Company News

Pioneer in EV charging infrastructure, ABB E-mobility will coordinate the area of charge management as part of the EU-funded NextETRUCK project, contributing solutions that will optimize charge processes for best integration into vehicle operations at the lowest costs. NextETRUCK is developing concepts tailored for regional medium freight haulage, with at least a 10 percent increase in energy efficiency compared to existing highest-end benchmark electric vehicles. Dedicated software solutions...

After the announcement of the government has allocated over £1.8 billion in funding to boost energy efficiency and cut emissions across homes and public buildings across England, the following is the reaction from Paul Burnett, MD and Co-Founder of Asset+ at EMEX below. Decarbonization Scheme grants Paul has been closely working with Public Sector customers to secure the Public Sector Decarbonization Scheme grants which are designed to help public sector buildings such as schools and hos...

Schneider Electric, the globally renowned company in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, together with SkillPointe Foundation, have established a new scholarship program that will fund training in the Boston area for skills related to the rapidly-expanding building automation field, with aim to develop America’s skilled workforce and provide new opportunities for aspiring individuals of all backgrounds. Schneider Electric SkillPointe Scholarship The Schneider...

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular as more people seek out eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fuel-powered vehicles. At the heart of an EV is its battery, which powers the electric motor and propels the vehicle forward. Electric Miles explores how electric vehicle battery technology works and offers some insights into the different types of batteries used in EVs.  Battery Basics  The batteries used in electric vehicles are rechargeable lithium-ion batter...

National codes such as the NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, National Fire Alarm Protection Association, and international standards like EN 60079-29 provide considerable prescriptive guidance and performance-based requirements on how fire and gas systems should be designed and deployed within a facility. IEC performance-based standards Process plants and facilities also look to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) which has promulgated performance-based...

The implications of failing to detect gas leaks can impact the environment and workers’ health. Facilities are turning to smart, connected technologies when it comes to the accurate detection of odorless and invisible gases. Below are three ways automation can help improve gas detection. Deploy wireless sensors to increase monitoring density Deploying wireless sensors is a quick way to increase monitoring density, achieve continuous monitoring and provide real-time analyti...

There is a growing demand for electronic switches in industrial plants. Operations, maintenance, and instrumentation personnel are attracted to how electronic switches combine the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of a mechanical switch with the comparative intelligence of a transmitter.  types of efficiencies There are 3 types of efficiencies that can be realized from this: Cost efficiency Equipment manufacturers (e.g., skid builders) that use mechanical instrumentation are often l...

Boilers are a critical asset in many commercial and industrial facilities (e.g., factories, refineries, and power generation plants) and play a vital role in many industrial and production processes.  Unexpected issues arising with boilers can cause significant disruptions to a plant’s operations, leading to unplanned downtime. Facilities that have wisely chosen to implement robust boiler upgrade and maintenance programs have witnessed improvements in their overall process uptim...

Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fuel-powered vehicles. However, there are concerns about the safety of EVs, particularly in terms of their batteries and charging systems. Electric Miles will explore whether EVs are safer than fuel-powered vehicles and offer insights into the latest research.  Battery Safety  One of the biggest concerns about EVs is the safety of their batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in EVs,...

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Mitsubishi Electric) announced that it will double a previously announced investment plan to approximately 260 billion Yen, in the five-year period to March 2026, mainly for constructing a new wafer plant to increase production of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. Under the plan, Mitsubishi Electric expects to respond to rapidly increasing demand for SiC power semiconductors for electric vehicles, as well as expanding markets for new applications that...

Prysmian Group, the globally renowned company in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, increases its focus on seizing growth opportunities stemming from ever-increasing electrification processes. Shifting to renewable energy sources is a sweeping transformation that the world is undergoing, with power transmission grids playing a key role in the dispatching over longer distances and at higher voltage, and power distribution grids proving to be equally and increasingly crucial for integ...

At the DSEI Japan exhibition in Tokyo, the national industry champions for advanced defense electronics representing Japan, the UK, and Italy announced the signing of a collaboration agreement, the next formal step towards a permanent industrial construct. commercial and international operating models The companies: Mitsubishi Electric representing Japan, Leonardo UK representing the UK, and both Leonardo and Elettronica representing Italy, have agreed to forge a closer business relationship a...

Following the announcement of its One Europe strategy in late 2022, a global provider of modular power, temperature control, and energy solutions, Aggreko, has confirmed a £150m investment into its European fleet this year. The majority of this investment is centered on the business’s ongoing Greener Upgrades portfolio, comprising new boilers, Stage V generators, batteries, and chillers. efficient and sustainable solutions Greener Upgrades is Aggreko’s commitment to hel...

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Mitsubishi Electric) has announced that it won the contract from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to build the nation's newest geostationary meteorological satellite, known as the Himawari-10, which will be the fourth straight such satellite to be built by Mitsubishi Electric, going back to the Himawari-7 satellite built nearly 20 years ago. Himawari-10 The Himawari-10 is a successor to the Himawari-8 and Himawari-9 satellites The Himawari-10 is a success...

Devices with wireless communication using proprietary radios have been installed in tough industrial applications for several decades. With the modernization of industrial networks and the rapid adoption of technologies related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), there has been an increasing demand for non-proprietary (i.e. open) wireless communication technologies. Proprietary protocols Proprietary protocols are those designed and created by a single manufacturer. One of the advanta...

Iskra are pleased to announce that they have signed a cooperation agreement with JIS Electrical Trading LLC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This partnership will enable Iskra to expand their reach and offer their services to a wider range of customers in the United Arab Emirates. Iskra and JIS Electrical Trading LLC sign cooperation agreement Iskra are confident that together they can offer their customers unparalleled service and support JIS Electrical Trading LLC is a well-established c...

Iskra are thrilled to share some more information from the recent signing of a technical agreement for the localization and distribution of power capacitors in Saudi Arabia with their esteemed partner - MEMF Electrical Industries Co. This collaboration between Iskra and MEMF Electrical Industries Co. is a significant milestone and Iskra are excited about the endless possibilities it presents. Iskra and MEMF Electrical Industries Co. partnership Iskra aims to provide high-quality power capacit...

Gas detection has traditionally been a wired operation because of its high device power requirements. With technological advances in sensor and battery technology, there is an emergence of battery-operated, fixed-point wireless gas detection solutions. While there are proprietary and non-proprietary (i.e. open) wireless protocols in the market today, in this post we will be focusing only on open protocols. In particular, we will compare two prevalent open protocols, namely ISA100 and WirelessHA...

Siemens is investing 30 million euros to expand its switchgear plant in Frankfurt-Fechenheim. A smart, fully automated high-speed warehouse and a 1,200 square-meter extension to an existing hall are being built on the 160,000 square-meter site.  For years, the plant has been experiencing steady growth in incoming orders and is working at its capacity limit. The additional production area will support a third assembly line for switchgear, boosting the site and creating new jobs in the regio...

Gas detection is a key part of a modern plant’s safety and asset monitoring system. Most plants likely have a permanent gas detection setup to alert operators, when there are critical issues. Temporary systems can help, when a permanent solution isn’t needed. What isn’t thought about as often is areas that may not need gas detection all the time, or that may need additional gas detection at certain critical junctures for extended periods and potentially at a moment’s not...

In the latest expansion of its battery storage capacity, Axpo will build a 20MW/20MWh facility in Sweden to deliver services to the grid in 2024, it was announced. Axpo acquired the project from developers - RES, a global renewable energy company, and Scandinavian Capacity Reserve (SCR). The lithium-ion based facility will be built in Landskrona, Sweden and connected to the grid by local energy company - Landskrona Energi. New lithium-ion based battery storage facility Axpo will build a 20MW/...

Volta Trucks, the pioneering and disruptive all-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has appointed Dr. Martin Hofmann as its Chief Technology and Information Officer, effective from May 1. Martin Hofmann brings a wealth of experience to Volta Trucks, most recently as Senior Vice President at Salesforce, with previous roles at the Volkswagen Group as its Group Chief Information Officer. Under Martin’s leadership, the Volkswagen Group started its digital transform...

Ingeteam and Magnon Green Energy have consolidated their relationship with the award of the operation and maintenance services contract for a plant owned by Ence’s renewable energy subsidiary - Magnon in Puertollano (Ciudad Real). The new contract for the maintenance of the Puertollano biomass renewable energy generation plant, known as Biollano, will run for 6 years and involves the hiring of around thirty people. Decarbonization of the Spanish energy system The agreement has also stre...

As users get bombarded with daily reminders to wear sunscreen by the pool and posters with cliché sayings, keep in mind the meaning behind them is vitally important. As an active participant on the company’s safety committee, it can be easy to turn a safety project into a long term, high investment project that will be as safe as possible. But it can often come at the expense of a simpler solution that can start making the front line worker safer NOW rather than tomorrow. Optimi...

Schneider Electric., the pioneer in the digital transformation of energy management and automation announced its enhanced solutions to increase building sustainability. Included are new integration capabilities in EcoStruxure™ Building Operation 2023, EcoStruxure Connected Room Solutions, and EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert, which will help simplify and speed up access to data that is essential to manage energy use, help reduce carbon emissions, and enhance building value. Reduci...

Uniper, an international energy company, has selected Plug Power Inc., a provider of hydrogen solutions for the global green hydrogen economy, to design the electrolyzer technology for Uniper’s Maasvlakte site at the Port of Rotterdam. At the Maasvlakte Energy Hub, Uniper will commission 100 MW of Plug electrolysis capacity to produce green hydrogen by 2026, rapidly expanding that capacity to 500 MW by 2030 at the latest. Reducing emissions The Rotterdam Harbor area, which includes...

Electrical test and measurement company Seaward has donated one of its advanced testers to a Yorkshire hospice to help improve the safe checking and testing of dozens of electrical appliances. The kind-hearted move has seen Barnsley Hospice receive a portable Seaward PrimeTest 100, which is now being used to check the in-service safety of dozens of items as part of the organization’s ongoing asset management and maintenance program. Providing specialist outreach These include electrical...

ABB is entering into a strategic partnership with Direct Energy Partners (DEP), a start-up using digital technology to accelerate the adoption of Direct Current (DC) microgrids.  The partnership involves a minority investment in Direct Energy Partners through ABB’s venture capital unit, ABB Technology Ventures (ATV). Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. local energy generation and distribution DEP focuses on local energy generation and distribution with scalable...

Emtelle, the pioneering global technology group, has signed an agreement to build and establish one of the world’s largest factories for the manufacture of fiber optic ducting and pre-connectors solutions in Abu Dhabi. Emtelle will invest around $50m (£42m) in the United Arab Emirates facility under a build-to-suit (BTS) agreement with Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group. new facility The massive new facility is a huge statement of intent from Emtelle as it looks...

Hitachi, Ltd. announced that as of February 2023, Hitachi received an MSCI ESG Rating of AA. MSCI ESG Research provides MSCI ESG Ratings on global public and a few private companies on a scale of AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard), according to exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and the ability to manage those risks relative to peers. sustainability initiatives In this assessment, Hitachi has been highly evaluated for its sustainability initiatives, such as the promotion of compliance trainin...