Tag: Africa

The innovation called EconiQ™ retrofill uses eco-efficient gas mixture to support National Grid in achieving their sustainability targets

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy and National Grid have successfully energized a pilot project replacing SF6 in installed high-voltage gas-insulated lines with an eco-efficient fluoronitrile based gas mixture. This retrofill solution, in Richborough, UK is part of Hitachi Energy’s EconiQTM portfolio which is designed to deliver a superior environmental performance compared to conventional solutions.

As one of the world’s largest investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, National Grid has the ambition to remove all SF6 from its fleet by 2050. In this pioneering project, National Grid has replaced SF6 from 420-kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated lines installed in 2016, eliminating 755 kilograms of SF6. This is equivalent to taking approximately 100 passenger cars1 off the road.

For decades, SF6 has been used in the electrical industry due to its excellent insulation and current interruption properties. However, it has a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) and requires careful handling. Hitachi Energy is continuously reducing the use of SF6, improving its lifecycle management, and accelerating the development of eco-efficient products.

“We have a responsibility to help our customers like National Grid to accelerate the energy transition,” said Markus Heimbach, Managing Director of High Voltage Products business in Hitachi Energy. “Innovative EconiQ retrofill technology for installed gas-insulated lines along with the new EconiQ switchgear and breakers portfolio will enable our customers and the industry as a whole to reduce carbon footprint and rapidly transition to eco-efficient solutions.”

“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and this new transformational green technology will help achieve wide-scale decarbonisation on our electricity transmission network. The retrofill solution replaces SF6, cutting emissions and network outages at the same time as saving costs by avoiding the need to spend on costly replacement equipment”, said Chris Bennett, Acting President of National Grid. “We are proud to be working with Hitachi Energy, and to demonstrate a practical solution to a significant issue in the energy industry’s transition to net zero.”

EconiQ is Hitachi Energy’s eco-efficient portfolio for sustainability, where products, services and solutions are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. Recently, the company announced the acceleration of its development of eco-efficient solutions, outlining its extensive EconiQ roadmap of switchgear and breakers in various voltage levels. Hitachi Energy has placed sustainability at the heart of its Purpose and is advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Notes

1. Retrofill is the process of replacing SF6 in an existing equipment with a new eco-efficient gas mixture to improve the environmental and life-cycle performance of the equipment.

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

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• Richborough 

Rebecca Bleasdale
Hitachi Energy Ltd.
+41 78643 2613
rebecca.bleasdale@hitachienergy.com

Bedford, Mass., Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Massachusetts-based biotech Conagen announced its participation in a collaboration supporting the ReSource program funded by a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) grant. The project aims to leverage Conagen’s proprietary fermentation technology to convert plastics and other energy-dense waste into valuable, reusable materials.

“Humanity needs to make better use of plastic resources and close the recycling loop,” said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., vice president of innovation at Conagen. This cooperative agreement project will demonstrate the value of recycled material for building a sustainable infrastructure.”

Under the DOD, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office created the ReSource Program to research and develop an integrated self-containment system. The project explores using a combination of synthetic biology and chemical technology for turning plastic waste into critical supplies.

Professor Chris A. Voigt, Ph.D., directs the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Conagen and Novoloop. The Voigt lab has expertise in microbial genetic design and engineering and has created tools and platform technologies central to the effort.

Conagen was selected as the fermentation scale-up partner for its synthetic biology expertise, purification process development capability, and world-scale manufacturing.

“While conventional fermentation has been used for centuries to make foods and beverages, precision fermentation has become the core resource for commercializing natural and sustainable synthetic biology products,” said Lippmeier.

Novoloop uses chemical technologies to decompose plastic waste into chemical building blocks, enabling the downstream fermentation to make bio-products.

“Recycling plastic waste is just the beginning,” says Lippmeier. “This DARPA-funded project primarily seeks to improve the efficient use of resources by our troops.  However, the technology for converting plastics and bio-plastics into other higher-value materials should create incentives to remove these pollutants from the environment and support humanitarian efforts with renewable sources of food, nutrition, and water.”

Now that Phase I is complete, the MIT team, including Conagen, advance to Phase II when they
hope to achieve purifying, scaling, and upcycling waste into valuable products.
About Voigt Lab, MIT
Voigt Lab is focused on the development of a programming language for cells. A genetic program consists of a combination of genetic circuits, each of which uses biochemistry to replicate a function analogous to an electronic circuit (e.g., a logic gate) and applying these tools to problems in biotechnology http://web.mit.edu/voigtlab/.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product-focused synthetic biology R&D company with large-scale manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high-quality, sustainable, nature-based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

About Novoloop
Novoloop was founded in 2015 to deliver next-generation materials made from plastic waste via its patented low-carbon upcycling technology ATOD™. Through its proprietary dicarboxylic acid platform, hard-to-recycle plastic waste is transformed into virgin quality materials with superior sustainability at competitive pricing. With its first product, Oistre™, Novoloop provides sustainable and customizable thermoplastic polyurethane solutions for the footwear, sporting goods, and automotive sectors.

Distribution Statement “A”
Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited.  If you have any questions about DARPA, please contact the Public Release Center.

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• Conagen collaborates with MIT and DARPA on ReSource Program

Ana Arakelian
Conagen
+1.781.271.1588
[email protected]

TEMECULA, Calif., Dec. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a subsidiary of Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan), is proud to announce that Soletec Group (Soletec) has become the Authorized Representative and Service Partner for Nikkiso Cryogenic Services (NCS) in Qatar.

With the growth of the Middle East market, this association has allowed the Group to extend their regional presence for the industrial gases, hydrogen, marine, natural gas processing and petrochemical industries. Since July 1, 2021, Soletec has been able to provide aftermarket service and support to the local customers and shipyards with service and support of pumps, turbo expanders and process plants, including packaging, repairs, spare parts and field service.

Based in Doha, Qatar, Soletec will support Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group in establishing a strong long service operations to support all our existing customers.

“The newly formed partnership with Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group and Soletec gives us a stronger presence in Qatar and strengthens our ability to better serve our key customers,” according to Jim Estes, President, Nikkiso Cryogenic Services. “I am looking forward to continuing to provide Nikkiso’s customers top quality service and support by eliminating costly downtime to their operations and processes.”

Soletec Group has been providing services to the Oil and Gas industry for more than 50 years. As a leading provider of design, engineering and production services across the upstream, midstream and downstream supply chain, Soletec Group has established long-term relationships with some of the world’s most important oil and gas companies.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment and small-scale process plants for the liquefied natural gas (LNG), well services and industrial gas industries. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
[email protected]

Dennis Renaud to retire effective December 31, 2021

Tinley Park, Illinois, Dec. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Panduit announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Shannon McDaniel as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President effective January 1, 2022. McDaniel, who currently serves as the company’s chief financial officer, will succeed current CEO and President Dennis Renaud, who will retire at the end of 2021.

“As a results-focused leader, Shannon brings his collaborative mindset to the role, drawing from his commercial and financial background, while leveraging the power of Panduit to move the company forward,” said Panduit Executive Chair Andrew Caveney. “Shannon has also built the trust of our employees, and the Board is confident that he will apply his deep industry knowledge and keen business acumen to lead Panduit.”

Caveney added that McDaniel is taking over the role of CEO at an ideal time. “Our long-term investment horizon, outstanding employees, and agile business processes have allowed us to build business momentum through the downturn,” he explained. “The digital economy, the drive for zero carbon emissions, and electrification trends are having a profound impact on our markets. Panduit is well positioned to apply our problem-solving mindset to solve technical challenges as new technologies transform our data center, enterprise, and industrial businesses.”

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve as Panduit’s CEO and lead the company into its next phase of growth,” said McDaniel. “We have a great strategy, an incredibly talented and dedicated workforce, and an innovative culture that is continually looking to create value for our customers. I am very excited about our future and the opportunities in front of us.”

McDaniel has served in a variety of leadership positions over his 30-year career. Prior to joining Panduit as CFO, he excelled in global financial leadership roles during his 14 years with Eaton Corporation, including serving as the company’s Director of Finance for its EMEA electrical business and Vice President of Finance for the Americas systems and services group. McDaniel holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill.

Following his planned retirement, Renaud will continue supporting the transition in an advisory capacity through the first quarter of 2022.

“It has been my distinct personal and professional honor to serve Panduit for 10 years – the last four as CEO.  Panduit’s unrivaled legacy of innovation, quality, service, and continuous improvement has fueled our business growth,” said Renaud. “I’m proud of how Panduit’s people embodied togetherness, inclusion, change, and a drive for innovative excellence throughout my tenure. The company is in experienced and capable hands with Shannon, the leadership team, and our outstanding employees.”

“I thank Dennis for his contribution to the success of Panduit. Throughout his career, he has challenged our team to be focused and to always be innovating,” said Caveney. “He has had a profound impact on our culture, from his passionate support of our diversity and inclusion program to his drive for use of 80/20 principles. Dennis has also displayed tremendous leadership during these unprecedented times, putting our employees and customers first and operating with transparency.”

About Panduit

Since 1955, Panduit’s culture of curiosity and passion for problem solving have enabled more meaningful connections between companies’ business goals and their marketplace success. Panduit creates leading-edge physical, electrical, and network infrastructure solutions for enterprise-wide environments, from the data center to the telecom room, from the desktop to the plant floor. Headquartered in Tinley Park, Ill., USA and operating in 112 global locations, Panduit’s proven reputation for quality and technology leadership, coupled with a robust partner ecosystem, help support, sustain, and empower business growth in a connected world. For more information, visit www.panduit.com.

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• Shannon McDaniel – Panduit

Dawn Leach
Panduit Corp.
224-558-4199
[email protected]

Long-term partnership to provide Anaqua intellectual property management systems migration and support for clients in Japan

TOKYO, Dec. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, and ASU Co., Ltd. (ASU), one of the foremost companies in Japan providing support for IP management systems in Japan, today have announced a strategic partnership. Through this collaboration, the two companies will work together to support customers in their migration to Anaqua’s IP management platform, AQX. The companies’ shared goal is to accelerate customers’ innovation lifecycles, enhance their intellectual property operations and augment their strategic portfolio management capabilities.

This partnership will provide a pathway for companies onto Anaqua’s globally recognized and highly secure cloud intellectual property management solution, AQX. Anaqua is ISO 27001 certified, the leading international standard for measuring information security management systems, and has completed a Type 1 SOC 2 examination. Dedicated to upholding the highest security standards, Anaqua already provides its trusted AQX platform for many Japanese companies to manage their valuable IP assets. ASU’s extensive experience in the Japanese IP industry and their ability to support companies before, during, and after their migration to AQX will give continuity of service and deep technical expertise for new and future AQX customers.

ASU will work in partnership with Anaqua to support customers’ internal IP operations, AQX software implementations and provide ongoing post go-live support for AQX users.

“We are delighted to partner with ASU to offer a smooth migration for Japanese companies who need to move to a secure, efficient, and strategic platform,” said Karen Taylor, General Manager of Asia Pacific at Anaqua. “This is a long-term partnership and we plan to develop and deepen our collaboration together over time. Anaqua and ASU have a shared commitment to ensuring our customers’ success and continued growth. We are looking forward to our collaboration with customers and with each other.”

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services. Anaqua’s AQX platform combines best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

About ASU
Founded in 1998, ASU Co., Ltd. is a FUJITSU partner and ATMS product sales company. ASU sells, builds, and supports FUJITSU’s IP package ATMS products to companies and patent offices in the Tokyo-Osaka area, and has about 150 companies and about 400 patent offices as customers. ASU also invested in China (Baoding City) since 2000 to develop its IP business. Please see asu.co.jp for company details.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Associate Director, Communications
Anaqua
617-375-2626
[email protected]

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