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A Look at 3 Strategies for Sustainable Development

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Everyone believes that sustainable development should be a global priority, yet it can be challenging to incorporate this global concern into governmental policies.

Strategies for sustainable development are defined as growth that meets current demands without jeopardizing the capacity of future generations to content their own needs.

According to economists, strategies for sustainable development are an economic process that preserves and passes on to future generations the quality and quantity of our natural resource stocks and the integrity of biogeochemical cycles. [Read more…] about A Look at 3 Strategies for Sustainable Development

Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

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Wolfspeed, a developer of silicon carbide technology, says it will build a new, state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar materials manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina.

The investment is targeted to generate a more than 10 fold increase from Wolfspeed’s current Silicon Carbide production capacity on its Durham campus, supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy, accelerating the adoption of Silicon Carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.

Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Wolfspeed, says: “Wolfspeed is the industry leader in supplying the materials required to meet the accelerating demand for next generation semiconductors and creating a more sustainable future for all. [Read more…] about Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

Deutsche Bahn and Kia give used electric car batteries a second life as stationary energy storage systems

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Korean carmaker Kia and Deutsche Bahn have partnered up to increase the useable life of batteries used in electric mobility. Their solution is to re-use used lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles to create efficient and cost-effective energy storage systems for green electricity.

These second-life battery energy storage solutions are modular and can be used in a wide variety of different applications.

For example, they can save surplus electricity from photovoltaic systems or, as part of a distributed system, can supply power throughout the day to DB maintenance depots and depots where trains are prepared for operations. [Read more…] about Deutsche Bahn and Kia give used electric car batteries a second life as stationary energy storage systems

Unigel installs first industrial-scale green hydrogen production site in Brazil using ThyssenKrupp technology

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Unigel has built the first industrial-scale green hydrogen plant in Brazil.

The company, which is one of the largest chemical companies in Latin America and the largest manufacturer of nitrogen fertilizers in Brazil, has invested a total of $120 million in the development of the production site for green hydrogen.

In the first phase of the project, Unigel installed three 20 MW standard electrolyzers from ThyssenKrupp Nucera, adding up to a total capacity of 60 MW. The plant will feed one of the largest green ammonia plants by capacity when it starts its production. [Read more…] about Unigel installs first industrial-scale green hydrogen production site in Brazil using ThyssenKrupp technology

DuPont commits to using renewable energy across all its global operations

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Industrial giant DuPont, which specializes in developing novel materials such as Kevlar, says it is committed to using renewable energy across all its operations worldwide.

As a step towards that goal, DuPont has joined RE100, a global environmental initiative led by the Climate Group in partnership with CDP, which brings together companies committed to shifting the electricity used globally in its operations to 100 percent renewable energy.

Joining RE100 underscores DuPont’s commitment to its global Acting on Climate sustainability goal, which aims to source at least 60 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. DuPont is also committing to address market and policy barriers to sourcing renewables alongside member companies. [Read more…] about DuPont commits to using renewable energy across all its global operations

Volvo Group to establish battery production plant in Sweden

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The Volvo Group has initiated the process to establish a large-scale production plant for battery cells in Sweden.

The company says the initiative is designed to meet “the growing demand for battery electric heavy-duty vehicles and machines”.

Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group, says: “We aim to lead the transition to a decarbonized transport system and have the long-term ambition to offer our customers solutions that are 100 percent fossil free. [Read more…] about Volvo Group to establish battery production plant in Sweden

Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has formed a strategic joint venture with SANY Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of SANY Heavy Industry, a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer and the third largest heavy equipment manufacturer globally.

Pony.ai and SANY say they will collaborate to create a “world-leading autonomous truck brand”.

The two companies say they will “deeply integrate” Pony.ai’s “virtual driver” with SANY’s technical accumulation in the field of wire-controlled chassis and vehicle development to jointly develop high-end heavy trucks that are automotive-grade and have L4-class redundancies. These trucks will inaugurate the future of truck logistics transportation.

The joint venture plans to start small-scale deliveries of the robotrucks in 2022 and 2023. Mass production of the L4 truck will commence in 2024 and within a few years will reach an annual production of around 10,000 trucks. [Read more…] about Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

ForwardX Robotics partners with Qualcomm to develop new autonomous mobile robots

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ForwardX Robotics, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots for warehouses, is partnering with chipmaking giant Qualcomm to develop new robots.

The two companies showcased the results of their collaboration at the recent Hannover Messe event in Germany, where ForwardX and Qualcomm jointly gave demonstrations.

Qualcomm showcased its Robotics RB5 Platform with the ForwardX Flex AMR on display. The robotics platform supports 5G connectivity, AI and machine learning, superior computing, and intelligent sensing capabilities. [Read more…] about ForwardX Robotics partners with Qualcomm to develop new autonomous mobile robots

Intelligent City raises $30 million to bring robotics and automation to prefabricated construction sector

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With pressure mounting for cities to address affordable housing needs, decarbonize buildings, and meet sustainability goals, housing technology company Intelligent City raised CAD 22 million ($17 million), bringing the total capital invested in the company to CAD 30 million ($23 million).

As one of the first companies in North America to apply automation and robotics to the design and manufacturing of prefabricated mass timber buildings, Intelligent City will use the funding to scale operations, commercialize its Platforms for Life (P4L) building solution, grow factory automation, and expand its footprint across and beyond Canada.

Earlier this year, the company completed testing of its building systems and is now verified to work within the new mass timber high-rise building codes in Canada and the US. [Read more…] about Intelligent City raises $30 million to bring robotics and automation to prefabricated construction sector

Comau to automate production of hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers for ‘multiple clients’

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Comau says it is working with “multiple clients in different parts of the world” to automate the production of fuel cells and electrolyzers.

By leveraging its knowledge and expertise in electrification and renewable energies, Comau is helping facilitate the creation of reliable, zero-emission power.

It is doing so by developing a proprietary solutions portfolio to automate key process steps, including cell preparation and stacking, leak testing and more, as part of its commitment to lowering the price point of fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturing. [Read more…] about Comau to automate production of hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers for ‘multiple clients’