Atlas Copco has launched QHS integrated hybrid generators that combine battery storage and a diesel genset in a single canopy unit, capable of grid charging, self-charging via the engine, and optional solar panel input. The system automatically manages multiple energy sources to minimise engine runtime, claiming up to 80% fuel and CO₂ reductions and more than 95% less engine operating time versus diesel-only sets at low or variable loads. Rental-focused features include multiple socket configurations, external fuel connections, a terminal board and FleetLink telemetry for remote monitoring, diagnostics and fleet management.

The World Gold Council has launched “Gold as a Service”, an open, shared infrastructure concept co-developed with Boston Consulting Group to link vaulted physical custody directly with digital issuance and management of gold-backed products. The proposed platform standardises custody coordination, reconciliation, compliance and redemption to support scalable, interoperable tokens and other digital gold instruments that can plug into modern trading, clearing and recordkeeping systems. WGC is inviting banks, fintechs, custodians and other market participants to help design the “trusted rails” needed to operate digital gold at market scale without compromising bar-level integrity.

Australian researchers led by CSIRO have built the world’s first proof‑of‑concept quantum battery, using entangled quantum states to charge multiple cells collectively rather than individually. The lab‑scale device, fabricated in CSIRO’s clean quantum battery engineering lab, is designed to scale to solid‑state architectures compatible with grid‑scale storage and electric vehicles. If commercialised, the technology could sharply increase demand for high‑purity critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, with tighter specifications on impurity control and crystal defect behaviour.