As demand for critical raw materials such as lithium and cobalt increases, Alfred H Knight is pleased to announce that it is participating in the European Union ‘MaDiTraCe’ (Material and Digital Traceability for the Certification of Critical Raw Materials) project to determine the source of mineral commodities.

Having commenced in January 2023, the three-year project, coordinated by BRGM (French Geological Survey), aims to reinforce the transparency, traceability and sustainability of complex supply chains of critical raw materials (CRM) including cobalt, lithium, natural graphite and rare earth elements.

The project is bringing together 14 partners from 7 countries to develop and integrate technological solutions for traceability and certification into a Digital Product Passport. These solutions will enable key industry players to prove the reliability of their sustainability claims, comply with current regulations and anticipate future policies.

Engaged through its entity in Holland, Alfred H Knight is contributing to the development of artificial fingerprinting technologies which are to be used as part of ‘material passports’ for key commodities in two complex supply chains, namely rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and magnets.

Aldwin Vogel, Regional General Manager – Northern Europe explains:

“At Alfred H Knight, we proudly work together in support of the EU-funded MaDiTraCe project, paving the way for a transparent and sustainable future. By assisting in the development of these revolutionary artificial fingerprinting solutions, we help to provide trust and verification of ESG sustainability claims through traceable responsible sourcing of critical raw materials.”

AHK is also leading a review of existing methods for the potential use of artificial taggant particles, with input from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK). Analysis of the requirements for the mining, metals and minerals industries is underway to ensure any solutions are fit-for-purpose and commercially relevant.

Dr Laurance Donnelly, Chief Geologist, Head of Technical Department adds:

“Minerals are likely to continue to become fundamentally important to civilisation and industry over the next few decades. This may be driven in part by the so-called ‘battery revolution’ and the electrification of vehicles, combined with the reduction in the burning of conventional fossil fuels. Determining the provenance and traceability of minerals will help ensure that critical raw materials are responsibly sourced from legitimate operations, which do not support illegal mining.

With over 140 years worth of knowledge and experience in metals and minerals, Alfred H Knight (AHK) helps clients to build a comprehensive understanding of their commodities. They have worked with numerous organisations to help make informed improvements to the sector and are well-placed to provide key research, analysis and consultancy to support projects like MaDiTraCe.

Businesses interested in AHK’s services can find more information at www.ahkgroup.com. Those interested in AHK’s involvement in the MaDiTraCe project can get in touch via [email protected].

As part of its ongoing expansion, Claritas Tax, the award-winning independent tax advisory firm based in Manchester, Birmingham, and Nottingham, has recruited Gill Hillier as a Business Development Manager.

Joining as part of the wider Claritas business development team, Gill will be working alongside Mat Worrall, Senior Business Development Manager and will be responsible for the growth and development of the company’s strategy within the North West. Gill has over 15 years of valuable experience in business development and operations management.  Working predominantly within the finance industry, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her current role in the company.

Gill Hillier comments: “Claritas has really blown me away in terms of its people and culture. After meeting both Iain and Matt and learning more about the company ethos, there was no question in me wanting to become a part of that.”

Matt Hodgson, Partner and head of Claritas’ Manchester office, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity to join Claritas at a really exciting time for us. We have just signed a five-year lease on a fabulous new office in Manchester city centre, demonstrating our commitment to the North West. We have very ambitious plans to grow across the UK, and I look forward to working with Gill to bring sustainable growth in this region.”

Iain Wright, Claritas Birmingham Partner, adds: “Expanding our business development team was a natural move for us given the recent growth and success of the firm. We see Gill as a fundamental part of our growing team of in-house professionals, as Claritas strive to be the leading name in tax advisory across the UK. We have ambitious yet realistic growth targets and I am confident that Gill is the right person to help us deliver on our plans.”

• Almost three million people travelled through Manchester Airport in July
• 96 per cent of those passengers got through security in under 15 minutes
• August set to be the busiest month of the year, with up to 107,000 passengers coming through per day.

Manchester Airport is gearing up for its busiest days of the year, with around 100,000 passengers a day set to pass though the northern gateway this month.

August is the peak month of the holiday season and follows a successful July that saw nearly three million passengers fly into or out of the airport – an increase of almost 15 per cent on July 2022.

As passenger numbers continued to grow, the experience delivered to travellers also improved – with 96 per cent of people getting though security in under 15 minutes, compared to 95 per cent in the three previous months.

Last month also saw Manchester Airport awarded the top rating available in the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airport Accessibility Review, which praised ‘significant improvements’ made in the service offered to disabled and less mobile passengers.

Around 100,000 passengers will come through the airport most days over August, with that figure increasing to 107,000 on Fridays.

The airport welcomed 2,995,984 passengers in July, more than 200,000 more than the previous month, which was the busiest the airport has been since before the pandemic.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:

“We are proud to serve the North, connecting people from all over the region to the places they love to travel to during the summer season, and making it as easy and affordable for them as possible.

“In the last month alone, we’ve seen almost 3m passengers come through the airport and we’ve worked hard to give every single person the best start to their travels. More than 96 per cent of people have been able to get through security in under 15 minutes meaning they get to relax in our departure lounges and feel like their holidays are beginning at the airport.

“The summer is in full swing. We’re expecting even more passengers in August, and I feel confident that we’re in a great position to continue giving people the best start to their breaks.

“We’ve recruited more than 3,000 new employees since last year and our 100-person resilience team is making sure that we’re able to respond quickly to any issues that may crop up. This work has also helped us get the top rating from the Civil Aviation Authority for our support for passengers who need assistance.

“So, if you’re coming through Manchester Airport in the next month, we look forward to seeing you.”

The most popular destination for the region’s holidaymakers in July was the Spanish island of Mallorca, with almost a quarter of a million passengers flying to Palma. Travellers wanting a shorter trip meant Dublin was the second most popular destination, with perennial favourites like Faro, Tenerife and Malaga all occupying top-ten spots.

Orlando saw the biggest percentage increase in passengers jumping from 44,000 passengers flying out to the theme park capital of the world in June compared to 53,000 in July.

The most popular destinations over the last month have been:

1. Palma de Mallorca – 224k passengers
2. Dublin – 220k passengers
3. Alicante – 179k passengers
4. Faro – 157k passengers
5. Tenerife – 145k passengers
6. Dubai – 141k passengers
7. Malaga – 139k passengers
8. Antalya – 138k passengers
9. Belfast – 131k passengers
10. Dalaman – 117k passengers

AssetCool, a thermal metaphotonics company out of the University of Manchester, has completed a £2.25 million Series A Funding round. The largest capital commitment as part of this round has been made by Northern Gritstone, the investment business focused on university spin-outs and technology-enabled businesses in the North of England, which joins existing shareholders Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, managed by Mercia Asset Management and Kero Development Partners.

AssetCool has developed a novel, durable coating, which can be applied to overhead power lines to increase the performance of electricity networks while reducing energy losses, cost and emissions. The photonic materials-based coating improves the current carrying capacity of overhead transmission and distribution lines by up to 30%, allowing more electricity to pass through conductors, providing a solution to emerging global transmission and distribution network bottlenecks. In addition to this, up to a 10% reduction in power losses can be achieved, abating the need for further carbon-emitting power generation.

Population growth, combined with the adoption of electricity-intensive products, such as electric vehicles, and the integration of renewables are placing global electricity networks under significant strain, leading many power networks to enter capacity constraints on their overhead lines. The cost of replacing overhead conductors or building new lines to increase capacity is significant. AssetCool’s coating acts to reduce conductor operating temperatures using passive radiative cooling, providing a cost-effective way to increase grid capacity and reduce power losses and carbon emissions.

In addition to coating new overhead conductors, AssetCool has developed techniques to retrofit existing electricity networks, including through the use of aerial coating robots. The retrofit solution will further increase AssetCool’s reach and impact, enabling more network operators globally to benefit from the cost and carbon savings the technology brings.

The company was co-founded by Dr. Niall Coogan at the University of Manchester in 2016 whilst on the EPSRC Power Networks Centre for Doctoral Training. AssetCool relocated to Nexus on The University of Leeds campus in 2019, where its team of physicists, formulation chemists, power engineers and mechatronics experts can benefit from the University’s extensive network of experts and world-leading research in photonics.

The funding will allow the company to advance with the commercial rollout of its coating, as well as to further develop techniques to retrofit the existing grid network with AssetCool’s technology.

Dr. Niall Coogan, Founder and Managing Director of AssetCool, said: “With grid infrastructure becoming a frequent bottleneck as growing populations demand greater levels of electricity, we believe that our photonic coating and related in-situ application technology can offer a discontinuous reduction in costs for adding capacity to overhead lines, helping to facilitate electrification around the world. We are excited with the continued support of our existing investors and to attract new investment from Northern Gritstone. This investment will allow us to further accelerate our commercial roll-out and develop effective techniques to fit it to existing networks.”

Duncan Johnson, Northern Gritstone CEO, said: “As the modern world becomes increasingly reliant on the energy grid to provide electricity for sustainable modes of transport such as electric vehicles, the bottleneck in transmission networks is becoming ever more prevalent. AssetCool’s innovative technology provides a solution to increasing the capacity and efficiency of these networks that has the potential to transform the energy transmission process across the globe.

“With links in both the Universities of Manchester and Leeds, AssetCool is a living example of the breadth of the technology ecosystem in the North of England. We look forward to working with Niall and his team as they continue to develop their technology and roll it out across the energy grid.”