Square Robot's newest robot is certified to operate in hazardous locations and at extreme temps. Photo courtesy of Square Robot

Houston- and Boston-based Square Robot Inc.'s newest tank inspection robot is commercially available and certified to operate at extreme temperatures.

The new robot, known as the SR-3HT, can operate from 14°F to 131°F, representing a broader temperature range than previous models in the company's portfolio. According to the company, its previous temperature range reached 32°F to 104°F.

The new robot has received the NEC/CEC Class I Division 2 (C1D2) certification from FM Approvals, allowing it to operate safely in hazardous locations and to perform on-stream inspections of aboveground storage tanks containing products stored at elevated temperatures.

“Our engineering team developed the SR-3HT in response to significant client demand in both the U.S. and international markets. We frequently encounter higher temperatures due to both elevated process temperatures and high ambient temperatures, especially in the hotter regions of the world, such as the Middle East," David Lamont, CEO of Square Robot, said in a news release. "The SR-3HT employs both active and passive cooling technology, greatly expanding our operating envelope. A great job done (again) by our engineers delivering world-leading technology in record time.”

The company's SR-3 submersible robot and Side Launcher received certifications earlier this year. They became commercially available in 2023, after completing initial milestone testing in partnership with ExxonMobil, according to Square Robot.

The company closed a $13 million series B round in December, which it said it would put toward international expansion in Europe and the Middle East.

Square Robot launched its Houston office in 2019. Its autonomous, submersible robots are used for storage tank inspections and eliminate the need for humans to enter dangerous and toxic environments.

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Greentown Labs partners with California software developer on new center

power partnership

Greentown Labs has partnered with Los Angeles-based software development firm Nominal to launch the new Industrial Center of Excellence at Greentown's Houston incubator.

Nominal will provide access to its connected test and operations stack to help engineers working at Greentown Houston startups boost their "efficiency, automation, and scalability," according to a news release. The news comes just a few days after Greentown announced a partnership with Houston-based EnergyTech Nexus, which will also open an investor lounge on-site.

"Our mission is to remove friction for innovative entrepreneurs, so they can rapidly scale their transformative solutions," Lawson Gow, Greentown's Head of Houston, said in the release. "The Industrial Center of Excellence with Nominal will complement Greentown's robust prototyping, equipment, and lab offerings to accelerate entrepreneurs' ability to bring disruptive technologies out of the lab and into the world."

According to Greentown and Nominal, the partnership will support startups that are focused on decarbonizing the manufacturing sector, which Greentown estimates represents about a third of startups in its Houston incubator.

The new center will host specialized workshops and Nominal will now offer weekly office hours for Greentown startups.

"The future belongs to teams who can deliver resilient hardware faster than anyone else," Bryce Strauss, co-founder of Nominal, added in the statement. "Competitive edge is defined by test velocity. Nominal is building a connected stack of software tools where every discipline works shoulder-to-shoulder to make confident, real-time decisions."

Nominal, which supports engineering work in the aerospace, energy, automotive and defense industries, closed a $75 million series B round this summer.

CPS Energy invests $1.4B in Houston hydrogen-ready power plants

CPS Energy, which services San Antonio, has agreed to acquire four state-of-the-art natural gas power generation facilities in the Houston area from Missouri-based PROENERGY for $1.387 billion, according to a release.

The recently constructed plants have an aggregate electric capacity of 1,632 megawatts and are located in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) markets in Harris, Brazoria and Galveston counties. The assets are dual-fuel capable, which would allow CPS Energy to transition to a hydrogen fuel blend and reduce carbon emissions.

CPS president and CEO Rudy Garza said that the acquisition presents a lower cost and lower supply chain risk alternative to building new power facilities while providing reliable, affordable and cleaner energy.

“We are getting the best of both worlds by securing new infrastructure without delay while also strengthening the power supply for our community,” Garza said in a news release. “This acquisition secures reliable capacity today – at a lower cost – and is a win for the customers of CPS Energy, the city of San Antonio and all the communities we serve by meeting their long-term energy needs. As we add resources to meet the needs of our fast-growing communities, we will continue to look to a diverse balance of energy sources that complement our portfolio, including natural gas, solar, wind, and storage, keeping our community powered and growing.”

PROENERGY will continue to staff, operate, and maintain the plants.

“By acquiring recently constructed, currently operating modern power plants that utilize proven technology already in use by CPS Energy, we avoid higher construction costs, inflationary risk, and long timelines associated with building new facilities – while also enhancing the reliability and affordability of the CPS Energy generation portfolio,” Garza added in the release.

CPS Energy is one of the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric companies with 950,000 electric and 389,000 natural gas customers in the San Antonio area and surrounding counties.