Category Archives: Life Extension

For a franchise that often bids farewell, Monday offered a refreshing reprieve. Seven Astros and one coach entered a conference room, sat below a cadre of cameramen and focused their attention toward the man towering over the dais.

Yordan Alvarez did not anticipate the support of so many teammates on the day his life changed. He arrived in Houston amid relative anonymity, a throw-in player in a trade few will ever forget. He is now among the next faces of Astros baseball.

I feel very happy, Alvarez said through an interpreter. That wasnt something I was expecting to see all of them there. Im really grateful from day one, the day I was called up, that they gave me the opportunity and trusted in me. I felt I was in the majors for a while with the trust they put in me. Im super grateful.

The Astros have sacrificed some cornerstones in the name of sustainability, a franchise-building buzzword repeated by both general managers Jeff Luhnow and successor James Click whove guided this team through its golden era. George Springer and Carlos Correa are elsewhere after failed extension attempts and the Astros aversion to long-term free-agent deals.

The six-year, $115 million contract extension Alvarez signed Monday will keep him in Houston through 2028, his age 31 season. Its the sort of deal Houston could not entice some of its former faces to take.

Pre-arbitration extensions sacrifice short-term financial gains for long-term security. Alvarez will make a $7 million base salary next season. Had he gone through the salary arbitration process this winter and continued on his current pace of production, he had a chance to reach Cody Bellingers salary record for a first-time arbitration-eligible player. Bellinger received $11.5 million in January 2020, the winter after winning National League MVP honors.

Arbitration salaries increase during all three seasons. Performance dictates how much. Alvarez could have positioned himself to pile money through the process before reaching free agency and perhaps landing a megadeal.

For me, that was something I thought about a little bit, but obviously, the extension came up, Alvarez said through an interpreter. I talked about it with my agent, and we thought it was the right decision to be here.

After making $10 million in 2024 and $15 million in 2025, Alvarez will be paid $26 million in 2026, 2027 and 2028, the three free-agent years this deal bought out. Whether it is a bargain or a bloated deal might not be known until those years arrive and the market for Alvarezs counterparts manifests. Still, the Astros commitment cant be questioned. The deal trails only Jose Altuves five-year, $151 million extension for the largest in team history.

Owner Jim Crane did not attend the news conference celebrating the second-largest contract of his ownership tenure, thus making him unavailable for comment. Crane has not taken questions in a news conference or scrum setting since November.

He has, however, overseen extensions for starter Lance McCullers Jr. and closer Ryan Pressly over the last calendar year. Pressly, McCullers, Altuve, Alvarez, third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Kyle Tucker are all under contract through at least 2024.

Around the same time they approached Alvarez, the Astros tried to extend Tucker, but negotiations fell apart. Tucker has not ruled out the possibility of re-engaging during the season. Click on Monday declined comment about the possibility in hopes of keeping the focus toward Alvarez.

This is a conversation weve been having for quite a while, Click said. Sometimes it would pick up, sometimes it would slow down a little bit, but certainly over the last week or so it became clear that both sides were motivated to get something done.

At 24, Alvarez has already separated himself as one of baseballs most feared hitters. He debuted on June 9, 2019 and unanimously won American League Rookie of the Year honors.

Since the day he entered the majors, no American League hitter has a higher OPS or slugging percentage. If not for two knee surgeries that sidelined him for most of the 2020 season, his numbers might be even bigger.

Alvarez entered Mondays game against the Mariners as Houstons leader in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and, somehow, triples.

I think hes the best hitter I ever played with, Altuve said. Its amazing what he can do. He can hit the ball the other way. He can get triples, homers. He walks. Hes a really good hitter. Im happy about this deal. I know how hard he worked for it. Just knowing were going to have Yordan six more years means a lot.

The Astros commitment signals a thought Alvarez will only improve. He started in left field Monday for the 21st time this season, keeping him on pace to play more defense than over his first three major league seasons combined. Uneasiness about his knees contributed to the teams hesitancy, but Alvarez can now claim a clean bill of health.

Everyone else didnt think he was a good outfielder, outfield coach Gary Pettis said. Ive seen Yordan play the outfield. What hes doing now is not a surprise to me at all. Ive seen him go through the workouts. Its just most people didnt get to see it because he was injured. He couldnt do as much. Im not surprised.

Few expect elite defense from Alvarez. Average would be welcomed but still increase his value and afford the team much-needed flexibility. This deal suggests he can provide it, but still, almost all of Alvarezs value is tied to his bat. Pigeonholing him as a pure power hitter is foolish. His career chase rate and whiff rate is below major league average. His 23.2 percent strikeout rate is just 0.2 above it.

Whos at the top of their game at 24? Most guys are just getting there. Hes just scratching the surface, manager Dusty Baker said.

Theyre still throwing him bait. Hes still going for a little bit of the bait. Hes still learning about the outfield. Hes still learning about baserunning. Hes a man-child, but you look at him as if hes a 10-year veteran. Hes not. Thats why you sign a guy to multi years: because you realize he is going to get better.

This current group of Astros doesnt need anything better, just the bludgeoning version of Alvarez thats already here.

Its a cornerstone player, Click said. It allows us to build the roster around him, build the lineup around him. That sort of security both for him and for us as we try to compete for World Series championships is huge. Were going to have a player of that caliber anchoring our lineup for the foreseeable future.

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Astros frothing over 6 more seasons of Yordan Alvarez - Houston Chronicle

Having attended the All Energy and Decarbonise exhibition and conference earlier this month (11th and 12th May), "Onshore Wind: The long game - Re-powering and life extension" proved to be a very interesting presentation. Featuring speakers involved in every stage of the development of an onshore wind site - from site planning all the way through to life extension - the presentation was both insightful and inspiring in its attention to detail regarding the steps necessary to bolster our current renewable energy capacity, steps the development of which my colleagues and I keenly follow.

Most interesting - through the lens of innovation - was the discussion of necessary actions regarding the decommissioning of onshore wind installations which are due an upgrade, not a discussion held at large on the renewables world stage. In particular, the Q & A following the presentation shed light on the problem of turbine blade recyclability. This problem is one of import, as many of the onshore wind sites currently in operation (for many years) are due to be replaced by sites which feature more up to date and efficient technology. The problem being, many of these outdated sites occupy some of the most lucrative locations in the world with regard to the exploitation of wind energy. Therefore, these outdated wind turbines must be removed to make way for their more modern descendants. Removed, though, to where?

"Recycling facilities" acts as an acceptable answer to the above question in relation to many components of a wind turbine - largely excluding the turbine blades themselves. Notoriously difficult to recycle, decommissioning these components may solve the problem of outdated onshore wind installations, whilst simultaneously creating an issue of waste following such decommissioning. Unsurprisingly, one of the landscapes which onshore wind operators are primed to explore in order to overcome this issue is that of turbine blade technological innovation. In short, the exploration of how exactly turbine blades can be designed/manufactured in order to make them more recyclable. This problem, therefore, struck me as one which presents a fantastic opportunity for innovators to contribute significantly to the net zero effort, whilst benefiting commercially as a result of their innovative efforts.

The discussion by the panel of the absence of the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) - responsible for manufacturing the components used to produce the wind turbines originally placed throughout these outdated sites - also proved noteworthy. Absence of the particular spare parts required in order to be able to extend the life of these aging wind turbines acts as a significant barrier to the continued operation of theses sites. With Siemens Gamesa, a prolific OEM, having created an entire business line dedicated to the refurbishment of aging wind turbine parts, in an attempt to counteract this issue, a niche primed for exploitation by innovators seems to have been identified. Whether such exploitation takes the form of innovative methods of spare part refurbishment, or perhaps the invention of wind turbine components capable of acceptance into a wide range of wind turbine systems, opportunities to contribute to the net zero effort, and benefit commercially whilst doing so, seem to be calling out to innovators the world over.

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Re-powering and life extension of Onshore Wind - Lexology

In "a stunning reversal, coming after a decades-long driveto shutterPG&E Corp.s Diablo Canyon nuclear plantover fears itsone earthquake away from catastrophe,"Mark Chediak andWill Wadereport for Bloomberg News on May 25 that the state "is reconsidering plans to close its only remaining set of reactors as California struggles to run its power grid with fewer fossil-fuel plants."

Related post:The Only Remaining Nuclear Power Plant in California Will Close,June 23, 2016.

While the facilitys fate remains uncertain, the fact that solar- and wind-loving California is even talking about extending its life marks a turning point in the global debate over nuclear power. It comes as the state has moved aggressively to shutter natural-gas facilities, leaving it in danger of blackouts during heat waves.

The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (previously known as the bipartisan infrastructure framework) last November, specifically the inclusion of the$6 billionCivil Nuclear Credit Programto extend the life of nuclear power plants unable to compete with cheaper power from natural gas and renewable power facilities, influenced California Gov. Gavin Newsom's reconsideration of the decision made by PG&Esix years ago to close the state's last nuclear power plant.

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"In a letter to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, California Governor Gavin Newsoms office said federal money will be a key factor as it evaluates whether it can temporarily extend the life of the Diablo Canyon plant beyond its planned 2025 retirement," reported Chediak separately on May 24.

In the letter Monday to the US Energy Department, Newsom cabinet secretary Ana Matosantos said the state was considering preserving Diablo Canyon due to the planned retirements of other power generators as well as expected clean-power projects that have been delayed.

Related post:Opinion: Replacing Nuclear Plants Amounts to 'Treadmill Decarbonization,'July 25, 2021

However, the decision to apply for funding from the new bailout program to prolong the life of the 2,256MWpower plant, the state's largest, would have to come from the owner, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), California's largest utility.

PG&E Corp., which operates the plant, is willing to consider all options for it, said spokeswoman Suzanne Hosn. We are open to applying for Department of Energy funding given the potential savings it could represent for our customers as the state considers various options to support reliability in California, Hosn said.

According to a May 18 news release by the Environmental Working Group, the planttechnically doesn't qualify for the credit program.

But the lifeline may violate DOE guidance, which says only nuclear plants in states with deregulated energy can apply for a share of the $6 billionCivil Nuclear Credit Program, a fund designed to help nuclear reactors keep operating. Diablo Canyon is in California, which fully regulates utility power generation, so it shouldnt be eligible.

[See 'Category 1Compete in a Competitive Electricity Market' in the"Notice of Intent and Request for Information Regarding Establishment of a Civil Nuclear Credit Program," Federal Register,02/15/2022]

The group makes clear their position on prolonging the life of the controversial power plant.

Even by PG&Es own history of billion-dollar misguided spending sprees, throwing taxpayers money away to keep the unsafe Diablo Canyon nuclear plant on life support has to be one of the worst, said EWG President and California resident Ken Cook.

The letter[pdf via E&E News] by the Governor's Office on May 23 asks Granholm to make changes to the program's criteria to allow PG&E to apply for the funding.

"We appreciate DOEs consideration of these suggestions and request a prompt response as this information is critical for Californias due diligence efforts and will help inform the states actions to maintain energy reliability as it continues leading in the transition to clean energy," wroteMatosantos in her closing paragraph.

"Otherwise, Matosantos wrote, California's Diablo Canyon Power Plant might not qualify and it needs the money to stay open and ensure the lights stay on in the nation's most populous state," wrote E&E News West Coast bureau chiefAnne C. Mulkernon May 25.

Two days earlier, Mulkern wrote in Scientific American on the potential for blackouts in California for "the next five summers" due to threats to electricity reliability posed by "extreme heat and other climate change impacts."

The initial deadline for the first application for funding for the nuclear credit program had been May 19. On May 18, "two days after two industry trade groups, Edison Electric Institute and Nuclear Energy Institute, sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm requesting the extension on behalf of their members," the Department of Energy extended the application period to July 5, reported Reuters.

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Extending the Life of California's Largest Power Plant - Planetizen

30 May 2022

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Having attended the All Energy and Decarbonise exhibition andconference earlier this month (11th and 12thMay),"Onshore Wind: The long game - Re-powering and lifeextension" proved to be a very interesting presentation.Featuring speakers involved in every stage of the development of anonshore wind site - from site planning all the way through to lifeextension - the presentation was both insightful and inspiring inits attention to detail regarding the steps necessary to bolsterour current renewable energy capacity, steps the development ofwhich my colleagues and I keenly follow.

Most interesting - through the lens of innovation - was thediscussion of necessary actions regarding the decommissioning ofonshore wind installations which are due an upgrade, not adiscussion held at large on the renewables world stage. Inparticular, the Q & A following the presentation shed light onthe problem of turbine blade recyclability. This problem is one ofimport, as many of the onshore wind sites currently in operation(for many years) are due to be replaced by sites which feature moreup to date and efficient technology. The problem being, many ofthese outdated sites occupy some of the most lucrative locations inthe world with regard to the exploitation of wind energy.Therefore, these outdated wind turbines must be removed to make wayfor their more modern descendants. Removed, though, to where?

"Recycling facilities" acts as an acceptable answer tothe above question in relation to many components of a wind turbine- largely excluding the turbine blades themselves. Notoriouslydifficult to recycle, decommissioning these components may solvethe problem of outdated onshore wind installations, whilstsimultaneously creating an issue of waste following suchdecommissioning. Unsurprisingly, one of the landscapes whichonshore wind operators are primed to explore in order to overcomethis issue is that of turbine blade technological innovation. Inshort, the exploration of how exactly turbine blades can bedesigned/manufactured in order to make them more recyclable. Thisproblem, therefore, struck me as one which presents a fantasticopportunity for innovators to contribute significantly to the netzero effort, whilst benefiting commercially as a result of theirinnovative efforts.

The discussion by the panel of the absence of the OriginalEquipment Manufacturers (OEMs) - responsible for manufacturing thecomponents used to produce the wind turbines originally placedthroughout these outdated sites - also proved noteworthy. Absenceof the particular spare parts required in order to be able toextend the life of these aging wind turbines acts as a significantbarrier to the continued operation of theses sites. With SiemensGamesa, a prolific OEM, having created an entire business linededicated to the refurbishment of aging wind turbine parts, in anattempt to counteract this issue, a niche primed for exploitationby innovators seems to have been identified. Whether suchexploitation takes the form of innovative methods of spare partrefurbishment, or perhaps the invention of wind turbine componentscapable of acceptance into a wide range of wind turbine systems,opportunities to contribute to the net zero effort, and benefitcommercially whilst doing so, seem to be calling out to innovatorsthe world over.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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When we think about sources of renewable energy, it's usually wind turbines and solar panels that come to mind. In fact, it is the oceans which are the world's largest source of untapped energy...

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GET IT produce being loaded onto a delivery vehicle.

GET IT has been operating in Rwanda since 2014; first as a fruits, vegetables and dry goods distributor and later adding primary agriculture and processing. In 2019, just before the pandemic hit, founder Lauren Russell Nkuranga moved into the position of chairman and Mark Sproston was appointed CEO. Jeanette Clark spoke to him about adding revenue from home deliveries to get through the Covid-19 slump, logistics challenges and growth opportunities in the region.

GET IT was founded in 2014 by American entrepreneur Lauren Russell Nkuranga, after moving to the country two years prior to work for the Nike Foundation. She has since built the company into a sizeable distributor of fruits and vegetables in Rwanda.

In early 2018, GET IT invited Mark Sproston a South African businessman who had over 25 years experience in the food distribution industry to do an analysis of the business and make recommendations on what it could do to become more efficient and identify opportunities for growth.

The original request was for a detailed assessment of the business, which I did. They then asked that I assist in implementing some of these changes. I also stepped in as interim CEO when Lauren was on maternity leave. A year later, he was asked to join the team permanently as CEO.

Up to this point, GET IT had shown healthy growth within the borders of Rwanda. The board appointed Sproston with the purpose of growing operational capacity and sales while Russell Nkuranga would focus on fundraising, governance and building the road map for expansion.

Things were going well the company was actively looking for funding to grow its operations and take the leap into regional business when Covid-19 hit.

The company cultivates its own chillies in Rwanda.

It was horrendous, he says. April generally shows poor revenue because it is genocide memorial month. However, we lost close to 90% of our turnover in April 2020 when Rwanda went into lockdown. Borders were closed; every single establishment was shut. We needed to diversify, and quickly.

That was when the company, which primarily did food procurement and distribution for hotel and hospitality clients at the time, went into home deliveries.

Home deliveries was originally one of the founders goals; customers would place orders via SMS and receive the products the next day. However, large restaurants began to use the service and GET IT adjusted its business model to fill the clear gap for a commercial food distributor.

During the lockdown in 2020 home deliveries boomed. GET IT received a permit from the government as an essential service provider under Covid-19 restrictions. Within a period of about three months, we picked up 500 home delivery clients, says Sproston. In the following three months, we managed to recover around 70% of our revenue.

As economic activity gradually recommenced during 2020, the company still serviced home deliveries and it makes up about 20% of its domestic revenue today.

Sproston admits home deliveries on its own would never make the company viable; only when its combined with bulk deliveries to hotels and restaurants.

Produce in cold storage.

According to Sproston, the company adapted well to the changed business environment. They learnt to operate in difficult conditions and it achieved its highest monthly turnover for five months in a row during partial lockdown. We have continued on this upward trend.

Originally, the company procured only from smallholder farmers, but later started its own managed farms to ensure security of supply. They kicked off with ginger and now also cultivate chillies, turmeric, garlic and French beans. Exports of the produce from these farms to markets like South Africa, the US and India have grown significantly.

Bearing in mind I didnt come from an agricultural background, I had to learn about farming quickly, Sproston remembers about the time when he joined. Its been a steep learning curve, considering the pandemics impact. In fact, GET IT could not complete its first export consignment of ginger because of pandemic restrictions. The borders closed on the day we delivered the product for export.

Yet, GET IT still managed to export eight tonnes of produce in the first year. In 2022, it has already sent 50 tonnes abroad and is aiming for another 60 tonnes before the end of the year. Our target is 300 tonnes in 2023, he says.

The goal is for GET IT to become a food distribution service, which caters for all products, no matter the temperature required when transporting the goods.

Currently, if you look at the region, there is nobody of substantial size providing distribution services for fresh, refrigerated produce, frozen products and goods that must be kept at room temperature. We want to be that player.

GET IT manages its own farms and also buys from smallholders.

He believes their biggest challenge is managing the products cold chain effectively and extending the shelf-life. The company uses a combination of third-party providers, as well as its own cold storage and refrigerated vehicles for distribution.

Getting the produce from the farms (its own or the smallholder farmers) remains challenging, particularly for fragile fruits and vegetables, like lettuce and cherry tomatoes. For these products, we send a refrigerated truck, which brings them to our processing facility in Kigali to be washed, sorted, cut and trimmed. We are also investigating various shelf-life extension options such as gas flushing or better packaging, says Sproston.

The country has a severe shortage of commercial refrigerated vehicles and this presents a business opportunity. At one point there were only six refrigerated trucks available for commercial rental in Kigali. While there are more now, it is still not enough, and we often have to rent directly from private operators. I have been approached by various players in the region who are considering a business to address this shortage. I expect a large player on the ground very shortly, adds Sproston.

For the future, GET IT has its sights set on Kenya and on new opportunities in even more value-added processing, such as solar drying. If you are drying or producing concentrated extracts from ginger and chillies, your margins are a lot better than if you export the fresh product, he explains. If you can export at high value and lower weight, its more profitable to export from a landlocked country.

The company benefits from the work done by the National Agricultural Export Development Board, a government agency that assists in facilitating export linkages between domestic companies and importers abroad.

We work with government and also actively search for opportunities and new markets ourselves. For example, export into Kenya is a direct result of our initial imports from there. It was inefficient to send empty trucks to collect the imported products and we searched for a client on that side of the border to whom we could supply goods.

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Building a food distribution business in Rwanda and beyond - How we made it in Africa

The concept of a circular economy can be counter-intuitive in terms of auto industry sustainability, but it's important to consider how this can support the transition. By Manuel Silva Martinez

The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation as it tries to adapt to changing customer behaviours, new technology, increased regulatory pressure and emerging business models. At a global level, the industry is projected to grow to nearly US$9tr by 2030.

In the past few years, the sustained growth of the industry has been driven by electric vehicles (EVs). This growth is only expected to increase as the need to meet climate goals becomes more urgent. While Tesla remains the leader in the space, new EV manufacturers such as Xpeng are growing exponentially and traditional manufacturers are investing billions in their fleet electrification efforts.

As the transportation industry is responsible for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to EVs is key to reaching net-zero targets but there is another key issue at stake, namelyhow to dispose sustainably of the millions of cars still in circulation. Is it a better environmental alternative to extend their lifetime instead? While the concept of a circular economy applied to the automotive industry can be counter-intuitive in terms of sustainability, its important to consider how this can support the transition.

The aim of the circular economy is to eliminate waste throughout entire value chains, including manufacturing and use. It values preserving raw materials and recycling. By contrast, the current linear economy transforms raw materials into products that are made, used and disposed of, finding value in producing and selling as many goods as possible.

Transitioning away from the linear economy means systems-wide changes, including decarbonising production and designing products for recyclability at end of life. For an industry as large and complex as the automotive industry, it means achieving transformation at scale.

Unsurprisingly, the industry and its value chain are dominated by large manufacturers but a number of emerging players are driving innovations across different circular business models. Below are some of the names and business models which have the potential to scale and drive increased sustainability across the whole industry.

This involves substituting linear lifecycle materials with renewable, recyclable, or biodegradable input materials in the production process. For example, Redwood Materials is creating a circular supply chain by retrieving raw materials such as cobalt, copper and nickel from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries to produce battery materials for electromobility and electrical storage systems which can be recycled.

This involves the recovery and reuse of outputs from one process as inputs for another with the aim of increasing the economic value of resources across lifecycles. For example, Black Bear Carbon is a Dutch company founded in 2010. It upcycles end-of-life tyres to produce sustainable Carbon Black, reducing CO2 emissions and aiming to solve the global waste tyre problem.

These models aim to extend the lifecycle of resource cycles through repairing, upgrading or re-selling. In the context of the automotive sector, this can be divided into second-hand dealerships and predictive maintenance platforms. While second-hand dealerships have existed for decades, online second-hand marketplaces have been emerging in both emerging and developed markets over the past few years as consumers behaviours shift to online. Examples of already well-established players include Carvana in the US, Auto1Group in Europe, Kavak in Latin America and Cars24 in India. However, data and AI are also fuelling innovation in the predictive analytics segment. For instance, Twaiceis a German company that uses predictive analytics software to increase thelifetime, efficiency,and sustainability of batteries.The company provides access tosolutions forthe optimiseddevelopmentandoperation of lithium-ion batteries,independent of a batteryor productmanufacturers.

These schemes enable increased utilisation rates of products and services by making shared use and ownership possible. Turois a US-based peer-to-peer car-sharing platform designed to help people book a car from local car owners through an online and mobile interface. Many others have emerged whether as peer-to-peer solutions or as OEM/leasing/renting companies proposed solutions, in one of the easiest applications of circular economy in the space.

This model offers product access through rental or leasing services. PaaS helps reduce environmental impact by sharing and extending the use of an item and supports affordability by charging regular small amounts, rather than the full value at once. A large number of players have entered the digital subscription space over the past few years as a sign of changing trends in mobility. For example, Finn.auto allows people to subscribe to a car instead of owning one. Finn.auto is also proving appealing to environmentally conscious drivers as it allows CO2 emission offsets and is expanding its range of EVs.

For such a large industry shifting to circularity requires changes and business models evolution from incumbents too and its encouraging to see supporting trends. For instance, when looking at the sales mix, used-car sales which already account for over 50% of global sales are projected to increase to 62% by 2030. Increasing the lifespan of a product is a core principle of the circular economy, and predictive maintenance and growing secondary markets facilitate life extension. At the same time, by refurbishing used parts and remanufacturing engines, Renaultoffers remanufactured components and spare parts with as-good-as-new warranties to customers for prices that are 3050% lower than for new replacement parts.

The path to net-zero is complex and thinking it can be achieved just through a full transition to EV is over-simplistic, at least in the short term. Only by looking at sustainability more broadly and by identifying new models that will help change our relationship with consumption can we achieve transformation at scale. The circular economy can be a big factor in reducing emissions as it focuses on the notion of reduce, reuse and recycle. Within this framework, we see the automotive industry as being relatively advanced but a growing number of second-hand marketplaces in the electronics and fashion industries and a move to non-polluting processes and systems from selected players in the food industry, are encouraging signs of how other industries are starting to embrace the circular economy.

About the author:Manuel Silva Martinez is General Partner at Mouro Capital

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What can other industries learn from the automotive sector's circular economy innovations? - Automotive World

WALTHAM, Mass., June 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.VRDN, a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases underserved by current therapies, today announced that Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Viridian, will participate in two fireside chats at the Jefferies Healthcare Conference being held in New York on June 8 -10, 2022 and the JMP Securities Life Sciences Conference in New York on June 15 - 16, 2022.

The live webcast and a replay of the fireside chats can also be accessed under "Events" in the Investors section of the Viridian Therapeutics website.

About Viridian Therapeutics

Viridian Therapeuticsis a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases but underserved by today's therapies. Viridian's most advanced program, VRDN-001, is a differentiated monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), a clinically and commercially validated target for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED). Viridian's second product candidate, VRDN-002, is a distinct anti-IGF-1R antibody that incorporates half-life extension technology and is designed to support administration as a convenient, low-volume, subcutaneous injection.TED is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fibrosis within the orbit of the eye which can cause double vision, pain, and potential blindness. Patients with severe disease often require multiple remedial surgeries to the orbit, eye muscles and eyelids. Viridian is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Investor and Media ContactJohn JordanViridian TherapeuticsVice President, Investor Relations& Corporate Communications617-272-4691IR@viridiantherapeutics.com

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Viridian Therapeutics to Participate in June Investor Conferences - Benzinga - Benzinga

As the world embarks on a golden age of space, the pressing problem of space debris must be addressed. Estimated at $14bn for on-orbit services alone, could this give rise to a new industry, asks Keith J Fernandez.

The accelerated pace at which satellites are being launched into space has now drawn attention to some of its unintended consequences. In the process, a new sub-industry in the space sector is emerging.

Over the past year, Japanese startup Astroscale has been testing its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) technology, to show how man-made objects can be serviced and space debris can be removed from low-Earth orbits (LEO).

The two spacecraft that comprise ELSA-d a 175kg servicer and a 17kg cubesat client equipped with a magnetic docking plate were launched into a 550km LEO orbit in March last year. In August, the company said ELSA-d had successfully released and recaptured the client multiple times, offering early proof of concept. Although irregularities stalled the mission earlier this year, Astroscale is set to resume it soon and is learning valuable lessons about satellite servicing operations in space, the company said in a statement.

Astroscale is also working on several other on-orbit products. Its ELSA-M spacecraft, based on an evolution of ELSA-ds technologies, is being created to tidy up non-magnetic satellite debris of up to 800kg at altitudes of 1,325km in a single mission. The Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) craft, selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will show how large-scale debris can be taken out of orbit. And its Life Extension In-Orbit (LEXI) mission will provide life extension and manoeuvring services to satellites weighing up to several thousand kilos in geostationary orbit (GEO).

We expect that Astroscale will become a critical service provider for safely removing defunct objects from space and pioneering new ways to service, upgrade and transport spacecraft to maintain and grow the viability of Earths orbits, Ron Lopez, President & Managing Director at Astroscales US arm, tells Satellite Pro.

The tech firm is among the early movers in a developing high-tech garbage disposal industry. Since the USSR launched Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, space has become increasingly crowded. As of January, there were 4,852 active satellites currently in orbit, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a science non-profit. But there are also more than 3,000 inactive orbiters above our heads. More than two-thirds of all satellites are in LEO, which requires the lowest energy for satellite placement.

In addition, millions of pieces of space junk circle the Earth. The result of explosions, collisions or anti-satellite tests, these debris are both working and defunct pieces of spacecraft or satellites, including discarded rocket stages, fragmented hardware and even paint flecks.

According to NASAs Orbital Debris office, at least 25,000 of these objects are larger than 10cm across, while another 500,000 are particles between 1 and 10 cm in diameter. There are more than 100 million particles larger than 1mm. Of these, the US Space Command actively tracks more than 40,000 objects in space to avoid collision risks.

NASA puts the aggregate weight of material in orbit around Earth at 9,000 metric tons. This junk travels at speeds of up to 17,500mph, fast enough for even a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft. With debris constantly in motion, even communications or navigation systems here on Earth could be rendered in-operational by crashes and collisions.

As the frequency of such collisions increases, more space junk is being created. In theory, the result could be the Kessler Syndrome, a chain reaction of collisions making it difficult to launch new space missions, scientists warn.

If we dont do something within the next few decades 50 years at most then the Kessler Syndrome will become a reality. The youth of today will certainly need to solve the problem, says author and space debris expert John L Crassidis, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University at Buffalo, who works with NASA and the US Air Force on the issue.

In April, an international team of researchers writing in the Nature Astronomy journal highlighted another potential problem, warning that a dramatic rise in space debris will impact a wide range of fields, including astronomy.

Modern society is completely dependent on services from space, Lopez says. Communications, financial systems, navigation, weather and national security warnings, and climate and environmental monitoring are all powered by satellites. The orbits these satellites occupy around Earth are becoming dangerously crowded.

While satellite operators and launch service providers have evolved approaches that remove satellite and spent upper stages from orbit at end-of-mission, this larger active and retired satellite population, and the more crowded orbital environment it will create, will drive future debris volumes unless we take proactive steps to manage the space environment. If the projected trillion-dollar-plus space economy is to be realised, it must be built on a more sustainable foundation. On-orbit servicing is that foundation.

This could generate $14.3bn in revenue through 2031, he adds, citing Northern Sky research.

An exponential increase in the number of launches in this golden era of space exploration is only going to exacerbate the problem. Some 17,000 new satellites are set to be launched through 2030, research from Euroconsult shows. Thats a four-fold increase from the 3,800 sent into orbit over the previous decade, thanks to economies of scale in satellite manufacturing and a strong decrease in launch prices. Of the 170 constellation projects assessed, 110 are by commercial companies, often called New Space players. OneWeb, Starlink, Gwo Wang, Kuiper and Lightspeed represent 58% of these new launches.

Besides defence and aerospace, IT and telecom provide the most significant revenue opportunities over the short and medium term from this pie in the sky. In particular, satellite broadband internet is in greater demand, with the global economy increasingly underpinned by connected technologies such as the internet of things (IoT).

The space economy is projected to be worth $1tn or more in 2040, up from $350bn at present, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley. Government space programmes continue to dominate the sector, accounting for three-quarters of current revenue at about $240bn, but even here the playing field has become more diversified. McKinsey data shows that around 70 countries now have established space programmes, including the UAE, Costa Rica, the Philippines and Rwanda.

Even without this increase in launch rates in a business-as-usual scenario the number of space debris objects greater than 10cm could double in the next 50 years, according to projections by the European Space Agency (ESA).

The ESA is the first space agency to commit to debris neutrality. By 2030, it hopes to be adding zero net debris to the Earth orbital environment, and by 2050 it hopes to have fostered a circular economy in space by using in-orbit servicing to ensure long-term orbital sustainability in other words, to recycle, repurpose and reuse satellites and other man-made space objects.

In 2025, the agency hopes to be the first to remove an item of debris left in orbit. Its Clearspace-1 mission will deploy an experimental four-armed robot to bring back a 100kg Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (Vespa) from an orbit at about 800km, left there in 2013. The $104m project, carried out by Swiss startup ClearSpace, will work to match the velocity of the object before capturing it and bringing it back down into the atmosphere, Chief Engineer Muriel Richards told Newsweek.

Clearing debris is one approach to the problem. Another is refuelling, which could extend satellites lives, meaning fewer new launches. At present, satellites reach the end of their useful life when they run out of fuel. Many must be decommissioned at that point because there is no way to refuel them easily.

San Francisco-based Orbit Fab wants to enable permanent jobs in space and is currently building out the propellant supply chain to support that vision. CEO Daniel Faber tells SatellitePro how his gas stations in space will operate: We will have fuel depots, big simple tanks of fuel that we launch on any available rocket, and reusable fuel shuttles that can take the fuel from the depot to operational satellites. This reusability allows the company to amortise its costs over many deliveries.

In June last year, Orbit Fab launched the first fuel depot to LEO. Tanker 001 Tenzing stores the green propellant high-test peroxide (HTP) in a sun-synchronous orbit to refuel other spacecraft. It hopes to launch a similar depot to GEO this year. Its first two shuttles could be in orbit by 2023.

We have had quite a lot of interest from both companies and governments interested in the refuelling and what it can do to their capital costs, such as moving CapEx to OpEx, as well as introducing mobility and flexibility to the business model, which has previously never been possible in the space industry, Faber says.

Orbit Fab won a $12m contract from AFWERX and SpaceWERX, the US Air Force and Space Force innovation hubs, to integrate its Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) with Department of Defense spacecraft for on-orbit refuelling missions. RAFTI is a high-tech refuelling system valve comprising a service valve and alignment markers. The company is also working with Astroscale on its new Life Extension In-Orbit (LEXI) Servicer spacecraft.

Several other startups have entered the space with proposed life extension and debris monitoring and clearance services. In India, five-year-old startup Manastu Space has created a satellite propulsion system that uses affordable green fuel. It has similar plans to offer refuelling services in space, Indian media report. Portuguese startup Neuraspace raised 2.5m in March for its AI-powered space debris monitoring platform. The solution aims to enable safe and sustainable in-orbit operations in the New Space economy.

Other proposals are looking at repurposing larger objects into small-scale space stations, sending objects at the end of their lives into a graveyard orbit where they are unable to interfere with most space travel and existing satellites, or using the debris as a source of fuel, Crassidis explains.

Taking a comprehensive approach is SpaceLogistics, a US satellite-servicing firm owned by Northrop Grumman, with solutions for repair, recycling and refuelling operations. Rob Hauge, President, SpaceLogistics, tells SatellitePro how the company is working on several space sustainability projects aimed at enhancing and extending satellite life.

SpaceLogistics is the only company providing in-space servicing today, with our two Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) which are extending the lives of two Intelsat satellites. Our second-generation vehicles, known as Mission Extension Pods (MEPs), will be installed by our Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV). The MRV and MEPs will continue to reduce the need to build new satellites by extending and enhancing those already in orbit.

SpaceLogistics MEVs are the companys first generation of in-space servicing spacecraft and were designed to extend the life of satellites running low on fuel. Its MEPs, set to launch in 2024, will similarly extend the life of client satellites. The MRVs that install them will also provide on-orbit augmentation, inspection and repair capabilities.

In addition, the MRV will also be the first commercial satellite designed with robotic arms to be flexible to serve as a multi-mission platform to also enable inspection, repositioning and repair of client satellites. The MRV and MEP programmes have completed their preliminary design reviews, the first robotics arm has been assembled, the first test of the MEP capture mechanism has completed, and first light has been achieved with the Hall Current Thruster (HCT) for the electric propulsion system, Hauge says.

In February, SpaceLogistics sold the first MEP to Optus, an Australian satellite telecommunications major. By 2025, the company hopes to take refuelling a step further with Mission Refuelling Pods (MRPs) and active GEO debris removal. By the end of the decade, it wants to be manufacturing and assembling spacecraft on-orbit.

On our horizon is enabling the eventual repurposing and recycling of what is already on-orbit, to make space truly sustainable, says Hauge.

The US recently became the first country to announce a ban on missile tests against space satellites, but the scale of the problem requires more than individual approaches, something the global community seems to realise.

The United Nations published guidelines concerning space debris in 2010, the start of what has been called a highway code for space. Last June, the leaders of the EU and the G7 group of nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the UK agreed to focus on the development of common standards of sustainable operations, as well as space traffic management and coordination.

Now momentum is building around the Net-Zero Space Initiative, aimed at actively reducing orbital debris. Yet, resolving the issue needs more action. We need to have all countries agree to these common guidelines, which hasnt happened yet, Crassidis says.

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The rise of a new industry as space junk becomes big business - SatellitePro ME - SatelliteProME.com

In the winter of 2006, a distressing phenomenon began to make headlines. Beekeepers across the country were reporting troubling losses of their honey bee hives, at a scale and for causes not seen before.

The majority of worker bees in a colony would disappear, leaving behind the queen, plenty of honey, and a few nurse and immature bees. Colonies cannot survive without worker bees, and as many as 90% of beekeepers hives were being lost.

Stories about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) were amplified with the vital role that honey bees play in pollination and their critical link in agriculture production. There were dire warnings that the collapse of the honey bee population would lead to the collapse of the national and global food supply.

Soon after CCD stories became widespread, David Tarpy, NCState Extension specialist in apiculture and beekeeping, noticed a phenomenon of his own.

When I started in 2003 it was before CCD hit all the headlines, he said. There were just under 1,200 members of the state association. Today there are nearly 5,000. They had 44 county chapters that met once a month. Now theres something like 89 chapters, and half of them meet in their local Extension office. We have the most beekeepers in the nation, probably outright but definitely per capita.

Motivations can vary. Some North Carolina beekeepers do it for business opportunities, to harvest the honey to sell at farmers markets or to friends, family and neighbors. A few beekeepers have expanded their hives and are providing commercial pollination services.

But just about all of them have something in common.

Most of them are getting into it because they hear that bees are in trouble, Tarpy said. Its something theyve always been curious about, and always wanted to do. It was enough of a curiosity and impulse to get started and keep bees as a hobby.

Beekeeping is a great way to help the environment and perhaps even make some money. It is relatively inexpensive to get started.

Learn more.

Seth Nagy, Extension director in Caldwell County, observed something similar in his area.

When Colony Collapse Disorder showed up and it was in the news cycle, locally we went from beekeepers calling us occasionally to a massive increase in awareness about bees, he said. We might be talking to somebody and suggest a crop protectant or a pesticide, and they might say something like, Well, I dont want to do anything that harms the bees. I know we need them.

May 20 is World Bee Day, first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. It was chosen in honor of Anton Jana, a pioneer of modern apiculture who was born on the date in Slovenia in 1734. The purpose of the day is not to celebrate Jana, but rather to raise awareness of the ecological importance of bees and their general health.

In 2022, the good news is there are plenty of honey bees. But there are significant challenges.

A lot of people equate all bees as being the same, Tarpy said. Solitary native bees that are not under the purview of humans are in decline because of habitat loss. Since honey bees are managed they arent going extinct. We just have difficulty in keeping them healthy.

When the Asian Giant Hornet aka the murder hornet began generating headlines, NCState Extension created a guide to help identify the wasps and bees that buzz around North Carolina.

View the interactive guide.

NCStates apiculture program helps North Carolinas beekeepers meet the challenges through research, education and Extension.

We are doing research on different stressors of honey bees to try to find ways to mitigate them, Tarpy said. That leads directly into our Extension work, which is to educate beekeepers about better management techniques and best management practices. Thats where we have our most effective impact, trying to make existing beekeepers better.

Among the major stressors affecting the health of honey bees are parasites and pathogens, disease agents that make bees sick. The worst of them is a parasitic mite called varroa.

Thats what a lot of our training is focused on, Tarpy said. There are many different options, but theres no silver bullet. You can do the same thing to two different colonies and theyll respond differently. Its about trying to get beekeepers to understand the complexity of the entire issue.

Other stressors are pesticides and environmental contaminants, things that bees can encounter in their environment that are toxic to them; and nutritional stress, including habitat loss that reduces the amount of pollen and nectar-bearing flowers.

It used to be possible to be a bee haver; you could have a hive of honey bees and let them do their thing. Youd go in there once a year and take excess honey, and that was about it, Tarpy said. Now you have to be an active beekeeper, because there have been these introduced disease agents that our bees dont have a natural defense against. As a result they succumb to them if left on their own. So honey bees really do need a lot more hand-holding these days than before.

In this issue of Homegrown, Hannah Levenson, Ph.D. student in NCStates apiculture program, shares an update on efforts to conserve pollinator habitats and how you can begin growing your own pollinator paradise.

Watch now.

Much of the education component takes place through the Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES), an online resource that offers courses for beginning and advanced beekeepers.

We built the BEES network to empower the Extension agents so that they didnt have to be experts in beekeeping, Tarpy said. They could rely on my expertise and these online lecture materials to educate their local beekeepers.

Before the pandemic, Extension apiculture added an in-person element with the introduction of three regional BEES Academies, held in Caldwell, Chatham and Brunswick counties. The academies took elements from the online course and added live training sessions conducted by Tarpy.

The idea was we would take newer or even seasoned beekeepers and help add to their knowledge, dive into some of these topics like disease management and hive management, said Nagy, whose Extension center hosted one of the events. The second day we had some hands-on components where we did mite checks, as well as some things with the industry like hive products and how to expand offerings that could generate revenue. It was just a fascinating program.

COVID-19 restrictions put the academies on hold, but there are plans to resume in the fall.

Another development on the horizon that will empower Extension to help North Carolina beekeepers is construction of a new field research facility in Raleigh, replacing the dilapidated building that was condemned.

The state beekeepers, on hearing the news that our field research facility was condemned in late 2020, went to the state legislature and got funding for a new field lab, Tarpy said. That is in the works to be built in the next few years. It will include an Extension center so we can start having Extension activities at our field lab again.

While there are challenges, Tarpy encourages anyone who has thought about becoming a beekeeper to take the plunge.

Anything to promote bees is helpful, he said. Its a great gateway into agriculture, a great way into farming and local produce.

Go here to read the rest:

Bee the Solution | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - NC State CALS

One of the U.S. Navys old Ticonderoga-class cruisers is slated for decommissioning next year, but it is currently undergoing modernization servicing that would extend its serviceability. The warship, the USS Vicksburg, is reportedly 85 percent finished with its overhaul. Another ship, the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, is undergoing similar service life extension upgrades but is also scheduled for decommissioning.

In addition, the Navy would like to scrap every single Freedom-class Littoral Combat Shipone of the newest ship classes in United States naval servicea move that garnered blistering criticism from some lawmakers.

During a House Appropriations committee meeting, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) expressed exasperation with the Navys expenditure in light of decommissioning schedules.

Some of these shipsespecially the Littoral Combat Shipsare among the newest in the fleet. The Navy claims they dont have enough sufficient funding to maintain and operate these ships, but thats not the case. Instead, theyve mismanaged billions of dollars in maintenance funding. One glaring example of this is the USS Vicksburg, a cruiser up for decommissioning this year, Granger said.

Since 2020, the Navy has awarded nearly $500 million in contracts to upgrade the cruiser. At a time when the ship is still in its maintenance period, the Navy is proposing to scrap it. If the Navy experts expect Congress to support its vision for this fleet, it must do a much better job of managing the inventory it has. We will not stand idly by as valuable taxpayer funds are wasted.

The Navy has argued that money spent overhauling aged platforms like the Ticonderoga-class cruisersor the problem-ridden Littoral Combat Shipscould be better invested in modernizing more capable warships rather than marginally improving old platforms.

Chief of Naval Operations Mark Gilday explained the Navys rationale behind its future force structure plans.

We took a look at our topline and we took a look at a Navy that we can sustain, a Navy that we can afford. In other words, were trying to field the most lethal, capable, ready Navy we can based on the budget that we have rather than a larger Navy thats less capable, less lethal and less ready, Gilday explained to appropriation lawmakers.

So we stratified our warfighting platforms. An LCS fell at the bottom of that stratification, along with the older cruisers that have an older radar, that have leaks below the waterline, radars that cant detect these new Chinese threats, as an example.

Some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Navys decision to retire ships now to invest in higher-end capabilities in the future. It seems that the tussle between lawmakers and the Navy will continue.

One of the U.S. Navys old Ticonderoga-class cruisers is slated for decommissioning next year, but it is currently undergoing modernization servicing that would extend its serviceability. The warship, the USS Vicksburg, is reportedly 85 percent finished with its overhaul. Another ship, the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, is undergoing similar service life extension upgrades but is also scheduled for decommissioning.

In addition, the Navy would like to scrap every single Freedom-class Littoral Combat Shipone of the newest ship classes in United States naval servicea move that garnered blistering criticism from some lawmakers.

During a House Appropriations committee meeting, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) expressed exasperation with the Navys expenditure in light of decommissioning schedules.

Some of these shipsespecially the Littoral Combat Shipsare among the newest in the fleet. The Navy claims they dont have enough sufficient funding to maintain and operate these ships, but thats not the case. Instead, theyve mismanaged billions of dollars in maintenance funding. One glaring example of this is the USS Vicksburg, a cruiser up for decommissioning this year, Granger said.

Since 2020, the Navy has awarded nearly $500 million in contracts to upgrade the cruiser. At a time when the ship is still in its maintenance period, the Navy is proposing to scrap it. If the Navy experts expect Congress to support its vision for this fleet, it must do a much better job of managing the inventory it has. We will not stand idly by as valuable taxpayer funds are wasted.

The Navy has argued that money spent overhauling aged platforms like the Ticonderoga-class cruisersor the problem-ridden Littoral Combat Shipscould be better invested in modernizing more capable warships rather than marginally improving old platforms.

Chief of Naval Operations Mark Gilday explained the Navys rationale behind its future force structure plans.

We took a look at our topline and we took a look at a Navy that we can sustain, a Navy that we can afford. In other words, were trying to field the most lethal, capable, ready Navy we can based on the budget that we have rather than a larger Navy thats less capable, less lethal and less ready, Gilday explained to appropriation lawmakers.

So we stratified our warfighting platforms. An LCS fell at the bottom of that stratification, along with the older cruisers that have an older radar, that have leaks below the waterline, radars that cant detect these new Chinese threats, as an example.

Some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Navys decision to retire ships now to invest in higher-end capabilities in the future. It seems that the tussle between lawmakers and the Navy will continue.

Caleb Larson is a multimedia journalist and defense writer with the National Interest. A graduate of UCLA, he also holds a Master of Public Policy and lives in Berlin. He covers the intersection of conflict, security, and technology, focusing on American foreign policy, European security, and German society for both print and radio. Follow him on Twitter @calebmlarson.

Image: Reuters.

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Navy Officials and Lawmakers Clash Over the Service's Future Budget - The National Interest Online