Green

In full obsession with rare earths, a fairly common metal has jeopardized the green transition: Copper foul

by

The latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on minerals has confirmed which He had been discussed for a long time: Today, the absolute leader is China. It is no novelty, but among all minerals there is one that runs a particular danger, and not precisely because of geopolitical control, but for the real risk of shortage. There is a problem with copper. Of all minerals, copper emerges as one of the biggest challenges. The IEA report He has warned That by 2035 there could be a supply deficit of 30 %, due to the drop in the mineral law, the lack of new discoveries and the high development costs. A set of problems. It can be explained in a very simple way In data: Only in 2024, copper demand grew 3%, mainly driven by investments in electrical networks in China. The growth of mining production has been modest, much lower than other minerals such as lithium or nickel. Further 70% of global capacity Copper processing is in the hands of China. 7% of global copper production is in regions vulnerable to floods and droughts. Is there any solution? According to Fatih Birol, director of the IEA, the challenge is serious but not inevitable. In statements to The Guardianthe need to accelerate permits and reduce bureaucratic obstacles, in addition to implementing public policies that provide guarantees of volume and fiscal incentives, is stressed. Another line of action that They have detailed It is international diversification and cooperation. Some countries have advanced technological abilities and refining experience; Others have abundant mineral resources and great geological potential. In this way, in the report They have underlined That establishing balanced alliances between both realities could unlock new productive capacities, reduce market concentration and strengthen the resilience of the entire supply chain. There are other methods. A complementary route that already begins to take shape is the recycling of copper. As the pressure on primary resources increases, recovering and reusing infrastructure metal and disused devices is outlined as another strategy. In addition, in certain non -critical applications, the partial replacement of copper is studied by other materials, Like aluminum either The Ruthenium. It’s not just about copper. The case of copper reflects a broader pattern: more than 50% of critical minerals are now subject to export restrictions. This includes from lithium to more unknown elements such as Gaul or Telurio. Chinese dominance in refining, higher than 70% in 19 of the 20 key mineralsmakes this country not only the largest producer, but the referee of the global energy future. Time is exhausted. And copper too. The paradox is clear: the more we want to move towards a cleaner and more sustainable future, the more we depend on an infrastructure that we have not yet secured. Copper has become a silent bottleneck, difficult to replace and even more difficult to climb in record time. Image | Joyce Cory and Pexels Xataka | The collapse of the AVE of Seville has shown something more serious: how difficult it is to protect copper in a 15,000 km network

Spacex has been scratching his head for 11 weeks to relaunch Starship. Now he finally has green light to fly again

by

After two consecutive explosions At the beginning of the year, Spacex has received permission from the US government for the ninth Starship test flight, which has just been announced for the night of Tuesday, May 27. The company has detailed the changes in the ship and the causes of the previous failure. To the third is the defeated? Starbase technicians have been working frantically to implement improvements in the prototype that will fly in the ninth proof mission of the Starship program. This attempt comes after two consecutive failures of a new version of the ship, known as Starship Block 2. Spacex has completed countless earth tests. After advancing in the investigation of the previous flight and with the authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in hand, everything is ready for the world’s largest rocket to surf the skies again. If there are no setbacks, the launch window will open on Tuesday, May 27 at 18:30, local time of Texas (01:30 in the morning of Wednesday 28 on Spanish peninsular hours). Problem solved. In the two previous flights, which took place in January and March, Starship had a premature and explosive ending: the upper stage engines went out ahead, the ship lost control and ended up disintegrating itself into the upper atmosphere, spreading their remains near the Bahamas and the Turkish Islands and Caicos. A hard blow for Spacex, which had requested permission for 25 Starship test flights per year. The January flight investigation, supervised by the FAA, determined that the flight failure had originated from a liquid oxygen escape and the consequent fire in the ship’s motor compartment, caused by more intense vibrations than expected. Although Spacex made adjustments for the March flight, the ship failed again, giving rise to endless rumors about a design error In Starship version 2, slightly higher and with a new fuel feed system. The findings of the investigation, newly publishedThey reveal that the second incident was not related to the first, and that the vibrations problem had been solved before flight 8. What failed on the flight. According to the March flight investigation, supervised by the FAA, the most likely cause of the loss of the ship was a hardware failure in one of its three central raptor engines. The ruling caused an accidental mixture and ignition, which caused an explosion. Immediately after the explosion, the other two central engines and a vacuum raptor engine went out, causing Starship to lose control again. Spacex believes that the flight termination system was activated after he lost communications with the ship, ensuring its disintegration. The improvements. Since the vibrations problem had already been solved with the implemented mitigations for flight 8, Spacex has now focused on the upper stage of the upper Starship stage, which have received reinforcements in key joints, a new system of nitrogen purge and improvements in the propellente drainage system. It is a temporary solution that will cease to be necessary after the introduction of the raptor 3 engine, which has a more minimalist design with the integration of several components and includes reliability improvements to address this type of failures. Anyway, the FAA takes for good changes in the Raptor 2, highlighting that Spacex “has satisfactorily approached the causes of the mishap of flight 8”. Tuning. A few days ago, the company successfully completed a long -lasting static ignition of the six starship 35 engines, the prototype that it will use in the ninth flight. This test has been an important stumbling block for flight 9 because the ship needed several attempts to complete it. In a first attempt in early May, one of the engines issued a strong flash and part of its material came out. After the successful ignition, the Ship 35 returned to production facilities for final preparations; Presumably, the load of Starlink satellites and touch -up models in their thermal shield. How will flight 9 be. The flight profile of the next week will be very similar to that of failed attempts, but with several important milestones. The super heavy rocket that will boost the ship, the booster 14, will be The first to be reused After its previous January flight, in which it rose to the edge of the space, separated from the Starship ship and returned to the launch platform to be trapped in the air through its mechanical arms. 29 of the 33 propeller engines are “second -hand”, although they were performed exhaustive inspections and only one -use components were replaced (such as the ablative thermal shield). Of course, this time it will not be recovered: the booster 14 will maneuver directly on the sea to Try a flight profile More risky, with a quick turn after the separation of stages, a more aggressive angle in the descent and a deliberately off motor in the spareness maneuver. As for the Starship 35. The ship, on the other hand, will reach more than 160 kilometers of altitude and will demonstrate for the first time the load deployment, launching eight Starlink simulators with its system inspired by the caramels dispensers of fish. An hour after takeoff, it will resent the Indian Ocean to perform controlled ametering. Beyond overcoming the above problems, one of the pending objectives is to prove the improved thermal shield of the Starship Block 2, which will be crucial to reuse the ship. The previous failures prevented the rocket from reaching the point where this shield comes into play: the reentry. Spacex has eliminated a significant number of thermal tiles to test vulnerable areas. On flight 9 will try new metal tiles (One of them with active refrigeration) and new capture accessories for future landings. The new alerons of the ship will also be tested during the reentry. The planes will be further this time. Despite the vote of confidence in Spacex, FAA has imposed some conditions, as the expansion of aerial exclusion zonesboth in the United States and in other countries. The danger zone for aircraft will be extended … Read more

Green hydrogen consumes huge amounts of water. A new incredibly simple invention allows you to use seawater

by

Green hydrogen is the missing piece in the puzzle of decarbonization. In a day like today, in which Spain It has produced 107.3% of the country’s energy demand From renewable sources, a greater storage capacity (batteries or pumping centrals and a more flexible demand is needed. Produce green hydrogen When electricity is very cheap It is the country’s commitment to take advantage of that surplus. There is a problem. While green hydrogen It occurs with solar or wind energy (That is why it is said that it is an energy vector that stores clean energy), the process to produce itwater electrolysis consumes huge amounts of fresh water, an increasingly scarce resource for billions of people in threatened regions For chronic drought. The obvious solution is to use seawaterthe most abundant resource on the planet. But of course, salt and impurities run the equipment and reduce the efficiency of the process. External desalination makers are needed, adding costs and energy consumption; or super -resistant electrolyzers, which are still under development. There is a third way. MIT researchers, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University and Michigan State University joined forces to find an alternative that nicknamed the “triumph of sustainability.” The system, detailed in Energy & Environmental Scienceproduces green hydrogen directly from sea water. It does so using solar energy with impressive efficiency, and generating drinking water as a byproduct. How they have done it. Taking advantage of the entire solar spectrum. The central idea of ​​this new approach, officially called HSD-We (Hybrid Solar Distillion-Water Electrolysis), is to squeeze the maximum solar energy. We know that photovoltaic panels convert only part of sunlight into electricity (The most efficient are around 25% efficiency). The rest of the energy dissipates as a residual heat. What if that heat, instead of wasted, will be used for something useful? Eureka! Simpler than it seems. Like many other systems for the production of green hydrogen, the HSD-We integrates solar panels that turn light into electricity and an electroly of protons exchange membrane (PEM) that breaks down the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The secret is at the rear of the solar panels, they are where the HSD-We has an interfacial thermal distiller coupled that uses the residual heat of photovoltaic cells to evaporate seawater. A simple membrane that absorbs salt water. It is a genius. The best thing is that it works. The electricity of the solar panels directly feeds the electrolyz. At the same time, the residual heat of the panel heats sea water in the interfacial distiller, evaporating it. This pure water vapor (already without salt) is transported by a small air space to the electrolyz, where it is directly condensed in the anode, adding ultra -patrol water for electrolysis. The prototype, tested by the MIT both in laboratory conditions, under simulated sunlight, and outdoors, on a partially sunny day, threw impressive figures. They achieved 35.9 liters of dry hydrogen per square meter of solar panel per hour, using real sea water. In terms of efficiency, The system turned 12.6%a comparable rate or even above current green hydrogen production technologies with drinking water. Cheap hydrogen finally? Beyond technical feat, preliminary economic analysis is also promising. Not depending on external supplies of electricity or purified water, the operating cost is minimal, so the price of hydrogen produced with this system could drastically fall with the scale. While conventional electrolysis fueled by the electricity grid and using drinking water It costs about 10 per kilothis HSD-We system, in exchange for a slightly larger initial investment, could reach 5 dollars per kilo after 3 years of operation and lower the kilo at 1 dollar in 15 years. A price that would undoubtedly change the rules of the game. Image | Nickelgreen In Xataka | Europe waste so much renewable energy that needs green hydrogen. And the country that leads it is Spain

The doors of green hydrogen from Spain have found its starting point: the Basque Country

by

While Spain account With several hot green hydrogen points, infrastructure for distribution, such as H2Med, still Keep in development. However, the Basque Country has emerged as a new channel. Short. The H2BIDEA project, coordinated by Nortegas, aims to boost the development of a pure hydrogen distribution network in the Basque Country. The initiative will have the aid of the company Tubos gathered, in charge of creating the special tubes where high pressure hydrogen (160 bar) will be transported. A great initiative. Through a consortium of Basque companies, H2bidea It is cemented The pillars for the Basque Corridor of Hydrogen (BH2C). With this corridor they seek to establish an interconnected green hydrogen infrastructure that facilitates its transport and distribution, both regional and European. In three years, H2BIDEA hopes to have a distribution network demonstrator called H2TESTLAB, which will allow evaluating the efficacy of the installed infrastructure, according to has had notic access from Álava. Mass support. The project has the support of the Basque Government and the European Union, as well as with the collaboration of the Basque Companies Consortium, such as Arizaga, Bastarrica and Company (ABC Compressors), Orkli, Commercial of Electronic Applications (FIDEGAS) and Calcinor Servicios. It is not the only one. Because Spain continues to advance in the creation of more projects, such as the Mediterranean corridor (H2Med). This development initiative intends to interconnect Spain, France and Portugal by 2030 in what will be the first European hydrogen infrastructure. However, in recent weeks, has faced a controversy In Zamora on the use of water in the production of green hydrogen. More challenges at European level. A recent study by West Wood Energy consultant has estimated that only 17% of green hydrogen projects in the continent will materialize within five years. In that context, According to a Global Energy Monitor reportEurope faces difficulties to fulfill its decarbonization strategy due to the shortage of hydrogen produced in a renewable way. The limited amount of available green hydrogen and the slow progress of the announced projects question the viability of the energy transition plans of the continent. From another perspective. The Basque Corridor is an initiative that has emerged as a strategic point for the production and export of green hydrogen. In this way, it joins the ambitious plans of Spain to become a European green hydrogen leader. In fact, recently, the Spanish nation launched A hydrogen project with an investment of 1,214 million euros from the NextGneu funds. Image | TUBOSREUNIDOS Xataka | The Plan of Spain for leading green hydrogen has been faced with an unexpected problem: Zamora

Sell ​​green energy to AI

by

The purpose of the oil companies in the face of a future seemed In the case of the British oil company BP. However, there are many other ways to follow the green path, and the Italian eni is a clear example. Short. The Italian oil company ENI has created two businesses focused on green artificial intelligence and carbon dioxide emissions, according to He has reported Reuters. In this way, two other oil initiatives that are underway are added: Plenitude and Enilivethat focus on renewable and biofuel energies respectively. Business model diversification. In this way, ENI has estimated that the profitability of their “green” businesses will reach two-digit figures in the next five years, with a performance comparable to that of the traditional oil and gas sector (15%-16%), as collect the Financial Times. A large project. The Italian oil company has focused its strategy on the use of supercomputing and AI to develop sustainable solutions. From its center in North Italy, the company operates The HPC5 supercomputerthe most powerful in the energy sector, together with an energy plant and a carbon capture installation. The objective is to sell processing capacity to technological companies that need to train AI models, but using low emission energy, thus reducing the environmental impact of these operations. Be more sustainable. The oil company It is advancing in the carbon capture and storage initiative (CCS), having almost three gigatons of CO2 storage capacity. An example that he is walking towards that direction is his Hynet North West project in the United Kingdom, which seeks to capture industrial broadcasts and store them in the Ireland Sea. Another market to open. Together with the oil company Malaysia Petronas, both They are exploring A new opportunity in the gas market. In fact, they have planned to join their deposits to create a joint business capable of producing the equivalent of 500,000 barrels of oil per day in natural gas. This operation would represent approximately half of the current production of ENI gas and is designed to supply Asian markets, such as China and India, where the demand for gas It is still increasing. Image | Flickr Xataka | The real reason why Russia, Venezuela and Iran continue to sell their oil: even with the sanctions it is cheaper

Spanish companies interested in green hydrogen have found a very succulent destination to invest: Morocco

by

Morocco aspires that renewable energies Represent 52% of its capacity installed in 2030. At this time its percentage is 45%so, to get to the estimated, he wants to achieve it through green hydrogen. Among the companies selected to lead this initiative are Spanish companies. The project. A Moroccan Government Committee has selected five consortiums to develop six green hydrogen projects which will allow the production of ammonia, steel and industrial fuel. The investment has reached a total of 319,000 million Dírhams (32.5 billion dollars), which includes the participation of companies from different countries, including Spain: ACCIONA and CEPSA. This meeting enters within the framework of the “offer of Morocco”, where these works will take place in the three provinces of southern Morocco, which include the areas of Dakhla-Rio de Oro, LaAyoune-Sakia El Hamra and Guelmim-Noun, all located in the Occupied Western Sahara. The agreement with Europe. We all know that Europe is going through a deep crisis with The gas situation. Recently, the possible reopening of the controversial Nord Stream 2 creates more headaches, because He will get caughtbetween the United States and Russia. However, the EU member states are still sought alternatives to supply gas and there Green hydrogen. Morocco You have seen a chance To participate in the Green Pact of the European Unionwhereby an objective of importing 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen is established by 2030. In this way the Norafrican country becomes a key actor for the EU. An investment with contradictions. Despite Morocco’s attraction as a partner in the energy transition, Your recent decision To give to Israel 34,000 km² in the Atlantic for gas exploitation has generated a strong controversy in Spain. This measure has aroused diplomatic tensions, since the ceded waters could conflict with areas of interest with the Iberian country. In addition, Spain has different points in its green hydrogen orography becoming a direct rival. In fact, almost 40% of the 5,200 MW In hydrogen projects presented in Europe they come from Spain. The problem is even bigger. However, the projects are not free of controversy and that the Moroccan government has announced that it will offer up to 30,000 hectares of land to each project once a preliminary agreement is signed for the construction of electrolysis plants. The territory where They will operate is a disputed area And now the Spanish companies, acts and Cepsa, will work in this area, which could increase diplomatic tensions With Spain and the Sahara. In addition, the fact that Morocco is exploiting areas in Western Sahara for international projects could generate even more conflicts in the political and territorial sphere. Other companies at stake. The development of green hydrogen in Morocco has also attracted a variety of international companies, each with its own strategy. On the one hand, on Europe side will be a German company, Nordex, specialized in renewable and two French energies, extremely known in the world of energy, totalenergies and Engie, which will focus on producing ammonia from green hydrogen. On the other hand, in the area of ​​the Arabiga Peninsula, there is the Taqa company of United Arab Emirates that will invest in the production of ammonia, fuel and steel, and the Saudi Acwa Power will focus on the manufacture of steel. On the other hand, as the presence of China could not miss with the EUG and China Three Gorges companies dedicated to ammonia production; While the United States, with the Ortus company, will focus on the production of green ammonia. Image | Pxhere and Flickr Xataka | Cheaper, durable and ecological: a new material with the help of ruthenium wants to change the rules of green hydrogen

Spain has a plan to become the European green hydrogen leader. And it will cost us 1,214 million euros

by

With the corridor of H2Med almost run by A recent conflicthe First Iberian Price Index From established renewable hydrogen and a recent millionaire injection of European funds, Spain has everything to emerge as a leader in this sector. The ambition has come to stay. Injection of funds. The Government of Spain has announced which will allocate 1,214 million euros of the Newgeneu funds to seven projects located in Aragon, Andalusia, Castilla y León, Cataluña and Galicia to develop hydrogen valleys. These European aid will be distributed among green hydrogen production and distribution projects to decarbonize several energy and industrial sectors, under the H2 Valles program. The companies that are behind the projects are Moeve, Enagás, Reolum, Repsol, Ric Energy, Capital Energy, Fertiberia or Ercros, among others. The goal. In a press release, the vice president and minister for ecological transition, Sara Aagesen, He has highlighted that “it is a call for strategic relevance that advances on the decarbonization agenda.” Requirements such as the purchase commitment of at least 60% of production by industrial consumers have been established. The Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE), attached to the miteco, manages this line of incentives to integrate hydrogen into the energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions. Spain is consuming 500,000 tons per year of Gray hydrogen (of fossil origin), so this new form of hydrogen will help change to be dynamic. Hydrogen valleys. The seven selected projects will add 2,278 MW of electrolysis power for the production of renewable hydrogen in 11 facilities, since the bases of the call allow more than one cluster site if the distance between them is less than 100 km. These plants will use renewable energy (solar and wind) to generate green hydrogen, and many will be integrated with ammonia or ammonia facilities fertilizers to reduce industrial emissions. In addition, 90% of electrolyzers will be manufactured in Europe and most promoters They have opted by alkaline electrolysis technology, considered efficient and scalable. Aid distribution. The distribution of European funds is carried out prioritizing projects with greater impact. Starting with the community with the largest renewable cluster: Aragon, which will receive 384 million euros for two hydrogen valleys, one of them shared with Catalonia. They are followed by Andalusia with 304 million, Castilla y León with 259 million, Galicia with 170 million and Catalonia with 98 million. In addition, three of them will be located in municipalities with demographic challenges, such as Andorra in Teruel and Cubillos del Sil and Robla both in the province of León. All this to promote local economic development and job creation in these places where there is less industrial activity. It should be added that the initial budget of 1,200 million, framed on the Repower EU agenda of the recovery, transformation and resilience (PRTR) plan (PRTR) was extended to an additional 10%, reaching the current amount of 1,214 million euros. Horizon 2030. The development of these projects seeks to consolidate an advanced green hydrogen infrastructure so that within five years be integrated into sectors such as industry, aviation and maritime transport. Spain has invested more than 3,100 million euros in the last two years to consolidate its position in the green hydrogen sector in Europe. Image | Freepik Xataka | Nikola had everything to revolutionize the world of hydrogen trucks. Now is on the verge of bankruptcy

The oceans of the Earth were green for thousands of years. More and more scientists believe they will be again

by

On February 14, 1990, 6,000 million kilometers from Earth, the Voyager 1 He took a photo. There, sustained in space by the mysterious forces of. Space-time, our planet is nothing more than a light blue motor between the sunlight reflected by the camera. Four years later, Carl Sagan baptized that photo as “that pale blue point.” What we just discovered is that it was not always the case. 3,000 million years ago, that point would have been green. Wasn’t it blue? Actually, according to Taro Matsuo and his team from the University of Nagoya in Japan explain in Japanduring most of the history of the earth its surface would not have been blue. For about 3,000 million years and until 600 million years ago (just when complex life begins on the planet) the predominant color seems to have been green. (No) take iron from the matter … The first is that, at that time, the indications tell us that the oceans were full of iron hydroxide. This inorganic compound absorbs blue light. In addition, naturally, water absorbs red light. That means that taking into account that chemical composition, the only free light was the green color. The other reason is the cyanobacteria. It’s about One of the first photosynthetic beings of history and not only used chlorophyll to absorb sunlight, but used fuses to absorb red and green light. The sum of these two things caused the seas to have a characteristic green color. And they had it for billions of years. It is true that it was not a pure green color. After all, blue is “a consequence of dispersion Rayleight of sunlight in the atmosphere. “So the color would tend to blue, but without a doubt it would be something much greener than current. What is the use of all this research? First, to understand that when The MIT explained in 2019that the sea will return green in the mid -century, we are talking about something very plausible. It is not just that A follow -up study In 2023 he confirmed that more than half of the land surface had gained greenery in recent years. It is that, for a long time, it was so. On the other hand, it allows us to answer one of the great questions of astrobiology: “Does only the blue tone of a planet serve as an indicator of its potential to house life?“And the answer, of course, is no: not a ‘non -radical’ is true; but one that reminds us that there are more things out there that can still dream our biology. Image | Georgetan#5 In Xataka | UFOs are a distraction: how astrobiology is our best asset to find extraterrestrial life

that more in green endures when necessary

by

In Córdoba we have many things. Have The only mosque in the world that is not oriented to Mecca. In fact, Córdoba is the only city on the planet with Four World Heritage Assets of UNESCO. The first person to fly It was also from Córdoba, as they were You see, Seneca either Julio Romero de Torrres. We have a gastronomy that has no rival (I will die in this hill), a street thermometer that opens news in August and, since this weekend, a traffic light with artificial intelligence. That traffic light knows things. This peculiar device is located on Avenida del Airport, just in front of the Health Center. The location was agreed with different groups and makes sense: in the area many services are offered to people with reduced mobility, such as the aforementioned health center, the headquarters of the San Rafael de Alzheimer’s association, an orthopedics and, of course, is on an avenue capable of absorbing traffic. Because no, this traffic light has no goal Optimize trafficbut to facilitate mobility to people who use crutches, wheelchairs or carry carts. The traffic light in front of the Health Center in Córdoba | Image: Xataka “A source of pride”. That is this traffic light for Bernardo Jordano, delegate of inclusion and accessibility of the City of Córdoba. Although According to Jordano“without wanting to sound pretentious, we have no knowledge of something equal to this”, the reality is that there have been similar pilot projects in other countries, Like Germany without going any further. The Cordoba project, in fact, reminds the German Ki4ped. Because? Because this traffic light uses cameras and an artificial intelligence system to detect people with reduced mobility and give way before and for a longer time. That is, it takes less to get green and lasts more seconds. It is not a strictly new traffic light, but has been updated with a larger staff and two bidirectional cameras. According to Jordano: “For almost a year, in a learning phase, we have taught the machine to detect users with reduced mobility, so the device is already trained to see users in wheelchair, with walker and even baby chairs. When that happens, the traffic light modifies the normal cycle and gives more time to that type of pedestrian. “ The system feeds on two cameras like this. Each look at an address | Image: Xataka The hard traffic light, by default, 30 seconds. If it detects a person who meets these conditions, time increases to 35 seconds. It is exactly the same purpose as the German pilot project Ki4ped, only that it used a lidar and the Cordoba uses cameras. The project is already implemented and now it will be the users who have to validate if five seconds are enough or “if they need a little more time.” Interestingly, this traffic light does not have a incorporated second accountant, something that would help the user realize that the system, indeed, works. According to Antonio Galindo, president of the Cordoba Association of Multiple Sclerosis, “a great problem of mobility is the times, and there is already a solution.” Those affected by multiple sclerosis suffer from limiting fatigue, that is, they tire a lot even if they use support such as a wheelchair or a walker. The pressure they can feel when crossing a pedestrian step and seeing that they run out of time to cross can be huge. Image | Xataka Training. According to Pedro Vaca, responsible for the maintenance of traffic facilities in the city, the process began a year ago. To do this, they recorded videos in the Fepamic area (which is quite far from the location of the traffic light) “because it was where we had pedestrian crossings and where there was more influx of wheelchairs and walkers.” The recordings took six months and about 700 videos were achieved “that have served us as the basis to analyze and take the models of the three types of vehicles that are currently being detected.” How does it work? The company behind the artificial intelligence algorithm itself is the Cordoba Interlight. As explained to Xataka Manuel Barrios and Jerónimo Jiménez, technical director and CEO of the company, respectively, the system consists of two cameras with artificial intelligence that look at the two senses of the pedestrian passage and an algorithm of own development. The key to the algorithm, they explain from the company, is that it has self -learning. “The algorithm sees when wheelchair users pass, with canes, with baby walkers or carts, which are the four patterns that discriminates, and adding them to the model so that the algorithm improves itself.” On the left, the traffic light with AI | Image: Xataka These processes have several layers and from the company affirm that the system meets the LOPD. “We are in Europe, this is a very serious issue. Our strong is to apply artificial intelligence to something very particular respecting European guidelines, as it should be.” However, from Xataka we have been able to verify that nowhere close to the traffic light it is warned that there are cameras recording. The model detects the user in a preventive way, is anticipated, as it approaches the passage of pedestrians. If the person approaches a critical area, that is, he prepares to cross, the system sends a signal to the traffic light and indicates that it is open for a longer time. To do this, emulate the software the mechanism to press the button to ask that the traffic light opens, although this traffic light does not have said button. All this happens in 200 milliseconds, a rather low latency, and in different conditions: day, night, with rain, cloudy … The latency of the detection system is just 200 seconds The success rate is 90%, but “weekly it is increasing its capabilities. What we have seen is that the effectiveness is quite high, but when we put a frame that we have not detected, we add it … Read more

A new material with the help of Ruthenium wants to change the rules of green hydrogen

by

Renewables have postulated as the Future of Energyboth particular and in entire countries. They are also the present, with examples such as Sorpasso in countries like Spain and others like Uruguay pulling practically only renewables for months. Within those renewables, the development of methods to produce green hydrogen more efficiently is key. And a team of South Korean researchers They believe Having found the key to approaching that new era of green hydrogen: a new material that promises to revolutionize energy production. Colors. Hydrogen is extremely abundant in the universe, but it has a problem: finding it without being combined with other elements is very difficult. It is an element that has a great ease to combine and, to use it as a source of energy, it is necessary to separate it from those other elements. There are several ways to do itbut if we use renewables as an energy source, we can achieve what is known as ‘green hydrogen’. Catalysts. By means of the electrolysis technique, water hydrogen is separated. For hydrogen to be “green” it is necessary that, in that process, we use solar, wind or hydroelectric energy as a source of energy. Also an element that works as a catalyst, elements that accelerate the necessary chemical reactions to separate the hydrogen from the element to which it is linked. The better the catalyst, the faster the reaction occurs, making the process more efficient in time and resources. The problem is that they are usually expensive due to the presence of precious metals, which makes them little accessible and also have a high environmental impact because these metals are extracted from mining, some as part of Rare earth. No precious metals. That is why there are researchers experiencing with catalysts based on transition metals, non -metallic materials (such as graphene) and others that combine elements such as ruthenium, silicon and tungsten. Precisely, Ruthenium is the main ingredient of the new catalyst they are developing in the Group of Metrology of Emerging Materials of the Institute for Research and Science Science of Korea (or Kriss). The team had a catalyst with a molybdenum dioxide structure with nickel-molybdenum . They were clear that they had to investigate the Moo₂-Ni₄mo route as a catalyst, but not in their current state. Example of the electrolysis process to separate oxygen hydrogen Ruthenium shield. That’s when they decided to take the eye on Ruthenium. They introduced a small amount of this element into the structure of Moo₂-Ni₄mo and realized that, with river nanpoarticles of a size below the three nanometers, a thin layer was formed on the surface of the catalysts. Impact. This works as a shield that prevents degradation, improving durability. How much? According to its evaluations, the new catalyst presents a durability four times greater and is capable of lasting six times more in activity if compared to other existing commercial materials. All this without using rare or precious metals in the process. In addition, they combined the new catalyst with a photovoltaic system that uses Sovskita-Silicio solar cellsachieving conversion efficiency of 22.8% of solar to hydrogen. It is a promising result because it shows that this new catalyst is not only resistant and accessible, but efficient. Pocket. The problem of green hydrogen is that, although it is a fundamental element in our Way to Discarbonizationhis first appraisal has not been too encouraging. In December last year the first Iberian index of the price of renewable hydrogen was launched. Baptized as mibgas, The starting price was € 148.36/MWh. To compare, that of natural gas was about € 45.83/MWh. It was not something encouraging, but something completely normal due to the current production cost of hydrogen. Not only to talk about the infrastructure (with the entire system not only of electrolysis, but also of solar panels to feed the process), as well as the cost of the catalysts. That is why, cheaper catalysts that maintain high efficiency pave the way to the extraction of green hydrogen at a more restrained price. Looking at the sea. From the KRISS they are confident with their achievements because that new catalyst has not only marked with a green point the sections of price, efficiency and durability, but is exceeding expectations. Sun Hwa Park is the team’s principal researcher and has commented that these catalysts are also demonstrating high stability in saline water. “Currently, green hydrogen production requires purified water, but the use of real seawater could substantially reduce the costs associated with desalination. We plan to continue our research in this area. ” It will be the next challenge of a team that is not alone in this, since there are other teams and universities that have been proposed Exactly the same: use new transition compounds and metals to reduce precious metal dependence on catalysts. Now, everything indicates that it is something that will take time to establish and, without going any further, there we have the price of solar energy and how much it has dropped When technology has been popular. Images | Kriss, IberdrolaDepartment of Energy and Wood Mackenzie In Xataka | A Japanese study is being able to transform methane into a clean energy source: turquorogen turquorogen

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.