New Alfa Romeo EV has carbon fiber bodywork
Bercella says that it has designed and manufactured the carbon fiber bodywork of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia electric race car.
According to the company, the 500kW vehicle will compete in the Pure ETCR (Electric Touring Car Racing), the first world touring championship dedicated to electric cars scheduled for 2021.
Besides the bodywork, Bercella also plans to design a number of electric powertrain structures for the race.
According to the company, its design balanced aerodynamic requirements with safety in structural performance, for instance through installing Kevlar anti-intrusion bars inside the bumpers.
#CarbonFiber
> source
Bercella says that it has designed and manufactured the carbon fiber bodywork of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia electric race car.
According to the company, the 500kW vehicle will compete in the Pure ETCR (Electric Touring Car Racing), the first world touring championship dedicated to electric cars scheduled for 2021.
Besides the bodywork, Bercella also plans to design a number of electric powertrain structures for the race.
According to the company, its design balanced aerodynamic requirements with safety in structural performance, for instance through installing Kevlar anti-intrusion bars inside the bumpers.
#CarbonFiber
> source
Composites
Photo
Composite resins price change report
CW’s running summary of resin price change announcements from major material suppliers that serve the composites manufacturing industry.
Nov. 24, 2020
AOC has announced a price increase of 8% for all products sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Latin America, as a result of rapid and significant escalation of costs for key raw material ingredients and freight.
Effective for all orders shipping on or after Dec. 18, 2020.
Nov. 16, 2020
AOC announces a price increase of €150 per ton for its entire Composites portfolio sold in Europe and the Middle East.
The price increase will take effect for all new deliveries after Dec. 1, 2020 or as soon as contracts allow. This price increase is in addition to the increase that was announced on Nov. 2 2020 (listed below).
Nov. 3, 2020
Polynt Composites announced that, as a consequence of the continuous escalation of UPRs raw materials and logistic costs, prices are increasing to €80 per ton effective Nov. 1, or as agreements allow, for the complete line of UPRs, vinyl esters and gelcoats in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Nov. 2, 2020
Huber Carbonates, LLC, a subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corporation, announced a price increase for its industrial calcium carbonate products generally ranging from 5-9%. The price increase does not apply to Huber’s food and USP calcium carbonate grades.
Increase effective Jan. 1, 2021, or as current contracts allow.
#adhesives #bulkmoldingcompound #aramidfiber
> source
CW’s running summary of resin price change announcements from major material suppliers that serve the composites manufacturing industry.
Nov. 24, 2020
AOC has announced a price increase of 8% for all products sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Latin America, as a result of rapid and significant escalation of costs for key raw material ingredients and freight.
Effective for all orders shipping on or after Dec. 18, 2020.
Nov. 16, 2020
AOC announces a price increase of €150 per ton for its entire Composites portfolio sold in Europe and the Middle East.
The price increase will take effect for all new deliveries after Dec. 1, 2020 or as soon as contracts allow. This price increase is in addition to the increase that was announced on Nov. 2 2020 (listed below).
Nov. 3, 2020
Polynt Composites announced that, as a consequence of the continuous escalation of UPRs raw materials and logistic costs, prices are increasing to €80 per ton effective Nov. 1, or as agreements allow, for the complete line of UPRs, vinyl esters and gelcoats in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Nov. 2, 2020
Huber Carbonates, LLC, a subsidiary of J.M. Huber Corporation, announced a price increase for its industrial calcium carbonate products generally ranging from 5-9%. The price increase does not apply to Huber’s food and USP calcium carbonate grades.
Increase effective Jan. 1, 2021, or as current contracts allow.
#adhesives #bulkmoldingcompound #aramidfiber
> source
Composites
Photo
Carbon fiber or fiberglass: choosing the correct composite
You wouldn’t attempt to delicately manicure a bonsai tree with a chainsaw, even if it would be entertaining to watch. This may seem obvious, but there are many fields where selecting the right tool is a vital ingredient to success. In the composites industry, customers often request carbon fiber when in fact fiberglass is a better suited high-performance material for their needs. Here, Kim Sjödahl, Senior Vice President, R&D and Technology from global composites producer Exel Composites, explains why carbon fiber is not always the best option.
Carbon fiber is often hailed as the material of the future. When people think of carbon fiber, they’re likely to envision slick sports cars with doors that open vertically or, if they are industry focused, wind turbine blades longer than previously imaginable. For most composite producers, carbon fiber is the material that gets customers and their design engineers interested in composites — before they realise that other composites such as fiberglass are better suited to their project.
Sports cars, road bikes and professional tennis rackets are all extensively made using carbon fiber. This is because these applications require a low density and high ultimate tensile strength material to maximise weight advantages. However, this doesn’t mean that carbon fiber is perfect for every application.
Raising the glass
In many cases when clients are looking for carbon fiber, the material that better suits their needs is fiberglass. In fact, it could be said that fiberglass was the first ever high-performance material, with its conception dating back to before the Second World War. Fiberglass has proven its usefulness over and over, from use in door or window frame profiles to telescoping poles, in automotive applications to rail joints and telecommunications radomes. If you have the impression that fiberglass is reserved for making row boats, it may be time to take another look at what else it can achieve
Fiberglass has a very good ultimate tensile strength, higher than most metals. It’s a great insulator, with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, and it is corrosion and weather resistant. For example, the ITER fusion reactor, a tokamak style fusion reactor being developed by 35 collaborating nations, uses fiberglass composite pre-compression rings (PCR) to hold the reactor together.
The ITER fusion reactor uses the PCRs to absorb the deformation and fatigue from magnets that hold the plasma, which is heated to 150 million degrees Celsius, in place. Fiberglass was selected for the PCRs because of the material’s specific high-performance mechanical properties.
Fiberglass has withstood the test of time. Since its early uses in World War II, the material has yet to be replaced with a better alternative. This is largely due to the material’s mechanical properties combined with its competitive cost and design flexibility.
Tailor made
With composites, it is also important to note that the choice is not binary. At Exel Composites, we offer a range of pultruded and pull-wound composite solutions. We manufacture many carbon fiber products along with fiberglass and hybrid combinations, where we use both carbon and glass fibers.
Deciding on the best material choice requires a clear understanding of the desired application and product specifications, and we first work with customers to develop a mutual understanding. Based on this understanding, your composites supplier should use their materials science expertise to design your ideal composite product. This discussion should include costs, particularly as raw carbon fiber materials come at a higher cost point than fiberglass.
You wouldn’t attempt to delicately manicure a bonsai tree with a chainsaw, even if it would be entertaining to watch. This may seem obvious, but there are many fields where selecting the right tool is a vital ingredient to success. In the composites industry, customers often request carbon fiber when in fact fiberglass is a better suited high-performance material for their needs. Here, Kim Sjödahl, Senior Vice President, R&D and Technology from global composites producer Exel Composites, explains why carbon fiber is not always the best option.
Carbon fiber is often hailed as the material of the future. When people think of carbon fiber, they’re likely to envision slick sports cars with doors that open vertically or, if they are industry focused, wind turbine blades longer than previously imaginable. For most composite producers, carbon fiber is the material that gets customers and their design engineers interested in composites — before they realise that other composites such as fiberglass are better suited to their project.
Sports cars, road bikes and professional tennis rackets are all extensively made using carbon fiber. This is because these applications require a low density and high ultimate tensile strength material to maximise weight advantages. However, this doesn’t mean that carbon fiber is perfect for every application.
Raising the glass
In many cases when clients are looking for carbon fiber, the material that better suits their needs is fiberglass. In fact, it could be said that fiberglass was the first ever high-performance material, with its conception dating back to before the Second World War. Fiberglass has proven its usefulness over and over, from use in door or window frame profiles to telescoping poles, in automotive applications to rail joints and telecommunications radomes. If you have the impression that fiberglass is reserved for making row boats, it may be time to take another look at what else it can achieve
Fiberglass has a very good ultimate tensile strength, higher than most metals. It’s a great insulator, with a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, and it is corrosion and weather resistant. For example, the ITER fusion reactor, a tokamak style fusion reactor being developed by 35 collaborating nations, uses fiberglass composite pre-compression rings (PCR) to hold the reactor together.
The ITER fusion reactor uses the PCRs to absorb the deformation and fatigue from magnets that hold the plasma, which is heated to 150 million degrees Celsius, in place. Fiberglass was selected for the PCRs because of the material’s specific high-performance mechanical properties.
Fiberglass has withstood the test of time. Since its early uses in World War II, the material has yet to be replaced with a better alternative. This is largely due to the material’s mechanical properties combined with its competitive cost and design flexibility.
Tailor made
With composites, it is also important to note that the choice is not binary. At Exel Composites, we offer a range of pultruded and pull-wound composite solutions. We manufacture many carbon fiber products along with fiberglass and hybrid combinations, where we use both carbon and glass fibers.
Deciding on the best material choice requires a clear understanding of the desired application and product specifications, and we first work with customers to develop a mutual understanding. Based on this understanding, your composites supplier should use their materials science expertise to design your ideal composite product. This discussion should include costs, particularly as raw carbon fiber materials come at a higher cost point than fiberglass.
Composites
Photo
Tailoring a composite can range from a specific mix of fibers to give certain properties, to managing the fiber alignment and resin formulation. For example, a fiberglass tube could require extra reinforcements along one side of the geometry. In this case, carbon fibers could be strategically incorporated into the tube along with the fiberglass at the point of manufacturing to create a strong hybrid structure that meets design requirements while considering cost optimization.
Having the correct tool at your disposal is important whether you are trying to prune a bonsai tree or upgrade a piece of infrastructure. While it may seem more appealing to use a chainsaw, or carbon fiber, lower-key choices can sometimes be the better option for the task at hand.
#fiberglass #CarbonFiber
> source
Having the correct tool at your disposal is important whether you are trying to prune a bonsai tree or upgrade a piece of infrastructure. While it may seem more appealing to use a chainsaw, or carbon fiber, lower-key choices can sometimes be the better option for the task at hand.
#fiberglass #CarbonFiber
> source
Composites
Photo
ESI contributes to Nissan’s carbon fibre parts production
ESI Group, a global player in Virtual Prototyping software and services for industry, supports Nissan Motor Company in its production process that speeds up the development of car parts made from carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP).
Safety, comfort and autonomy are key outcomes for consumers. To face this situation, automakers continuously innovate in different fields such as lightweight to help them achieve their expected results. For this purpose, the use of new materials can be key. Commonly used in other industries such as aerospace and with promising capabilities, CFRP were too time-consuming and too expensive to industrialize for the automotive sector.
“We have always considered CFRP as a material for future generations of cars. But when it comes to reality, CFRP can be used only for limited models and appears to be more challenging for mass market production. Indeed, costs are high, and complex designs are required to shape CFRP. The challenge was to industrialise its production process in order to reduce costs and development time,” explained Hideyuki Sakamoto, EVP of Nissan Motor Co.
ESI Group has been supporting Nissan’s CFRP challenge since 2015 in the evolution of its industrial product design and manufacturing methodologies for various vehicle models. The partnership was strengthened in 2018 with the CFRP mass production project.
#CarbonFibreReinforcedPlastics #CFRP #Nissan
> source
ESI Group, a global player in Virtual Prototyping software and services for industry, supports Nissan Motor Company in its production process that speeds up the development of car parts made from carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP).
Safety, comfort and autonomy are key outcomes for consumers. To face this situation, automakers continuously innovate in different fields such as lightweight to help them achieve their expected results. For this purpose, the use of new materials can be key. Commonly used in other industries such as aerospace and with promising capabilities, CFRP were too time-consuming and too expensive to industrialize for the automotive sector.
“We have always considered CFRP as a material for future generations of cars. But when it comes to reality, CFRP can be used only for limited models and appears to be more challenging for mass market production. Indeed, costs are high, and complex designs are required to shape CFRP. The challenge was to industrialise its production process in order to reduce costs and development time,” explained Hideyuki Sakamoto, EVP of Nissan Motor Co.
ESI Group has been supporting Nissan’s CFRP challenge since 2015 in the evolution of its industrial product design and manufacturing methodologies for various vehicle models. The partnership was strengthened in 2018 with the CFRP mass production project.
#CarbonFibreReinforcedPlastics #CFRP #Nissan
> source
Composites
Photo
Airbus concludes Zephyr HAPS flight test campaign
The composites-intensive Zephyr HAPS satellite is a stratospheric unmanned aerial system, which, with this recently successful flight test, is one step closer to providing local satellite-like services.
Airbus Defence and Space (Farnborough, U.K.) reported on Dec. 3 that it has successfully completed a new test flight campaign for its composites-intensive Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) in Arizona. Zephyr, a solar–electric, stratospheric unmanned aerial system (UAS), harnesses the sun’s rays, running exclusively on solar power above weather and conventional air traffic. According to Airbus, the station fulfills a capability gap complementary to satellites, UAVs and manned aircraft, and will provide persistent local satellite-like services, have potential to revolutionize disaster management and be able to provide communications to the most unconnected parts of the world.
The 2020 flight campaign was a success, says Airbus, despite global slowdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on aircraft agility, control and operations to build upon previous campaigns, which have already proven the day-and-night stratospheric persistence of the unmanned aerial system (UAS), which is essential in military and commercial markets.
In July 2018, the Zephyr team conducted a successful test flight campaign when Zephyr S flew in the stratosphere for nearly 26 days (25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes). It remains the longest flight duration of an aircraft ever made without refueling. The aircraft persisted in the stratosphere day and night, consistently achieved a dawn altitude of 60,000 feet and its highest altitude of 71,140 feet.
#Airbus #Сomposites
> source
The composites-intensive Zephyr HAPS satellite is a stratospheric unmanned aerial system, which, with this recently successful flight test, is one step closer to providing local satellite-like services.
Airbus Defence and Space (Farnborough, U.K.) reported on Dec. 3 that it has successfully completed a new test flight campaign for its composites-intensive Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) in Arizona. Zephyr, a solar–electric, stratospheric unmanned aerial system (UAS), harnesses the sun’s rays, running exclusively on solar power above weather and conventional air traffic. According to Airbus, the station fulfills a capability gap complementary to satellites, UAVs and manned aircraft, and will provide persistent local satellite-like services, have potential to revolutionize disaster management and be able to provide communications to the most unconnected parts of the world.
The 2020 flight campaign was a success, says Airbus, despite global slowdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on aircraft agility, control and operations to build upon previous campaigns, which have already proven the day-and-night stratospheric persistence of the unmanned aerial system (UAS), which is essential in military and commercial markets.
In July 2018, the Zephyr team conducted a successful test flight campaign when Zephyr S flew in the stratosphere for nearly 26 days (25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes). It remains the longest flight duration of an aircraft ever made without refueling. The aircraft persisted in the stratosphere day and night, consistently achieved a dawn altitude of 60,000 feet and its highest altitude of 71,140 feet.
#Airbus #Сomposites
> source
JEC Group: Market insights survey shows positive outlooks for the composites industry
According to JEC Group, the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic that has been affecting the world's economy since last winter has had a tremendous impact on many major industries, including aerospace and automotive, at the heart of the composites industry. Although the outlooks seem uncertain for the latter, the composites industry has remained resilient and shows strong adaptability during this crisis.
Thus, JEC Group mandated Explori, an audience listening platform, to perform a survey among 1,500 international respondents in May and October 2020 to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on their company. Many industrials are looking forward to the future with much optimism. Here are some of the key findings of the survey.
On a global scale, the composites industry has resisted the impact of COVID-19:
• 64 % of companies are operating at 76 – 99 % of their capacity showing a positive sign of recovery post-COVID-19.
• Half of the respondents have shown concerns over business opportunities. The crisis has pushed them to reinvent themselves shortly to support production capacities and avoid downturns.
• Only 25 % express concerns regarding innovation and R&D. Their main objective is to turn to more investment in R&D to innovate in the future.
•
The survey revealed that 50 % of the respondents changed materials suppliers to cope with supply chain issues. Many have changed their foreign providers to turn to local ones to avoid supply chain delays, and 70 % plan to remain on the same path in the future. Also, 25 % of the companies have switched their production to the manufacture of healthcare products in May, 30 % of them will continue in the long run showing a growing interest in this sector.
Future perspectives and problematics:
• One out of two companies are optimistic about the development of the situation within the next 18 months; this is consistent across regions, companies' types, and sizes
• 50 % of respondents have considered entering a new activity sector – the areas of sustainability and renewable energies are the main ones.
• Renewable energy, Sports and health sector, Marine, Building, Railway, and Defense are considered to be in the top 5 new sectors to enter in the future.
• 50 % consider that innovation is critical to enter new markets and new manufacturing processes. Innovation sources via universities and start-ups will remain stable whatever the region.
• The top 3 innovation drivers are reducing cost, competition concerns, and new customers' needs.
• For composite part manufacturers, the top 3 innovation drivers would be production cost reduction, competition, and also applying for scientific advances.
#MarketInsightsSurvey #CompositesIndustry #JECGroup
> source
According to JEC Group, the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic that has been affecting the world's economy since last winter has had a tremendous impact on many major industries, including aerospace and automotive, at the heart of the composites industry. Although the outlooks seem uncertain for the latter, the composites industry has remained resilient and shows strong adaptability during this crisis.
Thus, JEC Group mandated Explori, an audience listening platform, to perform a survey among 1,500 international respondents in May and October 2020 to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on their company. Many industrials are looking forward to the future with much optimism. Here are some of the key findings of the survey.
On a global scale, the composites industry has resisted the impact of COVID-19:
• 64 % of companies are operating at 76 – 99 % of their capacity showing a positive sign of recovery post-COVID-19.
• Half of the respondents have shown concerns over business opportunities. The crisis has pushed them to reinvent themselves shortly to support production capacities and avoid downturns.
• Only 25 % express concerns regarding innovation and R&D. Their main objective is to turn to more investment in R&D to innovate in the future.
•
The survey revealed that 50 % of the respondents changed materials suppliers to cope with supply chain issues. Many have changed their foreign providers to turn to local ones to avoid supply chain delays, and 70 % plan to remain on the same path in the future. Also, 25 % of the companies have switched their production to the manufacture of healthcare products in May, 30 % of them will continue in the long run showing a growing interest in this sector.
Future perspectives and problematics:
• One out of two companies are optimistic about the development of the situation within the next 18 months; this is consistent across regions, companies' types, and sizes
• 50 % of respondents have considered entering a new activity sector – the areas of sustainability and renewable energies are the main ones.
• Renewable energy, Sports and health sector, Marine, Building, Railway, and Defense are considered to be in the top 5 new sectors to enter in the future.
• 50 % consider that innovation is critical to enter new markets and new manufacturing processes. Innovation sources via universities and start-ups will remain stable whatever the region.
• The top 3 innovation drivers are reducing cost, competition concerns, and new customers' needs.
• For composite part manufacturers, the top 3 innovation drivers would be production cost reduction, competition, and also applying for scientific advances.
#MarketInsightsSurvey #CompositesIndustry #JECGroup
> source
Composites
Photo
Jushi 250,000-ton glass fiber facility begins operation
Base production lines surpass production expectations, setting a new benchmark for intelligent manufacturing in the glass fiber industry.
Twenty months after the start of the construction work in March 2019, the official opening of fiberglass manufacturer China Jushi Co. Ltd.’s (Hangzhou, China) 250,000-ton glass fiber manufacturing facility was held in the Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan province on Nov. 18.
China Jushi and China National Building Material Group (CNBM, Beijing, China) executives, as well as leaders of various departments of the district government, customer representatives, supplier representatives, news media and employee representatives attended the ceremony.
In his inaugural speech, Wang Yumeng, deputy general manager of CNBM, the parent company of China Jushi, affirmed that CNBM will continue to spare no effort to support the development of China Jushi. He expressed hope that local governments at all levels, especially the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee and the Qingbaijiang District, can continue to support the development of both groups, and jointly carry forward the business of new glass fiber materials.
#Jushi #fiberglass #CNBM
> source
Base production lines surpass production expectations, setting a new benchmark for intelligent manufacturing in the glass fiber industry.
Twenty months after the start of the construction work in March 2019, the official opening of fiberglass manufacturer China Jushi Co. Ltd.’s (Hangzhou, China) 250,000-ton glass fiber manufacturing facility was held in the Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan province on Nov. 18.
China Jushi and China National Building Material Group (CNBM, Beijing, China) executives, as well as leaders of various departments of the district government, customer representatives, supplier representatives, news media and employee representatives attended the ceremony.
In his inaugural speech, Wang Yumeng, deputy general manager of CNBM, the parent company of China Jushi, affirmed that CNBM will continue to spare no effort to support the development of China Jushi. He expressed hope that local governments at all levels, especially the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee and the Qingbaijiang District, can continue to support the development of both groups, and jointly carry forward the business of new glass fiber materials.
#Jushi #fiberglass #CNBM
> source
Composites
Photo
Scott Bader products used in construction of new superyacht
Scott Bader has announced that its advanced composite and adhesive materials were used in the manufacture of the Majesty 122, Gulf Craft’s new 37m superyacht launched in November 2020.
The Majesty 122 is a stunning example of Gulf Craft’s build quality and Scott Bader’s high-performance materials. It was built using Crystic vinylester resins, Crystic gelcoats, Crestabond and Crestomer structural adhesives, Crestafix bonding pastes and Crestamould matched tooling systems.
Scott Bader and Gulf Craft have been working in partnership since 2007 to manufacture their world class range of superyachts.
Abeer Al Shaali, acting CEO of Gulf Craft, said: “We are delighted to have been working with Scott Bader for nearly 15 years. Their high-performance materials are the perfect solution for our manufacturing needs. The team at Scott Bader Middle East provide us with excellent support and technical knowledge.”
‘Happy Days’ is the first Majesty yacht from the Superyacht Series to feature a fully enclosed luxurious sky-lounge. The timeless exterior profile flows seamlessly with the interior design creating harmonious views throughout.
#ScottBader #VinylesterResins #gelcoats #adhesives
> source
Scott Bader has announced that its advanced composite and adhesive materials were used in the manufacture of the Majesty 122, Gulf Craft’s new 37m superyacht launched in November 2020.
The Majesty 122 is a stunning example of Gulf Craft’s build quality and Scott Bader’s high-performance materials. It was built using Crystic vinylester resins, Crystic gelcoats, Crestabond and Crestomer structural adhesives, Crestafix bonding pastes and Crestamould matched tooling systems.
Scott Bader and Gulf Craft have been working in partnership since 2007 to manufacture their world class range of superyachts.
Abeer Al Shaali, acting CEO of Gulf Craft, said: “We are delighted to have been working with Scott Bader for nearly 15 years. Their high-performance materials are the perfect solution for our manufacturing needs. The team at Scott Bader Middle East provide us with excellent support and technical knowledge.”
‘Happy Days’ is the first Majesty yacht from the Superyacht Series to feature a fully enclosed luxurious sky-lounge. The timeless exterior profile flows seamlessly with the interior design creating harmonious views throughout.
#ScottBader #VinylesterResins #gelcoats #adhesives
> source
Composites
Photo
Report finds that renewable energy is cost-competitive with traditional power
A joint 2020 Nuclear Energy Agency and International Energy Agency study reports that levelized costs of renewable and nuclear energy generation are falling below that of fossil fuels.
According to a joint 2020 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA, Paris, France) and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA, Paris), levelized costs of generating electricity (LCOE) for “low-carbon” generation technologies like wind and nuclear power is increasingly falling, making these technologies cost-competitive with fossil fuel power generation.
The report, which is ninth in a series of studies on electricity generating costs to inform policymakers and other decisionmakers, is based on expected 2025 plant-level costs reported by 243 plants in 24 countries, ranging in energy source from coal and natural gas to solar and wind to nuclear energy.
The report acknowledges that costs vary by country and within countries, and that variable electricity generated by solar and wind power, and policy regulations related to carbon emissions and climate change, all will have effects on electricity generation costs.
Still, through its survey responses, the reporting agencies found that, in most of the represented countries, LCOE for renewable or nuclear energy plants is expected to be lower than that of coal- or gas-powered plants. In the United States, for example (which contributed the highest number of participant plants from one country, at 64), onshore wind and solar power are expected to be, at an assumed emissions cost of $30 per ton of CO2, the least expensive to operate, followed by natural gas, offshore wind, nuclear and coal. In China and India, utility-scale solar power is reported as the least-cost option, followed by onshore wind and solar.
#electricvehicles
> source
A joint 2020 Nuclear Energy Agency and International Energy Agency study reports that levelized costs of renewable and nuclear energy generation are falling below that of fossil fuels.
According to a joint 2020 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA, Paris, France) and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA, Paris), levelized costs of generating electricity (LCOE) for “low-carbon” generation technologies like wind and nuclear power is increasingly falling, making these technologies cost-competitive with fossil fuel power generation.
The report, which is ninth in a series of studies on electricity generating costs to inform policymakers and other decisionmakers, is based on expected 2025 plant-level costs reported by 243 plants in 24 countries, ranging in energy source from coal and natural gas to solar and wind to nuclear energy.
The report acknowledges that costs vary by country and within countries, and that variable electricity generated by solar and wind power, and policy regulations related to carbon emissions and climate change, all will have effects on electricity generation costs.
Still, through its survey responses, the reporting agencies found that, in most of the represented countries, LCOE for renewable or nuclear energy plants is expected to be lower than that of coal- or gas-powered plants. In the United States, for example (which contributed the highest number of participant plants from one country, at 64), onshore wind and solar power are expected to be, at an assumed emissions cost of $30 per ton of CO2, the least expensive to operate, followed by natural gas, offshore wind, nuclear and coal. In China and India, utility-scale solar power is reported as the least-cost option, followed by onshore wind and solar.
#electricvehicles
> source
Composites
Photo
Airbus delivers first A400M to the Belgian Air Force
Despite challenges caused by the pandemic, Airbus’ teams have achieved all 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled this year, bringing the A400M global fleet in operation to 98 aircraft.
It was reported on Dec. 22 that the Belgian Air Force has taken delivery of its first of seven Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, a structure which makes use of several carbon fiber composite parts. The aircraft was handed over to the customer at the A400M Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Seville, Spain, and subsequently performed its ferry flight to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek, Belgium, where the aircraft will be based.
The delivered A400M, known as MSN106, will be operated within a binational unit composed of a total of eight aircraft, seven from the Belgian Air Force and one from the Luxembourg Armed Forces. The second A400M for Belgium will be delivered in early 2021.
“With the delivery of this aircraft all launch customers are now equipped with the A400M,” says Alberto Gutierrez, head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space. “MSN106 will join Luxemburg’s aircraft in the binational unit operated jointly with Belgium. Despite challenges due to COVID-19, our teams have achieved all 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled this year, bringing the global fleet in operation to 98 aircraft.”
#Airbus #CarbonFiberCompositeParts
> source
Despite challenges caused by the pandemic, Airbus’ teams have achieved all 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled this year, bringing the A400M global fleet in operation to 98 aircraft.
It was reported on Dec. 22 that the Belgian Air Force has taken delivery of its first of seven Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, a structure which makes use of several carbon fiber composite parts. The aircraft was handed over to the customer at the A400M Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Seville, Spain, and subsequently performed its ferry flight to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek, Belgium, where the aircraft will be based.
The delivered A400M, known as MSN106, will be operated within a binational unit composed of a total of eight aircraft, seven from the Belgian Air Force and one from the Luxembourg Armed Forces. The second A400M for Belgium will be delivered in early 2021.
“With the delivery of this aircraft all launch customers are now equipped with the A400M,” says Alberto Gutierrez, head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space. “MSN106 will join Luxemburg’s aircraft in the binational unit operated jointly with Belgium. Despite challenges due to COVID-19, our teams have achieved all 10 aircraft deliveries scheduled this year, bringing the global fleet in operation to 98 aircraft.”
#Airbus #CarbonFiberCompositeParts
> source