Latest news with #PaulHanna
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
World's biggest aeroplane 'Skytanic' dwarfs Boeing 747 in size longer than football pitch
The plane is set to take off in 2030 The world's largest plane, cheekily nicknamed 'Skytanic', has shocked aircraft enthusiasts with its gigantic size, with its vast measurements rivalling the length of a football pitch. The vessel will take flight within the next five years. Energy firm Radia is spearheading an audacious project to construct a mammoth aircraft named WindRunner. The plane, measuring 108m in length, would outsize a Boeing 747 by carrying twelve times its load and being 38m longer. The impressive aircraft has a unique mission - transporting enormous wind turbine blades to remote locations. Given their size, these blades are among the world's longest objects, potentially limiting the cargo jet to carry just one at a time. Some of these gigantic blades weigh in at approximately 26,000kg, reports the Mirror. Paul Hanna, Radia's vice-president of marketing, spoke about the complex transportation issues associated with wind turbine blades, explaining: "It takes a year and a half to plan a move of these things down a highway. "You've got road bridges to get underneath, traffic signs that need to come down, homes that are near the off-ramp that may have to be moved." Radia's goal is to tackle significant logistical challenges involved in moving these hefty offshore blades, currently a complicated process due to their immense size, and could potentially facilitate the expansion of wind farms. In the near future, wind turbine blades are predicted to extend from 70 metres to 100 metres in length, enabling them to capture more wind while rotating in a slower, less disruptive manner. Already, some companies have had to construct special roads to transport blades of current lengths, as they pose considerable difficulties when navigating through tunnels and under bridges. Radia has identified a novel solution to the logistical challenges of transporting turbine blades by taking to the skies. Over the last ten years, they've been developing the WindRunner, an immense aircraft boasting a cargo space twelve times that of a Boeing 747. The firm aims to have the aircraft airborne before the decade's end. Once operational, it will claim the title of the largest plane ever flown, surpassing the Ukrainian Mriya jet, which met its demise at the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. Rocket scientist Mark Lundstrom is instrumental in shaping the design. He declared that the "only viable solution" for moving large wind turbine blades is to construct a colossal aircraft, thus leading to the creation of the WindRunner. Despite its staggering size, with a height of 24m and a wingspan of 79m, the aircraft can transport just one 105m blade or a maximum of three 80m blades at once. Hanna has unveiled high hopes for Radia to initiate airborne blade transportation by 2030, telling Aerospace magazine about his visionary target. He said: "We have the opportunity to take a dramatic and lasting amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere and we're giving the aerospace industry the chance to participate in reducing the cost of energy by as much as 30 per cent." Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Lundstrom underlined the primary impetus for their initiative. "The necessity to fight climate change is something that's a big motivating factor," he went on. "It's very unique to be able to have an aerospace solution to climate change, as opposed to contributing to the problem. For an aerospace engineer or company to contribute their skills to fighting climate change, instead of just optimising passenger seat miles or making a defence product, is a unique opportunity for the aerospace industry to get exposure into the energy world and also be able to take many percentage points of CO2 out of the world." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
World's biggest plane ‘Skytanic' is longer than a football pitch and will take-off in 2030
The plane, dubbed WindRunner, would be the largest aircraft ever built and would be able to carry 12 times more than a Boeing 747. The 356ft long aircraft would be capable of carrying 12 times the weight of a Boeing 747 The world's biggest ever plane dubbed 'Skytanic' will take-off in five years or less. Radia, an energy company, is embarking on an ambitious aeronautical venture to develop a gargantuan aircraft named WindRunner. This massive plane, stretching 108m in length, would dwarf a Boeing 747 by carrying twelve times its load, while being 38m longer. Rocket scientist Mark Lundstrom plays a pivotal role in crafting the design of this grand aircraft intended for a unique purpose: transporting colossal wind turbine blades to far-flung locations. Such blades rank among the world's lengthiest objects, potentially restricting the cargo jet to haul just one at a time. Radia aims to overcome major logistical hurdles associated with moving these bulky offshore blades, currently a complex task due to their sheer size. This endeavour could pave the way for an increase in wind farms, which Radia, established in 2016, strongly supports. Some of these mammoth blades tip the scales at around 26,000kg. In the coming years, wind turbine blades are expected to grow from 70 metres to 100 metres long, to catch more wind while also rotating in a slower, less disruptive fashion. Already, some companies have had to build special roads to transport blades at their current length, as they've proven so difficult to transport through tunnels and under bridges. Radia has seen an opportunity to overcome the logistical opportunities by taking turbine blades to the air. For the past decade it has been working on the WindRunner, a huge plane with a cargo volume a dozen times bigger than a Boeing 747. The company plans to get the plane up in the air before the end of the decade, New York Times reports. When it does, it will be the biggest plane ever to fly - dwarfing the Ukranian jet Mriya, which was destroyed at the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022. Addressing the transportation issues tied to wind turbine blades, Paul Hanna, Radia's vice-president of marketing, detailed some painstaking logistics to a publication: "It takes a year and a half to plan a move of these things down a highway. You've got road bridges to get underneath, traffic signs that need to come down, homes that are near the off-ramp that may have to be moved." Lundstrom has stated that the "only viable solution" for transporting large wind turbine blades was to create an enormous aircraft, hence the birth of the WindRunner. Despite the mammoth dimensions of a 24m height and 79m long wingspan, the craft can only carry a single 105m blade or up to three 80m blades in one go. With aspirations for Radia to kick-off aerial blade transport by 2030, Hanna expressed his ambitious goal to Aerospace: "We have the opportunity to take a dramatic and lasting amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere, and we're giving the aerospace industry the opportunity to participate in reducing the cost of energy by as much as 30%." Addressing the World Economic Forum, Lundstrom highlighted the driving force behind their project: "The necessity to fight climate change is something that's a big motivating factor. "It's very unique to be able to have an aerospace solution to climate change, as opposed to contributing to the problem. And so for an aerospace engineer or for an aerospace company to be able to contribute their skills to fighting climate change, instead of just optimizing passenger seat miles or making a defence product, this is a unique opportunity for the aerospace industry to both get exposure into the energy world, and also be able to take many percentage points of CO2 out of the world."
Cision Canada
28-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Co-operators Welcomes Écono Coop as Newest Member
GUELPH, ON, April 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Co-operators is pleased to announce the addition of Écono Coop as its newest member. The incorporation of Écono Coop, a forward-thinking for-profit co-operative established in 2020, marks a meaningful development in Co-operators governance and further adds to the strength of their co-operative network within Canada. Operating across Canada (with the exception of Quebec), and participating as a multiregional member of Co-operators, Écono Coop serves a vital role in early childhood education, with a robust network of members that collectively represent over 750 early childhood education centres, reaching more than 50,000 children nationwide. "Écono Coop's vision of enhancing the affordability, accessibility, and quality of childcare resonates deeply with the values of our organization and reminds us of the critical role childcare plays in shaping our future leaders," said Paul Hanna, Executive Vice-President, Member Relations, Governance and Corporate Services, Co-operators. "We know that a community is only as resilient as its most vulnerable members, and their mission of creating a space for children to grow and thrive is integral to our support of Canadians and their communities," Paul continued. "This partnership adds further value and perspective to our governance structure, and we're thrilled to welcome them as our newest member." Écono Coop's mission is to enhance the sustainability and growth of Early Childhood Centre spaces by leveraging their collective buying power to reduce operating costs, providing essential management services, and fostering efficient operations. They support early childhood education providers in both English and French, ensuring accessibility and quality in early learning environments across the country. "We are confident that joining Co-operators will enhance our existing partnership and strengthen our ability to provide innovative insurance solutions tailored to the evolving needs of our members across the country," said Patrice Gauthier, Executive Director, Écono Coop. The official recognition of Écono Coop as a member was endorsed by Co-operators board on February 21, 2025. Members were invited to extend a warm welcome at Co-operators Annual General Meeting (AGM) held from April 1-4 in Toronto. For more information on Écono Coop and their initiatives, please visit About Co-operators Proudly Canadian since 1945, Co-operators is a leading financial services co-operative, offering multi-line insurance and investment products, services, and personalized advice to help Canadians build their financial strength and security. With more than $71 billion in assets under administration, Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. Currently a carbon neutral organization, Co-operators is committed to net-zero emissions in its operations and investments by 2040, and 2050, respectively. Co-operators is recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and ranked as one of Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. About Écono Coop Écono Coop is a Canadian co-operative enterprise proudly committed to the early childhood sector since 2020. It offers a range of products and services, as well as investment and reinvestment solutions with both economic and social impact. Leveraging the strength of its partner network, Écono Coop brings together a collective purchasing power of $4.4 billion, allowing its members to achieve substantial savings in both time and money. With 750 members serving over 50,000 children and supported by a network of approved suppliers, Écono Coop is recognized as a model of innovation that enhances the quality and accessibility of early childhood services across Canada. In response to growing demand, Écono Coop is now expanding its services to all stakeholders in the early childhood sector, including municipalities, schools, school boards, non-profit organizations, community centers, and cooperatives.
