Wind Catching Systems wants to develop a floating, multi-turbine system. This illustration shows what it could look like once deployed.
Wind Catching Systems
With their considerable height and sweeping blades, wind turbines are perhaps the most visually striking sign of the world’s shift to a more sustainable future.
Over the past few years, major players in the sector have developed huge new turbines, with the era of “super-sized” onshore and offshore structures appearing to be just round the corner.
While these massive pieces of kit are based on a familiar design that incorporates a tower, nacelle and blades, some firms are working on new ideas that, if built, would look very different indeed.
Wind Catching Systems is one of them. Established in 2017 and headquartered just outside the Norwegian capital of Oslo, it’s focused on the development of what it calls a “floating wind power plant based on a multi-turbine design.”
The overarching idea behind the Windcatcher system, as it’s known, relates to maximizing “power generation from a concentrated area.” The design also incorporates an elevator-based system for installing turbines and maintenance.
Illustrations of what the Windcatcher would look like are certainly striking, resembling a vast, water-based wall of rotating blades.
The potential scale of it is considerable. CEO Ole Heggheim said the “large model” would have a height of 300 meters (around 984 feet) and a width of 350 meters.
Such an iteration is some way off, however. While the large version of the Windcatcher would use 126 turbines of 1 megawatt, Heggheim said a planned pilot model will have “between seven and 12,” with the exact number to be decided over the next few months.
The plan is for a gradual scale-up. Following the pilot, Heggheim said his firm would “most likely build an intermediate size, probably around 40 megawatts, before we go for the large size.”
Floating tech
Floating offshore wind turbines are different from fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, which are rooted to the seabed.
One advantage of floating turbines is that they can be installed in far deeper waters than fixed-bottom ones, and in recent years major economies like the U.S. have laid out goals to ramp up floating wind installations.
Firms like Wind Catching Systems are beginning to attract some notable backers as countries and companies around the world look to slash their emissions and hit net-zero goals.
In June 2022, the company said it entered into a strategic agreement with automotive giant General Motors and also secured investment from GM Ventures.
The agreement with GM, Wind Catching Systems said, related to “collaboration covering technology development, project execution, offshore wind policy, and the advancement of sustainable technology applications.”
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More recently, in February 2023, the company announced it was awarded a pre-project grant of 9.3 million Norwegian krone (around $872,500) from Enova, which is owned by Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment.
Wind Catching Systems said the grant would “support the initial implementation of a full-scale Windcatcher.”
“Through the pre-project, Wind Catching Systems will mature and validate the technology and cost estimates for a full-scale Windcatcher,” it added.
Bird concerns
Over the past few years, the interaction between wind turbines and the natural world has generated a huge amount of discussion and debate, sometimes presenting hurdles to projects.
The effect on birds is a particular concern, with the U.K.-based Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warning that wind farms “can harm birds through disturbance, displacement, acting as barriers, habitat loss and collision.”
It adds that “impacts can arise from a single development and cumulatively multiple projects.”
During his interview with CNBC, Heggheim attempted to highlight how his company’s design might mitigate any risk.
“We have a large structure behind the turbines [and] we hope that that will be a visual for the birds,” he said, explaining that there was also the opportunity to incorporate detection and deterrence systems on the structure.
“We are hopeful that we can make something that is more benign, if you like, for birdlife,” he said.
A crowded field
Designs such as the Windcatcher offer a glimpse into how wind energy could develop, and a range of ideas have been proposed over the past few years.
These include Vortex Bladeless’ system, which has a cylindrical mast and does not use blades, and Kitemill, which has developed a design centered on a kite-like system tethered to the ground. Elsewhere, businesses like SeaTwirl are working on a vertical-axis floating turbine.
There is excitement about the potential of such proposals, but it seems a long road lies ahead when it comes to challenging the dominance of the onshore and offshore turbines of today.
“The role of new turbine models and innovation in turbine design should not be neglected,” Christoph Zipf, press manager at industry body WindEurope, told CNBC via email.
“It is good that the wind industry keeps exploring new paths and innovative solutions,” Zipf said. “But as things stand today the “traditional” wind turbine, the three-bladed, horizontal axis turbines will continue to lead the way.”
He added that such turbines are dominating all “competitive projects” in offshore, floating and onshore wind. “They offer the greatest electricity output at the lowest price.”
Disrupting the wind power industry is a colossal task that will require significant investment, time and patience.
Like other marine-based technologies, floating offshore wind faces a range of challenges, not least the incredibly harsh environment turbines need to operate in.
Wind Catching Systems’ Heggheim was, however, optimistic about the future. “We definitely want to be mainstream,” he said.
Whether the company’s plans bear fruit remains to be seen, but its journey over the next few months and years will be an interesting one to watch.
Swedish electric boat maker Candela has just secured a major deal in Southeast Asia: ten of its P-12 electric hydrofoil ferries will soon operate the route to Koh Kood, one of Thailand’s most pristine and least developed islands.
The agreement, signed in Bangkok during the SX Sustainability Expo, pairs Candela with Thai operator Seudamgo by Leopard Transportation Co., Ltd. It marks a significant shift for Koh Kood, where access has long relied on noisy, gas-powered speedboats that pump out emissions, churn up damaging wakes, and clash with the quiet, natural character of the island. Local officials and Swedish representatives, including the Governor of Trat and the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok, were on hand to witness the deal.
Candela’s P-12 ferries promise to transform that experience. Unlike traditional hulls that plow through waves, the P-12 rides above the surface on computer-controlled hydrofoils. The result is a ride that’s not only whisper-quiet but also dramatically more efficient – using up to 80% less energy than a conventional speedboat. With no exhaust fumes, no underwater noise, and virtually no wake, the P-12 is designed to leave the island’s marine environment undisturbed.
Each of the ten ferries headed to Thailand will be the Business model, offering seating for 20 passengers in an air-conditioned cabin with plenty of luggage space. At a service speed of 25 knots (around 29 mph or 46 km/h), they’ll cover the 20-nautical-mile mainland-to-island route in just 40 minutes. The vessels are powered by dual Candela C-Pod drives rated at 110 kW continuous (160 kW peak), fed by a 378 kWh battery pack that can fast-charge at up to 300 kW. Real-world range comes in at about 40 nautical miles at cruising speed – more than enough to comfortably cover the daily runs. And with that fast charging, a feature that has helped Candela set maritime records, the ferries can easily top up their batteries while loading and unloading passengers.
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Seudamgo’s CEO Surachai Suwanthanakul called the deal a milestone for Thai tourism. “Candela’s P-12 foil electric technology is a game-changer,” he said. “It’s free from emissions, oil spills, and underwater noise—and at the same time, it offers passengers a superior experience. You can’t really get seasick on board a Candela.”
For passengers, that seasickness-free ride is thanks to Candela’s digital Flight control system, a computer that constantly adjusts the hydrofoils in real time to eliminate slamming and pitching. It’s the same tech that’s made Candela’s smaller leisure boats popular with private owners in Europe and the U.S., now scaled up for public transit.
Candela’s Regional CEO Mr Björn Antonsson (left) shaking hands with Mr Surachai Suwanthanakul, CEO of Leopard Transportation Co., Ltd, flanked by the Governor of Trat, Mr Nattapong Sanguanjitra Deputy and Permanent Secretary Punya Chupanit, Ministry of Transport, Thailand, together with (from left) Tomas Juhlin, VP of Swedish Chamber of Commerce, and Mr Per Linnér, Charge d’Affairs Swedish Embassy, Bangkok.
Candela’s founder and CEO Gustav Hasselskog framed the partnership as a chance for Thailand to leapfrog straight into sustainable water transport. “By replacing noisy, polluting speedboats with our electric flying ships, Seudamgo is protecting one of Thailand’s most beautiful destinations,” he said.
Thailand is already a major market for Candela. The company operates its largest office outside Sweden in Bangkok and sees huge potential in a country with more than 1,500 islands and extensive waterborne transport. Regional CEO Björn Antonsson emphasized that point: “With its thousands of islands, big rivers and vibrant tourism industry, Thailand can truly benefit from our technology. Partnering with Seudamgo to introduce the P-12 fleet is a fantastic beginning—we see enormous potential to expand clean, efficient hydrofoil transport across Thailand and the wider region.”
For Koh Kood, the arrival of Candela’s P-12 ferries could mean a future where visitors still enjoy easy access, but without the pollution and disruption that have plagued other tourist islands. And for the wider region, it’s a sign that electric flying ferries may finally be moving from niche novelty to mainstream solution.
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An aerial view of Chevron crews attempting to extinguish a large fire and explosion that occurred at Chevron Refinery in El Segundo Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
A huge fire broke out on Thursday night at a Chevron jet fuel production unit in California, one of the largest refineries on the U.S. west coast, following reports of an explosion.
No injuries were reported from the incident at the El Segundo plant, Chevron said on Friday, with the U.S. energy major’s fire department personnel and emergency services “actively responding” to the situation.
It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze.
“All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries,” Chevron said in a statement, according to NBC.
“No evacuation orders for area residents have been put in place by emergency response agencies monitoring the incident, and no exceedances have been detected by the facilities fence line monitoring system,” the company added.
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What looks to be Tesla’s long-rumored “more affordable model” has been spotted testing on a highway, without any camouflage. But before you get too excited, it’s just a Model Y with some cheaper parts – and a price that’s not much different than we’ve seen on other Teslas.
For many years, Tesla had planned to build a much more affordable vehicle, starting around $25k. This vehicle was nicknamed the “Model 2,” and would have offered the most affordable entry point into the EV market, at least in the West.
In its place, Tesla started offering vague promises about “more affordable models,” starting in its Q1 report in April 2024. Tesla later specified that these would enter production in the first half of 2025.
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The language Tesla used suggested that the cheaper vehicles would be new models, which means more than one model, and not just based on a current Tesla model. But we reported that this was unlikely to be the case, and that the new models would just be a stripped-down Model Y.
We first saw the “more affordable” Model Y out and about in Chinese spy shots, which included exterior videos and even a peek at the interior. However, in those spy shots, the front and rear of the vehicle were covered with camouflage, suggesting that there would be some changes in those areas Tesla didn’t want to leak yet.
Tesla doesn’t seem to mind those leaks anymore (especially after a low-res website leak), as a Model Y was spotted driving on the highway with no camouflage whatsoever, offering a look into what Tesla was hiding underneath those covers.
The pictures were posted to reddit by Fantastic_Train_7270, and show a Model Y with Florida manufacturer plates.
The nicely clear front end photos show that the car is missing the front light bar that was added with the Juniper refresh, instead reverting to separate headlights – though both are quite narrow, like the headlights on the Juniper.
The rear end is also missing its light bar, instead replaced by a horizontal black line. The line does not have the “T E S L A” badging, as the Juniper refresh has.
The model also has new aerodynamic wheels, which should help add a little range (and may make up for a smaller battery pack, though we don’t have information yet on whether battery size is part of the decontenting associated with the “more affordable” model).
Other than the lack of light bars, the front and rear look quite similar to the Juniper refresh. However, one concerning detail is that the rear trunk lid does not seem to fit snugly into the place it’s supposed to fit, instead encroaching onto the top of the plastic rear fascia.
We don’t know what might have caused this, but we do know that we’ve seen Model Ys with poor color matching on body panels before – but that’s a lot less of a problem than a body panel that seems to be misaligned by the better part of an inch, visible from a longish distance shot on a highway.
Of course, it’s just a prototype, but this is also the reason prototypes have camouflage, so the public can’t see fiddly bits like this ahead of release.
While these photos don’t show us anything of the interior, information from a recent software update gives us some hints as to what has been removed. In addition to removing the glass roof, coat hooks and 8″ rear screen (as could be seen in the Chinese spy shots), the software update suggests that the Model Y will have no ambient LED lights, single-axis seat controls, and simpler air vents.
The fact that this vehicle was spotted without camouflage, alongside the fact that this vehicle has shown up in recent software updates, suggests that release may be imminent. We had expected that it might be released in China first as has been the case with some other Tesla models lately, but the vehicle’s presence on US roads means that it might see a release here soon too.
And if it is releasing soon, it would be at an important time. Tesla just had its first positive sales quarter in some time, but that was primarily due to the expiration of the $7,500 US EV tax credit, which pulled forward demand. That means Teslas are now going to be $7,500 more expensive for US buyers, as of yesterday. So anything Tesla can do to cut prices will be a big deal.
We don’t know for certain how much cheaper the “more affordable” Model Y will be, but estimates (and a leak) suggest a base price of $40k – so, a savings of $5k over the current $45k base price, or $2,500 under the current base price of the Model 3, neither of which are as low as the lowest prices we’ve seen Teslas sell for before. Quite a far shout from the actually affordable $25,000 car we were all promised for so long.
Also, that price would still be a $2,500 price increase compared to the deal which was available just two days ago, before tax credit expiry. And Tesla has its own CEO to thank for that price hike, given he unwisely spent $200 million campaigning for the anti-EV forces that are now making his company’s products less affordable.
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