(TKI) MOSCOW ADMITS DEATH OF CONSCRIPTED RUSSIANS

Russian proxies in Kherson Oblast are losing control of the southern region they have occupied since early March.

Russian-led militants now call for an evacuation from the occupied territory. The call comes as Ukrainian forces advance toward occupied Kherson.

Moscow officially admitted the death of conscripted soldiers deployed to Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for mobilization.

According to Russia's regional authorities, five soldiers from Chelyabinsk Oblast were killed in Ukraine. All of them were conscripted after Sept. 21. The Kyiv Independent - link - Asami Terajima - link

(BUG) AS EASY AS OXYGEN-DECOUPLED ELECTROLYSIS

Amazon and Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures among investors in firm, which claims its green steel process is also cheaper than conventional fossil fuelled systems

Green steelmaking innovator Electra has scooped up $85m backing from a raft of top investors including the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon and BHP Ventures, to support the firm's plans to further develop and scale its zero emissions technology.

The US firm claims its novel iron ore and steelmaking process emits zero CO2 emissions while also holding potential to cost the same or even less than existing methods powered by fossil fuels.

It claims it can electrochemically refine ore into pure iron at low temperatures of just 60C, enabling it to use renewable electricity to power the process, before then converting the iron into steel using existing infrastructure or electrically-powered arc furnaces.

In comparison, almost 70 per cent of the world's steel today is made at approximately 1,600C using fossil fuels such as coal, which emits around two tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for every tonne of steel produced, according to Electra.

The company therefore believes its "Oxygen-Decoupled Electrolysis (ODE)" process overcomes key challenges for decarbonising the steelmaking and iron ore refining processes, both of which are major global greenhouse gas emitters.

Moreover, it claims its technology offers greater benefits compared to other burgeoning green steel solutions, such as hydrogen-powered furnaces, as it is capable of using lower grade ores containing just 35 per cent iron content and reduces some of the costs of processing the material.

Overall, Electra estimates that its process holds potential to eliminate iron ore conversion emissions, which it said accounts for up to 90 per cent of steelmaking emissions.

"Electra's iron is the fulcrum to decarbonise steelmaking and to de-risk the iron ore challenge," said Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan. "Our team, starting with a clean sheet, developed an electrochemical process to refine iron ore to high purity iron by radically lowering the process temperature from 1,600 to 60 degrees Celsius, replacing coal energy with intermittent renewable energy, and displacing commercial ores with lower-grade ores that are not being used or are currently treated as waste today. We also have a historic opportunity to decentralise the global iron and steel supply chain and re-shore manufacturing and mining jobs."

Electra is planning to complete the build of its first iron ore refining pilot plant at its headquarters in Colorado, USA, next year, as it pushes forward with its broader aim to have its first commercial scale plant up and running before the end of the decade.

The firm said it is also aiming to forge additional partnerships across the entire steel value chain in order to accelerate the transition to green steel.

Carmichael Roberts, business lead on the investment committee at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, said decarbonising ironmaking was "essential for a zero carbon future and an unparalleled trillion-dollar market opportunity".

"Electrifying cost-effective ironmaking without carbon emissions is a paradigm shift in how steel has been made for centuries by burning fossil fuels," he said. "We're proud to have supported Electra in this critical mission from its founding."

Other investors backing the company in its latest investment round include Temasek, S2G Ventures, Capricorn Investment Group, Lowercarbon Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Baruch Future Ventures and more.

Worldwide steelmaking is estimated to account for eight per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and is seen as a critical sector to decarbonise in order to hit global climate goals, given the material is critical for a raft of clean technologies including electric vehicles and wind turbines.

"Steel is required to make everything from automobiles to buildings, and is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize," said Matt Peterson, director of the Climate Pledge Fund at Amazon. "Amazon is proud to invest in Electra's green iron technology, which is an important step toward making steel more sustainable, and toward Amazon's broader goal to reach net zero carbon by 2040." Business Green - link - Michael Holder - link - more like this (green steel) - link - more like this (Bill Gates) - link - more like this (Amazon) - link

(IAN) OXFORD 193

more like this (Oxford) - link

(BUG) CHEMICALLY RECYCLED PLASTIC

A dozen of the world's largest consumer goods companies, including Mars, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Danone, have joined forces to signal that there is significant and growing demand for chemically recycled plastic from corporates across Europe.

In a letter published this morning, the firms said there was potential demand for at least 800,000 tonnes a year of chemically recycled plastic in Europe by 2030 from 40 firms alone.

The group, which also include Barilla, Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive, and McCain Foods, said they aimed to send a "strong signal of support" to regulators and investors of the need to scale up plastics recycling infrastructure.

"The Parties wish to express their common interest in the development of credible, safe and environmentally sound chemical recycling infrastructure put forward by the industry players in Europe," the letter states. "More specifically, and assuming that global investment in the field materialises by 2030, the Parties wish to express their common interest in purchasing commercial volumes of chemically recycled plastic content to incorporate in their packaging portfolio [from chemical players]"

The companies acknowledge that significant investment in waste collection and sorting and recycling infrastructure would be required to expand the nascent market for chemicals plastic recycling and reduce the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills and incinerators.

Campaigners have expressed concerns that chemical recycling, a process which strips plastic down to its chemical form, comes with significant environmental risks and could produce more emissions than waste incineration. They have warned the industry has overstated the feasibility of chemical recycling and understated its climate impact amid a lack of independent reporting and monitoring of the trial facilities that do exist.

But in their letter today, the group of corporates said demand for chemically recycled material would not reduce the need to continue the scale-up of other forms of recycling infrastructure, arguing that chemical recycling would be able to recycle plastic waste that could not otherwise be recycled, and would also supply recycled plastic for food packaging and pharmaceutical applications that could not be met at scale through other methods.

The letter comes a few months after the 40 members of the Consumer Goods Forum's Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste published a set of principles for chemical recycling, which aim to encourage the development of new technologies while addressing concerns over the environmental impact of the emerging sector.

Ferrero, Henkel, Modelez International, and Haleon have also signed the latest letter, which was coordinated by the Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste. Business Green - link - Cecilia Keating - link - more like this (chemical recycling) - link - more like this (Mongabay) - link - more like this (waste plastic) - link - more like this (PepsiCo) - link

(REC) SIEMENS GAMESA 14-222 - SURPASSES HALIADE-X

A new world record for the most power a single wind turbine has produced over a 24-hour period has been set by Spanish-German wind energy giant Siemens Gamesa.

According to a post on the company’s social media channels, the prototype turbine – an SG 14-222 DD and currently the world’s largest in operation – produced 359MWh over 24 hours, the most energy ever produced by a single turbine over that period of time.

Apparently, this is the equivalent amount of energy needed to drive 1.8 million kilometres in a mid-sized electric car.

Siemens Gamesa first unveiled its 14MW offshore turbine back in May of 2020, and began construction in September 2021 of the first prototype at the company’s test site in Østerild, Denmark.

As the name suggests, the SG 14-222 DD has a nameplate rating of 14MW, a rotor diameter of 222 metres, and an upgraded direct drive (DD) generator. However, with the company’s Power Boost option, each offshore turbine can generate power up to 15MW.

Expected to enter serial production in 2024, the SG 14-222 DD already boasts orders for offshore wind farms in markets including Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Renew Economy - link - Joshua S Hill - link - more like this (world record) - link - more like this (GE) - link - more like this (Siemens Gamesa) - link - more like this (offshore) - link - more like this (Spain) - link

(CNB) DELTA FOLLOWS AMERICAN DOWN THE EVTOL PATH

Delta Air Lines, which has watched competitors map future plans with electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft startups, is joining the growing list of airlines looking to make short trips to and from airports faster and easier.

The carrier is investing $60 million in startup Joby Aviation, which is planning to build and operate an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, effectively an air taxi.

Delta will also have an exclusive five-year partnership with Joby operating eVTOLs as part of the Delta network.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian envisions moving passengers to and from airports quicker and with less hassle.

“We’ll flash them an opportunity to enhance that experience by taking a Joby vehicle from someplace close to their home or their business right into the airport experience and cut out 50%, if not more, of their travel time on the ground.”

Initially, Joby and Delta will target eVTOL service to and from airports in New York City and Los Angeles, though the companies envision the service growing to other airports around the country and eventually overseas.

“The airport routes are the cornerstone routes for any city building really valuable infrastructure that is close to the terminal and can save customers time is critical,” Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt told CNBC.

Delta’s deal with Joby means the three legacy airlines in the U.S. have all taken stakes with eVTOL startups.

American Airlines has invested $25 million in Vertical Aerospace and ordered 50 aircraft from the U.K. based company.

United Airlines has two eVTOL investments and aircraft orders. One for $15 million with Eve Air Mobility while ordering 200 aircraft. The other for $10 million with Archer Aviation and an order for 100 Archer eVTOLs.

In the last year, eVTOL stocks like Joby have struggled as investors moved away from pre-revenue companies.

When will that day come for Joby and other eVTOL companies? It depends on when their aircraft are certified and enter commercial service.

Some are targeting 2024, but Joby CEO Bevirt won’t commit to a launch date. “There are pieces within our control and there are pieces that are not in our control, so I can’t give you a firm date,” he said. CNBC - link - Phil LeBeau - link - more like this (eVTOL) - link - more like this (Eve) - link

(POL) SAUDIA ARABIA CUTS OIL PRODUCTION

A photographer takes pictures of the Khurais oil field during a tour for journalists, 150 km east-northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 28, 2021. The U.S. and other allied governments have described OPEC+'s move to slash oil output as a gift to Moscow amid its intensifying assault on Ukraine. | Amr Nabil/AP Photo

A top Democratic senator is vowing to block all future weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and urging the Biden administration to “immediately freeze all aspects” of U.S. cooperation with the kingdom in response to its decision to cut oil production amid a global energy crisis set off by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The message from Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who has veto power over foreign arms sales, comes amid the West’s outrage at OPEC+ for slashing its oil output — a move that the U.S. and other allied governments saw as a gift to Moscow as it suffers significant losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

U.S. officials were quietly urging Saudi Arabia to ramp up its oil production in order to boost the global supply and lower prices for consumers in the U.S. and Europe who have been hit hard as their governments moved to cut off Russian energy. Russia’s intensifying assault on Ukraine has tested the resolve of European nations that had previously relied heavily on Russia for their energy needs.

In a statement on Monday, Menendez said the decision helped to “underwrite” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.

“As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will not green light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine,” Menendez said in a statement first obtained by POLITICO. “Enough is enough.”

Menendez’s broadside is the latest call from top Democrats on Capitol Hill to re-evaluate the U.S. partnership with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the cartel’s decision to slash its oil production, which U.S. officials worry will only deepen the energy crisis across Europe and hike gas prices at home. In addition to Menendez’s authority as chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations panel, Congress as a whole can vote to block certain weapons sales.

“There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict — either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping ... an entire country off of the map, or you support him,” Menendez added. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest.”

Energy is a top source of revenue for Russia, and Western nations have tried to starve funding for Putin’s assault on Ukraine through biting sanctions and other extraordinary measures aimed at cutting off the Kremlin. Saudi Arabia was under intense pressure to boost its output to make up for the shortfall in the global oil market caused by those sanctions.

It wasn’t just Menendez fuming at the Saudis. The Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, on Thursday charged that the Saudi kingdom “has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation,” citing Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human-rights record.

“From unanswered questions about 9/11, the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the exporting of extremism, to dubious jailing of peaceful dissidents and conspiring with Vladimir Putin to punish the U.S. with higher oil prices, the Saudi royal family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation,” Durbin said. “It’s time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without this alliance with these royal backstabbers.”

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already said several legislative responses are under consideration, including a bill taking aim at OPEC for price-fixing and antitrust violations. The legislation, referred to as NOPEC, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year in a 17-4 vote.

“What Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans,” Schumer said in a statement last week. “We are looking at all the legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action, including the NOPEC bill.”

Lawmakers are also calling for a drawdown of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia as a consequence of the oil production cut.

Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.) have unveiled legislation that would force the removal of U.S. troops and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within 90 days.

The move would include the removal of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot missile and air defense batteries. The bill calls for relocating forces and weapons to other Middle Eastern nations with the aim of protecting U.S. troops. Politico - link - Andrew Desiderio - link - Connor O'Brien - link - more like this (Saudi Arabia) - link - more like this (Saudi Arabia/Russia) - link - more like this (Saudi Arabia/Russia) - link - more like this (USA) - link

(EUN) 2029 DESERT KINGDOM SKI RESORT WINS GAMES

A rendering of what the Trojena ski resort in Neom will look like - Copyright NEOM

Campaign group Greenpeace has slammed a “dangerous” ski resort being built in Saudi Arabia. The warning comes days after the desert kingdom won its bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Saudi authorities claim that the new Trojena resort in the country’s north west will operate on “sustainable infrastructure” and renewable energy. But Greenpeace campaigners have questioned the project’s environmental credentials.

"You're changing a natural ecosystem which can have compounding impacts,” says Ahmed El Droubi, regional campaigns manager for Greenpeace.

“If you change something in one place, it may change something else in another place, and so on, and it can have impacts on neighbouring ecosystems. I don't even know if we have the capacity to predict and model such impacts, and it is a very dangerous thing to do, to massively alter ecosystems in this manner."

The resort will be located in the Sarawat Mountains, just 50 kilometres inland from the Red Sea. The area is around 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the region, but the snow will still be almost all manmade.

The Gulf Kingdom was the only country to bid for the right to host the 2029 games.
Where will Saudi Arabia’s new ski resort be?

The ski resort - the country’s first outdoor skiing hub - is part of the futuristic $500 billion (€500 billion) Neom development. It will be open for skiiers ‘year-round,’ according to Neom chief executive Nadhmi al-Nasr.

"Trojena will have a suitable infrastructure to create the winter atmosphere in the heart of the desert, to make this Winter Games an unprecedented global event," he said.

The mountain town will also contain a massive man-made lake and a ‘vertical village’, a collection of high density (dwelling).

Neom is designed to be completely carbon neutral, running on 100 per cent renewable energy. However, campaigners have criticised the project’s environmental impact. Ahmed El Droubi points to the lake as one example.

"It will have to be consistently fed with water and therefore will continue to utilise massive amounts of energy on a long-term basis. Even if it's powered through renewables, it's a waste of energy," he said. "Just because something is powered by renewables doesn't make it sustainable or environmentally friendly... There are many other factors."

Why is Saudi Arabia building a ’green’ city in the desert?

The Neom development is part of the gulf country’s efforts to diversify away from oil. The kingdom is currently the world’s biggest crude oil exporter.

The planned city contains a 160km long ‘horizontal skyscraper’ known as ‘The Line.’ Just 200 metres wide, this futuristic development could supposedly house up to 9 million people.

However, El Droubi warned that the project would largely benefit the super-wealthy.

"My question is, Is there a need for this? Is there a need for really expensive high-end housing in this city?” he said. “Who needs housing in the region? There is an oversupply of real estate for the rich elite.” euronews.green - link - Charlotte Elton - link - more like this (Saudi Arabia) - link

(BLO) FANTASY GUILT FREE AIR TRAVEL

Europe’s leading airlines are misleading consumers with claims that they can fly guilt-free by using carbon offsets to neutralize the environmental impact of air travel, according to a new report by the non-profit Carbon Market Watch.

A temporary dip during the Covid-19 pandemic aside, airline emissions have been steadily rising for the past two decades and, left unchecked, could potentially triple by 2050. Globally, the industry generates roughly one billion tons of CO2 per year — comparable to the emissions of Japan, the world’s third-largest economy.

To assuage travellers' conscience, airlines have turned to carbon offsets, marketing their corporate investments and encouraging passengers to purchase offsets to cover their own flights. But these voluntary efforts don’t work, Carbon Market Watch said, because the carriers are relying on cheap, poor quality offsets that can’t be guaranteed to reduce emissions elsewhere.

The conclusions are based on a study by research firm Öko-Institut, that assessed the the scale and quality of the emissions reduction policies from May to July of the eight largest airlines in Europe, collectively responsible for over half of the total CO2 emissions of the EU aviation sector in 2019: Air France, British Airways, Easyjet, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS and Wizz Air.

The study found that nearly all the airlines assessed rely on offsets from cheap forestry projects in developing countries, efforts that are vulnerable over the long term. Trees can burn, die or be cut down if policies change, reversing their carbon storage, and might not around long enough to truly compensate for the carbon emitted.

“While not paying for their pollution, airlines are sending misleading climate neutrality signals to customers based on purchasing poor-quality carbon offsets,” said Daniele Rao, aviation and shipping decarbonization expert at Carbon Market Watch. “This bad practice must end.”

Aviation emissions are regulated under the EU’s emissions trading system, which is currently under review, and Carbon Market Watch says the EU should expand it scope to cover all flights departing and arriving in the European Economic Area, rather than just those within the zone. The EU should also require “clear and complete” disclosures from airlines on their carbon offset purchases and other voluntary climate action, ban misleading advertisements and issue guidance on how to make informative claims, the nonprofit said.

EasyJet defended its environmental actions. “EasyJet is making real and significant steps towards the decarbonization of our operations, as most recently demonstrated by our net zero roadmap published last month, which outlines how we can get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, zero carbon emission technology and carbon removals,” it said in a statement.

Both EasyJet and Ryanair agreed with Carbon Market Watch that the regulatory scheme should include all flights arriving in and departing from Europe. “This would mean that the richest passengers, on the most polluting long-haul flights, would finally pay their fair share of ETS environmental taxes,” Ryanair said in a statement, pointing out that short-haul flights within the EU account for less than half the region’s aviation emissions.

For their part, both British Airways and Air France said they are focused on a variety of short- and long-term decarbonizing and energy efficiency measures, and that carbon offsets are supplementary. “Air France’s priority is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible, primarily those generated directly by our operations,” the carrier said in a statement. “Carbon offsetting measures come in addition.”

Wizz and Lufthansa haven’t responded to requests for comment.

In June, another airline, KLM, was sued by Dutch environmental groups who say the carrier’s “Fly Responsibly” ad campaign amounts to greenwashing. In April, the Netherlands’ advertising watchdog ruled that KLM’s promotion telling customers they could fly emission-free is misleading.

KLM challenged the study’s assertion that its offset projects are low-quality. “We are making all efforts to ensure this is done to the highest standard possible,” it said in a statement. “At KLM we do not use the claim ‘carbon neutral’ flying anymore, and we have clarified our communications about our carbon offset and sustainable aviation fuel customer product because we think it is important to be transparent about the impact of flying.”

The authors of the Öko-Institut study said they had to rely on estimates due to limited information disclosures from airlines, both in their public reporting and in response to questions. From their research, offset prices paid by airlines and their customers were too low to signal any meaningful dent in emissions.

Carbon Market Watch called it a “cheaper and more convenient alternative, which requires no changes to the way they work or business model,” and airlines that market carbon-neutral flying “could encourage further growth in air travel when we should instead be looking to fly less.” Bloomberg News - link - Natasha White - link - Siddharth Philip - link - Lin Noueihed - link - more like this (aviation) - link - more like this (KLM) - link - more like this (aviation greenwashing) - link

(ELE) DOGGER BANK EXPANSION

There are plans in place to develop the UK’s Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in three phases: A, B, and C. It will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion, with an installed capacity of 3.6 gigawatts (GW). And it looks likely that it will get a fourth phase, Dogger Bank D, making it even more massive.

Dogger Bank, which is located between 78 and 180 miles (125 and 290 km) off the east coast of Yorkshire, is a joint venture between Norwegian energy giant Equinor (40%), British utility SSE Renewables (40%), and Italian energy company Eni Plenitude (20%). SEE Renewables and Equinor are looking into creating Dogger Bank D. A spokesperson told OffshoreWind.biz:

SSE Renewables and Equinor are currently assessing seabed for the potential of expanding Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is currently under construction, with an additional phase, Dogger Bank D. The potential project is supported by a grid connection for up to 1320 [megawatts] MW.

Surveys on the potential Dogger Bank D site started in August and are expected to conclude at the end of November.

A, B, and C alone will be capable of powering up to six million UK homes once it’s completed in 2026 – and there are approximately 28.1 million households in the country.

If the fourth phase is carried out, the capacity of the world’s largest offshore wind farm would reach nearly 5 gigawatts.

In May, Electrek reported that offshore construction work had officially started with the installation of the first length of HVDC export cable off the Yorkshire coast. Dogger Bank will be the first HVDC-connected wind farm in the UK.

In December 2021, SSE and Equinor announced that they had secured financing to proceed with the construction of the $3.98 billion Dogger Bank C.

GE Renewable Energy will provide 87 units of the enormous Haliade-X 14 MW wind turbines for Dogger Bank C. As Electrek previously reported, “According to GE, one turbine can generate up to 74 GWh of gross annual energy production, saving up to 52,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of the emissions from 11,000 vehicles in one year.” electrek - link - Michelle Lewis - link - more like this (offshore) - link - more like this (Dogger Bank) - link - more like this (SSE) - link

(IEN) ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLIER TANKS

Picture - link

A next-generation tank of General Dynamics' stable will boast a new hybrid power plant that can deliver the same tactical range while using 50 percent less fuel, a company press release said. Dubbed AbramsX, the next-generation battle tank is a step forward in the U.S. Army's plans to reduce its carbon emissions.

If you were wondering if the mandates to buy electric vehicles apply only to the public and not the military, then you haven't come across the U.S. Army's climate change plan. Earlier this year, Interesting Engineering reported how the U.S. Army plans to reduce its carbon emissions by as much as 50 percent in the next ten years.

It could be expected that the U.S. Army would turn to electric vehicles for all non-tactical operations. However, advances in electric propulsion mean that even tactical vehicles can now afford a switch, even if it is a partial one. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the technology can deliver tactical advantages too.

The Abrams X next-generation tank

The advantage could not be more obvious in the next-generation AbramsX tank that General Dynamics plans to showcase at the U.S. Army's upcoming Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C.

The AbramsX has been equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that is expected to deliver substantial fuel savings by halving fuel consumption. The electric propulsion will add silent watch capability to these tanks as well as the option to move silently at low speeds.

In addition to avoiding detection, this newly added capability could also be used by the crew to gain an advantage over opponents. As we have seen in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tank losses have been particularly high, and the legacy designs are putting large armies at a disadvantage in conflict.
Improvements to the tank

Interestingly, the changes in propulsion are also paving the way for improvements in the tank design. According to The Drive, the most advanced of the Abrams tanks, the M1A2, which is currently in service, weighs over 73 tons, making them difficult to be carried on ships and planes. Calls for reduction of their weight have been reflected in the U.S. Army's call for new Maneuver Support Vessels. Interesting Engineering - link - Ameya Paleja - link - more like this (military) - link - more like this (USA) - link

(IAN) GUFF HOUSE CALLING FRANCE

FRANCE - WHERE ARE YOU?

If you're reading this blog in France - please let me know - just a one word comment would suffice? Thank you.

more like this (France) - link

(IAN) OXFORD 192

more like this (Anaerobic Digestion) - link - more like this (Oxford photo gallery) - link

(NAT) 10 MINUTE EV CHARGING WILL BE STANDARD

Picture - Zap Map - link

Zerova Technologies, a new Taiwan-headquartered subsidiary of Phihong, made an energetic debut at this week's eMove360° Europe show in Berlin. 

The company previewed a prototype 480-kW charger that promises to make EV charging more convenient than ever by slashing charging time to 10 minutes. Those who don't have the full 10 to spare can zap nearly 100 miles (160 km) of battery power into their cars in less than half that time. The new Four Gun Charger can also charge four vehicles at the same time from a single unit.

Designed for both passenger car and commercial fleet charging, Zerova's new Four Gun Charger packs some serious ultra-charging power into a compact footprint, featuring independent left and right chargers on front and back of a single body. Each charger features a 16.4-foot-long (5-m) cable to aid in the logistics of parking and charging four separate vehicles. The charger supports CCS-1, CCS-2, CHAdeMO and GB charging standards and includes a digital screen designed to run advertisements.

The 10-minute full charge is based on a vehicle with a 75-kWh battery pack so vehicles with larger packs would take longer. Zerova also estimates the charger would add 93 miles (150 km) in less than five minutes, allowing some drivers to quickly power up and complete their journey before plugging in for a more complete charge at their destination.

Swiss company ABB called its four-vehicle Terra 360 the world's fastest charger when it debuted it a year ago, claiming 15 minutes for a full charge and less than three minutes for 62 miles (100 km). In May, it announced a collaboration with Shell on building a network of 200 Terra 360 chargers around Germany. Plans call for the full network to be installed by 2023.

Zerova calls the 480-kW Four Gun the new standard for "world's fastest," but it does have some very comparable competition. A few months before ABB introduced the Terra 360, China's GAC Aion showed a 480-kW charger designed to work with its super-fast-charging graphene batteries to cut charging times to five minutes for 124 miles (200 km) of range and eight minutes for an 80-percent charge. 

Xpeng also has a 480-kW charger design, and NIO made headlines for an even more powerful 500-kW charger this July but details were scarce. New Atlas - link - C.C. Weiss - link - more like this (ev charging) - link - more like this (Taiwan) - link - more like this (fast charging) - link

(GRE) PLANT BASED BREAD - WHATEVER NEXT?

Food tech startup Equii has closed a $6 million seed funding round for its proprietary microbial protein-based bread. Is this a new frontier for plant-based food?

The seed funding round was led by Khosla Ventures, which also supported Impossible Foods in its early days. The new funding builds on $2 million in previous investments including funding from kdT Ventures, 1derlife Partners, Accelr8 Partners, Axial Ventures, and angel investors in the food tech space.

Equii

The company was founded by Monica Bhatia, PhD and Baljit Ghotra, PhD,. Both bring extensive food industry experience, working with companies including Cargill, Mondelez, ADM, and more recently, novel tech startups Geltor and Nature’s Fynd.

Equii, formerly Cella Foods, launched last year, using tech to ferment grains and turn then into high-protein flour. The Equii flour contains three to six times more protein than conventional flour, half the carbohydrates, and all of the essential amino acids, the company says. One slice of its bread contains ten grams of protein—nearly as much as two eggs.

“We’ve been able to check the box on every single metric in terms of how this bread is similar to regular bread,” Dr. Bhatia said. “Bread is very simple when you bake it at home. It’s just water, flour, a little bit of fat, some salt and yeast and sugar. Our ingredient deck is pretty much that, other than our protein, and we add a little bit of natural preservative.”

Bread’s image problem

Bread has struggled with image problems in recent years as diets like Paleo and Keto eschew it for its high carbohydrate content. But as a staple food, it provides sustenance to billions of people around the world. Generally an inexpensive source of food, high-protein bread could also help bring a healthy option to the millions of children who rely on the public school system for several meals a day.

“At Khosla Ventures, we seek out companies that have the ability to make a massive impact on society,” Alice Brooks, principal at Khosla Ventures, said in a statement. “Equii is redefining the natural staples of our diet—starting with bread—to make healthier nutrition more accessible, and we are excited to back them on their journey.”

“Bread, a household staple, is our debutant product,” Dr. Ghotra, said in a statement. “Beyond bread, Equii’s world-class team is developing a pipeline of products that include high-protein pasta, nutrition bars, and snack foods to provide healthy food options throughout the day. We are on the lookout for partners who share our mission of bringing sustainable and healthy foods to the consumer globally.”

Equii is working to bring its high-protein bread into a range of food service locations this year. green queen - link - the always brilliant Jill Ettinger - link - more Queen brilliance - link - more like this (protein) - link - more like this (bread) - link