Category: 3. Business

  • Peak Energy’s new battery is cooler than lithium-ion…

    Peak Energy’s new battery is cooler than lithium-ion…

    China’s dominance of the battery supply chain is uncontested. Many U.S. storage companies have tried to catch up by replicating the technologies already in mass production there. But a smaller cohort is taking a different tack: building factories for next-generation batteries that could give American manufacturers more of a competitive edge.

    Peak Energy is one of the newest members of that cohort. The startup, which appeared on the scene in 2023, took a big step this summer when it shipped its first sodium-based grid-battery system for installation in the field. The 875-kilowatt/3.5-megawatt-hour battery is now being completed in Watkins, Colorado, at a testing facility known as the Solar Technology Acceleration Center.

    In fairness, the battery cells were imported from China, but Peak designed and built a new enclosure for them in Burlingame, California. Since the sodium batteries are especially rugged, Peak could forgo the temperature-control equipment needed for the current favorite chemistry for grid storage, lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP). If this first installation works well and the cost savings are as consequential as promised, Peak plans to build U.S. manufacturing for the whole package, cells and all.

    But the power sector still wants to build grid batteries at record pace, especially as supersized data centers clamor for electricity supply as soon as possible.

    Safer batteries mean less energy spent on temperature control

    Upstart battery-makers often jockey over how much energy density they can pack into their cells, or how they can reduce the fire risks that follow from squeezing so much energy into a tight footprint. Peak Energy brags more about what its technology doesn’t need: heavy-duty climate control.

    “If you think about it, an LFP [energy storage system] is essentially a giant refrigerator that has to operate flawlessly for 20 years in the desert,” said Cameron Dales, Peak’s chief commercial officer and cofounder. That’s because that particular chemistry ideally needs to stay within a few degrees of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) to preserve its useful life; serious deviations from that safe zone could lead to declining performance or even dangerous failures. A handful of dramatic battery fires has already inspired community pushback against storage plants, making safety a crucial part of the industry’s social license. Indeed, this week U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin pledged to support communities resisting nearby battery installations.

    The sodium-ion cells that Peak favors — technically called sodium iron pyrophosphate or NFPP — can withstand a much broader range of temperatures, from minus 20 degrees C (minus 4 degrees F) to 45 degrees C (113 degrees F). Peak’s engineers thus dispensed with the usual battery-cooling systems, relying instead on what Dales calls ​“clever engineering” around how the cells fit into the broader package. ​“There’s no moving parts, no fans, no liquids, no pumps, no nothing,” he said. The container does include a solid-state heater to ensure the cells never get too cold to charge.

    This saves money by reducing the cost of materials and cutting auxiliary power usage up to 90% over the life of the project. But axing the conventional safety equipment brings one more major benefit, because that hardware has paradoxically caused several of the recent high-profile grid-battery fires (by, for example, erroneously spraying water on live batteries, which can make a fire where there wasn’t one).

    A rendering of Peak’s battery system (Peak Energy)

    Plenty of cleantech startups have pitched themselves as safer alternatives to dominant strains of lithium-ion batteries, only to be crushed mercilessly by the lithium-ion manufacturing juggernaut. Overwhelming scale and a wealth of industrial expertise keep pushing mainstream batteries to lower prices and superior performance. However, the up-front costs of the batteries themselves are now just a small piece of the overall bill.

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  • DE BEERS GROUP DELIVERS PROGRESS WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND PROVENANCE INITIATIVES, SUPPORTING ENHANCED CONFIDENCE IN DE BEERS-SOURCED DIAMONDS – De Beers Group

    DE BEERS GROUP DELIVERS PROGRESS WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND PROVENANCE INITIATIVES, SUPPORTING ENHANCED CONFIDENCE IN DE BEERS-SOURCED DIAMONDS – De Beers Group

    DE BEERS GROUP DELIVERS PROGRESS WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND PROVENANCE INITIATIVES, SUPPORTING ENHANCED CONFIDENCE IN DE BEERS-SOURCED DIAMONDS

    Progress on Climate, Livelihoods and Nature pillars, coupled with scaling of blockchain-powered Tracr platform, underpins new consumer propositions

    De Beers Group today published its 2024 sustainability report, highlighting significant progress across its key focus areas of climate, livelihoods, nature and provenance. These areas were identified as the priorities for De Beers Group’s sustainability work as part of a mid-term review of the Group’s Building Forever sustainability framework initiated last year.

    During the course of 2024, De Beers Group made meaningful progress in areas including emissions, safety and conservation. In addition, the business has substantially advanced its work on diamond provenance and traceability, with the blockchain-backed Tracr platform enhancing its effectiveness and scale.

    With regards to its focus on climate, De Beers Group has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 7% since 2021. The Group focused on developing renewable energy solutions in 2024, working with Envusa Energy to complete the financing of wind and solar plants in South Africa which will meet 100% of the mine’s electricity needs in 2026. De Beers Group also continued the development of the Mmadinare solar PV project in Botswana, completed its Electrification and Alternative Fuels study at Venetia, and launched alternative fuels studies at Debswana, Namdeb and Debmarine Namibia. Moreover, De Beers Group worked with its top 100 strategic partners to develop roadmaps to reduce Scope 3 emissions. De Beers Group has had its near-term emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42%, and Scope 3 by 25% by 2030 (from a 2021 base year).

    From a livelihoods perspective, De Beers Group made a total tax and economic contribution of $2.9bn in 2024, highlighting the socioeconomic value that responsibly sourced natural diamonds deliver. The Group also achieved its best ever safety performance, with a total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) of 1.2.

    Several high-impact programmes continued to drive meaningful change in host countries. Through the EntrepenHER programme, delivered in partnership with UN Women, around 500 more women were supported and the programme expanded to reach 1,500 more female entrepreneurs over the next three years, bringing the total number of women reached to more than 3,100. The Stanford SEED programme, run in collaboration with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, continued to support entrepreneurs across southern Africa and has helped create 3,400 jobs since its launch in 2018. Meanwhile, the GirlEng programme continued in partnership with WomEng and has now supported over 6,500 girls with a focus on STEM subjects since 2019.

    In addition, De Beers Group developed a new 10-year Diamonds for Development Fund as part of its engagements with the Government of the Republic of Botswana for a new Debswana Sales Agreement and Mining Licences.

    With respect to nature, De Beers Group managed over 375,000 acres of land for conservation purposes in 2024, ensuring the maintenance of the habitat for a range of endangered, vulnerable and threatened species. The Group relocated 10 white rhino from Botswana to South Africa as part of a rewilding project, and through the Namdeb- Debmarine Foundation partnered with conservation stakeholders to design a seabird rescue facility in Luderitz, Namibia to help prevent the extinction of the African Penguin. Furthermore, De Beers Group continued to partner with National Geographic to protect the source waters of the Okavango Delta through the Okavango Eternal programme.

    Alongside the progress made with the sustainability pillars of climate, livelihoods and nature, De Beers Group delivered transformational progress with its work on provenance, advancing and scaling the Tracr blockchain platform in 2024. Nearly three million individual diamonds have been registered on the platform since 2022, with leading producers and suppliers joining the platform, including ODC and Mountain Province, thereby increasing the volume of diamonds on the platform being registered at source. Tracr has also begun providing country of origin information for all De Beers Group-sourced rough diamonds over one carat registered on the platform. In addition, Tracr is undertaking both rough-to-rough and rough-to-polished objective verification of diamonds on the platform, enhancing the levels of assurance it provides throughout the value chain.

    Building on the progress delivered with sustainability and provenance, De Beers Group continues to develop consumer propositions that enable people to buy natural diamonds with assurance on their country of origin and impact on the people and places where they are discovered. This includes the launch of a new polished diamond programme called ORIGIN – De Beers Group. In recognition of the growing consumer interest in where a product has come from and the impact it has had along its journey, ORIGIN – De Beers Group enables participating retailers to access polished diamonds that have been sourced by De Beers Group, tracked through the value chain by the Tracr blockchain platform, and accompanied with rich information about each diamond’s unique journey and the meaningful impact it has delivered.

    Sandrine Conseiller, CEO of Brands & Diamond Desirability at De Beers Group, said: “At De Beers, we believe a diamond’s journey should be as meaningful as its beauty. That’s why sustainability is embedded in everything we do – from developing renewable energy in our partner countries to advancing gender equity and supporting long-term national development. We’re not just powering our operations sustainably; we’re helping build infrastructure that benefits communities. We’re not just creating opportunities for women within our business; we’re unlocking potential for female students and entrepreneurs across our host nations. And through our enduring partnership with Botswana, we’re securing the future of our supply while investing in the country’s economic development and diversification. Thanks to our provenance platforms like Tracr and the consumer-facing experiences we’re building, we can share these stories with confidence. When someone chooses a De Beers natural diamond, they’re not only celebrating a personal milestone – they are helping shape a brighter future for the people and places behind it.”

    The full De Beers Group 2024 sustainability report can be found at: https://www.debeersgroup.com/sustainability/reports-data-and-policies

     

    – ends –

     

    Contact

     

    De Beers Group Press Office                                    

    [email protected]

     

    About DeBeers Group

     

    Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers London and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology services. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability that underpins our efforts to create meaningful impact for the people and places where our diamonds are discovered. Building Forever focuses on three key areas where, through collaborations and partnerships around the globe, we have an enhanced ability to drive positive impact; Livelihoods, Climate and Nature. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

     

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  • Ola Shares Whipsaw Over Two Days Amid Dozens of Block Deals

    Ola Shares Whipsaw Over Two Days Amid Dozens of Block Deals

    Ola Electric Mobility Ltd.’s shares saw sharp swings over two sessions through Thursday, with trading volumes surging to a record as the Indian e-scooter maker’s push to rollout new models and build a battery cell gigafactory drew analyst attention.

    Shares of the Bengaluru-based company tumbled almost 9% in Mumbai, paring part of Wednesday’s 19% surge. Trading was heavy on both days, with 173.5 million shares changing hands in 76 block deals — almost 4% of its equity capital, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

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  • VND/USD: Dong Weakness Grows as Vietnam Boosts Infrastructure Spending

    VND/USD: Dong Weakness Grows as Vietnam Boosts Infrastructure Spending

    The Vietnamese dong, already at record lows, is facing mounting pressure from the government’s infrastructure spending spree and a hit to exports from US trade policy.

    The dong weakened as much as 0.1% to 26,401 per dollar Thursday, a fresh record. MUFG Bank expects it to trade at 26,500 against the greenback by year-end, citing higher import needs and a narrowing current-account surplus. Ho Chi Minh City Securities sees the currency finishing 2025 at 26,600 per dollar.

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  • Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel’s military

    Microsoft employee protests lead to 18 arrests as company reviews its work with Israel’s military

    Police officers arrested 18 people at worker-led protests at Microsoft headquarters Wednesday as the tech company promises an “urgent” review of the Israeli military’s use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza.

    Two consecutive days of protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel.

    But unlike Tuesday, when about 35 protesters occupying a plaza between office buildings left after Microsoft asked them to leave, the protesters on Wednesday “resisted and became aggressive” after the company told police they were trespassing, according to the Redmond Police Department.

    The protesters also splattered red paint resembling the color of blood over a landmark sign that bears the company logo and spells Microsoft in big gray letters.

    “We said, ‘Please leave or you will be arrested,’ and they chose not to leave so they were detained,” said police spokesperson Jill Green.

    Microsoft late last week said it was tapping a law firm to investigate allegations reported by British newspaper The Guardian that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

    “Microsoft’s standard terms of service prohibit this type of usage,” the company said in a statement posted Friday, adding that the report raises “precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review.”

    In February, The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the tech giant’s close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with military use of commercial artificial intelligence products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel’s in-house AI-enabled targeting systems.

    Following The AP’s report, Microsoft acknowledged the military applications but said a review it commissioned found no evidence that its Azure platform and artificial intelligence technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. Microsoft did not share a copy of that review or say who conducted it.

    Microsoft said it will share the latest review’s findings after it’s completed by law firm Covington & Burling.

    The promise of a second review was insufficient for the employee-led No Azure for Apartheid group, which for months has protested Microsoft’s supplying the Israeli military with technology used for its war against Hamas in Gaza. The group said Wednesday the technology is “being used to surveil, starve and kill Palestinians.”

    Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the contracts, and in April, fired two others who interrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebration.

    On Tuesday, the protesters posted online a call for what they called a “worker intifada,” using language evoking the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli military occupation that began in 1987.

    On Wednesday, the police department said it took 18 people into custody “for multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction.” It wasn’t clear how many were Microsoft employees. No injuries were reported.

    Microsoft said in a statement after the arrests that it “will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others.”

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  • UK government borrowed less than expected in July in lift for Rachel Reeves | Government borrowing

    UK government borrowed less than expected in July in lift for Rachel Reeves | Government borrowing

    The UK government borrowed less than expected in July, official figures show, in a boost to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, as she faces pressure ahead of her autumn budget.

    Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector net borrowing – the difference between public spending and income – fell to £1.1bn, down by £2.3bn from the same month a year earlier.

    The reading was below City predictions for a deficit of £2.6bn and forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility of £2.1bn.

    Borrowing over the first four months of the financial year so far was £60bn, this was £6.7bn higher than in the same period a year earlier, and the third-highest April-to-July borrowing since monthly records began.

    Rob Doody, ONS deputy director for public sector finances, said: “Borrowing this July was £2.3bn down on the same month last year, and was the lowest July figure for three years. This reflects strong increases in tax and national insurance receipts.

    “However, in the first four months of the financial year as a whole, borrowing was over £6bn higher than in the same period in 2024.”

    Reeves is exploring tax-raising options ahead of a high-stakes autumn budget, as a weak growth outlook, higher debt interest payments and U-turns on welfare cuts put her in danger of breaking her fiscal rules.

    The UK’s public finances are typically in a strong position in July, owing to a key payment deadline for self-assessed income tax. However, public spending has risen, while weakness in the economy and a cooling jobs market has hit receipts.

    Ministers are understood to be exploring options to raise more money from inheritances and property taxation, the Guardian has revealed, amid rising pressure on the public finances.

    However, the chancellor has so far publicly sought to prioritise a focus on turning around the economy to support the government finances, through the allocation of capital investment and a fresh assault on planning regulations to drive up productivity.

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    Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “Far too much taxpayer money is spent on interest payments for the longstanding national debt.

    “That’s why we’re driving down government borrowing over the course of the parliament – so working people don’t have to foot the bill and we can invest in better schools, hospitals, and services for working families.”

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  • Novel PLA-Henna composite for sustainable tertiary enhanced oil recovery

    Novel PLA-Henna composite for sustainable tertiary enhanced oil recovery

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  • India's economic boom in August fuels sharpest price hikes in over a decade – samaa tv

    1. India’s economic boom in August fuels sharpest price hikes in over a decade  samaa tv
    2. Business activity zooms to an all time high of 65.2 in August: HSBC  Moneycontrol
    3. India Services PMI Hits Record High  TradingView
    4. India’s private sector posts record growth in August: HSBC flash survey  Mint
    5. India flash PMI surges to 65.2 in August on record services, mfg growth  Business Standard

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  • Haddon solar farm a risk to parachutists, claims councillor

    Haddon solar farm a risk to parachutists, claims councillor

    Joanna Taylor

    BBC News, Cambridgeshire

    Getty Images Rows of solar panels stand in a field. There is a tree standing between two of the rows. In the distance there are more trees. The sky is blue with few clouds. Getty Images

    Wessex Solar Energy has applied to install 40,000 solar panels on farmland

    A proposed 25-hectare (62-acre) solar farm could spell “serious trouble” for parachutists if the government allows it to be built near an airfield, a councillor said.

    Steve McAdam, an independent member on Huntingdonshire District Council, said plans to install 40,000 panels close to Haddon, near Peterborough, could prove hazardous to users at nearby Sibson Aerodrome.

    Earlier this week the council’s planning committee unanimously agreed to oppose the site, ahead of a final decision by the Planning Inspectorate.

    In its plans, Wessex Solar Energy said “full consideration” had been given to aviation safety.

    McAdam said he parachuted as a hobby before his retirement, including while serving with the RAF in Singapore in 1970.

    He said he was concerned about the plans “as a former parachutist”, because the idea of having to perform an emergency landing over a solar farm was “terrifying”.

    Sibson Aerodrome, which is home to organisations including the UK Parachuting and Skydiving Centre and Peterborough Flying School, is situated about five miles (8km) north of the proposed solar farm.

    “If you landed accidentally in the middle of a solar farm, you could do serious damage to yourself,” McAdam said.

    “When you come down on a parachute, you’re travelling at around 15 feet per second. You couldn’t do a parachute landing roll or anything like that in the middle of a solar farm.”

    McAdam added that parachutes could be controlled with steering toggles, but sudden changes in wind direction could put people in “serious trouble”.

    Huntingdon Town Council Steve McAdam is wearing a dark blue collar, a black jacket and a long blank gown. He is standing in front of a wooden doorway and white flag with blue lettering. Huntingdon Town Council

    Steve McAdam said he was concerned parachutists could be injured if forced to land over a solar farm

    Peterborough Flying School has objected to the proposal on the basis of glint and glare, as well as possibly affecting emergency landings following aircraft engine failure.

    The UK Parachuting and Skydiving Centre has been approached for comment.

    An initial plan to build 65,000 panels was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate in November, with it stating in its conclusion that there was “insufficient demonstration that the proposal would cause no harm to the safe functioning of aircraft”.

    However, the latest planning documents submitted on behalf of Wessex Solar Energy said “full consideration” had been given to aviation safety, including carrying out glint and glare assessments.

    The company said its plans would “make a significant contribution to the fight against the emission of greenhouse gases”, with the development being able to power 7,600 homes.

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  • Asian shares are mostly higher after a mixed finish on Wall Street

    Asian shares are mostly higher after a mixed finish on Wall Street

    MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher on Thursday after a mixed finish on Wall Street, where shares in Nvidia, Palantir and other superstar stocks pared their earlier steep losses.

    Traders are looking ahead for cues about U.S. monetary policy from a meeting of central bankers that begins later in the day in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is due to speak to the conference on Friday.

    The Fed has kept its main interest rate steady this year, primarily because of the fear of the possibility that President Donald Trump’s tariffs could push inflation higher. But a surprisingly weak report on job growth across the U.S. may be superseding that.

    Still, minutes from the Fed’s July 29-30 meeting released Wednesday showed most Fed officials felt the threat of higher inflation was a greater concern than the potential for job losses, leading the central bank to keep its key rate unchanged.

    In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% to 42,636.74 after a survey showed Japan’s factory activity remained in contraction for the second month in August. The S&P Global flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased to 49.9 in August from 48.9 in July, just below the 50 level that delineates between growth and decline.

    Regional manufacturers have been feeling pressure from Trump’s higher tariffs on exports to the United States.

    In Chinese markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index edged 0.1% lower to 25,135.09, while the Shanghai composite index rose 0.4% to 3,779.52.

    South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1% to 3,161.74, while Australia’s S&P ASX 200 index added 1% to 9,005.00.

    Taiwan’s TAIEX climbed 1.2%, while India’s Sensex added 0.1%.

    “Asian markets walked into Thursday like a card room still heavy with last night’s smoke — muted, watchful, waiting for the next cue out of Jackson Hole,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

    On Wednesday, the S&P 500 dipped 0.2% to 6,395.78 after trimming a 1.1% loss earlier in the day. It is still near its all-time high set last week.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average added less than 0.1% to 44,938.31. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.7% to 21,172.86.

    The day’s action centered again around stocks caught up in the mania around artificial-intelligence technology.

    Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI, sank as much as 3.9% during the morning and was on track to be the heaviest weight on Wall Street following its 3.5% fall on Tuesday.

    But it clawed back nearly all of Wednesday’s drop and finished with a dip of just 0.1%. As it pared its loss, so did broad market indexes because Nvidia is Wall Street’s most influential stock by being its most valuable.

    Palantir Technologies, another AI darling, fell 1.1% to add to its 9.4% loss from the day before, but it had been down as much as 9.8% Wednesday morning.

    One possible contributor to the swoon was a study from MIT’s Nanda Initiative that warned that most corporations are not yet seeing any measurable return from their generative AI investments, according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

    But the larger factor may be the simple criticism that prices for such stock have simply shot too high, too fast amid the furor around AI and became too expensive.

    In other dealings early Thursday, US. benchmark crude gained 30 cents to $63.01 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard added 26 cents to $67.10 per barrel.

    The U.S. dollar rose to 147.37 Japanese yen, from 147.29 yen. The euro slid to $1.1648 from $1.1659.

    ___

    AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.

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