International Airlines Group (IAG) announced its largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) purchase agreement to date, with e-SAF (power-to-liquid) producer Twelve, which will supply advanced e-SAF made from made from CO2, water and renewable energy. (Earlier post.) Under the terms of the fourteen-year contract, Twelve will supply IAG with 785,000 tonnes... Read more →

The pressure compensation element DIAvent HighFlow (earlier post) enhances the safety of electric car batteries and is generating considerable interest from the automotive industry. Substantial increases in order volumes have come particularly from one Asian and one US automotive group. At a time when suppliers are fiercely competing for every... Read more →

Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, a provider of fuel cell power solutions, is participating in the EU-funded APOLO project. APOLO (“Advanced POwer conversion technoLogies based on Onboard ammonia cracking through novel membrane reactors”) is dedicated to leveraging fuel cells and other power conversion technologies to decarbonize maritime transportation. Nuvera will provide... Read more →

Universal Hydrogen successfully ran a megawatt-class fuel cell powertrain using its proprietary liquid hydrogen module to supply the fuel. The liquid hydrogen module powered the company’s “iron bird” ground test rig for more than 1 hour and 40 minutes, simulating a regional aircraft flight profile. The iron bird is a... Read more →

Kohler Power Systems, part of Kohler Energy, collaborated with Toyota Motor North America to develop and install a hydrogen fuel cell power generation system at the Klickitat Valley Health hospital in Goldendale, Washington. The fuel cell power system combines Kohler and Toyota technologies to showcase the viability of the zero-emission... Read more →

CALSTART has released this year’s Zeroing in on ZEBs, an annual report funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The report provides an updated index of newly adopted transit zero-emission buses (ZEBs) that have been funded, ordered, delivered, and/or deployed within the United States and Canada according to data collected... Read more →

Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) has started mass production of the CZ39 series of coreless current sensors for automotive applications. The CZ39 device family is well-suited to electric vehicle (EV) applications due to its 100ns response time, low heat generation, and noise immunity. These properties are highly compatible with the... Read more →

Constellium SE is leading a new R&D initiative called “Close the Loop” in partnership with an ecosystem of recycling companies in France, including INDRA (automotive recycling), GALLOO (metal recycling) and MTB RECYCLING (metal shredding & sorting). Funded in part by the French Environmental Agency ADEME under the France 2030 program,... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launchED of the $3-billion Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure. The Clean Ports Program is designed to help ports across the country transition to fully zero-emissions operations—serving as a catalyst for transformational change across the freight sector. To achieve this,... Read more →

At the production site for power electronics in Klášterec in the Czech Republic, ZF is opening its first zero-emission factory after a renovation period of just under a year and a half. The plant, which is part of the Electrified Powertrain Technology division, supports the company’s efforts to achieve climate... Read more →

AutoFlight, an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) company, has flown the first inter-city electric air-taxi demonstration flight between the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. AutoFlight’s five-seater Prosperity eVTOL aircraft autonomously flew the 50km (31 miles) route from Shenzhen to Zhuhai. The flight from Shenzhen to Zhuhai across... Read more →

Panasonic Energy signed a long-term agreement with H&T Recharge (H&T), a leading battery component manufacturer, for the supply of lithium-ion battery cans in North America, with the aim of expanding production of safe EV batteries. Panasonic Energy and H&T have collaborated since 2017, with H&T supplying approximately 40 GWh of... Read more →

Electrify America and NFI , a leading North American third-party logistics provider, announced the grand opening of NFI’s state-of-the-art DC fast charging facility in Ontario, CA. Supporting NFI’s fleet of 50 heavy-duty electric trucks, the project advances the electrification of drayage operations between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long... Read more →

Nissan Motor announced its roadmap to commercialize its inhouse-developed, autonomous-drive mobility services (SAE Level 4 equivalent) in Japan. Nissan has been testing business models for mobility services in Japan and abroad since 2017. These vicinities include the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama and Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, where a manned... Read more →

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 will be available in three trim levels—entry, S and S Plus—with the option of 62 kWh or 82 kWh batteries, as well as rear-wheel- or all-wheel drive. The 2024 ID.4 electric compact SUV gets a major upgrade for its 82 kWh battery models. With a new... Read more →

Wright Electric, in collaboration with Columbia University, has been awarded a contract from the US Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) to support development of an ultra-energy-dense aluminum battery and novel artificial intelligence system. The $1,499,098 funding is part of the Plane Electrification with 1K energy storage systems program... Read more →

Honda revealed the US’ first production plug-in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV. With a 270-mile EPA driving range rating, CR-V e:FCEV combines an all-new US-made fuel cell system along with plug-in charging capability designed to provide up to 29 miles of EV driving around town... Read more →

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, introduced an Ammonia Fuel Supply System (AFSS) for ships able to operate with ammonia fuel. The system is available for both liquid and gaseous fuel. In line with shipping’s transition to decarbonized fuels, ammonia is widely seen as one of the most... Read more →

Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Ltd. (VWG UK) has signed an agreement with Ecobat to collect and recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Ecobat has a relationship with VWG UK dating back to 2014 when it started collecting lead acid batteries for TPS, the Volkswagen Group Genuine Parts provider to the independent... Read more →

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in South-eastern Europe, signed two financing contracts through the NRRP for the construction of two production facilities for green hydrogen with a total capacity of 55 MW at the Petrobrazi refinery. The contracts were signed with the Romanian Ministry of Energy for a... Read more →

The Republic of Congo has launched its first LNG carrier, with the intention of becoming a key player in global gas exports. With its first LNG delivery, the Republic of the Congo takes a historic step in the development of its burgeoning hydrocarbons sector. The tanker was launched in the... Read more →

Colorado School of Mines (Mines) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) have established a joint industry program supported by leading international companies in the energy industry to study the potential of geologic hydrogen. This is the first collaborative effort on geologic hydrogen between a federal agency and academia. With the... Read more →

Xos, a manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles, and Winnebago are partneting to develop a fully electric chassis for Winnebago’s Specialty Vehicles division. This chassis utilizes Xos battery and electronics technology and is customized for Winnebago’s commercial applications. Winnebago’s Specialty Vehicles division has been providing commercial vehicles for more than 50... Read more →

With the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on U.S. roads expected to climb to 35 million by 2030, Rhythmos.io and Qmerit are paving the way for electric mobility through a new partnership aimed at overcoming charging-related challenges such as grid capacity constraints and charger availability and maintenance. The Rhythmos.io Cadency... Read more →

Renault is introducing the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. Packed with electrical and digital technology and entirely manufactured in France, it is also competitively priced, starting at around €25,000. To achieve this result on the small, affordable city car segment, the Group drew upon its full range of expertise, and particularly... Read more →

At mobility move 2024, the electric bus conference with associated trade fair of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), held from 5- 7 March in Berlin, bus manufacturer Daimler Buses will be presenting for the first time a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G fuel cell—an electric articulated bus with a hydrogen... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems announced a proof-of-concept project with a leading global supplier of power solutions for marine applications to test Westport’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) fuel system utilizing methanol for marine applications. The project, expected to start in the first quarter of 2024, will be fully funded by the... Read more →

GILLIG, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the US, announced that GERCO LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has acquired select assets from Lightning eMotors and Lightning Systems through a receivership sale, and has hired a number of former engineering employees of Lightning. In line with this... Read more →

Schaeffler is expanding operations in the US with the addition of a new manufacturing facility focused on producing automotive electric mobility solutions. This announcement represents the company’s commitment to innovation and growth in the Americas region. Schaeffler is investing more than US$230 million in building the new greenfield manufacturing facility,... Read more →

Following a recent launch of the EV drive development center in Vienna, Austria in 2023, hofer powertrain has announced a forthcoming move to a larger facility due to a growing number of projects. This strategic decision to expand so rapidly in the Austrian capital underscores the imperative to develop advanced... Read more →

The Government of Canada awarded C$18.1 million (US$13.4 million) from its Low Carbon Economy Fund to Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) to support the decarbonization of iron ore processing at its operations in Labrador West. The funding will enable IOC to reduce the amount of heavy fuel... Read more →

In an open-access paper in the journal ChemSusChem, a team at Penn State reports using cold sintering to reprocess solid-state composite electrolytes—specifically Mg- and Sr-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 with polypropylene carbonate (PPC) and lithium perchlorate (LLZO–PPC–LiClO4). The low sintering temperature allows co-sintering of ceramics, polymers and lithium salts, leading to re-densification of... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment to American Battery Solutions (ABS) for a $165.9-million loan to help finance the expansion of an advanced battery pack assembly facility to support light-, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) and industrial equipment applications at its... Read more →

Santos has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with one of South Australia’s biggest commercial industrial gas users, Liberty Primary Metals Australia Pty Ltd (part of GFG Alliance), to enter into discussions for gas supply combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities to support the green steel transformation of... Read more →

Swiss marine power company WinGD and Japanese shipbuilder and technology developer Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have completed the initial design of an ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS) for vessels powered by WinGD’s X‑DF‑A ammonia-fueled engines. (Earlier post.) The AFSS design is the first result of a wide-ranging partnership announced last... Read more →

Liquid Wind, together with partners Alfa Laval, Carbon Clean, Siemens Energy and Topsoe, launched the eFuel Design & Performance Center (DPC) in Hørsholm, Denmark. The DPC is intended to drive technological progress, strengthen production capacity and bring in-demand eFuels to market at scale. The shared eFuel DPC is the first... Read more →

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced two innovative marine energy projects will receive a combined $6 million to develop a tidal energy research, development, and demonstration pilot site in the United States. In addition, a community-led river current energy research and development project was selected to receive $9.5 million. Tides... Read more →

Researchers at McGill University have developed a sustainable and cost-effective neodymium (Nd) extraction technology from electronic waste using a carboxylate functionalized nanocellulose (CFNC). An open-access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Green Chemistry. We demonstrate a solution-processed synthesis of CFNC from a cost-effective, readily available cellulose... Read more →

Aston University researchers will explore the use of gel electrolyte materials to make lithium-ion batteries safer and less environmentally damaging. The University has received a grant of £443,058 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to develop safe, reliable, sustainable and commercially relevant gel electrolyte materials. Currently batteries and... Read more →

Australia-based Hastings Technology Metals Limited has entered into a binding term sheet providing for an integrated tolling and offtake arrangement for rare earth concentrate with Baotou Sky Rock Rare Earth New Material Co., Ltd, supporting improved economics for Stage 1 of its 100%-owned Yangibana Rare Earths Project. The Yangibana Project... Read more →

Switzerland-based Terra Quantum is collaborating with leading steel manufacturer POSCO Holdings to deploy quantum AI for optimizing steel production, specifically focusing on POSCO’s advanced blast furnaces. The partners will demonstrate the potential of Quantum Neural Networks to enhance efficiency, targeting tangible outcomes such as reduced emissions and energy consumption. POSCO... Read more →

In 2024 and 2025, MAN Truck & Bus will establish battery repair centers in Italy, Denmark/Norway, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Poland and UK, with further countries in Europe being planned. Millions will be invested in these centers over the next two years. Two battery repair centers are already in operation... Read more →

Researchers from the Beijing University of Technology have found that the combustion of NH3/H2 can be effectively improved by using turbulent jet ignition (TJI), especially under high NH3 fraction conditions. A paper on their work appears in the journal Fuel. Although NH3 is a potential carbon-free fuel with good storage... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation are partnering with KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) to develop next-generation autonomous driving sensors. Together, Hyundai Motor, Kia and KAIST will establish the ‘Hyundai Motor Group-KAIST On-Chip LiDAR Joint Research Lab’ at KAIST in Daejeon to develop LiDAR sensors for advanced... Read more →

INEOS Automotive has unveiled its new 4X4 vehicle, the INEOS Fusilier, following the confirmation of a zero-emission model line in May 2022. Alongside the previously announced all-electric powertrain (BEV), a low emission range-extender electric is in development to ensure the INEOS Fusilier meets the broadest range of global consumer needs... Read more →

Plug Power and Uline, a distributor of shipping, industrial and packaging materials to businesses throughout North America, announced an expanded partnership to deploy Plug’s hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell solutions at Uline’s new campus in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This expanded partnership includes the integration of on-site hydrogen infrastructure with the installation... Read more →

Actors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially Saudi Arabia and Morocco, are gaining a strategic foothold in the lithium ion battery supply chain, according to Benchamrk Mineral Intelligence. Through various policy approaches utilising state support and industrial policy and taking advantage of geopolitical trends, these countries... Read more →

In a follow up to one of last year’s largest cleantech private equity placements, Ascend Elements raised $162 million in new equity investments. Major investors include Just Climate, Clearvision Ventures, and IRONGREY. The new equity financing brings the company’s 12-month funding total to $704 million, including the $542 million funding... Read more →

To coincide with its European market launch, Volkswagen’s new Tiguan’s plug-in hybrid drives (eHybrid) (earlier post) are now available with two outputs. Tiguan models with efficient 48 V mild hybrid drives (eTSI) and turbodiesel engines (TDI) have been available since 2023 September. The plug-in hybrid drives of the Tiguan have... Read more →

More than 200 battery factories are to be built worldwide over the coming ten years, most of them in Europe; production technology worth billions is needed for each of these factories. This marks an historic growth opportunity for German and European mechanical and plant engineering firms, according to a new... Read more →