Author: Tami Hood

New Hyundai fuel cell electric truck to be launched in 2019

Tami Hood
Hyundai fuel cell electric truck - Image from Hyundai Motors

Hyundai Motor teases first look at its new fuel cell electric truck. The first look at the new Hyundai fuel cell electric truck has been revealed by the South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer. The new truck features a fuel cell powertrain and is the next vehicle the company is launching that will be equipped with fuel cell technology. The truck has been designed with a spoiler and side protector. Based on the image and brief details released by the automotive company, the Hyundai fuel cell electric truck features a simple…

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California clean power bill signed into law by Governor Brown

Tami Hood
California clean power bill - Claifornia Welcome Sign

California has officially committed to total carbon-free power by 2045. The California clean power goal of achieving 100% fossil fuel-free electricity by 2045 – SB100 – has been signed into law by the state’s governor Jerry Brown. Brown also issued an executive order for statewide carbon neutrality by that same year. In addition to signing in SB100, Governor Brown added an executive order that calls for carbon neutrality across the state, also by 2045. What this means is that by that year, California must remove as much carbon dioxide from…

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Waste product from textiles could benefit renewable energy storage tech

Tami Hood
Renewable energy storage - Water in cup with blue dye

Scientists find that a blue dye from textile waste could change battery design Chemists at the University of Buffalo have learned that methylene blue has the potential to be repurposed to create a renewable energy storage technology. The blue dye could be utilized as a battery. Methylene blue is a blue dye that is a major component of waste from the textile industry. In the scientists’ research, published in the journal ChemElectroChem. They found that the dye has electrical properties, potentially making it ideal for use as a battery. Methylene…

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Solar powered water dispensing systems deliver clean drinking water in India

Tami Hood
Solar Powered water - clean drinking water - fountain

Swajal Water helps bring clean drinking water to the slums and rural areas of India. In certain parts of India, clean drinking water is scarce. However, a unique solar powered water dispensing unit known as Swajal Water, is helping to address the lack of safe drinking water in the nation. The first “Water ATM” received funding for development back in 2011. The creator behind the solar powered water dispensing systems is Vibha Tripathi, a scientist with a passion for solar energy and improving the lives of the poor. She is…

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First full-service Volvo hybrid bus to roll into Australian town

Tami Hood
Volvo hybrid bus - Interior of public bus

Latrobe Valley public bus users will be the first in Victoria to use the new and cleaner transportation. The Volvo hybrid bus will be the first full-service hybrid bus in Australia and it is being launched in the town of Moe, located in Victoria, Australia. The new Volgren-bodied hybrid chassis bus will enter Latrobe Valley Bus lines by the end of August. This bus will be one of eight Volvo Euro 6 hybrids to be rolled out across the region. Latrobe Valley Bus Lines reportedly ordered eight of the buses…

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Promising research could lead to the production of clean hydrogen

Tami Hood

A Stanford graduate student may have found a solution to platinum catalysts. Scientists around the world continue their quest to find cheap and clean hydrogen fuel production methods that do not require the use of expensive metals, like platinum. Now, a graduate student from Stanford University, Xinjian Shi, has revealed in a recent study, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, that he may have found a solution using cobalt. Cheap and abundant metal sulfides can be transformed into powerful electrodes for HERs. Like other scientists searching for cheap…

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Delaware Hydrogen plant project announced by PBF Energy

Tami Hood
Delaware Hydrogen Plant - Cargo Ship on ocean

The new project will help to make cleaner fuel for ships. In an effort to boost cleaner fuel production, a new Delaware hydrogen plant will be built at the Delaware City Refinery. The owner of the refinery, PBF Energy, is betting that more hydrogen will lead to bigger profits and give them a key competitive advantage over other fuel producers, reported Delaware Online. Hydrogen is a vital sulfur-removing catalyst in oil refining. With a growing demand for clean diesel, the Delaware hydrogen plant is likely to have a strong future.…

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Ammonia to hydrogen technology tested in fuel cell cars for first time

Tami Hood
Ammonia to hydrogen - liquid drop water

CSIRO successfully refuels two fuel cell vehicles with it ultra-high purity hydrogen. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has announced the successful road testing of two fuel cell cars powered by its ammonia to hydrogen technology. The organization became the first to demonstrate the production of “very clean hydrogen” produced from ammonia. The two fuel cell vehicles selected for the road test in Australia were the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo, according to a CSIRO news release. They hydrogen was produced in Queensland using CSIRO’s membrane technology.…

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Dirty renewable energy a problem in Rhode Island

Tami Hood
Dirty Renewable Energy - Wood - Biomass

Rhode Island’s clean energy practices need improvement according to new study. A national study conducted by Washington D.C.-based environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch, has criticized Rhode Island for using dirty renewable energy sources that the state has declared a part of its renewables program. Rhode Island’s RES includes generating power from dubious fuels. In essence, “dirty renewable energy” refers to the generation of energy from natural sources that produce pollution, such as woody biomass and landfill gas, both of which produce greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane…

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New EV Battery Recycling program to be launched in China

Tami Hood
EV battery recycling - Sign for EV Charging Station

China wants to implement a recycling strategy to prevent future pollution problems. In the not-so-distant future, EV battery recycling is expected to become a significant part of the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain and China isn’t wasting any time on developing recycling standards for these used batteries. Lithium battery waste could reach an estimated 170,000 tons by 2020. In as little as two years, experts have warned that annual lithium battery waste (this includes batteries used in electric vehicles) could reach 170,000 tons, reported Reuters. Data that was recently published…

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Aberdeen hydrogen energy storage facility to offer free tours to generate public interest

Tami Hood

Free tours of the hydrogen refueling station will take place in September. The Aberdeen City Hydrogen Energy Storage (ACHES) facility will be hosting a series of free tours for the general public in September. The tours are for members of the general public who are interested in hydrogen fuel vehicles as a low carbon transport. ACHES is the second hydrogen refueling station in the Scottish city. Located on Langdykes Road in Cove, the Aberdeen City Hydrogen Energy Storage facility is a crucial part of the city’s investment in hydrogen technology.…

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Apple to support renewable power in China through China Clean Energy Fund

Tami Hood
Apple - Climate Change - Renewable Energy - China Clean Energy Fund

Apple will jointly invest $300 million into the fund. The California-based tech giant has announced the China Clean Energy Fund, a new unique type of investment fund in China to connect suppliers with renewable power sources. Apple, along with 10 initial suppliers, will jointly invest $300 million over the next four years into the fund, reported an official Apple press release. The investment fund is part of Apple’s commitment to address climate change. The purpose of the China Clean Energy Fund is to invest in and develop green energy projects…

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Team from Indonesia places first in the Shell Eco-marathon 2018

Tami Hood
Shell Eco-marathon 2018 - Image of past race

Once again, young engineers from across the globe compete to break energy efficiency records. It was a tight race in London at the Shell Eco-marathon 2018 grand final, but in the end it was a car designed by a team from Indonesia that won the top spot. This was a huge victory for the Sapuangin Team from Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) Surabaya, Indonesia, as they had previously failed to claim the top spot two years in a row. All teams representing the Asian region in the car racing…

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New biofuel production technique could dramatically reduce fuel-related CO2 emissions

Tami Hood
Biofuel production - Green Energy

Scientists have discovered a way to make the production of biofuels more environmentally friendly. Imperial College London scientists have improved the process of using biology to make products, which could lead to a cheaper and more environmentally friendly biofuel production technique as well as more efficient plastic recycling. The scientists’ findings were published in the journal Nature Chemistry. The scientists claim to be able to breakdown plant-based biomass 30 times faster. The biofuel production technique discovered by the researchers can reportedly breakdown plant-based biomass 30 times faster than current bioprocessing…

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Deliberate freshwater oil spill conducted in the name of science

Tami Hood
freshwater oil spill - freshwater later

Canadian researchers seek to study the effects of oil spills on freshwater ecosystems. A team of scientists in northern Ontario, Canada, are purposely creating a freshwater oils spill in small cordoned off sections in an actual freshwater lake to study the effects the oil has on the natural environment. The scientists used diluted bitumen for their research. Thousands of miles of pipelines and rail lines cross many thousands of miles of freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes and drainage basins in North America. Pumped through these pipelines and railway tank cars is…

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Italy wants one million electric cars on its roads by 2022

Tami Hood
Electric Cars Goal - EV sign on road

This ambitious electric vehicle (EV) goal could cost the nation $10 billion in incentives. Italy’s one million electric cars 2022 goal is no joke. Bloomberg reported that a spokesperson confirmed the Italian government is working toward the objective. However, what isn’t known is if every one of the million battery-powered vehicles will be fully electric or if this target also includes hybrids. Either way, such an endeavor would be an expensive one and could cost $10 billion in incentives. The estimated number of EVs on Italy’s roads today is less…

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