Envirotec Magazine

MAY 2, 2024

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd. On recent revisits to two Steelcoat 100/400 System applications in the Northeast of England, Winn & Coales (Denso) Ltd. were proud to confirm that both applications were performing as expected, providing exemplary protection from corrosion over a decade since their installations.

Innovation 130

Innovation 130

Envirotec Magazine

MAY 2, 2024

This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Puraffinity. Puraffinity, which develops precision technology for the removal of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across multiple water treatment applications, has appointed Pete Weaver as its Chief Operating Officer. Pete joins Puraffinity from digital printing technology provider Domino Printing Sciences where he was Group Fluids Operations Director responsible for Domino’s global fluids manufacturing operations, including plants, i

Logistics 130

Logistics Agriculture Health Technology 130

Envirotec Magazine

APRIL 28, 2024

An aerial view of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as Plastic Island, which comprises mainly plastic, light metals and organic residues of garbage. A new report attempts to better understand the provenance and impact of plastics in the ocean. Launched ahead of Earth Day 2024 (22nd April), with this year’s theme being Planet Vs. Plastic, the report (titled ‘How Much Plastic Is In The Ocean?

Plastics 147

Plastics Microplastics Waste Waste 147

Envirotec Magazine

MAY 2, 2024

The digital twin was used to test various refurbishment scenarios and identify those that would be most effective. A new tool for optimising the operational performance of buildings has been used as part of a project at the University of Liverpool, resulting in operational cost savings of £25,000 and energy consumption reductions of 23%. Glasgow-based climate technology firm, IES, is working in partnership with the university by using the software suite IES Live to evaluat in real-time the impac

Building Energy Monitoring 147

Building Energy Monitoring Energy Monitor HVAC Carbon 147

Envirotec Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

7.8GW of clean energy projects, more than double the output of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, have had their connection offer dates brought forward by up to 10 years, National Grid announced on 30 April. The timeline is being expedited via the Technical Limits programme, a cross-industry collaboration in the electricity grid infrastructure space, which is allowing projects to connect to lower voltage distribution networks prior to reinforcement of the high voltage transmission network.

Electricity 130

Electricity Energy Energy Nuclear Power 130

Envirotec Magazine

MAY 1, 2024

Test tubes in close-up (image credit: Stoyko Sabotanov, CC BY 4.0 license). Lack of data from the chemical industry in the EU often prevents the assessment of whether substances used in consumer products, for example, are endocrine disrupting, according to a report from the Technical University of Denmark. As a result, the researchers recommend updating the information requirements in the EU legislation, REACH.

Waste 130

Waste Waste 130

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 28, 2024

Researchers working on the ASTEP project , a European Union Horizon 2020 collaborative project, and a key initiative within the Crowdhelix Solar Energy Helix , have developed what they describe as a cutting-edge solar heating and cooling technology for dairy industry processes: the SunDial Solar Collector. SunDial is undergoing trials at Mandrekas, a prominent dairy operation located in Corinth, Greece.

Cooling 262

Cooling Innovation Education Technology 262

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

A perfect storm of inflation, supply chain disruption, spiralling interest rates and delays in connection to the National Grid means that the swathe of solar farms approved and going through planning permission in the UK are likely to be severely delayed or cancelled undermining any hopes of achieving the Government target of a fivefold increase to 70GW by 2035.

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Carbon-neutral Government Investment Energy 290

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

Measures that will make it easier to recycle and reuse electrical goods appear in the government’s WEEE consultation , launched on 28 December 2023. The proposals include setting up a new category for vapes, to ensure the additional cost of their disposal is borne by vape producers only. Experts in the WEEE sphere were quick to welcome the consultation, and offer thoughts on what has been going wrong to date, with recycling WEEE.

Recycling 278

Recycling Recycling Retail Waste 278

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

In advance of the statutory requirement for biodiversity net gain (BNG) for new developments from January 2024, new research appears to reveal a gradual increase in the number requesting in excess of the 10% biodiversity net gain. Law firm Carter Jonas conducted the research, analysing the emergence of BNG policies and guidance within local planning authorities (LPAs) in a series of research from spring 2022.

Biodiversity 348

Biodiversity Policy Demand Law 348

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

Nanoparticles (left) being added to distillery wastewater. Wastewater from the distilling industry could be used to produce green hydrogen using new nanoscale materials that scientists at Heriot-Watt University say they have developed. Distilleries in Scotland alone produce an estimated 1 million litres a year of wastewater from the whisky distilling process.

Hydrogen 260

Hydrogen Fossil fuels Carbon Sustainability 260

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

The research has developed a sustainability metric for the ecological design of plastic products, like cup-lids, recognizing and quantifying their propensity to break-down more quickly in the environment (image credit: Bryan James/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). Researchers have developed a sustainability metric for the ecological design of plastic products that have low persistence in the environment.

Plastics 162

Plastics Pollution Sustainability Microplastics 162

Envirotec Magazine

JANUARY 9, 2024

Image credit: IOP Publishing. A study published on 9 January appears to find that green ammonia could be used to fulfil the fuel demands of over 60% of global shipping by targeting just the top 10 regional fuel ports. Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at the production costs of ammonia which are similar to very low sulphur fuels, and concluded that the fuel could be a viable option to help decarbonise international shipping by 2050.

South America 162

South America Demand Transportation Asia 162

Envirotec Magazine

DECEMBER 5, 2023

If the cement industry was a country it would be the third largest emitter in the world, after China and the US – the need for realistic milestones towards decarbonisation is urgent. A new report sets out a strategy for achieving net zero concrete and cement. It has been endorsed by ten of the world’s largest concrete companies and cement makers, including Heidelberg, Cemex and Holcim, in addition to architects, engineers, and construction firms Concrete is the world’s most widely used mat

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Carbon-neutral Construction Demand Carbon 235

Envirotec Magazine

DECEMBER 5, 2023

By Carole Roberts, Researcher, Carbon Footprint of Transport, UCL; Mark Maslin, Professor of Natural Sciences, UCL; and Priti Parikh, Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development, UCL writing in The Conversation. Rishi Sunak, David Cameron and King Charles are just three of the more than 70,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries at the latest UN climate summit in Dubai, COP28.

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COP Transportation Carbon Climate change 264

Envirotec Magazine

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Emissions reductions alone are no longer enough to put us on track for a safe and manageable future for humanity, according to a new report , released on 5 December by internationally renowned climate experts, the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG). The report states that urgent action is needed to critically examine the full range of climate interventions, including the removal of excess GHGs from the atmosphere , and repairing parts of global and regional climate systems.

Africa 246

Africa Policy Government Carbon 246

Envirotec Magazine

DECEMBER 5, 2023

It’s time to consider if there are less violent ways of living alongside rats. By Tobias Linné Assistant Professor in Media and Communication Studies, Lund University, writing in The Conversation Rats have a somewhat unfortunate tendency to enjoy living where people live. That’s how a biologist tried to explain people’s hatred for the rodents in a television news feature about rats gnawing electrical cables in parked cars in the southern Swedish town of Malmö.

Europe 255

Europe Ethics Africa Waste 255

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

An artist’s depiction of the liquid-like layer of molecules repelling water droplets (image credit: Ekaterina Osmekhina/Aalto University). A revised method to create hydrophobic surfaces has implications for any technology where water meets a solid surface, from optics and microfluidics to cooking Researchers have developed a new mechanism to make water droplets slip off surfaces, described in a paper published in Nature Chemistry.

Technology 147

Technology Transportation Innovation 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

“Many carbon credits will be created through the protection of forestry.” By Mike Edwards, Chairman of Ora Technology PLC (Ora), a company focused on carbon trading, and attempting to facilitate the process of buying, selling, and retiring carbon credits in the voluntary carbon market (VCM). The aim to limit global average temperature increases to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is a threshold that we are in imminent danger of crossing.

Carbon 147

Carbon Retail Carbon-neutral Investment 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

British Steel has announced plans to further decarbonize its operations via a £1.25-billion proposal to transition towards electric arc furnace steelmaking, and away from the use of blast furnaces. The TUC said the move would result in mass job losses. Unveiling the plans as “the biggest transformation in its history”, the steelmaker said that, following detailed analysis of its current operations, available technology and challenging market conditions, the company was proposing to a

Carbon 147

Carbon Sustainability Electricity Investment 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

A biofuel cell technology for generating electricity from wastewater has secured two national engineering awards for a team of researchers at the University of Nottingham. The team met in 2020 as PhD researchers at the university via the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme. Now, their early-stage cleantech startup, Pipeline Organics, is seeking further support.

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Startups Electricity Organic Education 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

The King’s Speech on 7 November seemed to put little wind in the sails of those seeking to address environmental problems. Commentators noted an absence of material on sewage spilling into rivers, or raising energy efficiency standards in rented accommodation, or providing the support for local authorities to implement Simpler Recycling – to name a few concerns whose omission seemed to provoke comment.

Cooling 147

Cooling Transportation Recycling Recycling 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Andrew Welsh is water utilities director at Xylem UK. Smart meters are prominent in water companies’ 2025-2030 business plans, in line with regulatory expectations for large-scale rollouts. In this Q&A, Andrew Welsh, discusses the sector’s readiness, and how the company is gearing-up for a rapid increase in demand. What are the key benefits of smart meters for utilities and their customers?

Energy Monitor 147

Energy Monitor Building Energy Monitoring Business Energy Monitoring Batteries 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

500 key frontline workers to take part in first round of four days of action Trade union group Unite confirmed on 9 November that its 500-strong Scottish Water membership will take its first round of strike action after talks with the public body ended in failure. Unite, along with the other recognised trade unions held its latest round of talks with Scottish Water bosses on Wednesday 8 November following the announcement of 48 days of industrial action over three months.

Waste 130

Waste Waste Packaging Health 130

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Coal-fired power plant chimneys: In fast-growing economies, rapidly increasing energy demand is triggering investment in both low carbon and fossil fuel generation, leaving certain countries, including India and China, unlikely to reach net zero until much later. Governments and industry must deliver transformative change on net zero but are currently hamstrung by significant barriers, including global public debt, domestic tensions, increased opposition to decarbonization plans, and the need to

Fossil fuels 147

Fossil fuels Aviation Climate change Biodiversity 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

The European Waste Management Association – FEAD – hosted a conference on PFAS in the waste sector on 9 November in Rimini, at which participants discussed the impact of a potential ban. A proposal for such a ban was submitted by several EU Member States to ECHA at the beginning of this year. A critical review attempted to analyse the presence of PFAS in various waste streams, and was presented at the event by a team from the University of Padova, drawing on around 5,000 measurements

Waste 130

Waste Waste Policy 130

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Nothophantes horridus (image credit: (c) John Walters). A new report by conservation charity Buglife appears to find that half of the UK’s most special species are at risk of global extinction. The report brings together knowledge on twenty invertebrate species which are endemic to Great Britain. Endemic species are those which are only found in Britain, and nowhere else in the world – they are the crown jewels of our biodiversity.

Biodiversity 147

Biodiversity 147

Envirotec Magazine

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

LKAB is running a conveyor system that carries 15 million tons of iron ore every year. LKAB has awarded ABB a contract to install two ABB Gearless Conveyor Drives (GCDs) on the existing conveyor belt system at its Malmberget mine near Gällivare, Norrbotten County, Lapland, the most northern province in Sweden. The existing setup already carries up to 15 million tons of iron ore every year, using a 2,800kW wound rotor induction motor (WRIM) with gearbox to drive the conveyor.

Energy Monitor 147

Energy Monitor Technology Energy Energy 147

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Puraffinity CEO, Henrik Hagemann This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Puraffinity. Puraffinity, which develops precision technology for the removal of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across multiple water treatment applications, has raised $13.9m in Series A funding. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from existing investors Kindred Capital, HG Ventures, Verve Ventures and Acequia Capital.

Incubators 130

Incubators Incubators Patents Health 130

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

A flooded riverbank in Windsor. The UK government will invest £25 million in projects that use nature to protect communities from flooding, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow announced on 22 September. The “ring-fenced funding”, provided by the Government and the Environment Agency, is intended to support natural flood management schemes across England that use techniques such as planting trees and creating wetlands to slow and store water to reduce the risk of flooding.

Resilience 147

Resilience Government Biodiversity Investment 147

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Hong Kong from Victoria Peak: cities account for over two thirds of global energy consumption while occupying only 2% of the Earth’s surface. A new report, ‘Risk & Resilience: The role of cities in tackling the climate crisis’ , argues that climate resilience must be embraced as a guiding principle across urban development, given the extreme exposure of cities to climate risk.

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Resilience North America Investment Carbon 162

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

The report suggests steps for governments to take, to reduce risk and improve the economic feasibility of low-emissions hydrogen. Interest in new hydrogen projects remains strong but economic headwinds “will challenge the resolve of developers”, says a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The group says timely rollout of policy support is needed to deliver on investments.

Hydrogen 147

Hydrogen Policy Fossil fuels Demand 147

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

The governments of the UK and Germany have signed a new agreement they say will help accelerate the development of an international hydrogen industry – with the two countries at the cutting edge of its development. Signed on 26 September at the UK Embassy in Berlin by Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan, and Federal Republic of Germany’s State Secretary for Energy Philip Nimmermann, the new Joint Declaration of Intent “will see the UK and Germany work together to under

Hydrogen 162

Hydrogen Technology Fossil fuels Carbon 162

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

A new project in Devon will combine cutting-edge technology and community engagement, in a bid to boost the diversity of plant and animal life. Conservation CIC Pollenize has created a biodiversity programme that it says enables continuous improvements to land, using a tracking tool called ‘Floradex’, built with the University of Plymouth. Harnessing people power – by working with local community volunteers – a series of ‘Bioblitz’ surveys take place to identify local flora and fauna, which are

Biodiversity 130

Biodiversity Sustainability Investment Innovation 130

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Tiny waterfleas could play a pivotal role in removing persistent chemical pollutants from wastewater – making it safe to use in factories, farms and homes, a new study appears to show. The research identifies a method to harness Daphnia to provide a scalable low-cost, low-carbon way of removing pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals from wastewater.

Pollution 147

Pollution Health Technology Biodiversity 147

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

The leak was detected by GHGSat satellites on 20 April, 2023. In what seems to be a first, a UK methane leak has been spotted from space, and mitigated. Methane leaking from a faulty pipe in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was picked up by satellites orbiting 500km overhead in April 2023. The discovery, by NCEO researchers at the University of Leeds, relied on data from satellite firm GHGSat.

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Methane Energy Monitor Business Energy Monitoring Home Energy Monitoring 147

Envirotec Magazine

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Meteor’s MRC cameras have been designed to operate unattended in remote locations where normal power and communications may not be available. Water companies are now legally obliged to publish data on their storm overflows, but many of these discharge points are also increasingly being monitored using remote cameras, says Meteor Communications, a specialist in this technology.

Energy Monitor 147

Energy Monitor Demand Solar Energy Monitor Pollution 147