Russian nuclear technology company ROSATOM has launched RENERA, an energy storage company. RENERA is incorporated on the basis of Cathode Materials LLC, an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM. RENERA will develop and sell module-type lithium-ion traction batteries for electric vehicles, as well as energy storage systems for emergency... Read more →

Australia-based natural gas company Santos has successfully injected approximately 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide deep underground into depleted gas reservoirs as part of the final field trial for the Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project. Santos Managing Director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said the successful injection occurred earlier this... Read more →

Star Scientific has been named an Emerging Technology of the Year category finalist in the S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, an annual program recognizing innovation, leadership and exceptional performance in the energy sector. Star Scientific is developer of the Hydrogen Energy Release Optimizer (HERO). HERO uses a proprietary catalyst... Read more →

SmartSens, a China-based high-performance CMOS image sensing (CIS) chip design company, launched its SC133GS CMOS 1.3M pixel CMOS sensor with global shutter and fan-out package to further enhance performance in automotive settings. The solution delivers superior signal-to-noise ratio, ultra-high sensitivity, and excellent dynamic range to address growing demand for intelligent... Read more →

Texas A&M University researchers have developed a conceptual model to identify systematically the potential health impacts of self-driving vehicles. They identified 32 transportation-related risk factors that affected health and concluded that 17 could negatively impact public health, while eight could have a positive impact. There were seven areas of uncertain... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have developed a thin-layer artificial biofilm technology for sustainable and long-term ethylene photoproduction. In the process, described in an open-access paper in the RSC journal Green Chemistry, recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells holding ethylene forming enzyme (Efe) from Pseudomonas syringae are... Read more →

Linde GmbH and Shell announced an exclusive collaboration agreement on ethane-oxidative dehydrogenation (E-ODH) technology for ethylene production. The catalytic process is an alternative route to ethane steam cracking, offering the potential of economic advantages, acetic acid co-production and significantly lower overall carbon footprint through electrification of power input. Ethylene is... Read more →

Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, added a new GUR ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) production line at its Bishop, Texas manufacturing facility to support the significant growth in its high-value GUR engineered materials portfolio. GUR UHMW-PE microporous membranes have multiple applications as separators in lithium-ion batteries,... Read more →

A new study finds that from April to July American households spent an extra $6 billion to power their homes after a 10% rise in residential electricity use during the pandemic. To reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, roughly one-third of Americans are working from home. As a result of... Read more →

Solaris and Kiepe Electric are the winning bidders in a tender held by operator Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH (SWS) in Germany. Solaris will deliver 16 Trollino 12 electric trolleybuses. Including previous deliveries, a total of 36 Solaris Trollino trolleybuses will be deployed on the streets of Solingen. In line with the... Read more →

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group, Hyundai Glovis, the Liberian Registry, the Korean Register and their partners have successfully developed the world’s first Large Size and commercially viable liquified hydrogen carrier. HHI Group’s Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) have received the necessary Approval in Principle... Read more →

California’s latest greenhouse gas data shows that while the state continues to stay below its 2020 target for emissions, there is much more work to do to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The California Air Resources Board released GHG emissions data for 2018 showing that emissions remain below 1990 levels... Read more →

The BMW Group and Daimler Mobility AG are transferring the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) business of their joint subsidiary moovel Group GmbH to Mobimeo GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. At the same time, the two shareholders are focusing the moovel Group’s market presence on the existing offering... Read more →

In 2019, during the UITP Global Public Transport Summit representatives of Solaris and RATP Group (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) signed a contract for lease and tests of the Urbino 12 hydrogen. Over the next few weeks, RATP will test the hydrogen-fueled bus on the streets of Paris. RATP will... Read more →

Gulf Energy Information—a provider of media, technical information and market intelligence services for the international energy industry—launched Global Energy Infrastructure (GEI), a comprehensive new dataset covering projects across the energy industry. The service equips subscribers with detailed project data for key industry segments, including hydrogen, renewable energy, downstream, midstream, and... Read more →

Fossil fuels still receive most of the international government support provided to the energy sector despite their “well-known environmental and public health damage,” according to new research from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. “There is evidence that fossil fuel subsidies are socially inequitable, that they encourage smuggling and... Read more →

Recently, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced project selections for $130 million in advanced vehicle technologies research across the United States. Included in the announcement were three transit-centric projects co-funded between DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). VTO’s Energy Efficiency... Read more →

Snam signed a partnership agreement with ITM Power Plc, the UK-based producer of electrolyzers. The agreement envisages the start of a commercial and technological collaboration for the development of future joint initiatives and the concurrent entry of Snam into the shareholder structure of ITM Power Plc with a minority stake... Read more →

Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation (MEP), the global leader in high performance polyacetal materials, is addressing the rapidly-changing stringent regulatory and functional requirements of the automotive, electronics and general industries markets for low formaldehyde emissions with a new polyacetal (POM) product family: the low-odor and low-residue Iupital 05 Polyacetal Series. Traditional industrial... Read more →

The German federal government is investing €630 million (US$745 million) in the expansion and maintenance of the Dortmund-Ems Canal (DEK). The DEK is a 269 km canal between the inland port of the city of Dortmund and the seaport of Emden. Even if times change, one thing remains constant: the... Read more →

SAE International has published the first global standard that specifies, in a single document, both the electric vehicle and supply equipment (EVSE) ground-system requirements for wireless charging of electric vehicles (EV). The new standard, SAE J2954, helps pave the way for charging without the need for plugging in—widely considered to... Read more →

The BMW Group is further expanding its Germany-based production capacities for electric drives. From 2021, battery cells for high-voltage batteries will be coated at BMW Group Plant Regensburg and complete high-voltage batteries will be produced from 2022. The company is investing more than €150 million in the site in order... Read more →

General Motors Co. announced today that its Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant will begin the transition to become the company’s third vehicle manufacturing site to produce electric vehicles, joining Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, and Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan. In addition, the company is confirming investments... Read more →

Teijin has joined the AZL Partner Network for Lightweight Production Technology, a cross-industry network for joint business development and technology development organized by service and engineering provider AZL Aachen GmbH and involving nine institutes and some 80 companies in the field of lightweight production. The network is launching one of... Read more →

The Volvo XC40 Recharge, the company’s first fully electric vehicle, will carry an MSRP of $53,990 when it arrives in US showrooms later this year. The purchase of an XC40 Recharge may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. State and local incentives could add further benefits.... Read more →

The new VW Golf is now also available in certain markets with natural gas drive: the Golf TGI is equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 96 kW / 130 PS and three natural gas fuel tanks. The tanks are integrated into the underbody and permit a range of around... Read more →

FS Italiane and Snam have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility and consider new business models relating to the development of a hydrogen rail transport in Italy. The agreement, signed by the CEOs of Gruppo FS Italiane, Gianfranco Battisti, and of Snam, Marco Alverà,... Read more →

ROUSH CleanTech began production of its Gen 5 propane autogas fuel system last month. The company’s innovative propane autogas technology integrates Ford’s new 7.3L V8 engine in Class 3-7 chassis. Ford’s new 7.3L engine is compact, durable and easy to maintain. It is narrower than the previous 6.8L, allowing it... Read more →

Viggo, a technology-driven Danish ride-hailing service, has ordered 300 Fisker Ocean electric SUVs, marking Viggo’s largest single order to date. Viggo, founded in 2019, is aiming to challenge the standards for urban transportation through advanced data-driven innovation, zero-emission cars and Scandinavian simplicity. Since founding, Viggo has built a network of... Read more →

The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 will be the first vehicle in production with GM’s all-new Ultium battery architecture and will offer a large range of on- and off-road features and vehicle dynamics and performance features. This new architecture provides the framework to integrate advanced technologies for optimal driving... Read more →

Electrochaea GmbH, a European provider of renewable methane technology, has established a California-based US subsidiary, Electrochaea Corporation, to accelerate the commercial roll-out of its technology in North America. Electrochaea employs a patented biocatalyst (BioCat) to convert low-cost and stranded electricity and CO2 into pipeline-grade renewable gas. This gas can be... Read more →

A study by a team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has found that the amount of sugars contained within cellulosic biomass from bioenergy crops that can be converted into fuels is of equal economic importance to the yield. The findings are published... Read more →

GMC introduced the 2022 HUMMER EV Edition 1. It will be the first fully electric addition to GMC’s lineup, driven by next-generation EV propulsion technology that enables off-road capability, on-road performance and an immersive driving experience. The HUMMER EV will get its energy from General Motors’ all-new Ultium batteries and... Read more →

Solaris unveiled the Urbino 15 LE—a 15-meter battery-electric bus that is the company’s first electric bus targeted at both urban and intercity transport. Urbino 15 LE electric will make it possible for operators to plan zero-emission routes not only within the city confines but also beyond these. The heart of... Read more →

Electric vehicles will make up as many as 8 out of 10 new cars sold in 2050, but it will still be a long road before they dislodge gasoline as the predominant fuel in transportation, IHS Markit Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin writes in his new book, The New Map: Energy,... Read more →

Ways2H​, the developer of a gasification-based process that converts waste into clean hydrogen fuel for mobility, microgrids and power generation (earlier post), closed an investment from Pacific6 Enterprises, led by founding partner John C. Molina. Ways2H is a joint venture between US-based Clean Energy Enterprises, and Japan Blue Energy Corporation.... Read more →

Toyota AI Ventures, Toyota’s early-stage venture capital fund, has invested in YPC Technologies, a robotic kitchen startup based in Montreal, Canada. The funding follows YPC Technologies’ participation in the 2020 Toyota AI Ventures “call for innovation” focused on smart, connected cities that launched earlier this year in partnership with Toyota... Read more →

As part of a strategic collaboration, Covestro received a first delivery of 1,000 tons of renewable phenol from Borealis, produced with renewable hydrocarbons from Neste. Neste produces these ISCC Plus certified hydrocarbons (ISCC: International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) entirely from renewable raw materials. The hydrocarbons are then converted into ISCC... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply its advanced Energy Storage System (ESS) to be retrofitted on four Harvey Energy class LNG-fueled Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs). A fifth vessel in this class was earlier fitted with a Wärtsilä ESS. Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf placed this latest order with Wärtsilä in October. Harvey... Read more →

Momentum Technologies Inc., a Texas-based materials science company that is focused on extracting critical metals from electronic waste, has licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) process for recovering cobalt and other metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. Less than 5% of spent lithium-ion batteries in the United States are recycled.... Read more →

MAN Truck & Bus outlined its roadmap for the development of CO2-free mobility solutions for longer-distance transport. The company is entering into several partnerships for this purpose. For public transport and distribution applications, the decision seems to have been made: battery electric vehicles are the means of choice. Accordingly, MAN... Read more →

At the BMW Group plant in Leipzig, the 200,000th BMW i3 model rolled off the production line last week. The BMW i3s (combined power consumption: 14.6 – 14.0 kWh/100 km) with Fluid Black metallic paint finish and accents in BMW i Blue was produced for a customer from Saxony and... Read more →

The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), a trade association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America, launched a new interactive resource tool on its website for automotive design engineers. The interactive web page delivers a wealth of information on the effective use of aluminum extrusions in... Read more →

Volvo Trucks North America was awarded $21.7 million in grants to deploy 70 VNR Electric trucks in Southern California for regional freight distribution and drayage. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Air Shed Grant Program is providing $20 million in funding, supplemented by $1.7 million from the South Coast... Read more →

Mercom Capital Group, LLC, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the global Battery Storage, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency sectors for the third quarter (Q3) and first nine months (9M) of 2020. Global corporate funding (including... Read more →

Japan-based Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire manufacturer, has launched “A Layered Journey”—a new global campaign highlighting the company’s efforts to incorporate sustainability in its value chain with a focus on the sustainable procurement of natural rubber. The campaign travels from the forest where rubber trees are tapped for latex, continuing... Read more →

AFWERX, the US Air Force’s innovation catalyst (earlier post), is seeking solutions from public and private industries; commercial sectors; government; and academia for the Department of Defense (DoD) Reimagining Energy Challenge to modernize and create the future of resilient energy production, transmission, utilization and storage for the US Air Force.... Read more →

Chart Industries, a leading independent global manufacturer of liquefaction and cryogenic equipment servicing multiple applications in the energy and industrial gas markets, including hydrogen, made a €30-million Strategic Cornerstone Investment in McPhy, a leading manufacturer and supplier of carbon-free hydrogen production and distribution equipment. Chart will hold around 4.3% of... Read more →

In Indonesia, state miners MIND ID (Mining Industry Indonesia) and Aneka Tambang (ANTAM); state utility Perusahan Listrik Negara (PLN); and state oil company Pertamina have agreed to form a new venture: Indonesia Battery Holding. Indonesia Battery aims to be involved in the whole battery value chain, including producing battery minerals... Read more →

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Port of Amsterdam, North Sea Port Netherlands, Drechtsteden, the Port of Antwerp and De Vlaamse Waterweg intend to set up a single shore-based power system for inland shipping and the river cruise industry. This will contribute to the user-friendliness of this facility, which is... Read more →