HeadlinesIn Brief
EU Parliament, Council negotiators agree on basis for 5G internet by 2020; 700 MHz band
24 Dec 16
EU member states will make the 700 MHz band available for wireless broadband by 2020, enabling a shift to 5G mobile internet, European Parliament and Council negotiators agreed informally last week.
Berkeley Lab awarded $4.6M for transformational agriculture technologies
24 Dec 16
The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded $4.6 million to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for two transformational agriculture technology projects. One project aims to use electrical current to image the root system, which will accelerate the breeding of crops with roots that are tailored to specific conditions (such as drought). The other project will develop a new imaging technique based on neutron scattering to measure the distribution of carbon and other elements in the soil.
Iowa State to manage biorefinery projects for new Manufacturing USA Institute
23 Dec 16
Iowa State University will bring its expertise in biorenewable technologies and pilot plant operations to the country’s 10th Manufacturing USA Institute. (Earlier post.) The recently announced advanced manufacturing institute is dedicated to improving the productivity and efficiency of chemical manufacturing. Those improvements could include combining processes such as mixing, reacting and separating into single steps.
DOE to award $15M to accelerate deployment of efficient transportation technology
23 Dec 16
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $15 million (DE-FOA-0001639), subject to appropriations, to support community-based projects to accelerate the adoption of advanced and alternative fuel vehicles and demonstrate energy efficient mobility systems including connected and autonomous vehicles as well as new transportation system models.
Neste producing renewable “Christmas diesel”; diesel from baked ham fat
23 Dec 16
Neste is producing the first “Christmas diesel” in a holiday recycling campaign inviting Finns to collect the fat from baked Christmas hams in an effort to produce enough 100% renewable fuel to drive around the world three times. The festive charity stunt aims to demonstrate the power of recycling and circular economy.
Honda hits 100M worldwide automobile production milestone
23 Dec 16
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that the company has reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative global automobile production. Honda began automobile production in 1963 with the production of the T360 mini-truck, Honda’s first mass-production model, at Saitama Factory. In the same year, Honda began production of the S500 small-sized sports car at Hamamatsu Factory in Shizuoka Prefecture.
VW to unveil new electric ID concept model in Detroit
22 Dec 16
Volkswagen will present a new I.D. family model—a multi-functional electric vehicle—at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Like the I.D. concept shown this year (earlier post), this new concept is also based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB), and so it shows the potential and bandwidth of the MEB.
Suzuki joins Automotive Grade Linux
22 Dec 16
Suzuki is joining The Linux Foundation and Automotive Grade Linux. Suzuki is the ninth automaker to join AGL and joins Toyota and Mazda as a Platinum member.
DOE awards up to $40M for open-water, grid-connected wave energy testing facility
22 Dec 16
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the award of up to $40 million, subject to appropriations, to design, permit, and construct an open-water, grid-connected national wave energy testing facility. The facility will be constructed in Newport, Oregon, by the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Oregon State University and will support innovations in wave energy technologies capable of harnessing the significant wave energy resources along United States coastlines.
Lux: VCs invest $5.8B in bio-based chemicals, as focus shifts to disruptive synthetic biology
22 Dec 16
Venture capitalists have pumped in $5.8 billion into bio-based materials and chemicals (BBMC) startups since 2010, reflecting the drive for sustainability, performance, and alternatives to petroleum feedstocks. While from 2010 to 2015, the investment focus was on drop-in replacements for established chemicals, in 2016 VCs’ focus has shifted to disruptive synthetic biology (synbio) and conversion technologies, according to Lux Research.
E.ON puts strategic focus on providing customer solutions for electric vehicles; switching own fleet to electric
21 Dec 16
Energy provider E.ON is setting a strategic focus on e-mobility. The Group has established a new unit with the aim of taking a leading role in developing and expanding Europe’s charging infrastructure. In essence, this involves providing owners of electric vehicles with a comprehensive range of services.
DOE offers $2B conditional commitment for first advanced fossil energy loan guarantee
21 Dec 16
The US Department of Energy (DOE) offered a conditional commitment to guarantee loans of up to $2 billion to Lake Charles Methanol, LLC to construct the world’s first methanol production facility to employ carbon capture technology in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The captured carbon would be utilized for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in Texas. This project would represent the first loan guarantee made under the Advanced Fossil Energy Project solicitation issued by the Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO).
New Federal-Mogul Powertrain spark plug allows advanced combustion strategies and higher efficiencies in stationary gaseous-fueled engines
21 Dec 16
Federal-Mogul Powertrain, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation, has developed a new spark plug for gaseous-fueled, high BMEP (Brake Mean Effective Pressure) stationary engines. A combination of optimum materials, unique ground electrode geometry and maximum electrode surface area gives the new cold plug enhanced thermal characteristics. This results in improved electrode durability and increased service life compared with other technologies available in the market.
GKN Driveline to invest $179M to expand NC manufacturing; all-wheel-drive, eDrive
21 Dec 16
GKN Driveline will invest nearly $179 million to expand manufacturing facilities in Alamance, Catawba, Lee and Person counties in North Carolina. The investment will occur over the next five years and will create 302 jobs. The investment and new jobs have been added to support growing All-Wheel-Drive and eDrive business for several North American automotive manufacturers.
Obama and Trudeau put majority of US and Canadian Arctic water off-limits to offshore oil and gas leasing
20 Dec 16
US President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau jointly announced sweeping restrictions to offshore oil and gas leasing in the US and Canadian Arctic waters. Obama designated the vast majority of US waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas as indefinitely off limits to offshore oil and gas leasing. Canada will designate all Arctic Canadian waters as indefinitely off limits to future offshore Arctic oil and gas licensing, to be reviewed every five years through a climate and marine science-based life-cycle assessment.
WiTricity working with GM to test wireless EV charging system at up to 11 kW rate
20 Dec 16
WiTricity announced it is working with General Motors (GM) to test an advanced wireless charging system prototype for electric vehicles. The companies are working together to test WiTricity’s Drive 11 park and charge system, designed for maximum efficiency and interoperability across vehicle platforms.
With HVIP vouchers, California fleets can buy new electric trucks for less than new Tier 4 diesels; funding queue for next year filling fast
20 Dec 16
Heavy-duty electric truck builder Orange EV announced that fleets in California can purchase a new T-Series pure electric terminal truck for less than the cost of a new Tier 4 diesel truck. With three new approvals, all of Orange EV’s on-road truck configurations are now eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), a streamlined incentive program enabling large point-of-sale discounts.
Irizar e-mobility lands contract for 18 articulated i2e electric BRT buses in France
20 Dec 16
Irizar e-mobility, the electromobility business of the Irizar Group, has just gained a large contract with the Agglomeration of the Basque-Adour Coast in France. The contract includes the provision of 18 Irizar i2e 18.73m electric articulated buses (BRT), the charging stations at the end of each line with fast charging infrastructure, and slower charging at the depots.
BioAmber and CJ CheilJedang plan JV for bio-succinic acid production in Asia
20 Dec 16
BioAmber Inc. has signed a non-binding letter of intent with South Korean-based CJ CheilJedang Corporation (CJCJ). Under the terms of the agreement, BioAmber and CJCJ plan to establish a joint venture in China to produce up to 36,000 metric tons of bio-succinic acid annually and commercialize the output in Asia.
EPA approves Flint Hills Resources for cellulosic ethanol from Edeniq’s Pathway technology
20 Dec 16
Edeniq, Inc. announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 120-million gallon per year Shell Rock, Iowa ethanol plant for cellulosic ethanol production using Edeniq’s Pathway Technology. (Earlier post.)
