PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Georgia Power set to test battery storage technology for producing electricity

Georgia Power plans to build a battery storage system near an existing substation in west-central Georgia’s Talbot County that will generate 65 megawatts of electricity. One megawatt produces enough energy to power 650 average homes.

GM builds new center to unlock cheaper, longer-range batteries

General Motors is building a new facility at its Warren, Michigan, campus aimed at unlocking breakthrough cell technology to drive down the cost of batteries while improving their range. The automaker said that the initial phase of the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center is already under construction and is expected to be completed in mid-2022.

NUS launches revolutionary materials science research center

The National University of Singapore launched the Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials, the world’s first institute dedicated to the design, synthesis, and application of functional intelligent materials.


ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

2020 acquires FeneTech, strengthens and expands company’s offerings

2020, a provider of applications and enterprise solutions for interior design, space planning, and furniture manufacturing, acquired FeneTech, a software provider for window and door manufacturers and glass fabrication companies. The acquisition expands 2020’s end-to-end solutions into the adjacent market of fenestration.

bp acquires Blueprint Power

bp acquired Blueprint Power, a U.S.-based technology company whose technology can help turn buildings into a flexible power network by connecting them to energy markets through cloud-based software.

ESS, SB Energy reach major deal for flow battery technology with 2 GWh agreement

SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group, reached an agreement to purchase 2 GWh of iron flow energy storage from Oregon-based ESS. In the deal, SB Energy will deploy iron flow battery systems to complement solar power projects in Texas and California through 2026.

Snam and IRENA partner to develop global hydrogen economy

Snam, Europe’s largest energy infrastructure operator, and the International Renewable Energy Agency, a leading intergovernmental organization supporting countries in their renewables transitions, announced a partnership agreement aimed at developing hydrogen based on renewables to support the energy transition worldwide.

GM, GE look to develop rare earth materials supply chain

A memorandum of understanding between General Motors and GE Renewable Energy will evaluate options to improve supplies of heavy and light rare earth materials as well as magnets, copper, and electrical steel. They initially plan to concentrate on making a North America- and Europe-based supply chain of magnet manufacturing.

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies signs strategic partnership deal with CSTB

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, a pioneer in clinker-free low-carbon cement, signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment, a public industrial and commercial company that undertakes five key activities: research and expertise, assessment, testing, certification, and knowledge dissemination.

Green Strategic Partnership between India, Denmark will make bilateral relations stronger

India president Ram Nath Kovind met Denmark prime minister Mette Frederiksen to discuss the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The partnership aims to create a framework for significantly expanding cooperation in areas of renewable energy, environment, economy, climate change, and science and technology.


OTHER STORIES

Virtual young ceramists additive manufacturing forum taking place this month

A virtual young Ceramists Additive Manufacturing Forum (yCAM) networking event dedicated to the transition of ideas from research to industry is taking place October 29. The event is free of charge for everyone but registration is required.

glasstec UPDATE conference in November 2021: ‘Carbon neutrality with glass’

From Nov. 25–26, 2021, the new conference format glasstec UPDATE will focus on Europe and the two mega trends climate neutrality and decarbonization as a follow-up event to “Thementage Glas.”

Invitation to Ceramics in Europe 2022

By agreement between the European Ceramics Society, the International Ceramic Federation, and the International Committee of Electroceramics, the three conferences ECerS XVII, ICC9, and Electroceramics XVIII will be combined into a single major conference in Krakow, Poland, July 10–14, 2022.

ICG launches new website

The International Commission on Glass launched its new website at icglass.org. The revamp follows extensive surveying of members and discussions. The ICG said that education, science, and networking are the main focuses of the new website.

Sandia creates global archive of historical renewable energy documents

Sandia National Laboratories’ solar researchers and librarians spent the past few years collecting, digitizing, and cataloging a host of reports, memos, blueprints, photos, and more on concentrating solar power. These historical research documents are now in a publicly accessible digital archive.

Solid Power awarded $12.5M to develop nickel, cobalt-free all-solid-state battery cells

Solid Power, Inc., a developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, announced an award from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity for a multiphase, multiyear research contract to develop nickel- and cobalt-free all-solid-state battery cells. Solid Power expects to receive up to $12.5 million to complete the project. 

Xcel Energy launches EV smart charging pilot in Colorado

Xcel Energy launched a new pilot for customers of five major automakers to make it easier for consumers to make the switch to electric vehicles. Automakers will use info from the customer and their vehicle, pairing it with grid information from Xcel Energy to create a charging schedule that ensures charging at the best times for the energy grid.

Developing a toolkit for fostering open science practices: Proceedings of a workshop

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science hosted a public release of “Developing a Toolkit for Fostering Open Science Practices: Proceedings of a Workshop” on September 30. View a recording of the release event at this link.


MARKET TRENDS

Battery makers to bypass Chinese rare earths

An Australian mining project based near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory is cited as being able to meet 10% of the global demand for rare earths used in electric motors. The Nolans project is a $1 billion resource that its owner, Arafura Resources Ltd, says will now process its recovered ore onsite.

Energy sector slowly diversifying its workforce

Employment of women in the energy sector has improved since 2018, according to a Energy Workforce & Technology Council report. Minority employment in the sector still lags behind the overall U.S. workforce, however.

EIA projects nearly 50% increase in world energy use by 2050, led by growth in renewables

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that, absent significant changes in policy or technology, global energy consumption will increase nearly 50% over the next 30 years. Petroleum and other liquid fuels will remain the world’s largest energy source, but renewable energy sources will grow to nearly the same level.

Purdue study finds manufacturers lagging behind in AI, data tech

Purdue University researchers found that a lack of awareness and a need for a qualified workforce to use the technology are the main reasons why Indiana manufacturers lag behind implementation of data-driven approaches and developing artificial intelligence.


NEW PRODUCTS

Multimaterial parts and the CeraFab Lab European debut at Formnext

At Formnext 2021, Lithoz will present a wide variety of pioneering multimaterial parts produced using the CeraFab Multi 2M30. Their recently launched compact ceramic 3D printer, the CeraFab Lab L30, will also debut in Europe via a live demonstration.

SINTX Technologies ships new FleX SN porous and laser-textured spinal implants

SINTX Technologies, Inc. shipped production quantities of a new porous, laser-textured monolithic silicon nitride implant made of FleX SN to be used in surgical spinal solutions. The shipment is the result of a successful collaboration with CTL Amedica to design and manufacture the new implants.

Harper expands product offering with new lab-scale rotary furnace

Harper International, a world leader in thermal processing solutions for advanced materials, announced the launch of its Lab-Scale Rotary Furnace. The new furnace lets producers of advanced materials optimize their process parameters on a small scale prior to investment in production-scale thermal process equipment.

Pressure feed vessels for ribbon blenders

ROSS Ribbon Blenders custom-built for multiphase mixing now come with an optional pressure feed vessel, which enables 100% discharge of the liquid component through a spray bar and into the blending zone, ensuring even mixing and consistent batches.

Mobile sanitary conveyor bag dump system

Flexicon’s new sanitary mobile Tilt-Down Flexible Screw Conveyor with Integral Bag Dump Station and Compactor allows the transfer of material manually dumped from handheld bags into elevated process equipment, and the disposal of empty bags, dust-free.

Author

Lisa McDonald