While traditional lead-acid batteries are widely recycled, the same isn’t true for the lithium-ion versions used in EVs. These batteries not only contain hazardous materials, but also have a tendency to explode if disassembled incorrectly. In an article featured on the BBC, it is estimated that only about 5% of lithium…

  • EU awards €720m to seven renewable hydrogen projects that will begin production in five years

    The EU has awarded nearly €720m to seven renewable hydrogen projects with a combined electrolysis capacity of 1.5GW in the European Hydrogen Bank’s first subsidy auction. In November 2023, the European Commission launched the pilot auction under the European Hydrogen Bank to support the production of renewable hydrogen in Europe. The European Hydrogen Bank aims to support the scale-up of cleaner fuels that will help contribute to the decarbonisation of European industry, including sectors such as steel, chemicals, maritime transport and fertilisers. Funding for the subsidy auction comes from the Innovation Fund, a funding programme from the EU Emissions Trading System for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. In February 2024, the commission revealed that the pilot…

  • Meta to be investigated by the EU for its handling of election disinformation

    The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against Facebook and Instagram over concerns the online platforms are not doing enough to counter the spread of election disinformation. The commission has announced it will carry out an investigation against Meta, the parent company of social media apps Facebook and Instagram, into whether it breached the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of regulations designed to ensure the internet is safe and fair for all users. Under this law, which came into force in 2022, tech companies are obliged to abide by a number of content moderation policies and advertising practices. The EU will look into Meta’s suspected infringements and its policies and practices relating to deceptive advertising and political content on its services, including…

  • Researchers find way to convert methane emissions from landfill into sustainable jet fuel

    A chemical process using non-thermal plasma could contribute to a circular economy by converting methane emissions from landfill into sustainable jet fuel, according to new research. As organic waste decomposes in landfills, it releases a great deal of CO2 and methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps 86 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO2 over 20 years. Emissions from unmanaged landfills are set to double by 2050 as urban populations grow, which could seriously affect global warming. Indeed, satellite data has revealed that 1,256 methane super-emitter events from landfills occurred between January 2019 and June 2023. However, researchers at the University of Sydney have potentially found a use for all this methane gas in a chemical process that uses non-thermal plasma…

  • ESA’s solar wind mission is set to launch into space in late 2025

    The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that the Smile (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) mission will launch on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in late 2025. Smile is a collaboration between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The mission marks the first time that ESA and China have jointly collaborated to select, design, implement, launch and operate a space science mission. The objective of Smile is to measure the solar wind and its dynamic interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere while the spacecraft orbits around the earth. It marks the first ESA mission that will view the full Sun-Earth connection. The hope is that the mission will provide a greater understanding of the Solar System, particularly space weather and solar storms…

  • The Maintenance, Repair and Operations Supply Chain

    ERIKS has just released its new MRO Supply Chain report based on a major survey in association with the IET. The report covers five crucial areas concerning MRO procurement, the engineering stores function, and the MRO supply chain, highlighting several critical insights for operational efficiency. The five areas are: People and skillsFinanceProcurementPerformanceBusiness ImpactIn addition the report reveals major findings relating to: OutsourcingStock write-offsDowntime due to spare parts availabilityUnlock new Insights from ERIKS and the IET and use this research to identify problem areas and actionable insights to transform your MRO supply chain.Download your copy today and join the ranks of industry leaders dedicated to achieving excellence and innovation.

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • 200 clean energy projects to see grid connection dates brought forward under new scheme

    Electricity networks in England and Wales have enabled the grid connection offer dates of more than 200 clean energy projects to be brought forward under the National Grid’s Technical Limits acceleration programme. There is an urgent need to revamp the electricity grid to support the increase in renewable energy projects. The National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) anticipates that Britain’s electricity needs will rise by nearly 65% by 2035 as heat and transport are increasingly electrified; however, this influx is putting pressure on the grid’s current capacity. For that reason, in September 2023, the National Grid announced the Technical Limits acceleration programme. This collaborative effort between industry, Ofgem and government is allowing projects to connect to lower…

  • G7 countries to set a timeline for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants

    Energy and climate ministers from the G7 group of industrialised nations are currently meeting in Turin, where a deal is being agreed to phase out the use of coal power “in the first half of the 2030s” where the emissions have not been captured. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in Dubai during December 2023, it was decided that to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C the G7 group of industrialised nations – consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – must phase out coal by 2030 and fully decarbonise electricity by 2035. While COP28 ended with no firm commitment in place by the G7, it looks as though this commitment may now take place following a meeting this week in Turin between the energy and climate ministers of the G7. In…

  • UK aircraft orders hit record high but deliveries continue to lag – latest figures

    Latest figures from ADS Group reveal that while UK commercial aircraft orders for Q1 2024 are up from 2023 figures, production challenges are continuing to cause a lag in deliveries. The ADS Group, the trade association for the aerospace, defence, security and space industries, has published its Q1 2024 results based on orders and reported deliveries of commercial aircraft by Airbus and Boeing. The results reveal that over 300 aircraft orders were placed in Q1 2024, a 9% improvement on Q1 2023 results. The number of aircraft on backlog order is 17% ahead of 2023, at 15,812. There are also 30,000 aircraft engines on firm order. While this shows increased confidence from manufacturers, ADS figures reveal how current production capacity challenges are affecting deliveries. In comparison…

  • From today, internet-enabled devices must meet new cyber-security standards by law

    New legislation in the UK requires manufacturers of smart products to implement minimum security standards against cyber threats. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has put into force new regulations stipulating that all internet-enabled smart devices, from phones and broadband routers to games consoles and connected fridges, must meet minimum security standards. This means that it is now a legal requirement for manufacturers to protect both individuals and businesses from cyber attacks on their devices. These new laws include manufacturers banning the use of weak or easily guessable default passwords such as ‘admin’ or ‘12345’. If the password is common, the user must be given the opportunity to change it on start-up. Manufacturers are also required to publish…

  • Green Energy Park secures $30m to build 10.8GW hydrogen production plant in Brazil

    Having secured $30m Series-A funding, Green Energy Park (GEP) is a step closer to building its large-scale renewable hydrogen production and export terminal facilities. GEP was founded in 2023 with the ambition of producing renewable hydrogen at scale. To do so it would need to build a minimum of eight production plants to supply a global distribution network. The first of these locations is in the state of Piauí in north-east Brazil. Here GEP will build a 10.8GW green hydrogen production plant over 310 hectares, which has the capacity to produce 2.4m tonnes of renewable hydrogen. GEP has announced it has secured $30m in Series-A funding to develop the production plant and has also obtained the long-term rights to the nearby port terminal facilities of Luís Correia. From the Luís Correia…

  • The Biden Administration cracks down on US power plant emissions

    Under new rules introduced by the US government, long-term coal power plants must control 90% of their carbon pollution if they plan to operate beyond 2039. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it has now finalised a suite of rules to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants in a bid “to protect public health, advance environmental justice and confront the climate crisis”. These rules will set stricter emissions standards for existing coal plants and new natural gas plants and recommend carbon capture and storage technology for the emissions. In addition to carbon standards, the EPA also announced rules for coal ash management and toxic metal and water pollution from coal plants. The power sector is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse…

  • UK government’s SAF mandate will see 10% of all jet fuel going green by 2030

    The UK government has confirmed that the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate will come into force in January 2025, which sets out plans to ensure “air travel is fit for the future”. In September 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a revenue certainty mechanism to kickstart the SAF industry. To make this happen the DfT introduced an SAF mandate. This will require at least 10% of all jet fuel in flights taking off from the UK to come from sustainable feedstocks by 2030. The DfT has today confirmed that the SAF mandate will come into force in January 2025. SAFs are typically derived by combining jet fuel with alternatives such as biofuels or recycled oils from industrial food facilities to achieve carbon savings of up to 70%. In November 2023, the first-ever transatlantic…

  • UK competition watchdog to scrutinise Microsoft and Amazon’s AI partnerships

    The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced it is seeking views ahead of an examination into recent artificial intelligence (AI) deals by Microsoft and Amazon. In recent years, Big Tech companies have been investing heavily in generative AI start-ups. Such partnerships and arrangements in the AI market have become a concern for the UK’s competition watchdog, the CMA. The regulator has now invited “interested third parties” to comment on whether recent partnerships and arrangements concerning Microsoft and Amazon fall within UK merger rules and the impact these deals could have on competition in the UK. This includes Microsoft’s partnership with French start-up Mistral AI, which was founded in April 2023 by previous employees of Meta Platforms and Google DeepMind. Additionally…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Plastic production directly linked to plastic pollution, study finds

    A study undertaken by a consortium of global universities has found that for every 1% increase in plastic production there is an associated 1% increase in plastic pollution. The results of a research study, which started five years ago and was led by scientists from a dozen different universities across the world, uncover a strong relationship between plastic production and pollution across geographies and widely varying waste management systems. The researchers claim this is the first robust quantification of the global relationship between plastic production and pollution. The findings reveal that fast-moving consumer goods companies disproportionately contribute to plastic pollution more than household and retail companies. In fact, just 56 global companies are responsible for more…

  • US to ban TikTok unless Chinese parent company sells up

    The US Senate has passed a bill to ban the popular social media platform TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based owners. The social media platform TikTok has found itself in the news a great deal of late, and not for good reasons. Last year a number of governments, including those of Australia and the UK, banned the use of TikTok on government phones. In November 2023, the government of Nepal banned TikTok to “protect Nepal’s population from harmful content”. In December 2023, the UK government’s regulator Ofcom investigated TikTok over parental control concerns. Now, the US Senate has voted in favour of passing a bill to ban TikTok in the country if China-based parent company ByteDance does not sell it. The bill will now be sent to US President Joe Biden, who has previously said…

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