NZ firm Dawn Aerospace lands $10m-plus space plane deal with US government agency
The buyer is the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority – a state government-owned agency that operates a runway and aerospace innovation hub.
The parties haven't put an exact price on the deal,
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Techday NZ
8 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Equinix invests in new nuclear & fuel cell power for data centres
Equinix has entered into agreements with several next-generation nuclear and fuel cell technology providers to secure sustainable and reliable power for the expansion of its global portfolio of data centres. The partnerships include Oklo, Radiant, ULC-Energy, Stellaria, and Bloom Energy, forming a part of Equinix's strategy to diversify its power sources. This approach combines traditional utility agreements with advanced onsite generation, as well as investments in emerging nuclear and fuel cell technologies. Rising electricity demand Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that global electricity consumption is expected to increase by 4% annually through 2027. Factors such as electrification, data centre growth driven by artificial intelligence, and a resurgence in industrial manufacturing are driving this trend and placing additional requirements on existing utility providers and electrical grids. In response to these challenges, Equinix is investing in infrastructure upgrades, advanced power solutions, and alternative energy projects. The company is also committed to maintaining its target of achieving 100% clean, renewable energy across its global operations by 2030. Diversified power strategy Equinix's current initiatives include funding advanced transmission upgrades with utility partners, constructing new substations to improve grid reliability, and providing emergency backup solutions intended to benefit all users during power interruptions. The firm is utilising fuel cells and natural gas-powered solutions expected to enhance operations and add capacity to local grids. Looking forward, Equinix is supporting the development of advanced nuclear power technologies as a potential source of reliable, clean energy in the future. Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Equinix, commented on the importance of reliable electricity for supporting the infrastructure behind modern digital services: Access to round-the-clock electricity is critical to support the infrastructure that powers everything from AI-driven drug discovery to cloud-based video streaming. As energy demand increases, we believe we have an opportunity and responsibility to support the development of reliable, sustainable, scalable energy infrastructure that can support our collective future. By working with our energy partners, we believe we can support the energy needs of our customers and communities around the world by helping to strengthen the grid and investing in new energy sources. Next-generation nuclear partnerships Equinix has become the first data centre operator to sign an agreement with a small modular reactor provider, procuring 500 megawatts (MW) of energy from Oklo's fission Aurora powerhouses, which can operate using nuclear waste. The company has also agreed to purchase 20 Kaleidos microreactors from Radiant, designed for rapid deployment and flexible onsite energy needs. In collaboration with ULC-Energy and Rolls-Royce SMR, Equinix has signed a Letter of Intent for a power purchase agreement of up to 250 megawatt electric (MWe) capacity to supply data centres in the Netherlands. ULC-Energy plans to deploy Rolls-Royce's 470MWe light water SMRs in the country, utilising technology recently chosen as the preferred bidder for the UK's first small modular reactors. Equinix has also entered a pre-order power agreement for 500MWe with Stellaria, applying molten salt Breed & Burn reactor technology. Developed in collaboration with Schneider Electric and the French Atomic Energy Agency, Stellaria's reactors feature continuous self-breeding of fuel and recycling of spent fuels. Fuel cell expansion Bloom Energy has supplied Equinix with fuel cell solutions for over a decade. The company plans to further expand its use of Bloom Energy's solid-oxide fuel cells, targeting more than 100MW deployed at over 19 data centres in six US states. Equinix states that these fuel cells are both efficient and have enabled the operator to avoid 285,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions as well as significant water usage. Ali Ruckteschler, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for Equinix, detailed some of the potential and challenges for delivering infrastructure to support AI and digital demand: The potential challenges to powering reliable and sustainable digital infrastructure are considerable. However, Equinix has always been at the forefront of energy innovation, signing the data centre industry's first agreement with a SMR provider and pioneering the use of fuel cells a decade ago. Powering AI infrastructure responsibly is a global priority. With Equinix's operational expertise, trusted supply chain, and close partnerships with the U.S. and global governments and utilities, we are poised to deliver safe, secure and reliable AI solutions for our customers and the communities we serve. Efficiency and sustainability measures Currently, Equinix has achieved 96% renewable energy coverage globally, with 250 of its sites operating exclusively with renewable energy in 2024. The company continues to advance efficient data centre design and operations. Since 2022, it has been phasing in ASHRAE A1 Allowable standards to allow wider operating temperature ranges, reducing the energy needed for cooling without impacting operational performance. Equinix also intends to deploy advanced liquid cooling technologies at more than 100 data centres across 45 metropolitan areas around the world. Equinix maintains its commitment to clean energy targets and the development of infrastructure capable of supporting continued growth in digital demand and artificial intelligence applications, while ensuring reliability, sustainability, and secure operations for its customers and the communities it serves.
Otago Daily Times
29-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Warning Aurora power bills may rise $10
Household electricity bills for Aurora Energy customers could increase by an average of about $10 a month next year, the Commerce Commission says. Commissioner Vhari McWha said the commission was seeking feedback on its draft decision to allow the Dunedin City Council-owned lines company to recover up to $663.7 million over four years from 2026 to 2030. "We are conscious of the effect on electricity bills across Otago, and we've ensured this spend remains reasonable and limited to what's necessary to give consumers a safe and reliable network now and into the future," Ms McWha said. "It means Aurora can continue to renew ageing assets on its network while also meeting significant growth in demand for electricity in its regions." Aurora said yesterday its initial view was the draft decision outlined a level of cost savings that would "seriously inhibit" its plans to support economic growth and improve network resilience. Advocates for those struggling to pay bills said high electricity prices were already having a significant effect on some in the community. Ms McWha said the draft decision meant the average household electricity bills in the areas Aurora served could increase by about $10 a month next year and about $3 a month each year thereafter. Aurora's customised price-quality path (CPP) was put in place in March 2021 to allow the company to recover a set amount of revenue from customers over five years as it repaired and upgraded its network. However, the company's present revenue limits were due to expire in March next year, and new revenue limits would be set under general arrangements that applied to other price-quality regulated lines companies, Ms McWha said. "While Aurora has made significant progress during the CPP on the safety of its network, its investment catch-up was always planned to occur over a longer period. "In Aurora's CPP application, it anticipated investment would not return to a steady-state level until around 2030." In its draft decision, the commission had removed $16m related to projects with potential to be deferred by alternative solutions such as residential solar, Ms McWha said. Aurora Energy chief executive Richard Fletcher said the company would provide a formal response to the commission's draft decision. "However, our initial view is that the level of operating cost efficiencies referenced by the commission would be impracticable to achieve and, if not corrected in the final decision, would seriously inhibit the company's ability to deliver its published plan and improve network resilience. "It would also constrain the planned development of the company's network and operations to support customers' electrification transition and the economic growth of our operating regions." The draft decision appeared to be based on high-level benchmarking information from 2018 and did not appear to have been updated to reflect the company's current operating environment, Mr Fletcher said. He said the company was proud of what had been achieved over the past five years and found it "very disappointing" the commission had not raised concerns about the efficiency of the company's operating position in any of the formal annual progress reviews it had undertaken. Dunedin Budget Advisory Service manager Andrew Henderson said there was a lot of pressure on low to middle-income households at the moment — and the draft decision by the Commerce Commission "seems to fly in the face of that". The budget advisory service, which administered the Dunedin City Council's Consumer Electricity Fund, was processing between 80 and 90 applications each month from people struggling with the cost of electricity. "That's probably the tip of the iceberg. "It's just pressure from all angles on low to middle-income households," Mr Henderson said. A Grey Power Otago committee member, who asked not to be named, said people were already distressed due to increases in electricity bills. A woman had recently called Grey Power's South Dunedin office in tears after signing up with a new electricity supplier and receiving a power bill of $400 for her two-person household. Feedback on the draft decisions closes on August 22. A final decision is due to be published by the end of November.
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Mayoral hopefuls split over Aurora sale decision
Two Dunedin mayoralty candidates have squared off about whether Aurora Energy should be sold. Cr Lee Vandervis said the Dunedin City Council company should be sold and the proceeds reinvested in diverse funds that could provide relief from rates increases. "We need to sell Aurora because the DCC is too indebted to keep providing the increasing levels of debt necessary to keep Aurora going and to keep up with Central Otago expansion needs," he said. Cr Vandervis described his position as unpopular, but necessary, and it would also make the council less vulnerable to changes in interest rates, he said. His thoughts were outlined in a blog about his mayoral plans to control rates, debt and bureaucracy. Mayoralty race rival Andrew Simms said the debate had occurred already and the will of the people won out when the council ended up deciding last year to keep the company. "Nothing has changed, Lee," Mr Simms said. "We still don't want you to sell Aurora out from under us to an Australian pension fund or anyone else." Mr Simms said the council was "struggling to avoid a debt spiral". "That needs to be fixed at the source — not masked by cashing in Aurora Energy, our most valuable asset that will deliver riches for Dunedin in the future." Aurora Energy is owned by the city council, but the lines company also has a presence in Queenstown, Wānaka and Central Otago. The issue of whether it should be sold re-emerged at a city council meeting last month, when Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich — who is standing for re-election — suggested it could have fetched as much as $1.9 billion if conditions were extremely favourable. He also said he was unaware of any election candidate campaigning to sell Aurora. Cr Vandervis said he was surprised by this. "I have always advocated for reinvesting debt-hobbled Aurora in a fund that gives us a return and does not demand ever more debt, despite vocal public opinion against a sale." Cr Vandervis said selling Aurora was the right thing to do. "I do hope to convince the next council to sell Aurora if the current good sale conditions persist, but councillors may well be convinced more by the growing debt burden and the threat of a rates revolt if we do not sell." Cr Vandervis, who chaired the council's finance and council-controlled organisations committee this term, said he, committee deputy chairwoman and deputy mayor Cherry Lucas and Dunedin City Holdings Ltd directors had viewed a sale as necessary. There had been poor past management and a decade of deferred maintenance catchup, and "massive Central Otago expansion potential can only be realised by a very wealthy investor", Cr Vandervis said. Mr Simms said Aurora was experiencing growth in demand for electricity and strong network growth in Central Otago. "Aurora is investing heavily in growth and renewals at present, but this capital expenditure carries a guaranteed rate of return, and the value of Aurora continues to escalate." Mr Simms said he was "proud to lead the effort" to retain the company. "In reality, that role was straightforward, with such a weight of the community opposed to selling Aurora."
