The range covers all applications from residential to industrial environments

Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection (Teledyne GFD) gas has launched its new MethaSense range of battery-powered methane detectors, comprising three models using cutting-edge NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) sensor technology for reliable and precise methane detection

MethaSense, designed for residential and commercial applications, is a compact, wireless natural gas detector with a range of 0-5 % volume, featuring accurate detection without false alarms, and immediate alerts through integrated audible and visual alarms. With progressive signal processing algorithms, MethaSense detects, alarms and monitors methane at concentrations as low as 10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL) for enhanced safety. Optional wireless (LoRaWAN) connectivity enables real-time gas detection visualisation, providing clear, actionable insights.

MethaSense XP is engineered for industrial environments where robust performance and reliability are essential. MethaSense XP’s rugged design and reliable detection capabilities ensure worker safety and operational continuity, especially in areas where maintenance access is limited.

It combines the same advanced NDIR sensor technology with enhanced durability and wireless communication options, including LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and Bluetooth. MethaSense XP again features audible and visual alarms, while its 10+ year battery autonomy and immunity to corrosion and saturation make the detector ideal for continuous safety monitoring in demanding conditions. With ATEX and IECEx certifications, MethaSense XP operates reliably in hazardous zones.

MethaSense Trace is a high-performance methane detector for LDAR (leak detection and repair) and utility applications, where accurate and autonomous methane monitoring is essential for regulatory compliance and environmental protection. A rugged build with IP67 ingress protection rating for outdoor use ensure uninterrupted performance in harsh conditions, reducing operational risks and maintenance costs.

With exceptional methane sensitivity, it provides 10× higher methane selectivity than previous-generation sensors, with a detection range that extends from 50 ppm to 100% volume for both low-emission environmental monitoring and high-concentration safety thresholds.

The detector delivers 24/7 methane emission monitoring, detection and quantification across large-scale industrial sites. By combining real-time sensing, cloud-based analytics and automated reporting, MethaSense Trace enables operators to detect, localise and measure methane emissions with precision. This not only helps reduce emissions but also ensures full compliance with new methane regulations.

“NDIR technology, as utilised by all three detectors in our new MethaSense series, offers high selectivity, fast response times and long-term reliability,” explained Régis Prevost, product line manager, Teledyne GFD. “Users benefit from natural gas detectors that provide a low-maintenance, cost-effective, versatile solution for continuous methane monitoring, supported by key features that include up to 10+ years of battery life, zero recalibration requirements, wireless connectivity options, and suitability for smart infrastructure and safety-critical environments.”

Movicon.NExT now offers native Python runtime scripting

Emerson has announced the release of Movicon.NExT™ Version 4.4, the latest update to its modern human-machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platform.

Designed for discrete and process manufacturing, as well as commercial, industrial, and municipal or utility sectors, the platform enables users to create interoperable automation architectures.

The new version introduces performance, functionality, and flexibility enhancements, with a focus on improving user experience and development efficiency.

Enhanced communications and drivers

Version 4.4 delivers updated industrial communication protocol drivers for OPC UA, EtherNet/IP, and others, now supporting multi-station setups and advanced arrays. A newly introduced DNP3 driver allows seamless integration with power industry and electrical utility networks. Optimised I/O operations aggregate read/write tags more efficiently, increasing throughput, while the platform’s open connectivity ensures straightforward integration with digital assets.

Scripting and development upgrades

Movicon.NExT now offers native Python runtime scripting, allowing developers to implement custom, cross-platform logic and build on proven solutions. Updated graphical properties for controls, refined user interfaces, and simplified license management (whether local or network-based) streamline workflows, accelerating project creation.

Improved data management

The historian now supports TimescaleDB, delivering higher performance and improved storage efficiency, particularly with large data sets. Enhancements also boost data precision and SQL database compatibility. Recipe and alarm management are centralised through a single connection, enabling better coordination. These improvements address the rising demand for data-driven visualisation and analytics in industrial automation.

Strengthened security and compliance

Emerson has fully migrated Movicon.NExT core applications to .NET 8, ensuring better performance and long-term support. Unified and encrypted password management is applied across the platform, while CFR21 compliance has been enhanced by logging user group information alongside usernames. These upgrades aim to safeguard digital systems and help users meet regulatory requirements.

Integration-ready platform enhancements

Companion modules such as Pro.Lean™ and Pro.Energy™ have also been updated to Version 4.4. Improvements include an enhanced user interface, upgraded navigation, new library symbols, and grouping and overview screens, supporting better visibility and control.

By combining openness, high performance, and integration readiness, Movicon.NExT Version 4.4 provides a robust foundation for modern automation architectures. It offers end users, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturers the tools to create innovative and efficient automation solutions while maintaining ease of use and flexibility.

Over the past few years, EMSTEEL has rolled out more than 30 AI-powered solutions. (Image source: EMSTEEL)

As the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer, EMSTEEL is making waves in the global industrial sector by weaving artificial intelligence, advanced connectivity, and blockchain into the very fabric of its operations. In an exclusive interview with Technical Review Middle East, Vladimir Arshinov, group chief technology officer at EMSTEEL, shared how the company’s transformative technology strategy is setting new benchmarks for efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Arshinov emphasised that the company is “pushing the boundaries of technological parameters to enhance operations beyond manufacturing, including commercial, customer experience, health and safety, sustainability, data utility, research and development and other areas.”

AI for industrial transformation

Over the past few years, EMSTEEL has rolled out more than 30 AI-powered solutions. Among these, the company’s flagship innovation is the world’s first AI-led Green Steel Monitoring & Certification System, a cloud-based platform that calculates emissions at the heat level, ensures blockchain-enabled traceability, and offers a digital wallet for carbon credits. This system also monitors decarbonisation initiatives such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and renewable energy integration in real time, enabling the company to offer steel products with reduced carbon emissions.

^{Vladimir Arshinov, group chief technology officer for EMSTEEL}

Beyond sustainability, EMSTEEL is applying AI to optimise energy-intensive industrial processes. Predictive AI tools now manage operations in electric arc furnaces, direct reduction plants, and rolling mills, optimising parameters to boost both environmental and financial performance. “The rapid adoption by our teams reinforces our confidence in this strategic direction,” said Arshinov.

Safety is another area where AI is delivering impact. EMSTEEL has introduced an AI-driven computer vision system that uses safety cameras to detect missing personal protective equipment (PPE) and unsafe behaviour on factory floors, significantly raising its health, safety, and environmental standards.

5G connectivity for real-time decision-making

EMSTEEL has also pioneered one of the UAE’s first private 5G networks built for Industry 4.0. This dedicated infrastructure connects smart devices like sensors, drones, barcode scanners, and AI-enabled safety cameras to a centralised data centre for instantaneous data exchange.

“This hybrid connectivity enables seamless real-time data transmission and system integration, empowering EMSTEEL with rapid decision-making capabilities, advanced analytics, and continuous operational monitoring,” Arshinov explained. By enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime, the 5G network enhances both efficiency and safety.

On the safety front, the network’s high-speed, secure channels connect smart helmets and AI safety cameras to provide live monitoring of working conditions. The system can detect hazards in real time, sending immediate alerts to safety managers for faster intervention. “We are creating a safer, smarter, and more efficient manufacturing environment,” said Arshinov.

The AI-led Green Steel Certification System is underpinned by blockchain, which ensures emissions data is transparent, traceable, and immutable. By recording energy usage, raw material inputs, and production process metrics at the heat level, EMSTEEL can provide a verified account of a product’s carbon footprint from production to delivery.

“Blockchain’s core function is to create an unchangeable record of transactions, ensuring that emissions data cannot be tampered with,” Arshinov noted.

Overcoming the challenges of scaling advanced tech

Rolling out these innovations at scale was not without hurdles. “One of the primary hurdles was data readiness,” Arshinov admitted. Historical data was often fragmented, unstructured, or siloed across departments. To solve this, EMSTEEL launched a company-wide data governance initiative to standardise formats, clean legacy data, and build centralised data lakes.

Another challenge was cultural. “While we’re experts in steel manufacturing, AI introduced a whole new way of doing things,” he said. To bridge the gap, EMSTEEL partnered with institutions such as Khalifa University, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and the Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia to deliver hands-on training, fostering trust and accelerating adoption.

Robotics, drones and smart factories

Looking to the future, EMSTEEL’s “Sprint AI Program” will accelerate AI adoption and data-driven transformation, identifying high-impact use cases and driving a full data platform overhaul.

Strategic partnerships will play a key role. A memorandum of understanding with e& UAE will explore robotics, AI, and “Drones as a Service” (DaaS) to enhance automation, remote monitoring, and industrial safety. Meanwhile, collaboration with Micropolis Robotics will bring autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) equipped with AI-powered visual recognition systems to scrap yard operations, improving safety and precision.

Additionally, EMSTEEL’s work with the Jožef Stefan Institute will apply AI and machine learning to predictive maintenance, quality control, and smart supply chain management, supporting its vision of becoming a fully-fledged smart manufacturing leader.

Rolls-Royce and INERATEC to integrate climate-neutral e-fuels into backup power systems for data centre sustainability

Rolls-Royce and INERATEC, a leading manufacturer of power-to-X systems and climate-friendly e-fuels, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at introducing INERATEC's climate-neutral e-fuels into emergency power systems for data centres.

This initiative seeks to redefine the role of e-fuels in the digital era.

A new future for e-fuels in data centres

With the rapid expansion of data centres, especially driven by the surge in artificial intelligence, energy consumption in this sector is on the rise. Simultaneously, these centres, many part of critical infrastructure, require robust protection from power disruptions.

This is where the collaboration between Rolls-Royce Power Systems and INERATEC comes into play. The companies intend to replace fossil diesel with INERATEC’s synthetic e-diesel, produced from green hydrogen and CO₂, in emergency generators. The first stage of the rollout will focus on data centres in Germany.

Rolls-Royce Power Systems is supporting the integration of sustainable fuels in its data centre emergency power solutions. This offers a reliable, cost-effective, and carbon-neutral approach to one of the key challenges in digital infrastructure.

“Rolls-Royce mtu emergency generators have already been approved for operation with sustainable fuels. Our critical infrastructure customers, such as data centers, who want to improve their carbon footprint, will soon also use e-fuels. Together with INERATEC, we are committed to the use of e-fuels in data centers," said Tobias Ostermaier, president stationary power solutions at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

“Secure power supply to AI data centers is one of the major challenges of our time. Our e-fuels can offer a climate-neutral solution - reliable, scalable and immediately applicable. Together with Rolls-Royce, we are taking them where they are already urgently needed today," added Maximilian Backhaus, chief commercial officer at INERATEC.

The initial phase of the partnership includes a targeted market introduction in Germany. With short delivery routes from INERATEC's production site "ERA ONE" in Frankfurt, rapid deployment is feasible. INERATEC's e-fuels are derived from renewable energy sources and CO₂, complying with internationally recognised environmental certifications such as ISCC. Over time, both companies plan to expand their collaboration globally.

Also read: Modular solutions for a future-ready Middle East: UTEC leads the charge in sustainable data centre innovation