eVOC Serbia Project-For the Control of Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions

28.07.2021

heating_plant_toplana zagađenje — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Serbia is engaged in intensive preparation of its negotiating position for Chapter 27, dedicated to environment and climate. In the process of EU accession, one of the key points for our institutions is the Industrial Emissions Directive. To meet European standards in this field, we have received support from the Norwegian government to adopt and implement of legislation pertaining to volatile organic compounds (VOC), which is a constituent part of Chapter V of the aforementioned Directive. The eVOC Serbia Project is implemented by the Cleaner Production Centre of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy in Belgrade. Volatile organic compounds are used in numerous production processes, says Geir Johansen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade. “We usually come into contact with these compounds when we use everyday products such as paints, furniture, packaging or dry-cleaned clothes.

”However, exposure to these materials is not significant, as their use is strictly regulated. Despite the fact that harmonization of the Serbian legislation with the EU legislation is still relatively low when it comes to VOC, VOC’s impact on air pollution is limited compared to other pollution sources. Still, these organic compounds may be hazardous for human and animal health, which is why it’s important to have a database of VOC operators that will include not only large companies but also small and medium enterprises that use these chemicals, without even being aware of it. Thanks to the eVOC Project, a digital database of VOC operators will be established for the first time in Serbia, notes Geir Johansen.

The Department for air protection and the ozone layer of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency are the competent authorities for implementing legislation in this field. The eVOC Serbia Project provides support to these authorities for the complete transposition of Chapter V of the Industrial Emissions Directive through updates and additions to the national legislation, identification of companies currently operating in Serbia, which are under the scope of the VOC legislation and by preparing the future electronic Register of VOC operators. Special attention has been paid to this tool, which will form a constituent part of the National Register of Pollution Sources. Through the Register, VOC operators will submit data and documents required by the Regulation in digital form. Another group of important stakeholders in this process are the local inspectors, as they play a key role in the implementation of the VOC Regulation. The Project includes the organization of specific training to increase the knowledge on volatile organic compounds emissions, industrial sectors that fall under the Regulation’s scope and the techniques to decrease VOC use and emissions.

In focus:

First and foremost, the inspectors will be trained to assess compliance with the Regulation requirements, specifically in terms of emission limit values for air emissions and the control of the annual solvent management plan. Local inspectors will have nine general and sector-specific training that will also include VOC operators. Within this training, they will visit four companies to perform on-site inspections. Chapter V of the Industrial Emissions Directive encompasses 20 industrial sectors, from printing to dry cleaning and coating. An annual threshold for solvent consumption has been prescribed for each sector. An operator falls under the Directive’s scope solely if their annual solvent consumption exceeds the threshold for their sector.

These thresholds, as well as all other provisions, have been transposed into the national legislation by the Regulation on the list of industrial installations and activities for which volatile organic compounds emissions are controlled, on the values of volatile organic compounds emissions at a certain solvent consumption and total emission limit values, as well as an emissions reduction scheme (“Official Gazette of the RS” no. 100/2011), which must be updated to completely transpose the aforementioned Chapter. Communication between the expert and general public is very important, so an Info Centre will be formed, to serve as a place to present informative materials, knowledge on volatile organic compounds, and on the legislation in this field. The eVOC Project will contribute to economic growth, competitiveness and capacity building in the field of environment protection, climate and energy, and it will be completed in December 2022.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY, march 2021 – may 2021.

How composting can reduce our impact on the planet

28.07.2021

compost_kompost — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Every year, across the world, 1,3 billion tones of food is either lost or wasted, says the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index.

With world hunger on this rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reduce food waste is becoming increasingly urgent.

A report published in July 2021 by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation and other UN agencies shows that one-tenth of the global population – as many as 811 million people – were undernourished in 2020, up 118 million from 2019.

In addition to exacerbating hunger and food insecurity, food loss and waste contribute to the three planetary crises that threaten our collective future – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

But while loss and waste occur across the entire food system, individuals and households are not powerless. In fact, with almost 570 million tones of loss and waste produced in homes, their action is critical.

Guidelines issued by UNEP and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) show the practice of composting is one of the best options for managing organic waste while also reducing environmental impacts.

Proper composting of the organic waste we generate in our daily lives – inedible or unused food – can reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers, help recover soil fertility, and improve water retention and the delivery of nutrients to plants.

More broadly, by reducing food waste, composting also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. Food loss and waste generate an estimated 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions while using land and water resources increasingly put pressure on biodiversity.

“Our relationship with nature is unbalanced,” explains Doreen Robinson, UNEP Wildlife Chief. “Humans are continuously taking and discarding, and nature is continuously giving.”

Instead, she says, “we need to apply circular thinking in which life is sustained and things are continuously repurposed.”

Sourse: UNEP

NTPC Wins Approval For India’s Largest (4.7 Gigawatt!) Solar Park

27.07.2021

solar_power_plant_solarna_elektrana — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

In a major boost to its aggressive plans to increase renewable energy generation, India’s largest power generation company has secured approval to set up a solar park park in Gujarat.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently gave a go-ahead to NTPC to set up a 4,7 gigawatt solar power park at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The park will be around twice as large as the Bhadla solar park in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan.

Solar power generated at this park will also be used for production of green hydrogen, the company revealed. The Indian government recently announced that it would mandate industries to use hydrogen produced from renewable energy. The obligation would be implemented in a manner similar to the renewable energy mandates.

The company first announced plans to set up this solar park in 2019. The size of the solar park was initially proposed to be 5 gigawatts with an estimated investment of Rs 200 billion ($2,8 billion). The company was reportedly considering setting up a similar solar power park in neighboring state of Rajasthan.

NTPC has around 66 gigawatts of power generation capacity, nearly 92 percent based on coal and gas. It plans to have 60 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2032. Over the few months the company has been aggressively participating in solar power auctions, it has done so through its new subsidiary — NTPC Renewable Energy Limited.

The sudden push for renewable energy by NTPC is part of its Corporate Plan 2032. It plans to increase the share of renewable energy in its generation mix to 28,5 percent by 2032.

Source: Clean Technica

ABB Delivers Chargers for Revolutionary ‘GRIDSERVE Electric Highway’ EV Charging Network

27.07.2021

GRIDSERVEElectricHighwayOvers_2 — Photo: ABB

Advanced multi-site charging network in the UK will see ABB equipment charge thousands of electric vehicles with its Ultrafast and Fast chargers, making EV charging more straightforward and accessible for drivers.

ABB’s acclaimed Ultrafast DC and Fast DC electric vehicle (EV) chargers will support the new GRIDSERVE Electric Highway charging network across the UK as both companies seek to drive the adoption of electric vehicles, especially by making charging easier and more accessible. This is key to increasing the momentum of the growing EV market which experienced a three fold increase in registrations in the UK from 2019 to 2020*.

GRIDSERVE’s Electric Highway will include coverage for 85 percent of the UK’s motorway network, plus towns and cities across the country. This multi-million pound investment will be supported by ABB’s Ultrafast DC 350 kW chargers at 50 of the new Electric Charging Hubs, with each site having between 6 and 12 charging units. A further 300 Fast DC 60 kW chargers will provide enhanced reliability to upgrade 150 existing sites that GRIDSERVE has acquired from Ecotricity.

GRIDSERVE selected ABB for its proven reliable and flexible technology, which includes the ability to support GRIDSERVE’s Autocharge, a new feature for most UK EV drivers that recognises the unique identity of cars and initiates automatic charging power and payments. Secondly was ABB’s ability to support rapid deployment, with more than 10 new Electric Hubs planned to be in service before the end of 2021.

Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE said: “GRIDSERVE’s purpose is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change. We’ve chosen to use ABB EV chargers as they have the technology and capability to help deliver our ambitious plans for the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway network, and provide the best possible charging experience for EV drivers.”

Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division said: “GRIDSERVE’s choice of ABB for its Electric Highway is a notable endorsement of our leadership in e-mobility, our strong relationship and shared desire to revolutionise EV charging in the UK.”

This latest project builds on ABB’s experience of delivering EV chargers for GRIDSERVE’s inaugural Electric Forecourt® in Braintree, Essex. The forecourt is part of the company’s ‘sun-to-wheel’ infrastructure built to deliver low cost, net zero carbon energy to every vehicle that uses one of GRIDSERVE’S chargers. They use power generated by solar canopies above the chargers together with a network of hybrid solar farms. The focus is to make EV ownership practical and realistic for thousands of drivers who don’t have access to private chargers.

Since entering the e-mobility market in 2010, ABB has sold more than 400,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 85 markets, including more than 20,000 fast chargers.

To explore ABB’s electric vehicle charging technology, visit ABB.

*Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

Source: ABB

Mercedes Teases EQXX With 1000 Kilometers Of Range

26.07.2021

mercedes-benz-automobil — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

In 2013, Volkswagen introduced the XL1, a super efficient passenger car whose claim to fame was that it needed only 1 liter of gasoline to travel 100 kilometers. Back then, nobody could have predicted that the EU, the UK, and several other nations would be thinking of banning the internal combustion engine by 2035 or sooner.

Just 8 years later, nobody cares about the efficiency of conventional cars. Instead, the conversation today is about efficient powertrains for battery electric cars. Most new EVs have a range of about 250 miles. Some can go 300+ miles without charging. A few can go 350 or even 400 miles. But now Mercedes says it is hard at work on the spiritual successor to the XL1 — the EQXX.

Mercedes has released a few teaser photos of the EQXX, so we know it will be either a coupe or a sedan with a long, sloping roofline designed to allow it to slip through the air easily. In fact, the company says it is aiming for a Cd of 0.20 or less. To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model 3 has a Cd of 0.24. The new Mercedes EQS boasts a Cd of 0.20. The EQXX could beat that.

Mercedes is not ready to tell us much more about its new car. It says we will have to wait until the official reveal sometime next year for details. It also says the EQXX may not turn out to be a production car, but its DNA may very will find itself into future electric models from the company.

Aerodynamics are a critical factor for electric cars. The more smoothly they cleave the air, the further they can go on a single charge. But the efficiency of the drivetrain is also important. Mercedes says it is leveraging the expertise of the High Performance Powertrain team that makes the engines for its Formula One racing team.

Mercedes aims to boost the energy density of the battery by 20 percent compared to the recently introduced EQS. The EQXX will cover more than 6 miles per kilowatt-hour, according to Motor 1. (A Tesla Model 3 goes about 4 miles per kilowatt-hour.) The company says it doesn’t intend simply to install a massive battery to achieve high range. Instead, the model will have the same pack being planned for a future compact car. Based on the projected range and efficiency, expect a battery pack of about 104 kWh, Motor 1 says.

As Mercedes prepares to up its electric car game, potential customers are still fixated on how far they can go before they need to recharge. Many people fear being caught far away from home with no charging station available nearby. Offering well engineered, well designed EVs with up to 620 miles of range should be just what the doctor ordered to allay those fears.

Source: Clean Technica

Western Indian Ocean region has Declared 550,000 Square Kilometers as Protected, a 63 percent Jump Since 2015

26.07.2021

rottnest-island-okean — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Western Indian Ocean region has declared 143* marine and coastal areas as protected – an area covering 553,163 square kilometers, representing 7 percent of the total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the region – according to a new publication by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-Nairobi Convention and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association.

The Marine Protected Areas Outlook, released today, indicates that almost half of the total area – an estimated 63 percent of the overall square kilometers – was brought under protection in the seven years since the 2015 adoption of Sustainable Development Goal 14.5, which committed countries to conserving at least 10 percent of their marine and coastal areas by 2020.

This Outlook examines the current and future status of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Comoros, Kenya, France (in its Western Indian Ocean territories), Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania, emphasizing the increased commitment of countries to strengthen marine protection. In 2019 alone, Seychelles brought 30 percent of its Exclusive Economic Zone under protection, safeguarding the habitats of 2,600 species, while South Africa declared 20 new MPAs – enabling both countries to exceed the 10 percent target. Comoros has developed new MPA-specific legislation, while over three hundred Locally Managed Marine Areas – i.e., areas in which coastal communities shoulder the mantle of conservation – have been declared across the region.

The publication further documents the dozens of proposed MPAs currently under consideration by countries, which would cover an additional 50,000 square kilometers or more. Nevertheless, with only 7 percent of the region’s total EEZ under protection, greater momentum and investments will be required by countries to reach the more ambitious target of 30 percent protection by 2030, as proposed under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Francesco Ungaro)

Although the ocean provides us with resources essential for survival, including food, employment, and even oxygen, the world is damaging and depleting it faster than ever. Soon, the region may no longer be able to count on the many jobs, health, and economic benefits – valued at 20.8 billion USD – that the Western Indian Ocean provides. Marine protected areas offer one of the best options to reverse these trends.

“A well-managed MPA can bring significant economic, social, and environmental benefits to a country,” said Yamkela Mngxe, Acting Director of Integrated Projects and International Coordination in South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. “They can increase food security by preventing the overexploitation of fish stocks; create and protect jobs in the tourism and fisheries sectors; build resilience to climate change; and protect species and habitats.”

Though countries in the region have made significant strides in protecting its marine and coastal areas, the Outlook outlines best practices, challenges, and several opportunities to build on this progress to ensure the entire region meets future Global Biodiversity Framework targets on marine protected areas. The Outlook’s assessment of the management effectiveness of MPAs indicates that MPA frameworks and institutions do not always function effectively. Nor is relevant legislation consistently implemented, due to financial or personnel capacity gaps; weak enforcement on MPA boundaries; and management decisions that are not guided by science.

Key recommendations from the Outlook therefore include:

1. The need for dedicated budgets for MPA management;

2. Adopting proactive law enforcement and compliance strategies to ensure MPA regulations and guidelines are being respected which could be informed by the best practices in fishery reserves like Mauritius, which have helped to restore fish stocks and protect biodiversity;

3. Incorporating research and monitoring programmes on biodiversity and ecosystems into decision-making in MPAs;

4. Strengthening community engagement in marine protection by implementing lessons learned by the MIHARI Network, which brings together more than 200 Locally Managed Marine Areas in Madagascar.

“The MPA Outlook comes at a time when the region has embarked on large-scale socio-economic developments that are equally exerting pressure on MPAs,” said Hon. Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment of the Seychelles. “The Outlook thus provides some answers and innovative approaches to minimize the scale of negative impacts on MPAs.”

The MPA Outlook concludes that by seizing the opportunities it presents, countries in the region can capitalize on this progress to safeguard the Western Indian Ocean’s immense natural beauty and resources for generations to come – and sustain momentum towards achievement of the post 2020 biodiversity framework targets.

Source: UNEP

New York on The Way To Its 6 Gigawatts By 2025 Solar Power Goal

25.07.2021

statue_of_liberty_new_york_statua_slobode_njujork — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

New York’s solar growth has climbed 2.100 percent since the NY-Sun initiative was launched in 2011. The cost of solar dropped 69 percent in that same period.

Naturally, there are large global trends driving these results, but they are great for New York nonetheless. They’re also helping New York Governor Cuomo to easily approach his goal of six gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2025 — a mandate from the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

New York is 95 percent there when you look at projects that have already been installed and connected to the grid as well as projects that are currently under development. Four years to add the other 5 percent doesn’t seem too hard. One of the great economic benefits is that this solar power growth has created 12.000 jobs across the state.

“Solar energy is a key component in New York’s transition to a clean energy economy as we work to reduce harmful emissions across the board and address the dual challenges of fighting climate change and rebuilding stronger post-pandemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “The success of NY-Sun demonstrates we are on track to meeting our nation-leading energy goals while stimulating green job growth and economic recovery in communities across the state as part of our comprehensive plan to reimagine New York following the pandemic.”

Easy comments for the governor to make. Clearly, he has the whole global solar market and also policies around the world to thank for enabling the solar cost drops and more mature solar ecosystem. Though, New York also does deserve some love for its efforts and policies. Six gigawatts (or even 3 GW) of solar power are more than most countries have installed.

Source: Clean Technica

Končar Group – A Century of Excellence, Innovation and Success

24.07.2021

In 1921, a small workshop destined for great achievements was set up. Throughout its hundred years of history, KONČAR Group has become a synonym for excellence and established itself as one of Croatia’s leading exporters. The company celebrated its anniversary of excellence and innovation in the face of constant social and economic challenges, showing consistent resilience and adaptability through a continuous successful operation.

High standards drive export to 130 global markets

During a century of high standards of KONČAR Group has earned the unconditional trust of customers and the status of a regional leader in power engineering and traction vehicles.

In the successful hundred years of operation, KONČAR has delivered more than 400,000 transformers of various types, voltage levels and rated power to all continents; it has fully or partially built and revitalized 375 hydropower plants, manufactured and refurbished 700 generators, and manufactured and supplied 330 locomotives and almost 200 low-floor trams and trains.

In focus:

It is difficult to single out individual achievements that allowed KONCAR to penetrate numerous markets in which we operate today on the principle of customer-specific approach, which distinguishes us from some major global companies. Because of such approach and constant investment in development and our expertise, today we can proudly say that we are a regional leader in the field of the electrical industry and rail solutions, points out Gordan Kolak, Chairman of KONČAR’s Management Board.

The largest solar power plant in Croatia

One of the most important projects last year is certainly the solar power plant on the island of Vis, the largest of its kind in Croatia. For this important turnkey project, KONČAR obtained all necessary permits, drew up design documentation and constructed the plant. More specifically, KONČAR delivered equipment, including proprietary developed and manufactured invertors, performed construction and electrical works and finally connected the plant to the substation. In 2020, KONČAR – Instrument Transformers made a new step forward in the product range. They delivered nine transformers for the customer in the USA to self-supply substations with a voltage level of 525 kV and a power of 250 kVA. The customer is one of the most strategically important power companies in the United States. These are also the largest transformers that the company has produced to date and among the largest in the world of this type, given the voltage level and power.

Rich tradition in the rail solutions segment

Rail vehicles and infrastructure are certainly a key part of KONČAR’s portfolio. KONČAR manufactured the first domestic locomotive back in 1970, and success in this area has continued through later development of low-floor trains and trams. In addition to the domestic market, the high quality of KONČAR’s low-floor tram has also been recognized by the European market. KONČAR concluded an agreement in 2018 with a Latvian buyer Liepājas Tramvajs, a breakthrough for the company since it marks the first export of this high-technology product developed in-house.

The trams are equipped with their own electric motor drive, auxiliary power supply, microprocessor control and various other solutions designed for maximum passengers’ comfort. KONČAR will manufacture and deliver 12 low-floor trams for the Latvian buyer, the first two of which were delivered late last year, while the last tram is to be delivered in April 2022.

A series of successful projects in neighbouring Serbia

In July 2018, KONČAR signed a contract for a major project for the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS); deliveries included 46 explosion-proof premium-efficiency IE3 motors with a power of up to 200 kW, intended for powering pumps, fans and furnaces located in danger zones. Furthermore, in the last few years, KONČAR has cooperated with several dozen customers from the Republic of Serbia. Apart from development projects, most activities concerned diagnostic and laboratory testing, certification and deliveries of transformer monitoring systems. KONČAR’s work on the HPP Đerdap and the Beočin Cement Factory stand out. Delivery of 5 transformers with a power output of 37 MVA for Zvornik HPP and 2 transformers with a rated power of 31.5 MVA for TS Kopaonik should also be mentioned. In total, over the last five years, KONČAR has delivered 14 medium power transformers of various rated power to customers in the Serbian market.

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY march 2021.-may 2021.

New Analysis Shows Japan Would Accept U.S. No First Use Policy

23.07.2021

nuclear-nuklear — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

As the Biden administration crafts its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), the document laying out the administration’s proposed nuclear weapons doctrine, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) today released new analysis that finds Japan would accept a U.S. policy to never use nuclear weapons first. The analysis makes the case for including a “no first use” policy in the forthcoming NPR.

Japan is part of a group of non-nuclear countries under the so-called U.S. nuclear “umbrella.” If any of the countries were attacked with nuclear weapons, the United States has pledged to retaliate. Japan would still have that guarantee under a U.S. no first use policy, which would declare that the U.S. would never be the first nation to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

Although many U.S. officials and experts worry Japan might respond to a U.S. no first use declaration by withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and developing its own nuclear weapons, UCS found that there is virtually no chance Japan would make that decision.

“The Japanese government has carefully considered developing nuclear weapons in the past and found it was not in their national interest,” said Gregory Kulacki, UCS China project manager and a co-author of the report. “As the only country to have experienced wartime use of a nuclear weapon, the Japanese public has a deep understanding of the danger of nuclear war, the immorality of nuclear weapons, and a strong opposition to their development.”

President Biden has said he supports a no first use policy and promised U.S. voters his administration would consider it a priority when conducting its nuclear policy and defense reviews. In April, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) reintroduced legislation that would prohibit any U.S. president from launching nuclear weapons in a first strike.

“A no first use policy by the United States would maintain extended nuclear deterrence, while decreasing the chances that such action would ever be necessary by strengthening non-nuclear norms and significantly lowering the risk of accidental nuclear war,” said Kulacki.

Nuclear powers including China and India have already adopted no first use policies. The U.S. has pledged that it will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states under any circumstances as part of nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists

Empowering “Smart Cities” Toward Net Zero Emissions

23.07.2021

smart-4168483_960_720 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The world’s cities can play a central role to accelerate progress towards clean, low-carbon, resilient and inclusive energy systems. This idea is recognized by climate and energy ministers from G20 nations who will meet under the presidency of Italy in Naples to focus on steps that national governments can take to support urban areas to deploy solutions and technologies to reduce emissions.

New technologies and increased connectivity, as well as the sheer scale of the world’s metropolises, are opening up massive opportunities to optimise urban planning, improve services and extend access, while at the same time creating revenue streams, jobs and business ventures. In this context, the International Energy Agency developed a report at the request of the Italian G20 presidency to showcase the opportunities and challenges facing cities, and the actions that can be taken to support progress.

The IEA’s Empowering Cities for a Net Zero Future builds on extensive consultations with over 125 leading experts and organisations, and presents case studies from 100 cities in 40 countries. The examples illustrate the wide range of opportunities and solutions that can help city-level authorities make full use of efficient and smart energy systems.

At the same time, urban agglomerations are incubators for cutting-edge technologies, and their density and size offer economies of scale that can cut the cost of infrastructure and innovation. This mix of factors puts cities at the leading edge to come up with creative solutions to climate and energy challenges.

And with growing urbanisation trends, the central role of cities will keep increasing. Cities today account for more than 50 percent of the planet’s population, 80 percent of its economic output, two-thirds of global energy consumption and more than 70 percent of annual global carbon emissions. By 2050, more than 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities, resulting in a massive demand growth for urban energy infrastructure.

From smart street lamps to self-cooling buildings to smart electric car chargers, investing in city-level action can provide the biggest carbon-mitigation return on investment and accelerate inclusive clean energy transitions.

The new report contains a set of high-level recommendations to accelerate energy transitions and leverage the full potential of cities to reduce emissions thanks to digitalisation.

By 2024, an anticipated 83 billion connected devices and sensors will be creating large, diverse datasets on a wide range of topics, such as energy consumption, air quality, and traffic patterns. Next-generation energy systems can leverage the data from these connected buildings, appliances and transportation systems to reduce energy consumption, improve grid stability and better manage city services.

For example, digital simulations can show how different designs, technologies and equipment affect energy demand pathways and associated costs. The LA100 study, conducted by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, points the way towards achieving a 100 percent renewables-supplied city by 2045. The study simulates thousands of buildings, using aerial scans, customer adoption models as well as utility planning tools to ensure power system stability, and estimates that these measures would avoid between USD 472 million and USD 1.55 billion in distribution network investments.

The electricity consumed in street lighting globally is equivalent to Germany’s total annual electricity consumption, and can constitute up to 65 percent of municipal electricity budgets. Yet only 3 percent of the globe’s 320 million street lighting poles are smart enabled, even though smart street lighting can reduce electricity use by up to 80 percent by adjusting output based on ambient light levels and weather. Smart street lamps can also monitor traffic, pedestrian crossings, and noise and air pollution, as well as incorporate electric car chargers and cell phone infrastructure.

India, under its National Street Lighting Programme, has reduced peak energy demand by more than 1000 MW thanks to 10 million smart LED streetlights. Digitalisation can also help improve maintenance. In Italy, an app developed by Enel X allows citizens to report street lighting faults using their smartphones.

To reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, Jakarta’s Smart City initiative integrated public transport management and payment systems to help plan a more reliable, safe and affordable rapid bus transit system. Under PT JakLingko Indonesia, this comprehensive integration process increased the number of Transjakarta commuters from about 400 000 per day in December 2017 to just over 1 million per day in February 2020.

Vancouver, Canada, now requires every residential parking space in new developments to feature electricity outlets to charge electric vehicles. Meanwhile, digitalisation can shift around 60 percent of the generation capacity needed to charge these vehicles away from peak demand times. Smart traffic management systems can reduce congestion by 8 percent.

As economies recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, CO2 emissions are rebounding rapidly. The increase in global energy-related CO2 in 2021 could be the second largest in recorded history. Cities are the globe’s economic engine, and the solutions they seek can transform the energy landscape by creating new synergies to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, enhance resilience and provide a cleaner prosperous future for us all. Strong international cooperation and collaboration can play a crucial role in this, notably through emerging knowledge-sharing networks that span cities and countries.

New IEA report for the G20 Italy Presidency examines how cities can be a key to a net-zero emissions future as digitalisation opens up a range of new opportunities.

Source: IEA

How Technology Can Bridge the Gap Between Climate Talk and Action

22.07.2021

As society pressures leaders for a more environmentally-friendly agenda, governments responsible for 63 percent of world emissions have committed to net zero with corporate net-zero commitments covering 12 percent of the global economy (representing USD 9.81 trillion in revenue).

However, it is not uncommon to see large disconnects between targets and actual emissions – when the talk and the walk must go hand-in-hand in terms of effective emission-reduction progress. In June 2021, when the G7 decided to make climate risk disclosure mandatory, seven of the most influential global economies indicated that carbon reporting and disclosures would play a vital role in ensuring that emission reduction targets are in fact met.

Setting a target is just the first step; the second is to understand and quantify the real emission baseline into measurable units. Next, a clear definition of the emissions reduction strategy must be built. Finally, near real-time monitoring of targets vs actual progress should be in place. Ultimately, if countries and companies are to achieve net zero, they need to monitor, reduce and, in some cases, offset the emissions they generate.

The journey can be complex for beginners; it can be time-consuming, very manual, and prone to errors. That should not prevent companies from joining the decarbonization wave. After all, beyond satisfying consumers and political leaderships, committing to net zero might also prove economical, as access to capital will prove increasingly difficult for those not embracing the energy transition. As ‘carbon tax’ or ‘cap-and-trade’ schemes become the most likely path forward, and as access to capital is reduced for those who fail to embrace the energy transition, early net-zero movers will have a competitive financial edge over laggards.

Carbon-management process

Carbon management can be broken down into three main categories: emission measuring and reporting, abatement, and offsetting.

1. Measuring and reporting carbon footprint

The first step is to measure carbon emissions. The carbon reporting process involves the collection of CO2 data, organising by emission type and geographical segment. The data is then measured against internationally recognised carbon-accounting standards such as GHG protocol or ISO 14064-1. Currently, emission data may be obtained through meter readings, purchase records, utility bills, engineering models, direct monitoring, mass balance, stoichiometry (the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions), or other methods for acquiring data from specific activities in the company’s value chain. Challenges associated with measuring and reporting commonly include the laborious data collection process, difficulty reviewing carbon footprints across business units and assets, as well as validating underlying assumptions of emissions.

2. Abatement planning and management

Abatement planning involves identifying key sources of emissions and implementing measures to reduce them. By categorising emissions in step one, businesses can then pinpoint and measure which processes emit the highest volumes of CO2 and optimise their carbon-abatement plan. To achieve this, abatement roadmaps set out targets and KPIs to reduce emissions, focusing on changing emission-heavy processes and implementing new technologies to reduce emissions. Due to the multiple variables that need to be considered in such planning, the process can be uncertain and complex. Furthermore, tracking the performance and progress of abatement programmes is laborious. Organizational challenges include a lack of both transparency regarding marginal cost-benefit of abatement programmes, and resources for managing and executing this abatement journey.

3. Carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting is considered the option of last resort once all abatement efforts and decarbonization investments have been exhausted. It is a way of taking responsibility for unavoidable carbon emissions by paying for others to reduce or absorb CO2. Multiple types of projects are used for carbon offsets, ranging from environmental projects such as reforestation, to carbon-capture technologies and renewable energy production. Carbon credits are measurable, verifiable emission reductions and have been used as a means for governments and companies to offset carbon emissions. Further methods include the use of RECs (renewable energy certificates) to offset energy consumed from non-renewable sources. However, offsets also come with challenges, from accurate measurement to transparency and verification to ease of trade.

How technology can help

Artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) solutions are integral to tackling some of the challenges associated with carbon management. There are three main areas of focus to make carbon management more efficient, transparent and effective.

1. AIoT – integration into measurement and reporting

With a myriad of databases and systems involved with different carbon-producing assets, the labour required to simply categorise and organise the data from multiple business units and assets is immense. AIoT integration enables seamless sourcing of real-time activity level data and asset inventory data from a variety of systems. This provides an organization with the capability to efficiently structure, collect and transform data into reports for accurate emissions-monitoring and measurement, reducing overall efforts around data collection and enhancing data quality and report resolution.

2. Abatement intelligence – predictive analytics to simulate emissions over time

Abatement planning is a challenge primarily due to the lack of accurate measures for determining the emissions derived from certain processes. AIoT technology tackles this challenge by creating insights from real-time data to better predict process emissions. By analysing and learning through data from multiple processes, AIoT can refine the performance evaluation of abatement measures and optimise emissions predictions. Beyond optimising abatement strategies, this technology also lowers the overall marginal abatement costs.

3.Carbon offsetting and offset integration

Although a last resort, the carbon offset market plays an essential role towards achieving global net-zero emissions goals for countries and organizations, with an estimated addressable market size of USD 200 billion by 2050. However, verification of carbon offsetting and difficulty in trading plagues the industry. Technology can support validation of RECs in near real-time and offer a marketplace for affordable and fast carbon offsetting. Offset integration would provide a global pool of offsets to an organisation, improving ease of trade and emissions planning, reducing organizational hassle, and optimising the timings of REC purchases and retirement.

Carbon management solutions are essential to meeting the G7’s mandatory climate risk disclosures. More importantly, they provide the technology to actively manage and reduce carbon emissions and achieve the net-zero pledges made by governments and corporations. Driven by strong political, societal and economic agendas, carbon management solutions will be an integral part of emission reductions. For that, real-time measurement, abatement, and offset integration will help ensure companies not only talk the talk but also walk the walk and transparently meet their net-zero targets.

Source: World Economic Forum

The IED Serbia Project – For the Efficient Prevention and Better Control of Environmental Pollution

21.07.2021

fabrika_zagađenje_cinkarna — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Cristi Goia)

Through project “Further Implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive – IED Serbia”, implemented over the past three years, Sweden has supported our country both at institutional and individual companies level, with the aim of prompting our European Union accession process. When it comes to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, this project included the support in preparing the legal framework and a part of the Negotiation Position for Chapter 27, which pertains to specific chapters of the Industrial Emissions Directive.

A Directive Specific Implementation Plan has been drafted, describing the measures necessary for full transposition of the Industrial Emissions Directive at the institutional level and at the level of each individual industrial installation. Preparation of this document took place for more than a year, and the analysis included 227 large industrial installations that are subject to the integrated permitting procedure.

Ola Andersson, Head of the Development Cooperation to the Embassy of Sweden, says that the analysis has been conducted regarding the main amendments in legislation on integrated pollution prevention and control, introduced by the Industrial Emissions Directive, referring to certain industrial sectors such as chemical and wood processing industry or waste management.

“These amendments envisage that the obligation to obtain an integrated permit now applies also to additional industrial activities in these sectors and installations of certain capacities in the same sectors. That means that around 75 new operators could be listed as IPPC installations following the adoption of the amended Law and full alignment of the list of activities and installations obligated to obtain an integrated permit with the Annex I to the Industrial Emissions Directive”, Mr Ola Andresson has explained.

In focus:

Specific attention has been paid to the improvement of the environmental inspectors’ knowledge and skills to facilitate their coping with future challenges resulting from the implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive.

“Electronic tools for the assessment of compliance with Best Available Techniques (BAT) have been developed for three new sectors of the Directive, which include the majority of companies in Serbia that will also fall under the scope of the Directive following the full transposition thereof”, added Mr Andresson.

When it comes to BAT, they have the best environmental performance, efficiently using energy and raw materials, and the practice has already proved their technical feasibility and economic viability. Most companies running businesses in Serbia have sufficient technical knowledge to apply all necessary techniques. The Ministry’s official list comprises 227 installations in Serbia that are subject to the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. These industrial installations will have to obtain integrated permits that will contain the programme of compliance with Best Available Techniques.

They will have enough time for that, even several years’ periods, but certain installations will need a longer time to comply. However, for each such installation, Serbia will have to negotiate to obtain additional periods. To facilitate those negotiations, one of the activities of this project included drafting a Directive Specific Implementation Plan (DISP). Based on the results of the conducted analysis and compliance with Best Available Techniques (BAT), financial and social analyses, 68 installations have been identified as those that will need additional extended periods.

“During the cooperation with companies and representatives of competent authorities, many problems have been identified that slow down the integrated permitting process. Companies, most commonly, do not have experience in the development of necessary paperwork, do not have employees responsible for environmental affairs, resolved ownership rights and updated or complete technical documentation. A very commonly noticed problem is the absence of usage and water permits”, explained Mr Andersson.

From the aspect of competent authorities, the primary problems include limited administrative capacities and other permitting procedures. All stated problem indicated the need for building and strengthening administrative capacities, especially at the local level. To that end, a part of project activities was focused on providing direct technical assistance both to operators and competent authorities. They comprised delivery of several workshops and meetings with representatives of both sides to share experience and speed up the permitting procedure.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY, march 2021 – may 2021.

Role of Amazon as Carbon Sink Declines: Nature study

21.07.2021

amazon-forest-šuma — Foto: Unsplash (Lucas Campoi)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Lucian Dachman)

Amazonia hosts the Earth’s largest tropical forests and has been shown to be an important carbon sink. This carbon sink seems to be in decline, however, as a result of factors such as deforestation and climate change, according to a new paper published in Nature.

The study was led by Lucia Gatti, Group Leader, Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research /Center of Earth System Science and a member of the steering committee for the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System spearheaded by WMO.

The authors investigated Amazonia’s carbon budget and the main drivers responsible for its change into a carbon source. The group used observational based approach to evaluated the ecosystem carbon fluxes evaluation and performed 590 aircraft vertical profiling measurements of lower-tropospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide at four sites in Amazonia from 2010 to 2018.

They found that total carbon emissions are greater in eastern Amazonia than in the western part because this part experiences stronger increase in dry-season temperature and reduced precipitation. Southeastern Amazonia, in particular, acts as a net carbon source (total carbon flux minus fire emissions) to the atmosphere.

“Over the past 40 years, eastern Amazonia has been subjected to more deforestation, warming and moisture stress than the western part, especially during the dry season, with the southeast experiencing the strongest trends,” said the study.

“We explore the effect of climate change and deforestation trends on carbon emissions at our study sites, and find that the intensification of the dry season and an increase in deforestation seem to promote ecosystem stress, increase in fire occurrence, and higher carbon emissions in the eastern Amazon. This is in line with recent studies that indicate an increase in tree mortality and a reduction in photosynthesis as a result of climatic changes across Amazonia,” it said.

Carbon sinks such as the carbon uptake by the terrestrial biosphere are a vital regulator of climate change by removing one quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by humans.

If sinks such as the Amazon become net emitters, because of deforestation and fires, as well as a result of climate change, there is the potential for this to become a “tipping point” in the climate system. This would consequently have far-reaching implications for slowing the pace of climate change and temperature increase.

Read the whole article HERE.

Source: World Meteorological Organization

United Invests In Swedish Electric Airplane Startup

20.07.2021

plane - avion — Photo illustration: Unsplash (Sebastian Grochowicz)

Reducing carbon emissions from commercial aircraft is hard. Unlike cars, trucks, and buses, where the extra weight of batteries is more or less irrelevant, weight is absolutely critical when it comes to planes. If 747s were made of cast iron, the history of flight would be short indeed.

It’s simple physics. According to Jet Pack Aviation, jet fuel has an energy density of 9.6 kWh per liter. By comparison, the battery in a Tesla Model 3 has an energy density of 207 wH per kilogram. That means jet fuel has about 50 times as much energy by weight that the best batteries available today.

That’s not the end of the story, of course. Electric motors are far more efficient than jet engines, so that narrows the advantage a bit. Even so, a thousand pounds of jet fuel yields about 14 times more power than a thousand pounds of batteries.

What that means is that electric aircraft are not going to be shuttling 500 people non-stop across the Pacific Ocean any time soon. However, they may be be able to fly a dozen or more over short distances fairly soon. Swedish electric airplane startup Heart Aerospace says its ES-19 will be ready to begin commercial service on flights of 250 miles or less by 2026.

Unites Airlines, through its venture capital subsidiary, has agreed to purchase 100 ES-19 electric aircraft from Heart and anticipates having them transporting paying passengers before the end of the decade. Mesa Airlines, a subsidiary of United, has also signed up for 100 of the electric airplanes. Heart has also attracted investments from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

With a capacity of 19 passengers, the ES-19 is significantly larger than many other electric airplanes for commercial use, including the 9-passenger Alice from Eviation. For passengers, electric airplanes hold the promise of cheaper fares and a much quieter trip than they are accustomed to on today’s short-haul turbo-prop aircraft. Zero direct emissions while in flight is just an added bonus.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: Clean Technica

With Only 2 percent of Governments’ Recovery Spending Going to Clean Energy Transitions, Global Emissions Are Set to Surge to an all-time High

20.07.2021

renewables_obnovljivi_izvori_energije_wind_energy_energija_vetra_wind_park_vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Grahame Jenkins)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Asia Chang)

Governments worldwide are deploying an unprecedented amount of fiscal support aimed at stabilising and rebuilding their economies, but only about 2 percent of this spending has been allocated to clean energy measures, according to new analysis from the International Energy Agency.

The sums of money, both public and private, being mobilised worldwide by recovery plans fall well short of what is needed to reach international climate goals. These shortfalls are particularly pronounced in emerging and developing economies, many of which face particular financing challenges.

Under governments’ current recovery spending plans, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are set to climb to record levels in 2023 and continue rising in the following years. This would leave the world far from the pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 that the IEA set out in its recent Global Roadmap to Net Zero.

These findings come from the new Sustainable Recovery Tracker that the IEA launched today to help policy makers assess how far recovery plans are moving the needle on climate. The new online tool is a contribution to the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Climate and Energy in Naples, which takes place on 22 and 23 July under the Presidency of Italy.

The Tracker monitors government spending allocated to sustainable recoveries and then estimates how much this spending boosts overall clean energy investment and to what degree this affects the trajectory of global CO2 emissions. The Tracker considers over 800 national sustainable recovery policies in its analysis, which are publicly available on the IEA website.

“Since the Covid-19 crisis erupted, many governments may have talked about the importance of building back better for a cleaner future, but many of them are yet to put their money where their mouth is. Despite increased climate ambitions, the amount of economic recovery funds being spent on clean energy is just a small sliver of the total,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director.

Governments have mobilised USD 16 trillion in fiscal support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, most of it focused on emergency financial relief for households and firms. Only 2 percent of the total is earmarked for clean energy transitions.

In the early phases of the pandemic, the IEA released the Sustainable Recovery Plan, which recommended USD 1 trillion of spending globally on clean energy measures that could feature prominently in recovery plans. According to the Plan – developed in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund – this spending would boost global economic growth, create millions of jobs and put the world on track to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

According to the Tracker, all the key sectors highlighted in the IEA Sustainable Recovery Plan are receiving inadequate attention from policy makers. Current government plans would only increase total public and private spending on clean energy to around USD 350 billion a year by 2023 – only 35 percent of what is envisaged in the Plan.

The Tracker shows the stark geographic disparities that are emerging in clean energy investment. The majority of funds are being mobilised in advanced economies, which are nearing 60 percent of the investment levels envisaged in the Sustainable Recovery Plan. Emerging and developing economies, many of which have limited fiscal leeway, have so far mobilised only about 20 percent of the recommended spending levels.

“Not only is clean energy investment still far from what’s needed to put the world on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century, it’s not even enough to prevent global emissions from surging to a new record. Many countries – especially those where the needs are greatest – are also missing the benefits that well planned clean energy investment brings, such as stronger economic growth, new jobs and the development of the energy industries of the future,” Dr Birol said

“Governments need to increase spending and policy action rapidly to meet the commitments they made in Paris in 2015 – including the vital provision of financing by advanced economies to the developed world,” Dr Birol added. “But they must then go even further by leading clean energy investment and deployment to much greater heights beyond the recovery period in order to shift the world onto a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050, which is narrow but still achievable – if we act now.”

Source: IEA

Tesla Patent Application – Process To Extract Lithium From Clay Minerals

19.07.2021

lithium-ion-battery-baterija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

On July 8, Tesla submitted a patent application for processes to extract lithium from a clay mineral and its composite elements. Lithium has been at the forefront of many technological changes since the 1990s thanks to the commercialization of lithium-ion batteries — it is the reason for the revolution in electric vehicles (EVs) and personal technology devices.

Lithium is vital to the clean energy transition for the batteries that provide power and store energy. It is the gateway that allows renewable power to be released steadily and reliably. Demand for lithium has soared in recent years as automakers have moved much more toward EVs, notably since many countries including the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Norway, and Canada have announced a phaseout of combustion-engine cars.

According to the World Bank, 5× more lithium than is mined currently is going to be necessary to meet global climate targets by 2050.

The new Tesla patent application includes providing a clay mineral comprising lithium, mixing a cation source with the clay mineral, performing a high-energy mill of the clay mineral, and performing a liquid leach to obtain a lithium-rich leach solution.

The patent, titled “Selective Extraction of Lithium from Clay Minerals,” argues that extracting lithium from ore using sodium chloride is an environmentally friendlier way to obtain the metal compared to currently used techniques such as acid leaching. According to Tesla, it also allows for higher recoveries.

Clay minerals consist of microscopic framework layers composed of Li, Na, K, Al, Si, Mg, Ca, Fe, O, and/or OH, and inter-layer spaces through which cations like Li, Na, K, and Mg may be conducted in water or other electrolytes. The position of the lithium atom in this mineral structure makes all the difference for how it can be extracted — if the lithium is found within the framework layer or floating in the interlayer.

Source: Clean Technica

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