Estonia to build "Hydrogen Valley" in Europe | UK advances design assessment for modular reactor | Project looks to AI to inspire next-gen grid tools
August 29, 2024
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Whether they're excavating, tunneling, raising heavy loads or lifting hundreds of people, these five gigantic machines rank among the largest in the world. Cathy Cecere takes a look at each, including the Bagger 293 bucket-wheel excavator and the SK6000 all-electric ring crane.
Full Story: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (8/22) 
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Global Window
Estonia is working to launch a "Hydrogen Valley" in Europe by uniting hubs for green hydrogen in five cities: Ida-Virumaa, Paldiski, Parnu, Saaremaa and Tartu. The country's goal is for 100% renewable energy by the end of the decade.
Full Story: CleanTechnica (8/26) 
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The UK Department for Energy and Net Zero has approved the start of a generic design assessment for the AP300 small modular reactor from Westinghouse Electric Co. "The UK's familiarity with the AP300's underpinning technology and our strong track record of licensing success in the UK and globally give us confidence that we will move through the GDA process at pace," says Dan Lipman, president of energy systems at Westinghouse.
Full Story: Power Technology (8/27) 
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Innovations & Trends
The Los Alamos National Laboratory and Georgia Tech are collaborating on a three-year project to develop AI tools to support modeling, optimization and other aspects of the energy grid of the future. "At Los Alamos, we have a lot of interest in doing work related to the optimization of complex systems and we see an opportunity with AI to make systems more resilient and efficient in the face of factors like climate change, extreme events and third party actors," said scientist Russell Bent.
Full Story: Smart Energy International (8/28) 
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Reusable spaceplane technology advances
Video from the third flight of Dawn Aerospace's Campaign 2-2. (Dawn Aerospace/YouTube)
Dawn Aerospace is advancing reusable spaceplane technology under its current development initiative. Recently, the company's uncrewed Mk-II rocket-powered aircraft achieved transonic speeds of Mach 0.92 and an altitude of 50,000 feet as part of its Campaign 2-2 development program.
Full Story: Fox News (8/27) 
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Researchers at the Energy Department's Brookhaven National Laboratory and partner institutions have developed a breakthrough catalyst that converts methane to methanol in a single step at low temperatures. This innovation could help reduce methane emissions in the US shale industry by enabling on-site methanol production from stranded natural gas resources in isolated areas.
Full Story: OilPrice (UK) (8/27) 
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Trucking industry debates driver-facing cameras
(Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images)
Driver-facing cameras are becoming a topic of debate in the trucking industry, with some companies embracing the technology for safety and driver coaching capabilities. Privacy concerns have caused some companies to avoid installing the cameras, and experts say other advanced driver-assistance systems can offer similar benefits without compromising privacy.
Full Story: Commercial Carrier Journal (8/26) 
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Carbon capture and storage is expanding beyond its traditional role in enhanced oil recovery to become a key player in the offshore industry's decarbonization efforts, writes ABS principal engineer Quaim Choudhury. Despite growing interest in deploying CCS on oil and gas platforms, floating production units and vessels, the path forward is riddled with obstacles, including the logistical hurdles of deepwater CO2 storage, platform limitations and inadequate port infrastructure.
Full Story: Hart Energy (8/26) 
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Genetically modified bacteria improve bioplastic yields
(Pixabay)
Genetically engineered photosynthetic purple bacteria enhanced yields of polyhydroxyalkanoates, according to articles in the journals Microbial Biotechnology and Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The studies highlight the potential of these adaptable microbes to produce sustainable, biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics at scale.
Full Story: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (8/26) 
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