Coal-fired power units often face unstable combustion and high emissions under low-load operation. A new purification-combustion technology developed by Chinese researchers offers a reliable solution. Tests on a 200 kW system show efficient coal activation, high ash removal, and MILD combustion. The technology achieves ultra-low NOₓ emissions and combustion efficiency over 99.6%, supporting cleaner and more flexible coal use in modern power systems.

A groundbreaking 5-MW_th chemical looping combustion unit, the world’s largest of its kind, has been successfully tested in China. Funded by China and the EU, the lignite-fired system achieved stable auto-thermal operation with high CO₂ capture efficiency and low oxygen demand. This milestone connects lab research to industrial use, offering a low-energy-penalty solution for low-carbon fossil fuel use and carbon capture.

Looking for a practical way to produce carbon-negative power? A new study in Engineering introduces the staged, pressurized oxy-combustion (SPOC) technology, designed to retrofit old boilers with sustainable woody biomass. It delivers higher efficiency than standard carbon capture, supports flexible grid operation, and has been successfully tested with 100% biomass firing. This low-penalty solution offers a reliable path to decarbonize power and industrial cogeneration systems.

Hydrogen is a key carbon-free energy carrier for a sustainable future, but its lean combustion often suffers from thermodiffusive instabilities that distort flames and affect emissions. A new review in Engineering summarizes latest experimental findings to reveal how turbulence interacts with these instabilities. Using advanced laser diagnostics, researchers clarify flame structure changes under different conditions, providing reliable data to optimize low-emission hydrogen combustion systems.

Aquaculture provides vital protein and omega‑3 fatty acids for people worldwide, but it faces safety risks from marine toxins, heavy metals, microplastics and pathogens. Traditional detection and removal methods are often slow and costly. A new review in Engineering shows that nanostructures, with unique physical and chemical properties, can effectively detect and eliminate these hazards. This technology brings more sensitive, rapid and sustainable solutions to improve aquaculture safety and support global food security.

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have developed a computer-guided electron beam technique that forms dome-shaped bumps on nanofilms in water within 10 seconds. These nanostructures can be flattened, reshaped, or repositioned as needed, offering potential applications in cell movement and nanorobot power systems.

The ability of bacteria to remove pollutants from soil, water, mine waste and other environments could be supercharged by a ‘friendly’ compatible virus, according to a study led by Flinders University.

The new insights, published in Communications Biology, suggests phage virus ‘bioaugmentation’ offers a compelling new direction for environmental biotechnology, by harnessing the ecological roles of lysogenic phages to enhance microbial function in polluted soils.