With ~90% of industrial heating processes using fossil fuels, this has led to approximately 25% of global energy pollution coming from heat produced for industrial processes. As such, demand for technologies to decarbonize industrial heating is expected to increase. One such technology that is able to store and supply heat to industrial processes is thermal energy storage (TES). TES for industrial applications currently only forms a minor percentage of global TES capacity, given that TES systems have been widely deployed in applications such as pairing with concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, district heating, cold chain, and space heating for buildings.

Wednesday 24 April 2024 - What is quantum computing, and what is the state of the industry? How has the industry changed in the last 12 months? How do scalability challenges vary between quantum computing modalities? Which trends can be expected in the quantum computing market in 2024 and beyond? When are some key inflection points anticipated for commercial value creation?

Electric vehicles are no longer a niche oddity but fully mainstream, with many automotive manufacturers announcing targets to phase out ICE construction in favor of BEVs (battery electric vehicles). Passenger cars are not the only sectors where electrification is taking off. Medium and heavy-duty haulage, construction, agriculture, and mining are all under pressure to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and going electric is an increasingly attractive solution.

"Forever chemicals", or PFAS, are coming under increasing regulatory pressure globally as concerns over the negative effects of PFAS on human health and the environment are mounting. In their brand new report, "Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) 2024: Emerging Applications, Alternatives, Regulations", IDTechEx dives deeply to explore the future trajectory of PFAS in five key emerging applications: thermal management for data centers, sustainable food packaging, electric vehicles, low-loss materials for 5G, and the hydrogen economy.

Thursday 28 March 2024 - Technology & Market Developments for Electrolyzers in Green Hydrogen Production - Introduction to the hydrogen economy and green hydrogen production; Overview of the incumbent electrolyzer technologies; Current state of electrolyzer manufacturing and market; Key innovations needed in electrolyzer technology & overview of novel technologies; Electrolyzer market growth drivers and market outlook

Bipolar plates are crucial components in proton exchange fuel cells, representing a substantial portion of the value of the fuel cell stack. IDTechEx predicts that their market value will surpass US$2.5 billion by 2034. The choice between metal and graphite materials for bipolar plates is a significant consideration, with each option having distinct advantages depending on the specific application.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply. Long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies will be needed in key regions from the 2030s to support electricity grids with greater penetrations of VRE.

The clean hydrogen market is poised for significant growth, driven by the increasing focus from companies and governments on developing green hydrogen infrastructure to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries. The electrolyzer is a key component of the green hydrogen plant, responsible for the splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy.

The battle to secure communications is intensifying. Over the last twenty years hacking has grown into a lucrative enterprise. This global challenge is anticipated to worsen as the volume and value of data transmitted rises. The impact on society could be catastrophic, with the average cost of a data-breach already surpassing millions of dollars.

The production of green hydrogen continues to be the focus of many governmental and corporate decarbonization strategies. The electrolyzer is a key technology that enables green hydrogen production by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. Many focus on the need for large-scale green hydrogen plants as well as electrolyzer manufacturing facilities.

In a world with a growing population and a rapidly expanding construction sector to match, how do we prevent building homes from damaging our climate? Concrete is the second most consumed material on Earth, but its key ingredient, cement, is responsible for 7% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The answer could come from thin air - CO2-derived building materials.

Thursday 22 February 2024 - Discuss the key components of a PEM fuel cell, including their purpose, form factor, and possible material choices; Highlight innovations in alternative materials and manufacturing processes with respect to the incumbents and the impact of proposed regulations; Outline key technology trends for materials, including the driving forces behind these trends; Overview of the PEM fuel cell market within the context of the broader fuel cell electric vehicle market

Electromagnetic interference shielding is becoming more adapted to the meet demands of growing communications technology. Personal devices are everywhere. As they get thinner, the components in each device are getting closer together, and EMI shielding is becoming well-known as the mastermind.

Handbags made of mushroom leather and biodegradable foodware are two examples of how white biotechnology can produce functional products that look good. With the right input feedstock, such as biomass or gases, and the right fermentation processes, the outputs of white biotechnology processes can be utilized in textiles, chemicals, and fuels.

With the growing hydrogen economy, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are the subject of ongoing innovation, especially in terms of materials development. Dominant incumbent materials are seen for certain components, but alternative competitive options are emerging, and the technology landscape is beginning to shift.

The sales of hydrogen fuel cell cars have largely stalled from 2021 onwards, but does this mean there is no market for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the future, and what is required to make them a success?

People and penguins can all benefit from the use of hydrogen in pursuing cleaner energy sources, and hydrogen is one of the main tools for decarbonizing industries. With new hydrogen infrastructure, existing aspects of living, like driving and heating, can be improved by switching harmful gases for cleaner and more efficient choices.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply.

Wednesday 7 February 2024 - Overview of CO2 utilization pathways and products; Discussion of environmental, technical, and economic factors for the most promising CO2U technologies (CO2-enhanced oil recovery, CO2-derived fuels, and CO2-derived building materials); Contextualization of carbon utilization's role within CCUS and global progress towards net-zero

Thursday 8 February 2024 - Introduction to LDES; why and when LDES technologies will be needed to support growth of VRE penetration; Key countries and states expected to be earlier adopters of LDES technologies; LDES technology overview including funding, energy and power decoupling, introduction to technology benchmarking, and duration of storage of upcoming LDES projects; Overview of grid supply-side and demand-side flexibility; LDES market applications; Key customers that will benefit from LDES technologies; LDES revenue generation opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions