PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES
MP Materials reaches milestone in restoring US rare earth magnet production
MP Materials reached a pivotal milestone in restoring the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain. The company’s flagship Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas, commenced commercial production of neodymium–praseodymium metal and trial production of automotive-grade, sintered neodymium–iron–boron magnets.
Republic of Korea welcomes Australia NRFC’s investment in Arafura Rare Earths’ project
The Republic of Korea, which is chair of the Minerals Security Partnership, welcomed the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation’s investment commitment of US$130 million in Arafura Rare Earths’ Nolans Project in Australia’s Northern Territory. The Nolans Project is Australia’s first integrated ore-to-oxide rare earths processing operation.
NSG starts US solar glass production line
The NSG Group began operations at its converted solar glass facility in the U.S. An existing float line at Pilkington North America’s factory in Rossford, Ohio, was converted to produce transparent conductive oxide glass. The factory will begin producing this glass in March 2025.
Thea Energy opens new headquarters to support core tech development and manufacturing
Thea Energy, Inc., a fusion technology company advancing a stellarator design for commercialization, announced the opening of its new headquarters in Kearny, N.J. With this new facility, Thea Energy is positioned to accelerate the rapid prototyping and testing of its core technologies, including arrays of superconducting magnets.
Heliogen concludes demonstration for next-generation concentrated solar technology
Heliogen Inc. announced the conclusion of Capella, a first-of-a-kind demonstration project targeting the deployment of a 5-MWe concentrated solar power plant. The project concluded after the front-end engineering and design phase, at which point Heliogen and collaborator Woodside Energy decided not to pursue construction due to cost escalation.
ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
GridStor acquires Oklahoma BESS project to feed data center demands
To bolster the energy infrastructure supporting data centers, GridStor announced the acquisition of a battery storage project in Oklahoma, totaling 200 MW / 800 MWh to be developed in two phases, from Black Mountain Energy Storage.
Brokk named North American distributor for Darda
Brokk Inc., the North American distributor for Brokk demolition robots and Aquajet hydrodemolition equipment, was named the North American distributor for Darda, a manufacturer of hydraulic splitters and compact attachments. Darda, like Brokk and Aquajet, is owned by the Brokk Group, a global leader in demolition equipment.
ClearVue extends solar glass reach into massive Arab building market
Solar glass innovator ClearVue Technologies expanded its strategic partnership with Qatar’s top glass processor and façade manufacturer Aluminium Technology Auxiliary Industries (Alutec) to distribute its unique energy-generating windows into a potentially multibillion-dollar United Arab Emirates market.
Korea, US leading research institutes accelerate collaboration for energy technology innovation
The Korea Institute of Energy Research signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to collaborate on key carbon-neutral technologies such as solar energy, hydrogen, and energy storage. The groups previously signed agreements in 2000 and 2015.
India, Indonesia to jointly work on defense manufacturing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced new initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on the defense sector, during the latter’s first state visit to India since assuming office in October 2024.
OTHER STORIES
DOE reverses Biden LNG pause, restores Trump energy dominance agenda
The U.S. Department of Energy ended the liquefied natural gas pause following the direction given by President Donald J. Trump to “unleash American energy dominance.” The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management will resume consideration of pending applications to export liquefied natural gas to countries without a free trade agreement with the U.S.
Science agencies disband DEI initiatives in response to Trump orders
President Donald Trump quickly began dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in his first days in office, raising questions about the future of government-led efforts to promote diversity in STEM—some of which were directly authorized and funded by Congress.
DOE selects six organizations to strengthen and expand programs for industrial workforce
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office announced six organizations that will join the Industrial Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, and Decarbonization (ISEED) Collaborative. Through this $3.6 million initiative, selected groups will develop and expand existing programs that support the U.S. workforce.
Indonesia launches international carbon trading on IDX with five power plants
Indonesia officially launched international carbon trading through the Indonesia Carbon Exchange’s platform IDX Carbon on January 20. In its 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution document, Indonesia set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31.89% by 2030 through domestic measures or by 43.2% with international support.
Greenland is getting a lot of attention for its mineral resources—but what is hiding under the ice?
The riches thought to lie beneath Greenland’s icy terrain have been coveted for more than a century. But how easy are they to access, and will climate change make any difference? A BCC article investigates.
MARKET TRENDS
As EVs grow, questions are being asked about their climate impact
As electric vehicles get bigger, so does the amount of resources needed to make them. An opinion paper, published in PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, has called this trade-off into question, suggesting that “super-sized” electric vehicles will not solve the climate crisis.
Clean electricity standards take center stage as tools to spur clean energy investment
The Clean Air Task Force released a report that explores the benefits and key design elements of state clean electricity standards. Alongside the report, CATF launched an interactive map that shows states that have adopted a CES or renewable portfolio standard and analyzes a variety of policy components, including eligible technologies and built-in compliance flexibility.
NEW PRODUCTS
Engineers build the future of 3D printing with bendable concrete
University of New Mexico researchers patented a self-reinforced, ultraductile cementitious material. The patent offers four different mixes with up to 11.9% higher strain capacity.
Eugene Enterprises develops concrete with enhanced crack reduction effect
Eugene Enterprise announced that it had developed latex-pressed concrete, a special concrete with high crack reduction effect. The technology is characterized by the fact that it effectively controls cracking by forming a film by mixing latex particles inside the concrete.
New coatmaster Flex wet film thickness gauge from GARDCO
The new coatmaster Flex wet film thickness gauge by Paul N. Gardner USA offers noncontact and nondestructive measurements that are insensitive to the angle and distance of measurement.
Author
Lisa McDonald
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