EBRD supports coal transition in Kragujevac, Serbia

08.07.2021

Kragujevac, the fourth-largest city in Serbia, will make a big leap in its transition away from coal, thanks to an EUR 18 million loan provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the decarbonisation of the district heating system.

The EBRD loan will finance the decommissioning of coal boilers in the city’s district heating system, the installation of new natural gas boilers and the remediation of an open ash-disposal site. The financing will be complemented by technical support to the district heating company to help further decarbonise the heat supply and introduce renewable energy sources.

In coordination with the European Union, the EBRD will also support Serbia in the preparation of a national energy and climate plan. The plan will define goals for reducing emissions, increasing energy efficiency and boosting the share of renewable energy sources by 2030.

Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director for the Western Balkans and Head of Serbia, said: “We are pleased to support Serbia in advancing towards its green targets, particularly in the district heating sector. The EBRD has been working with the government on developing projects leading towards decarbonisation and the introduction of renewables in district heating systems and we hope that Kragujevac will be among the first of many cities in Serbia to reach these goals. The new project is addressing the urgent issue of air pollution and we expect it to pave the way towards the city’s greener and healthier future.”

Kragujevac suffers from very poor air quality, with the city’s district heating system one of the main sources of airborne pollution. Inefficient and dated coal-fired boilers are located near the city centre and cause severe damage to the environment. Air pollution is further exacerbated by an uncovered ash-disposal site, which not only emits airborne ash particles, but also contaminates soil and underground water.

The EBRD loan will help completely eliminate coal from Kragujevac’s district heating system by replacing the coal boilers with new, natural-gas-fired hot water boilers that comply with EU standards, and by remediating the ash-disposal site. This is expected to have enormous environmental benefits, including reducing the heating system’s emissions of carbon dioxide by 66 percent, sulphur dioxide by 100 percent, nitrous oxide by 89 percent and particulate matter by 100 percent, along with water savings of 55 percent. The new boilers will also end the production of ash and slag and the related water contamination.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Serbia. The Bank has invested more than EUR 6.6 billion across 286 projects in the country to date. The EBRD is focusing on support for private-sector development, the improvement of public utility services and on the overall transition to a green economy.

Source: EBRD

Are You For … Acorn Coffee?

07.07.2021

I t took seven months for the idea to develop into a plan and for the doors of the first Serbian vegan and low waste café, VeZa, to finally and ceremoniously open. There is no product in their offer that is of animal origin, or created by animal exploitation, and the determinant – low waste (reduced amount of waste) refers to the effort of all employees to leave behind as little waste as possible.

The idea for this concept of a café was conceived in November 2019, and due to the state of emergency, they started working only in June 2020. However, the owner, Jelena Disić, believes that the situation with the pandemic both hindered and helped because it left additional space for considering some ideas and business models.

EP: Why did you choose to open a vegan and low waste café?

Jelena Disić: I have been actively fighting for animal rights for seven years, and less than two years ago, I founded the Vegan Community with my friends. Our association strives to create and strengthen the vegan community in Serbia, and this is just another step towards that. Veganism is in itself low waste, because every plant-based diet, and the vegan lifestyle, have its own ecological aspect, so these two concepts are closely related, although it may not seem so at first glance. My business partner and I, along with our best friend, decided to bring a little activism to the business, and that’s how we made VeZa.

EP: What are the reactions to this concept and food offer?

Jelena Disić: Every day, more and more people come to VeZa. I am especially thrilled that our acorn cappuccino has become an already recognizable product in the city, and that is why many people visit us. Acorn is the fruit of the oak, which is quite common in our region and which, unlike coffee, has no negative impact on the soil and the environment. In the offer of our café, you will find only homemade, cold-pressed juices and water kefir (a drink similar to carbonated juice, full of vitamin B). We try to procure products from local producers who work responsibly.

In focus:

EP: How did you reduce the amount of waste generated in the food preparation process?

Jelena Disić: We try not to use anything from disposable packaging, which is the first and perhaps most important step towards reducing waste. We have metal, bamboo and plastic straws, we serve sugar in bowls, we use metal spoons, etc. Also, we make our milk (from coconut, almonds, hazelnuts), then peanut butter, chia pudding, and sunflower spread that we use for our sandwiches. We recycle all the waste we have left; we use Frosh brand products for washing dishes, which are both vegan and ecological, which is another way in which we contribute to the protection of the environment.

EP: What happens to food that is not used during the day shift?

Jelena Disić: Fortunately, we do not have large surpluses of food. Usually, we have only biodegradable waste from squeezed juices. For now, we are simply throwing it away because due to legal regulations, composting is not possible indoors, i.e. in a bar. Composting is, by the way, a crucual thing – in that way, we return to nature what it has given us. We are preparing to install a composter in the garden soon.

EP: How do you pack takeaway food, and have you used secondhand furniture to furnish the space?

Jelena Disić: We have reusable packaging that is taken on bail, which the majority of guests uses. Some even bring their bowls. As for takeaway coffee, we sell reusable cups for 300 dinars, and with the cup, you get coffee for free. All the chairs in our café are redesigned old chairs from the seventies and eighties of the last century, which the furniture designer revived especially for our café.

Interview by: Jovana Canić

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

WMO Verifies one Temperature Record for Antarctic Continent and Rejects Another

07.07.2021

antarctica- — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recognized a new record high temperature for the Antarctic continent of 18.3° Celsius on 6 February 2020 at the Esperanza station (Argentina). However, it rejected an even higher temperature, of 20.75°C, which was reported on 9 February 2020 at an automated permafrost monitoring station (Brazil) on Seymour Island.

The previous record for the Antarctic region (continental, including mainland and surrounding islands] was 17.5°C (63.5°F) recorded on 24 March 2015 at Esperanza Research Station. The record for the Antarctic region (all ice/land south of 60 degrees latitude) is 19.8C, taken on Signy Island in January 1982.

“Verification of this maximum temperature record is important because it helps us to build up a picture of the weather and climate in one of Earth’s final frontiers. Even more so than the Arctic, The Antarctic, is poorly covered in terms of continuous and sustained weather and climate observations and forecasts, even though both play an important role in driving climate and ocean patterns and in sea level rise,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“The Antarctic Peninsula (the northwest tip near to South America) is among the fastest warming regions of the planet, almost 3°C over the last 50 years. This new temperature record is therefore consistent with the climate change we are observing. WMO is working in partnership with the Antarctic Treaty System to help conserve this pristine continent,” said Prof. Taalas.

A committee for WMO’s Weather and Climate Extremes Archive conducted an extensive review of the weather situation on the Antarctic peninsula at the time of the reported records. It determined that a large high-pressure system over the area created föhn conditions (downslope winds producing significant surface warming) and resulted in local warming at both Esperanza Station and Seymour Island. Past evaluations have demonstrated that such meteorological conditions are conducive for producing record temperature scenarios.

The committee also examined the two observations’ instrumental setups. The examination of the data and metadata of the Esperanza station observation, operated by Argentina’s national meteorological service (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, SMN) revealed no major concerns.

However, a detailed analysis of data and metadata of the Seymour Island permafrost monitoring station operated by a Brazilian polar science research team indicated that an improvised radiation shield led to a demonstrable thermal bias error for the temperature sensor.

The WMO investigation committee emphasizes the permafrost monitoring station was not badly designed for its purpose, but the project investigators were forced to improvise a non-optimal radiation shield after losing the original set. While this modification did not cause a problem with regard to the project’s specific goals involving recording permafrost variations, the thermal bias in air temperature created by the nonstandard radiation shield does invalidate the temperature observation with regard to being an official WMO weather observation.

The WMO international evaluation committee consisted of polar science and climate experts from Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“This new record shows once again that climate change requires urgent measures. It is essential to continue strengthening the observing, forecasting and early warning systems to respond to the extreme events that take place more and more often due to global warming, said Prof. Celeste Saulo, Director of Argentina’s SMN and First Vice President of WMO.

The new record will now be added to the WMO Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes, which includes the world’s highest and lowest temperatures, rainfall, heaviest hailstone, longest dry period, maximum gust of wind, longest lightning flash and weather-related mortalities.

Full details of the assessment are given in the on-line issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society published on 1 July 2021.

Rapid response analysis

The expert committee stressed the need for increased caution on the part of both scientists and the media in releasing early announcements of this type of information. This is due to the fact that many media and social media outlets often tend to sensationalize and mischaracterize potential records before they have been thoroughly investigated and properly validated.

Climate change and temperature increase has spurred a surge in reports of international, hemispheric and regional weather and climate extremes, especially for heat.

In a proactive act, WMO has decided to undertake ‘rapid response’ team analysis of new purported records. This will provide initial guidance to global media and the general public prior to a formal in-depth investigation, which often takes many months.

“This investigation highlights an important ‘teachable moment,’ particularly with regard to media dissemination of this type of information. When news of these observations became known, global media quickly disseminated them with headlines of temperatures exceeding 20°C for the first time ever in Antarctica. The examples presented here illustrate why the media should be cautious in reporting temperature extremes,” said Prof. Randall Cerveny, Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for WMO.

“To achieve the level of absolute accuracy needed for our official WMO Archive of Extremes requires a great deal of attention to many factors, such as instrument maintenance, placement and type – factors that are often not appreciated by the media and the public and that are time-consuming to investigate,” said Prof. Cerveny.

Spanning 14 million km2 (roughly twice the size of Australia), the Antarctic is cold, windy and dry. The average annual temperature ranges from about −10°C on the Antarctic coast to −60°C at the highest parts of the interior. Its immense ice sheet is up to 4.8km thick and contains 90 percent of the world’s fresh water, enough to raise sea level by around 60 metres were it all to melt.

Source: WMO

The Raintap Portable Water Station Brings Sustainable Water Management To Homes

06.07.2021

It goes without saying that water is fundamental to human life, and yet in spite of this we are often not mindful of our water usage habits. Turning on a tap for water is so convenient that most people do not consider the fact that water is our most valuable resource.

Many places across the globe experience issues related to the sustainability of water sources. Events in Texas earlier this year are a clear example of the havoc that can be wreaked when water supply is disrupted.

With its new Raintap portable water station, Studio Floris Schoonderbeek is playing its part in helping to address the issue of sustainable water management by providing a solution that helps people in their own homes.

The Raintap is a barrel made from recycled plastic with a sink on the top and either one or two taps attached. The device collects rainwater, which through the use of its foot pump can then be used for multiple purposes, such as a washing station for cleaning hands or objects, as a source of water for gardening, and anything else you might need a source of water for.

Raintap works by hooking up the barrel to any standard drainpipe. The rain collected is stored in the barrel for use in the future. In addition to the foot pump, there is a small tap at the side of the barrel that can be used to dispense the water. There is also the option of connecting a standard freshwater source to the barrel and directing this through a second tap. This means you can use the water station for things that may require a freshwater source, without switching stations.

The concept behind the Raintap is to demonstrate that rainwater is a valuable and useful source of water, and to raise awareness of sustainable water management in the face of climate change. Any product or method that can contribute to water sustainability should be embraced.

On a larger scale, the issue of water consumption is a large problem for many industries and one that needs to be addressed. Companies such as Audi have recognized that water consumption is a problem. Audi has pledged to cut its water consumption by 50 percent by 2035, and part of its strategy is to use rainwater as a way to reduce the use of freshwater.

While Audi is operating on a much larger scale than the Raintap product, it is a clear example that using rainwater to improve water sustainability is something that we should be incorporating at every level.

Source: Clean Technica

EBRD Announces Full Paris Alignment by end-2022

06.07.2021

solar_park_solarni_park_solar_power_plant_solarna_elektrana_solar_energy_solarna_energija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proenca)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will from the end of 2022 align all its activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to accelerate decarbonisation across its regions, supporting them to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century.

The decision was approved by the EBRD’s Board of Governors today at the Bank’s Annual Meeting 2021. In 2020 the EBRD had already committed to raising the proportion of its green finance – investments that not only align with but actively promote the green transition – to more than 50 percent by 2025.

“Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C is a global imperative to safeguard our planet and protect ourselves from climate-related risks. With today’s commitment the EBRD will be at the forefront among multilateral institutions to ensure that our work is directed to helping countries achieve net zero by the middle of the century.

“By way of its multilateral shareholding and private sector focus, the EBRD will help its countries of operations manage the political and economic challenges related to such an unprecedented transition. I truly welcome the push from all our shareholders to accelerate on this shared agenda,” said EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.

The changes will drive all future strategy, operations and client engagement. Using a methodology developed jointly with the other multi-lateral development banks, projects will be screened to ensure that they are consistent with long-term progress towards low-carbon development and that physical climate risks are addressed. Policy support will develop green energy capacity-building, and encourage a just transition which supports those impacted by the transition away from fossil fuel dependency.

The EBRD, created 30 years ago to help formerly communist economies adapt to market conditions, works in many countries that face the toughest challenges in reducing carbon emissions, or are vulnerable to climate change. EBRD countries are 35 percent more carbon-intensive than the world average, and highly polluting coal accounts for more than 40 percent of primary energy supply in seven EBRD countries.

Yet the EBRD regions are well positioned to benefit from the fast-growing transition to renewables, thereby reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, with excellent resources and growing capacity in wind, solar and hydropower. The Bank will therefore increase financing for renewable energy and associated energy systems.

Designing a way out of economies built around fossil fuels within three decades will require intensive planning, including in securing the social conditions for a sustainable and just transition. The EBRD will also significantly scale up policy advice and institutional capacity building for low carbon and climate resilient strategies, promoting and supporting ambitious action in, and with, its countries of operations.

The EBRD is committed to supporting economies to be digital, equal and sustainable and will invest in each of these areas as it helps communities affected by the closure of coal mines and other carbon-intensive industries.

“The low carbon transition requires the world economy to move in less than 30 years from a more than 80 percent reliance on fossil fuels to a net-zero model. This is a challenge that is unprecedented in economic history. Similarly, the associated opportunity is enormous,” said the EBRD’s First Vice-President Jürgen Rigterink.

Harry Boyd-Carpenter, the EBRD’s Managing Director, Green Economy and Climate Action, added: “A clear commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement, whether by country or company, creates the enabling environment to unleash innovation and investment, creating high quality jobs, opening new markets, diversifying economies, creating cleaner, more liveable communities, and boosting sustainable growth. The goal of the EBRD is to support its countries of operation in creating that environment, and innovators and investors in realising those goals.”

The EBRD’s country expertise, private-sector focus and mandate for economic transition gives it a critical role to play in advising countries and clients on how to frame their individual climate ambitions through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) and sector-specific low carbon pathways.

This tilt to green is at the heart of the EBRD’s commitment to help its countries of operation build back better as they recover from the Covid-19 global pandemic. Plans will be tailored to each of its member economies’ unique circumstances, and designed to speed transformation in the EBRD regions – central and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, while helping countries find the best way to get the most in jobs and growth from the green economic transition that looks set to dominate the next 30 years.

Source: EBRD

RES Serbia is a New Member of WindEurope

05.07.2021

wind-turbine-vetro-vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Bastian Pudill)

WindEurope announced that Renewable Energy Sources of Serbia has become a member of this Association.

WindEurope is the voice of the wind industry, actively promoting wind power in Europe and worldwide. WindEurope has over 400 members, active in over 35 countries.

Beside wind turbine manufacturers who have a leading role at the global wind power market, Wind Europe members are also developers, equipment suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, contractors, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies and consultants.

RES Serbia is the first and only member of WindEurope coming from Serbia. “We consider the membership in WindEurope as a great opportunity for joint action to promote the importance and impact of wind energy, as well as for networking, knowledge exchange and gaining global recognition”, said Daniela Isailović, RES Serbia manager.

Source: OIE Serbia

Greenpeace: Global heatwaves are fossil fuel-driven climate chaos

05.07.2021

climate_change_protest_klimatske_promene — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Markus Spiske)

Unprecedented danger will be the new normal if we don’t take urgent action to stop fossil fuel-driven climate change.

From Canada and the United States to Russia and even the Arctic, record-breaking heatwaves are putting lives, livelihoods, and communities at risk. The soaring temperatures not only pose individual health dangers, but they also put entire ecosystems and communities at increased risk of wildfires and failures of power grids.

Hundreds of deaths in British Columbia in Canada and Washington and Oregon in the United States have already been linked to the heatwave that began late in June, according to The New York Times.

Those vulnerable communities facing the most intense impacts of the climate crisis urgently need empathy and aid. At the same time, the entire global community needs to demand that fossil fuel companies and corporate polluters stop accelerating climate change with reckless, profit-hungry drilling and burning of coal, oil, and gas.

What is happening?

In Canada, the record for the highest temperature ever seen in the country has been broken and then broken again. One of those record-breaking temperatures occurred in Lytton in the province of British Columbia. On Tuesday, the village experienced a historic temperature of 49.5°C / 121°F. A day later, it was evacuated due to a wildfire.

Parts of the United States are under the same heat dome as Canada. The temperature at Portland International Airport in Oregon reached 46.1°C / 115°F on 28 June. For context, the average high temperature at that airport during this time of year is approximately 22.8°C / 73 °F, according to forecasters.

In California, wildfires are again posing a threat to communities that are facing a drought that began before the heatwave.

The month of June also brought the hottest day on record in Moscow (34.8°C / 94.6°F) and Helsinki (31.7°C/ 89.1°F), according to NASA’s Earth observatory blog.

This is a climate emergency!

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: Greenpeace

Indigenous Communities in Danger of Being Erased from the Map in Brazil

04.07.2021

deforestation — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

“We were already on this land before Brazil was Brazil”, said Eliseu Lopes, Indigenous leader.

After living on and fighting for their lands for centuries, the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil are endangered by a legal loophole called Marco Temporal that could legalize theft of their lands—unless the Brazilian Supreme Court stops it.

The profit-hungry forces behind Marco Temporal want to deny Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their lands unless it can be proven that they occupied them at the time of Brazil’s 1988 constitution—which was supposed to have guaranteed their land rights. Meanwhile, a bill (PL 490) being considered by Brazil’s Congress seeks to open Indigenous Lands for industrial agriculture, mining, and other extractive activities.

If Indigenous communities cannot provide the proof demanded by Marco Temporal then they are at risk of basically being ruled not to exist!

This legal loophole is a brazen attempt to trample over Indigenous rights by land grabbers who have been emboldened by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonarro and his anti-environment administration.

URGENTE!
Tropa de choque está atacando famílias indígenas que protestam pacificamente em Brasília, próximo ao Congresso Nacional, contra o PL 490. #PL490Não #TerraIndigenaFica pic.twitter.com/We9BHCBSjV
— Greenpeace Brasil (@GreenpeaceBR) June 22, 2021

For safety reasons, many Indigenous communities in Brazil do not explicitly state the locations of their dwellings, and, therefore, they have not directly participated in the land demarcation process that could soon be used to steal their lands and livelihoods from them. The impact would be most heavy on the most isolated Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Peoples are the guardians of the forest. Protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and their lands means protecting everyone’s future. It’s crucial to protect the Guardians of the Forest and ensure that the Brazilian Supreme court knows the world will be watching its decision.

Indigenous rights groups like The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) are calling on the Brazilian Supreme Court to strike down Marco Temporal as unconstitutional. The court ended it’s June session without a decision on the case, but stated the case will return to the Court’s agenda on 25 August. Alarmingly, the bill PL490 has already advanced past Brazil’s constitutional affairs committee and is headed for the lower house of Congress and then potentially to the Senate.

In June, hundreds of Indigenous People from all across Brazil came to Brasília to protest against the land invasions they all face and stand united. Their peaceful protest in Brazil’s capital — which included children and elders — was met with violence.

In Bolsonarro’s Brazil, the lives and lands of Indigenous People are under constant threat. Next the law itself may be used to rob them of their homes and livelihoods.

Greenpeace is committed to the defense and promotion of Indigenous rights in Brazil — and all around the world. We reject all attempts to put profits over people or the planet.

Source: Greenpeace

Hydropower Has a Crucial Role in Accelerating Clean Energy Transitions to Achieve Countries’ Climate Ambitions Securely

03.07.2021

minihidroelektrana_mini_hidroelektrana_141114_tw1024 — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

The growth of hydropower plants worldwide is set to slow significantly this decade, putting at risk the ambitions of countries across the globe to reach net-zero emissions while ensuring reliable and affordable energy supplies for their citizens, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency.

Hydropower today has a key role in the transition to clean energy not only through the massive quantities of low-carbon electricity it produces but also because of its unmatched capabilities for providing flexibility and storage. Many hydropower plants can ramp their electricity generation up and down very rapidly compared with other power plants such as nuclear, coal and natural gas. This makes sustainable hydropower an attractive foundation for integrating greater amounts of wind and solar power, whose output can vary, depending on factors like the weather and the time of day or year.

Global hydropower capacity is expected to increase by 17 percent between 2021 and 2030 – led by China, India, Turkey and Ethiopia – according to the Hydropower Special Market Report, part of the IEA’s Renewables market report series. However, the projected growth for the 2020s is nearly 25 percent slower than hydropower’s expansion in the previous decade.

Reversing the expected slowdown will require a range of strong policy actions from governments to address the major challenges that are hampering faster deployment of hydropower, according to the report. These measures include providing long-term visibility on revenues to ensure hydropower projects are economically viable and sufficiently attractive to investors, while still ensuring robust sustainability standards.

In 2020, hydropower supplied one sixth of global electricity generation, making it the single largest source of low-carbon power – and more than all other renewables combined. Its output has increased 70 percent over the past two decades, but its share of global electricity supply has held steady because of the increases in wind, solar PV, natural gas and coal. Nonetheless, hydropower currently meets the majority of electricity demand across 28 different emerging and developing economies, which have a total population of 800 million.

“Hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean electricity, and it needs to be put squarely back on the energy and climate agenda if countries are serious about meeting their net zero goals,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director. “It brings valuable scale and flexibility to help electricity systems adjust quickly to shifts in demand and to compensate for fluctuations in supply from other sources. Hydropower’s advantages can make it a natural enabler of secure transitions in many countries as they shift to higher and higher shares of solar and wind – provided that hydropower projects are developed in a sustainable and climate-resilient way.”

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (T L PlbeyaME7Jk)

The IEA special report is the first study to provide detailed global forecasts to 2030 for the three main types of hydropower: reservoir, run-of-river and pumped storage facilities. Around half of hydropower’s economically viable potential worldwide is untapped, and this potential is particularly high in emerging economies and developing economies, where it reaches almost 60 percent.

Based on today’s policy settings, China is set to remain the single largest hydropower market through 2030, accounting for 40 percent of global expansion, followed by India. However, China’s share of global hydropower additions has been declining due to the decreasing availability of economically attractive sites and growing concerns over social and environmental impacts.

Between now and 2030, USD 127 billion – or almost one-quarter of global hydropower investment – is set to be spent on modernising ageing plants, mostly in advanced economies. This is notably the case in North America, where the average age of a hydropower plant is nearly 50 years, and in Europe, where it’s 45 years. Still, the projected investment falls well short of the USD 300 billion that the report estimates is necessary to modernise all ageing hydropower plants worldwide.

While hydropower remains economically attractive in many regions of the world, the report highlights a number of major challenges it faces. New hydropower projects often face long lead times, lengthy permitting processes, high costs and risks from environmental assessments, and opposition from local communities. These pressures result in higher investment risks and financing costs compared with other power generation and storage technologies, thereby discouraging investors.

The IEA report sets out seven key priorities for governments looking to accelerate the deployment of hydropower in a sustainable way. These include locking in long-term pricing structures and ensuring that hydropower projects adhere to strict guidelines and best practices. This kind of approach can minimise sustainability risks and maximise social, economic and environmental advantages.

If governments address the hurdles to faster deployment appropriately, global hydropower capacity additions could be 40 percent higher through 2030 by unblocking existing project pipelines, according to the accelerated case presented in the report. But to put the world on a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050, as set out in the IEA’s recent Global Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050, governments would need to raise their hydropower ambitions drastically. In fact, global hydropower capacity would need to grow twice as fast through 2030 as it is expected to do in the report’s main forecast. A much stronger and all-encompassing policy approach would be required to achieve this.

Source: IEA

Western Balkans Mayors Commit to Tackle Air Quality Challenges with Support of Energy Community Secretariat and Western Balkans Green Center

02.07.2021

pollution-fosilna-goriva — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

On the occasion of the Energy Community Just Transition Forum on 30. June, nine Western Balkan municipalities came together virtually to sign a declaration launching the Clean Air Regions Initiative (CARI).

By signing the declaration, mayors of the nine participating municipalities committed to undertake voluntary measures aimed to reduce air pollution in their municipalities. CARI is an initiative launched by the Vienna-based Energy Community Secretariat and supported by the Hungarian Western Balkans Green Center (WBGC).

The CARI incentivises ambitious regions and communities to take action in the field of air quality on a voluntary basis. The initiative focuses on the most critical sources of pollution such as domestic heating, industry and traffic.

By signing the declaration, participating municipalities, with the support of the Secretariat and the WBGC, will strive to develop, adopt and implement local air quality action plans with ambitious policies and measures, share their experiences and learn about progress and achievements in other regions and municipalities.

The first nine signatories of the Initiative are the following: Banovići, Bitola, Kakanj, Lukavac, Maglaj, Novi Sad, Niš, Pljevlja, Tuzla.

CARI will remain open to other interested municipalities in the future.

Source: Energy Community

Sharp Decrease in CO2 Emissions of New Cars in 2020

02.07.2021

punjenje_električnih_automobila — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Chuttersnap)

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its provisional data about the emissions of newly registered passenger cars and vans in Europe in 2020. For cars, the data show a 12 percent decrease in average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, compared with 2019. Average van emissions also decreased slightly, by about 1.5 percent.

According to the EEA’s provisional data, the average emissions of new passenger cars registered in the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom in 2020 were 107.8 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g CO2/km). This was 14.5 g (12 percent) lower than in 2019 and represented the first decrease observed since 2016. The share of electric vehicles in new registrations tripled from about 3.5 percent in 2019 to about 11 percent of new registrations in 2020.

About 1.4 million new vans registered in Europe in 2020 with average emissions of 157.7 g CO2/km, which is 2.3 g (1.5 percent) lower than in 2019. The share of electric vans increased from 1.4 percent in 2019 to about 2.3 percent in 2020.

The provisional data are available through the EEA’s data viewer on CO2 emissions of new cars and new vans.

About testing vehicle emissions

The emissions of new vehicles are systematically tested using ‘type approval’ procedures. Since 2017, the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) has been put in place with the objective to gradually replace the outdated New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The WLTP allows to obtain more realistic information on vehicle emissions in the type approval tests.

EEA activities

The EEA collects and regularly makes available data on new passenger cars and vans registered in Europe, in accordance with EU Regulation (EU) No 2019/631. The data are reported by all EU Member States, United Kingdom, Iceland (since 1 January 2018) and Norway (since 1 January 2019) in order to evaluate the efficiency of the new vehicle fleet and includes information on CO2 emissions and vehicle mass. The next data release will include the final results for new registrations in 2020.

Compliance with targets

The European Commission will confirm whether individual manufacturers or pools have met their own specific annual targets, which are based on the average mass of the cars registered.

Source: EEA

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Shar Mountain National Park Approved

01.07.2021

The creation of Shar Mountain National Park in North Macedonia means the final puzzle piece for one of the largest transboundary protected areas in Europe is now in place. With the approval of the new 627.05 square-kilometre national park, a transboundary protected area has now been established totaling around 2,400 square kilometres.

Illegal logging has until now plagued the mountain range, resulting in an increased frequency of flash floods; the new park, declared soon after World Environment Day 2021 and the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration on 5 June, places precious ecosystems and habitats under strict protection.

“Historic decisions such as the creation of Shar Mountain National Park can boost the health of nature that supports all life on Earth. Ecosystem restoration is also essential to slow or reverse species loss” said the United Nations Environment Programme’s Europe Director, Bruno Pozzi. “It has been a privilege for UNEP to be with North Macedonia on this journey. In the end, it is the citizens, through their representatives, who have agreed to protect one of their natural treasures.”

“This is Shara. This is our new national park. We’ve done it. We worked so hard. It has taken over 27 years. I’d like to say congratulations to everybody. This is going to create development, tourism, and infrastructure. This is going to give us and the citizens living here an opportunity to come back to live here and work here. We’re proud of it. We want the world to know it,” said Naser Nuredini, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia.

After years of national debate, the Nature Division of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia has completed a broad consultation process. Different sectors of society, including hunters and environmental organisations, stepped up their efforts to consider each other’s needs and views and pave the way for a final agreement. A majority of 66 Members of Parliament voted yesterday evening at the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia in favour of the proclamation of the Shar Mountain National Park, writing a new green page in the history of their country.

“Here we don’t have factories or anything like that – only mountains. If Shar Mountain becomes a National Park, we hope for a better future. For us, the tourists and everybody,” Reshit Reshiti — a sheep farmer in the village of Veshala —said ahead of the vote.

North Macedonia is a European biodiversity hotspot. Two-thirds [i]of the country’s plant species, including numerous endemic ones, are found in Shar Mountain. More than 70 species of medicinal plants alone are collected and used there. Barely fifty critically endangered Balkan lynx are estimated to remain in the country, but they are now among the animals that have the promise of a safer future.

“Shara is home to an abundant share of all the biodiversity in North Macedonia. Here we can find animals like wolves, bears, lynxes, and foxes,” said Metodi Čilimanov, a professional mountain guide working in Shar Mountain. “Thanks to nature, we also have Shar Mountain’s tea and tulips, as well as the wonderful saffron that grows here,” added Metodi showing a tattoo of the colourful flowers on his arm.

Shar Mountain National Park is divided into four zones with different levels of environmental protection. Only scientific research, traditional grazing and hiking on marked trails will be permitted in the strictest zone, which contains glacial lakes and peatlands and makes up around 25 percent of the territory. Hunting, use of motorized vehicles, camping and the building of new houses will be banned there.

Meanwhile, in the active management zone, which covers almost half of the park’s area and includes the most important forest ecosystems, economic activity that does not negatively affect nature protection will be allowed. For example, wood and stone constructions for visitors and the building of new grazing shelters is to be permitted, while motorized vehicles used by the National Park management body will be allowed to circulate. A further ‘zone for sustainable use’ covers 22 percent of Shar Mountain and contains infrastructure and settlements.

The construction of major new infrastructure, such as ski lifts or hydropower plants, will be banned in the zone, yet camping can take place in certain locations, and visitor information centres can be built. A ‘buffer zone’ will furthermore exist around Popova Sapka Ski Resort, where measures must be taken to mitigate the resort’s environmental impact. More details of what is to be allowed in the park’s zones will be defined in the coming months.

The area covered by the park includes 30 villages with a total of more than 26,000 inhabitants. A survey conducted in April 2021 found that 82 percent of people surveyed living in the Shar Mountains were in favour of the proclamation. The Park is expected to bring new opportunities in areas such as eco and ethno-tourism and cattle-breeding. Meanwhile, traditional products such as cheese, honey and tea, as well as musical folklore, could be further anchored in the mountains.

“By proclaiming Shar Mountain as a National Park, we should keep this freedom and be able to protect all the values and beauties Shar Mountain has,” said Dursim Rushani, a horse keeper in the village of Bozovce.

A UNEP project initiated in 2016 with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has contributed to the establishment of the Shar Mountain National Park. Under the project, a series of meetings were organized between park stakeholders, as part of a challenging process to find compromises on key issues. Valorization and socio-economic studies were furthermore conducted to identify drivers of environmental threats to the area and the opportunities a national park could create. Future rangers are now being trained to manage the park, while land degradation will be closely monitored.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is due to hold its fifteenth Conference of the Parties meeting in October in Kunming, China. The landmark meeting aims to set in motion a global movement to help countries halt and reverse land degradation. A new global biodiversity framework will be set, and is likely to include fresh targets on the proportion of national land area that should be protected.

A United Nations General Assembly resolution issued in April called on Member States to maintain and enhance the connectivity of habitats, including through increasing transboundary protected areas. North Macedonia is the latest to have offered the world a new national park that will connect wildlife beyond its borders.

Source: UNEP

It’s High Time for Your Solar Power Plant

30.06.2021

solar_power_plant_roof_solarna_elektrana_na_krovu — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The new Law on Renewable Energy Sources will enable the citizens of Serbia to produce and sell green kilowatts. The novelties brought by this law are auctions for the allocation of premiums and feed-in tariffs, the adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), the possibility of establishing energy communities, etc. However, what is most important for the citizens is that the status of a prosumer (buyer and producer) will finally be introduced and regulated.

The adoption of the new law will enable new investments in renewable energy sources (RES) and their larger share in total energy production. According to the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the share of renewable energy sources in the total electricity production is currently around 24 percent, wherein the majority comes from large hydropower plants. In contrast, wind, solar and biomass power plants participate with about 4 percent. One of the main goals of the Serbian Government is that by 2050, at least 50 percent of energy come from renewable energy sources.

The new law introduces market premiums instead of the current feed-in tariffs, which will expose producers to the influence of the market and competition, reducing the costs for citizens and the economy, while at the same time, investors have guaranteed stability and predictability of the legal framework. Feed-in tariffs are retained only for small plants and demonstration projects, in accordance with the rules of state aid of the European Union state. Small solar plants are power plants with an installed capacity of less than 500 kW or wind farms with less than 3 MW capacity.

When it comes to incentives, they will be awarded in the auction procedure according to the same rules as for auctions for the allocation of market premiums, which will reduce the prices of the feed-in-tariffs. One of the most important innovations of the RES Law is the concept of the prosumer. It basically means that prosumers will be able to produce electricity for their own needs and deliver the surplus energy to the electricity system. Thanks to that, they will have the right to reduce their electricity bills. If they wish, they can store the produced surplus and use it later.

In focus:

Experts predict that this will greatly affect the installation of solar panels on the roofs of buildings, and small buyers – households and large buyers – the industry will be most interested in this concept. It essentially implies that if you want to install solar panels on the roof of your house, you have to hire a design bureau that will develop the project, examine the location conditions and finally ask for a work permit.

By choosing the right company, almost half of the work is done. Thus, the best is to choose one with many years of experience. The expert team of CEEFOR company (Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development), which consists of engineers with many years of work experience and a long list of successfully completed projects, is ready to listen to all customers’ questions at any time and answer them. Energy efficiency and design services in the field of RES represent only one part of their offer.

The design of 200 MW of solar power plants, 25 MW of CHP plants, 120 energy audits and checks of investment risk, as well as 66 MW of wind farms are on CEEFOR’s packed list.

In this company, special attention is paid to environmental protection and reduction of air pollution. Being a socially responsible company, their management and employees are often involved in numerous campaigns to raise awareness about environmental protection.

Reliable experts of CEEFOR company are always ready to find the best solution, which is why their list of clients is getting longer day by day. Your company might be the next one on their list.

If you are planning to install solar panels on the roof of a house or office space, or you have an ideal location for a small solar power plant, call CEEFOR’s engineers, tell them about your wishes and be sure that they will do their best to provide you with energy through green kilowatts.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

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

Decarbonisation of energy systems still at an early stage in Western Balkans

30.06.2021

zagađenje vazduha - air pollution — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Daniel Moqvist)

The Western Balkan 6 parties are progressing with the implementation of actions agreed by the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda, but their efforts are yet to deliver tangible results in terms of truly moving away from coal, embracing energy from renewable sources and decreasing their emission footprints, concludes the latest edition of the Secretariat’s Energy Transition Tracker.

All fossil-fuel power plants continue to operate and production even increased by 4 percent in 2020, resulting in a rise of carbon dioxide (4 percent), nitrogen oxide (6,5 percent), SO2 (8,7 percent) and dust (4 percent) emissions, compared to 2019. Renewables capacity is growing but at a slow pace, with only 188 MW of solar and hydro capacity added in 2020. Investments in energy efficiency in buildings picked up in the past year, however, only one third of the estimated investment needs for 2011-2020 have been met.

Electricity markets must improve to be fit for the energy transition. Incumbent companies continue to dominate wholesale and retail markets in WB6, with a downward trend visible only in North Macedonia. The non-internalization of costs of CO2 emissions, worth 1.2 billion euros at average EU ETS price in 2020, distorts the level playing field between EU and WB6 electricity markets and puts further market integration at risk.

The WB6 Energy Transition Tracker monitors and assesses the progress the WB6 have made on their energy transition paths through qualitative and quantitative indicators related to reducing emission footprints, improving functioning of the energy markets, scaling up renewables, improving energy efficiency and planning for the decarbonized energy future.

Source: Energy Community

Study Finds Limiting Renewable Energy Growth Would Result In Higher U.S. Power Costs

29.06.2021

solar — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Sungrow Emea)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Asia Chang)

With declining costs for renewable energy technologies, interest has turned to how that might translate into the total system costs of integrating more renewable energy on the U.S. grid.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers Wesley Cole, Nathaniel Gates, and Trieu Mai examined how changing the contribution of renewable energy from the optimal solution impacts the cost of building and operating the electricity system, as well as trade-offs between emissions savings and system costs for higher and lower levels of renewable generation.

The results, outlined in an Electricity Journal article, point to a nonlinear relationship between system costs and renewable energy contribution: Small deviations from the least-cost solution have minimal cost impacts, while larger deviations from the least-cost solution can result in large cost changes. In addition, increased levels of renewables lead to lower absolute carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

“We found that we can get to more than 80 percent renewable energy at the same cost as keeping the system at today’s level of renewables,” said Cole, NREL senior energy analyst and lead author of the paper. “Increased renewable energy contribution also reduces emissions, so going beyond today’s levels of renewable energy is a no-brainer.”

This work echoes the findings of another recent analysis published in Joule that showed the U.S. power system can achieve close to 100 percent renewable energy cost-effectively, but the last few percent come with a nonlinear cost increase. Here, Cole, Gates, and Mai did not study 100 percent renewable energy—but their results show that keeping renewables at today’s levels or limiting their growth can also produce system cost increases.

Source: Clean Technica

Joint Event Highlights Latest Actions to Tackle Methane Emissions in the Gas Sector

29.06.2021

gas_pipeline_gasovod — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Danil Sorokin)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quinten de Graaf)

The Energy Community Secretariat, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) and the Technical Association of the European Natural Gas Industry (MARCOGAZ) hosted a joint event on methane emissions in the gas sector. The event briefed more than 170 stakeholders on the latest technical and legal developments as well as upcoming challenges.

The event gave an overview of activities at the level of the Energy Community and the EU, including a forthcoming EU legislative proposal to tackle gas methane emissions. GIE and Marcogaz presented updated best practice guidelines for the gas industry on detecting and preventing methane emissions. The event also highlighted ongoing initiatives to improve consistency of methane emissions data.

The annual event is part of the Secretariat’s efforts to raise awareness of methane emissions in the gas sector, alongside its successful webinar series launched in March 2021 with the support of GIE and Marcogaz. The so-called “Methane Mondays” will continue again in the autumn.

In anticipation of upcoming EU initiatives, the Secretariat recently adopted a report on methane emissions in the Energy Community gas sectors to serve as a baseline for moving towards methane emissions reduction targets.

For more information see here.

Source: Energy Community

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