Author: Haitham Razagui

Chemicals firm BASF has established a state-of-the-art facility for battery material production and recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany with both production and recycling at the same location. Minimising transportation of materials between the two facilities reduces costs and environmental impact while improving operational and logistical efficiency. Co-location of both production and recycling epitomises the concept of … Continue reading Battery material production logically placed on same site as recycling facility

Toyota has partnered with the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to create a cutting-edge electric storage system that utilises recycled electric vehicle batteries. Energy stored in these batteries will come from renewable sources and be used during times when wind-generated power isn’t enough to meet grid requirements. The new electric storage system will have an … Continue reading Toyota repurposing used EV batteries into grid-scale renewable energy storage

The Australian Refrigeration Council board has elected Greg Picker to the position of chair as Michael Bennett AM’s term as director and chair ended, concluding his long and illustrious career in the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry. Kylie Farrelley was elected to the director seat vacated by Michael Bennett and Richard Livingston was re-elected to the … Continue reading Picker named ARC chair, Bennett retires

Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have devised a solar-powered test chamber with battery storage, enabling year-round validation of cooling systems in a controlled environment. The facility maintains a consistent 51–54°C and allows for accurate measurement of temperature, humidity, and air velocity. Its calibration was conducted based on the results of a full-scale experiment on … Continue reading Passive downdraft cooling system experiment

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have made a significant breakthrough by generating electricity from latent heat produced during a substance’s phase transition through the phenomenon known as the thermoelectric effect.  This breakthrough has profound implications for enhancing thermocells, devices that convert temperature differences into electricity. With increasing global temperatures and demand for cooling, this … Continue reading Latent heat energy breakthrough

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) in Germany are making significant progress in the development of electrocaloric heat pumps that offer a promising alternative to compressor technology, with the goal of increasing efficiency and offering a more eco-friendly alternative to refrigerants. This type of heat pump utilises the unique properties … Continue reading Refrigerant-free heat pump

Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed an innovative solution to tackle the persistent problem of potholes caused by freezing and thawing during the winter, which could significantly improve the state of major roads across Britain. Potholes are created by three main factors: First, road surface cracks develop due to traffic. Second, water enters … Continue reading Can heat pumps prevent potholes?

Major shareholders of global refrigerant specialist A-Gas have reached an agreement to sell a majority stake in the company to TPG Rise Climate, the climate investing platform of TPG Rise. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Current major shareholder KKR will … Continue reading TPG Rise Climate acquires majority stake in A-Gas but KKR remains involved

Daimler Truck head of truck technology Andreas Gorbach

Mercedes-Benz has been making headlines recently. First, its GenH2 prototype – approved for public road use – completed the #HydrogenRecordRun, where it covered 1047km using just one fill of liquid hydrogen. Soon after, an eActros 600 prototype took the spotlight, travelling over 1000km with only a single intermediate charge. Daimler has since confirmed that the … Continue reading Mercedes-Benz pushes the range envelope with hydrogen and electric trucks

Years of hybrid sales by the likes of Toyota mean electrified vehicles are now regularly presenting at workshops

Australian auto workshops are actively preparing for the future of electric vehicles (EVs), with 50 per cent already EV-ready or investing in skills and equipment, according to the Australia-First 2023 Future Readiness Index research. The national survey, conducted by Fifth Quadrant for the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) aimed to determine the readiness of local … Continue reading Workshops already EV ready – or getting there: AAAA