Daily Digest for

MIT researchers have published a new study that quantifies the impact of zero-emission truck design range on energy storage requirements and operational revenue, providing a multivariable model for fleet owners to understand the economic feasibility of battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks. The research, presented at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2024 conference, demonstrates that while Li-BEV drivetrains are limited to short-to-medium range routes, hydrogen-powered drivetrains have advantages for longer routes but face economic viability challenges due to current hydrogen fuel networks.

Natural England has implemented multiple technology-driven initiatives in Norfolk & Suffolk, including AI-powered drone monitoring of seal populations, natural flood management along the River Wissey, and drone-based seed sowing at Eves Hill Farm. The projects demonstrate the integration of artificial intelligence, drone technology, and nature-based solutions to improve environmental monitoring, flood management, and sustainable agriculture practices.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has proposed maintaining countervailing measures on biodiesel imports from Argentina with duties ranging from 25%-33.4% until February 2029. The UK’s biodiesel industry, which consumes around 1.8 million metric tonnes, is considered vulnerable to subsidized imports, and the measure aims to protect domestic production while supporting the UK’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

The infra300 index, tracking 300 unlisted infrastructure companies globally, reports a 5.59% total return in Q3 2024 with Transport and Renewable sectors as main drivers. The performance improvement is attributed to higher valuations due to interest rate cuts in the US and Europe, with contracted revenue companies leading returns and the top five performing companies seeing an average valuation increase of 17.5% quarter-over-quarter.

Phoenix Tailings, founded by MIT alumni, has developed a sustainable process for extracting rare earth metals and other critical materials from mining waste without toxic byproducts or carbon emissions. The company has received over $2 million in DOE grants and expects to produce 3,000 tons of metals by 2026, while expanding their technology to process nickel, magnesium, and iron from mining waste.