Modern Mechanics 24

Explore latest robotics, tech & mechanical innovations

Energy

EVE Energy's 400MWh grid storage station using 628Ah ultra-large battery cells in Hebei, China.

China’s EVE Energy Connects World’s First 628Ah Ultra-Large Battery Station, Secures 10GWh Deal

EVE Energy has commissioned the world’s first 628Ah ultra-large battery storage station—a 400MWh facility proving grid-scale viability—while securing a 10GWh order from Guowang Technology. The milestone confirms large-format cells can deliver on cost and reliability, shifting the industry from pilot projects to industrial deployment.

Read More...

Los Angeles Startup General Galactic Aims to Brew Rocket Fuel From Water—And Test It This Year

Los Angeles startup General Galactic, founded by former SpaceX propulsion engineer Halen Mattison, plans to test a water‑to‑methane propellant system in space this fall. Its Genesis-1 pilot plant already produces 200 liters of methane daily from CO₂ and water. If successful, the modular reactor would replace the “yada yada” of lunar ice mining with on‑demand fuel synthesis—and rewrite the economics of Mars round trips.

Read More...
Rolls-Royce Power Systems Friedrichshafen modular gas engine power plant with 10-30 MW H2-ready preconfigured units for German grid backup.

Germany’s Rolls-Royce Launches H₂-Ready Modular Power Plants to Backstop Renewable Grid

Germany’s Rolls-Royce Power Systems has unveiled modular gas engine power plants that deliver 5 to several hundred MW from preconfigured 10, 20, and 30 MW factory-tested blocks. Led by Tobias Ostermaier and Michael Stipa, the H₂-ready turnkey plants connect to the grid in 12–18 months—dramatically faster than conventional gas infrastructure. Designed to backstop renewables during 10‑hour to multi‑week Dunkelflauten, the Friedrichshafen-built systems already support utilities and data centers with over 17 GW installed globally.

Read More...

Berkeley Lab Leads $10 Million Project to Build FORUM-AI, a First-of-its-Kind Research Assistant for Energy Materials Discovery

A coalition led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is building FORUM-AI, a $10 million AI research assistant. This “agentic” platform will autonomously run simulations and lab experiments to slash discovery timelines for next-gen battery and semiconductor materials, leveraging DOE supercomputers and robotic labs.

Read More...