All posts tagged: accelerate

Europe to accelerate effort to secure Hormuz despite Trump’s order to ‘STAY AWAY’ – POLITICO

Europe to accelerate effort to secure Hormuz despite Trump’s order to ‘STAY AWAY’ – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

But the exact details of a potential international mission remain sketchy. After the meeting in Paris on Friday, which included leaders from more than two dozen countries via videoconference, Meloni offered to deploy Italian frigates to the region. Germany on Thursday said it would contribute minesweepers. “It’s going in the right direction, even if the opening of Hormuz is conditional to coordination by the Iranian authorities and the United States has said it is going to maintain a targeted blockade,” Macron said. “Recent developments are encouraging but we must take them with caution,” the French leader added. But Europeans are at odds about whether the United States should be included in the mission, with France insisting the mission should only include non-belligerent countries, and Germany keen on including an American contingent. On Friday, that rift still looked open. Merz said it would be “desirable” to include the U.S., while Macron insisted the coalition should be “neutral and separate from the belligerents.” Source link

Plug-in solar panels set to accelerate UK homegrown energy

Plug-in solar panels set to accelerate UK homegrown energy

Published by skeptic

Plug-in solar panels will be rolled out in UK shops over the coming months, accelerating the government’s drive for clean, homegrown energy in light of the war in Iran. Plug-in solar will also enable more UK households to save money on their energy bills. The current conflict highlights that the only route to energy security and sovereignty for the UK is to end dependence on fossil fuel markets and accelerate the drive for clean, homegrown power, as well as new renewables and nuclear. The government has already taken significant steps to accelerate the transition to clean energy in response to the conflict. Last week, the government’s annual renewables auction was brought forward to July. The most recent auction was the biggest ever, and together with the previous auction, it has confirmed enough clean energy to power 23 million homes. How do plug-in solar panels work? Plug-in solar panels are widely used across Europe, with Germany installing around half a million every year. The free solar power can be used via a mains socket with no …

How agrivoltaics can accelerate Europe’s energy transition

How agrivoltaics can accelerate Europe’s energy transition

Published by skeptic

Jiri Bim, EUSEW Digital Ambassador and Head of the permitting and agrivoltaic section of the Czech Solar Association, reveals how agrivoltaics offer Europe a practical way to accelerate clean energy deployment by combining solar power with agriculture. Across Europe, the race to decarbonise energy systems often collides with land-use concerns and slow permitting processes. Agrivoltaics offers a promising solution: combining solar energy generation with agricultural production on the same land. Drawing from my experience accelerating renewable energy permitting in the Czech Republic, I explore how agrivoltaics can support Europe’s clean energy transition while strengthening rural economies and energy security. Agrivoltaics: A powerful tool for decarbonisation Europe’s decarbonisation targets require a rapid expansion of renewable energy while preserving land for food production and ecosystems. Agrivoltaics – the combination of photovoltaic systems and agricultural activities – offers a practical way to address this challenge. By enabling energy and food production on the same land, agrivoltaics increases land-use efficiency while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Across the European Union, electricity demand is expected to rise …

Will war in the Middle East accelerate the clean energy transition?

Will war in the Middle East accelerate the clean energy transition?

Published by skeptic

Plumes of smoke and fire at an oil facility in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates Associated Press/Alamy Despite Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on climate action, the “drill, baby, drill” president has given the green revolution a huge boost by attacking Iran. In response, the Islamic Republic has stopped almost all traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil and one-fifth of seaborne gas supplies pass, and struck oil and gas fields with drones and missiles. The cost of oil has jumped from about $70 to more than $100 a barrel, and natural gas prices have also shot up in most regions. While Arab countries have rerouted as much fuel as possible through pipelines, prices are expected to remain high. Even if oil prices come down to an average of $85 across the entire year, that will cost fossil-fuel importing countries an extra $240 billion, according to the think tank Ember. But maxing out the deployment of renewable energy, electric vehicles and heat pumps could reduce that cost by 70 per …

UK unveils £45m Sunrise AI supercomputer to accelerate fusion

UK unveils £45m Sunrise AI supercomputer to accelerate fusion

Published by skeptic

An industry-transforming system aims to position Britain at the forefront of AI-driven clean energy innovation. The UK Government has committed £45m to develop a new 1.4MW AI supercomputer designed to support fusion energy research, marking a significant step in integrating artificial intelligence with advanced scientific infrastructure. The system, named Sunrise, will be based at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Culham Campus in Oxfordshire and is expected to become operational by mid-2026. The project forms part of a broader effort to establish the UK’s first “AI Growth Zone,” combining high-performance computing with national energy research priorities. Officials position the initiative as both a technological investment and a strategic move to strengthen domestic capabilities in clean energy and AI. Dr Rob Akers, UKAEA’s Director for Computing Programmes, explained: “UKAEA is taking lessons from the Apollo programme: we learn fastest when we can test, iterate, and improve safely in the virtual world before we commit to our real-world mission. “Sunrise will bring that capability to fusion by combining high-fidelity simulation with physics-informed AI to develop predictive digital twins that reduce the cost, risk and time …

UK reforms to accelerate nuclear development and cut delays

UK reforms to accelerate nuclear development and cut delays

Published by skeptic

A new government review finds complex oversight has slowed nuclear infrastructure projects, prompting regulatory overhaul and new research investment. The UK Government has announced a series of regulatory and investment measures aimed at accelerating nuclear development, following an independent review that concluded the country’s oversight system has become overly complicated and inefficient. The review, led by John Fingleton through the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, found that the existing regulatory framework has tended to prioritise administrative process rather than measurable safety outcomes. Officials say the proposed reforms are intended to streamline oversight while maintaining strict safety and environmental standards. Ministers plan to implement the taskforce’s recommendations by the end of 2027. The reforms are expected to shorten project timelines and lower the cost of delivering both civil and defence-related nuclear infrastructure. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband commented: “I am grateful to John Fingleton for his landmark review, and the government is today publishing our implementation plan to deliver his reforms. “As the current Middle East conflict shows, we need to go further and faster to build the …

EU project set to accelerate Norwegian hydrogen production

EU project set to accelerate Norwegian hydrogen production

Published by skeptic

A new project aims to increase Norwegian hydrogen production to 37,081 tonnes per year by 2030. Known as NORHyWAY, the project positions Norway as a European leader in industrial hydrogen production, supporting emission reductions and green competitiveness. Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen commented: “This project is, in many ways, what has been missing to unlock the potential that exists in the next phase of the energy transition that we are about to enter. “Hydrogen is going from something that people debate whether it’s good or bad, to something the business community actively uses and depends on – both for climate commitments and for the development of jobs and industrial growth.” SINTEF will act as the project’s R&D partner to ensure that research and innovation are translated into industrial uptake and large-scale deployment. Overcoming barriers to Norwegian hydrogen production Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in decarbonising sectors where direct electrification is challenging. However, several barriers remain, including a mismatch between production and demand, regulatory uncertainty and high costs. NORHyWAY …

If you only ever have time to do a couple of stretches after a run make it these two to accelerate recovery, says a certified trainer

If you only ever have time to do a couple of stretches after a run make it these two to accelerate recovery, says a certified trainer

Published by Jenni Sidey

I recently supported my partner through a 5K-every-day-for-a-month charity running challenge. While it’s a great way to raise money for a good cause, it’s a lot to take on. Even when I was training for a marathon, I’d take rest days every week. So I put on my certified personal trainer hat to help. One thing I insisted on was a post-run stretch. In my eyes, it’s non-negotiable because of its importance for recovery and injury prevention. You may like It relieves tension from muscles and improves blood flow, which carries nutrients essential for muscle repair. This helps to reduce muscle soreness, stiffness and other symptoms associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness (commonly known as DOMS). Combined with slow, controlled deep breathing, stretching also helps shift the body from an activated (sympathetic) state to a resting (parasympathetic) state. The most important reason to stretch though, especially if you’re running every day, is to help prevent injuries. Regular running puts your hamstrings and hip flexors in a shortened, contracted position. Tight, inflexible muscles reduce how well you …

Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate

Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate

Published by skeptic

Giant icebergs have been breaking off the edge of Pine Island ice shelf NASA/Brooke Medley A large and fast-melting glacier in West Antarctica has sped up dramatically since 2017. This may be a sign that the floating ice shelf in front of it is no longer helping to hold back the ice. Pine Island glacier is the fastest-flowing glacier in Antarctica and the largest contributor to sea-level rise of all Antarctic glaciers. It is a key part of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which holds enough ice to raise the global sea level by 5.3 metres if melted completely. The Pine Island ice shelf lies in front of the glacier and juts out over the ocean. It is thought to play a crucial role in holding back the inland ice and shielding it from warm water, buttressing an amount of ice equivalent to 51 centimetres of sea-level rise. The instability of Pine Island glacier and the neighbouring Thwaites glacier, nicknamed the Doomsday glacier, poses a major threat to the long-term viability of the broader West …

€11.85m call to accelerate semiconductors quantum technologies

€11.85m call to accelerate semiconductors quantum technologies

Published by skeptic

A major new funding opportunity has opened for researchers working at the cutting edge of semiconductors and quantum technologies. Through the HTSM Call titled “Heterogeneous development solutions for semiconductors & scaling of quantum technologies”, NWO and Holland High Tech are inviting research consortia to submit ambitious, collaborative proposals that strengthen the Netherlands’ technological leadership. Strategic investment in key national technologies Semiconductor and quantum technologies are cornerstones of the Dutch government’s National Technology Strategy, underpinning future advances in computing, communication, security and industrial competitiveness. To accelerate both fundamental insight and real-world application, NWO and Holland High Tech have jointly committed €11.85m to this call. The funding is evenly split: half is reserved for semiconductor-focused research, while the remaining budget supports projects dedicated to advancing quantum technologies. By balancing these two domains, the call aims to reinforce the entire innovation chain – from materials and design to manufacturing and scalability. Two research tracks with strong industrial relevance The call is structured around two complementary research areas. The first centres on heterogeneous integration in semiconductor systems. Researchers are …