Calderys announced the commissioning of the first production line at its CAPES facility in Odisha, India—dedicated to next-generation acidic monolithics—as well as the addition of a tap-hole clay line, expanding the site’s original scope.
Helion Energy, a startup with $1 billion in private funding, commenced construction of its first planned fusion power reactor. The Washington state-based company said the site work keeps it on track to deliver electricity within three years to Microsoft under a 2023 purchase agreement.
The German government fleshed out how it intends to build a nuclear fusion reactor in the “High-Tech Agenda,” which also sets ambitious targets for other technologies it considers key for the energy transition, such as batteries, synthetic fuels, and industrial carbon capture.
The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Intel, will invest $20 million over five years to establish the Artificial Intelligence Materials Institute at Cornell University, as part of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes.
Saint-Gobain Group acquired the business assets of Interstar Materials Inc., further strengthening its expansion in North America’s Construction Chemicals sector. With more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, Interstar is a leading North American manufacturer of products for the decorative concrete industry.
AURELIUS Private Equity Mid-Market Buyout entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Resonac Corporation’s FIAMM Energy Technology business, a manufacturer of energy storage solutions and advanced battery technologies.
Google struck a commercial partnership with Milan-based Energy Dome to deploy revolutionary CO₂ battery technology that will help power the tech giant’s operations with zero-emission energy. The agreement marks Google’s first commercial long-duration energy storage deal and includes a strategic investment in the Italian energy storage firm.
Ursa Major Technologies, in partnership with Dyndrite, EOS, and nLight, launched the Alliance for the American Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem. The coalition will work to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing for national security through standard, secure, and scalable processes.
Under an agreement reached on July 27, the European Union accepted that the U.S. will impose tariffs of 15% on European exports and up to 50% on steel and aluminum. It also agreed that U.S. products will enter the European market without paying tariffs. This decision, though inadequate under the logic of geopolitics, will allow the European Central Bank to keep interest rates low, so that part of the tariff can be offset by some depreciation of the euro.
The Polish Climate and Environment Ministry submitted a proposal to establish a Multiannual National Program for the Exploration of Critical Raw Materials. The program falls under the framework of the European Critical Raw Materials Act, a regulation adopted by the EU to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
South Africa is seeking new markets in Africa and Asia as it negotiates with the United States over looming 30% trade tariffs, which could cost around 30,000 jobs. The 30% tariff, which is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, will in particular hit South Africa’s agriculture, automotive, and textiles sectors.
Most U.S. households could reduce their electricity costs and comfortably endure power outages by installing rooftop solar panels and battery packs, according to a new Stanford University study, though people may need to buy the equipment by December 31.
European governments are taking steps to break their dependence on critical scientific data the United States historically made freely available to the world, and are ramping up their own data collection systems to monitor climate change and weather extremes.
Texas-based startup Quidnet Energy just completed a test showing it can store energy for up to six months by pumping water underground. In traditional pumped hydro storage facilities, water is pumped uphill and then flows downhill when electricity is needed. Quidnet instead pumps water down into rock formations and keeps it under pressure so it flows up when released.
