Antora Energy Inc., a startup supported by billionaire Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has initiated its first commercial-scale thermal battery system in Fresno, California. The company aims to deliver its technology by 2025. Distinct from lithium-ion batteries that store electrical power as chemical energy, Antora’s thermal battery preserves energy as heat within carbon blocks at […]
Metals Tech
Hydrogen hubs too reliant on fossil fuels, expert says
The Biden administration has announced the locations of seven regional manufacturing hubs that will receive a portion of $7 billion in initial funding to help jumpstart a hydrogen industry. Hydrogen is seen by some as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. But others note that that the process still relies heavily on fossil fuels as […]
China’s BYD eyes lithium assets in Brazil in EV raw-material push
BYD is mulling the purchase of lithium mining assets in Brazil as it seeks to lock in raw-material supplies to expand its electric vehicle (EV) production outside Asia. The Chinese company’s new EV factory in Brazil will include a unit to process lithium and iron phosphate for the international market and BYD hopes it will be able to finish work […]
German start-up develops the world’s first solid-state battery ready for series production
The applications range from stationary storage for home and industrial use to charging infrastructures and the mobility segment – such as the automotive industry. The data and properties measured so far show significantly better values and characteristics compared to the currently dominant lithium-ion batteries. Longevity: While conventional lithium-ion batteries have to be replaced after about […]
Mimicking ‘plant power’ through artificial photosynthesis
Solar panels are an increasingly popular way to generate electricity from the sun’s energy. Although humans are still figuring out how to reliably turn that energy into fuel, plants have been doing it for eons through photosynthesis. Now, a team reporting in ACS Engineering Au has mimicked the process to produce methane, an energy-dense fuel, from carbon dioxide (CO2), […]
Powering AI could use as much electricity as a small country
Artificial intelligence (AI) comes with promises of helping coders code faster, drivers drive safer, and making daily tasks less time-consuming. But in a commentary published October 10 in the journal Joule, the founder of Digiconomist demonstrates that the tool, when adopted widely, could have a large energy footprint, which in the future may exceed the […]
Superconducting niobium waveguide achieves high-precision communications for B5G/6G networks
A team of researchers has made a breakthrough discovery in the world of Beyond 5G/6G (B5G/6G) signal transmission. Taku Nakajima and Kazuji Suzuki of Nagoya University in Japan, along with their collaborators, created a waveguide made of niobium that speeds up the transition of B5G/6G signals. The researchers published their findings in the Journal of […]
Virginia electric coops to test long-duration batteries on Maryland island
Virginia’s smaller, more rural network of electric service providers is the latest group to test the waters of long-duration battery storage as it awaits an infusion of funds from the federal government. This fall, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative will receive major funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to install […]
Meet the latest next-gen battery startup to put down roots in a rural town in Washington
California battery startup OneD Battery Sciences is breaking ground Monday on a pilot manufacturing facility in the Eastern Washington town of Moses Lake. It joins two other companies — Group14 Technologies and Sila Nanotechnologies — that are also producing silicon-enhanced materials for making batteries higher performing and faster charging, further solidifying the region as a […]
HP wireless all-in-one has 83 Wh rechargeable battery, handle for portability
In a tech world with powerful desktops and ultralight laptops, all-in-one PCs have become a niche category. Yet, with the right twist, they can become more interesting. HP’s Envy Move all-in-one PC, released today, has a handle and an integrated, rechargeable 83 Wh battery. Combined with a handle on its backside and a built-in pocket […]
