Chinese start-up, Betavolt New Energy Technology, has revealed a nuclear battery powerful enough to charge your smartphone for fifty years. When the coin-sized power bank enters production, it will become the world’s first mass-produced atomic battery. Measuring just 15 millimetres squared and 5 millimetres high, the tiny three-volt battery has 100 microwatts of power, putting…
China’s pursuit to phase out fossil fuel-powered energy took another step forward, this time with what is being described as the world’s largest high-altitude wind farm. Set 4 650 metres above sea level in the frozen town of Nagqu on the Tibetan Plateau, the 25-turbine facility produces enough clean electricity to power over half a…
It sounds like alchemy, but Chinese researchers have developed a method that uses methanol to convert coal into protein for animal feed. The breakthrough has the scientific community hopeful the low-cost source of protein could become an alternative source of nutrition for animals as food prices worldwide continue to increase. Population growth, particularly in underdeveloped…
Test runs for the world’s largest coal-to-ethanol conversion plant have commenced. Chinese authorities have announced that the site has a reported output of an estimated 600 000 tonnes per year, making it the only industrial-level facility of its kind. Ethanol is traditionally synthesised from agricultural crops like corn, sugar and cassava but the new plant,…
Chinese agronomists and engineers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA) have recently completed the world’s first artificial intelligence powered 20-story vertical farm. The unmanned plant factory based in Chengdu, Sichuan province, is considered a breakthrough for a country with persistent food security concerns and unpredictable weather conditions. China’s 2022…
A Hong Kong-based biotechnology start-up has reportedly developed a liquid microalgae air purifier capable of absorbing harmful greenhouse gases from the surrounding atmosphere. Founded by a group of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology graduates, AIGreen was established in 2021 when the young researchers discovered an algae variety with carbon capture and storage properties…
LONGi Green Energy Technology Company has set a new record with its state-of-the-art silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, achieving an efficiency rate of 33.9 per cent. The breakthrough was independently verified by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in early November 2023, according to a press release by the Xi’an-based photovoltaics firm. LONGi edged…
In a remarkable feat of ingenuity, Chinese scientists have found a way to transform contaminated wastewater into valuable semiconductor materials. Researchers are hopeful the novel, environmentally friendly production method could boost innovation in China’s chip manufacturing sector. Semiconductors and microchips play a vital role in the functioning of modern society and can be found in everything…
Chinese renewables giant, Ming Yang Energy Group, continues to push the limits of what’s possible in the offshore wind industry, this time announcing plans to build a world-record 22-megawatt turbine with Eiffel-Tower-sized blades. The engineering and design team expects to complete early prototype models within two years, according to Ming Yang insiders. Companies like Ming…
A team of Chinese geologists has uncovered a deposit of rare metal ore that could revolutionise the country’s steel, aviation, energy and medical industries. The substance has been dubbed niobabaotite by its discoverers, researchers from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology of the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The metal, which consists of several…