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Green, Green Grass of Sombor

Photo: Cabinet of Mayor of Sombor

It is not just the hackberries and yew trees that are the green symbol of Sombor given that the environmental standards and clean technology are also being more and more applied in the industry and communal life in this town. How far ahead the Sombor citizens are regarding the strategy of sustainable development and how it affects their life, as well as the Sombor’s tourism and economic potential, we are discussing with the Mayor of Sombor Dusanka Golubovic

Everyone who visits Sombor remembers this city by its greenery. Still, those who spend a little more time in the company of Somborians will realise that when it comes to lifestyle and environmental protection, the residents of this municipality think green. So does their city administration, led by the Mayor Dusanka Golubovic, from whom we learn firsthand what the priorities of this municipality are in terms of ecology, how to maintain the public order, as well as keep the water, land and air clean. Also, we learn the significance of the project of producing electricity from the wastewater, which is nearly being finalised, and what the expectations of the regional waste management centre are which is about to be built in Sombor.

EP: With the length of 120 kilometres of tree-lined alleys and more than 18,000 trees, they say, that Sombor is the greenest city in the country and Europe. Is that officially true?

Dusanka Golubovic: The data you provide is accurate, but unfortunately, there are no official records of the greenest city in Serbia. What we claim with certainty is that everyone who visits Sombor remembers our town by its greenery. The most common species of trees in the tree alleys is the honeysuckle, known among Somborians as bođoš, which was brought to our city as early as 1903. It was planted as a medium for combating dust, as its rugged leaf collects dust from the air, but also as a means for combating excess water since this terrain was once a wetland. For the same reason, the centuries-old yew survived here, besides the ones in Kalemegdan which are the only other ones still in existence in Serbia. Besides the hackberry and yew, there are significant numbers of maple, elm, birch, wild chestnut and other woody species in Sombor’s alleys and parks. Many trees are over a hundred years old and have reached their maximum lifespan, so they need to be rejuvenated. Over the last year alone, we have removed 493 trees and planted 952.

EP: Is that much greenery also followed by green standards in the environment, public order and the economy? Do you belong to a few local governments that have a strategy for improving the quality of the environment, and what are your priorities?

Dusanka Golubovic: The City of Sombor has a Sustainable Development Strategy for the period 2014-2020, and the creation of a new one is underway this year. It shows that the priority is a better quality of the environment, and it will be implemented through specific goals such as the reduction of harmful links between the environmental pressures and the health of the local population; the improvement of the ambient air quality; the effective management of the risks of endangering the human health and environmental pollution. Also, we have been performing the monitoring of the surface and groundwaters for many years now, since 2018, the monitoring of air quality, as well as the noise pollution monitoring, and earlier this year we adopted the regulations concerning the control of the soil. In accordance with the Air Protection Law, we have drawn up a short-term action plan for the air protection in Sombor’s territory for the period of 2020-2023, which has been forwarded to the Ministry of Environmental Protection for their approval. What we consider to be one of our principal activities is a regular education of school children to raise their awareness of the need for environmental protection

EP: Who are currently the biggest polluters in Sombor and how much are the green standards implemented in the business of the companies and manufacturers in your municipality?

Dusanka Golubovic: We are currently in the process of data collection for the year 2019, which will be published on the city’s official website probably after March 31st, which is a deadline for the polluters to submit their reports to the competent department of the City’s Administration. However, it can be said that in the City of Sombor, the biggest problem is the Veterinary Institution “Proteinka” with the emission of unpleasant odours that are sometimes felt throughout the city. The final solution of the “Proteinka” problem is what we all expect from the Ministry of Agriculture in the near future. On the other hand, we also have an example of good practice so we can mention the plant of the company “Agroplus”, which is the first bio-gas power plant built in West Backa district, which obtains biogas from manure and green waste. This company has built a facility based on German technology adjacent to their farm in Svetozar Miletic, where they obtained a singular production unit from which 1.2 MW of electricity is supplied to the Serbian power network. Besides, we have an announcement of an investor who already operates in our territory and who shares our opinion about the necessity of the introduction of solar sources for obtaining energy, that they are preparing for an investment in solar panels in a capacity that will exceed their needs. The surplus of the generated electricity will be available to the Serbian power network.

In focus:

Photo: Cabinet of Mayor of Sombor

EP: Not only are you the first and one of the few municipalities in Serbia that acquired a wastewater treatment plant, but you also announced last year that the electricity generation from the wastewater would be starting soon. Is this process completed?

Dusanka Golubovic: The Sombor’s PUC “Vodokanal” has a long tradition in the process of collection, drainage and treatment of wastewater. The first wastewater treatment plant was put into operation in 1964, while the wastewater treatment plant built in 1986 is still in operation today and has a much higher capacity. The purifier is developed based on a waterline (with a primary and secondary purification) and a sludge line, which is also composed of anaerobic conversion of biogas. The biogas from the plant has been used to heat the technological process and the buildings within the plant. To utilise the biogas completely, the plan is to use it to power the gas generator that is part of the IPA Serbia-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Project. From an economic point of view, we expect significant savings here.

In addition to the gas generator, the technical documentation for the project of the future solar power plant at the wastewater facility has also been prepared. By using renewable energy sources, “Vodokanal” will strive to achieve full energy independence at the wastewater facility in the future. The installation of the gas generator is the first stage in the process of obtaining electricity from biogas, and this phase has been completed. The second phase contemplates the use of new raw material in addition to the sewage sludge already in use, which is maize silage. The gas generator with the inlet basket has been entirely built with a new transformer station, and we foresee the construction of the switchgear which has been contracted. It represents the link between the wastewater treatment plant and the electricity buyer – EPS. The switchgear is planned to be completed by early summer.

Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

Read the whole Interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

Daily Global CO2 Emissions ‘Cut to 2006 Levels’ During Height of Coronavirus Crisis

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
  • Global restrictions put in place COVID-19 pandemic saw carbon dioxide emissions fall to their lowest level since 2006.
  • The drop was highest in early April, when regions responsible for 89% of global emissions were under some form of lockdown.
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The amount of CO2 being released by human activity each day fell by as much as 17% during the height of the coronavirus crisis in early April, a new study shows.

This means daily emissions temporarily fell to levels last seen in 2006, the study says. In the first four months of the year, it estimates that global emissions from burning fossil fuels and cement production were cut by 1,048m tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2), or 8.6%, compared with 2019 levels.

The research projects a decline of up to 2,729MtCO2 (7.5%) in 2020 as a whole, depending on how the crisis plays out. It is the first to have been through the peer-review process and is broadly in line with an early estimate for China published by Carbon Brief in February, as well as separate global estimates published last month by Carbon Brief and the International Energy Agency.

The study also marks the first-ever attempt to quantify CO2 emissions on a daily basis, for the world and for 69 individual countries, in close to real time. Until now, annual CO2 emissions data has typically been published months or even years later.

A publicly available daily estimate of global or national CO2 emissions would be “incredibly useful, particularly for motivating policy action and pressure”, another researcher tells Carbon Brief.

Coronavirus crisis

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world and seen the introduction of severe restrictions on movement in many countries.

These lockdowns have included “stay at home” orders, border closures and other measures that have had direct effects on the use of energy and, consequently, on the release of CO2 emissions.

As the crisis has unfolded, so too have attempts to quantify its impact on CO2 emissions. These efforts have been challenging, however, because real-time CO2 emissions data does not exist.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The annual emissions inventories that countries submit to the UN take years to compile – and even these are estimates rather than direct measurements.

Greenhouse gas emissions are estimated using a variety of methods, often based on “activity data”. This might be the number of miles being driven, the amount of electricity generated or even – in the case of nitrous oxide, which is used as a propellant – via cream consumption.

The study, published in Nature Climate Change, combines activity data for six sectors with a “confinement index” of lockdown measures in each country or region over time.

This allows for an estimate of changes in daily global CO2 emissions in January-April 2020, relative to the 100MtCO2 released on an average day in 2019.

During peak confinement in individual countries, daily CO2 emissions fell by 26% on average, the paper says. However, the size of this effect is reduced at a global level, because not all countries were under the most severe type of lockdown at the same time.

At the peak of the crisis in early April, regions responsible for 89% of daily CO2 emissions were under some form of lockdown, the paper says. Daily global CO2 emissions fell to 83MtCO2 (-17%, with a range of -11 to -25%) on 7 April, equivalent to levels last seen in 2006.

In a press release, lead author Prof Corinne Le Quéré, professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia’s Tyndall Centre (who will be a panelist at Carbon Brief’s webinar on 21 May), says: “Population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions. These extreme decreases are likely to be temporary, however, as they do not reflect structural changes in the economic, transport, or energy systems.”

Daily data

In order to estimate daily global CO2 emissions, the researchers use a novel approach that combines sectoral activity data with a country-by-country confinement index.

The paper looks at six sectors, according to their share of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement. These are electricity and heat (44%); industry (22%); surface transport (20%); homes (6%); public buildings and commerce (4%); and aviation (3%).

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Revolt)

Notably, this split highlights the limited potential for individual actions to radically reduce global emissions, in contrast to the societal choices that govern CO2 from electricity and industry.

The split in global CO2 emissions is then broken down further for each of 69 countries, 50 US states and 30 Chinese provinces, which account for 97% of the global total. This gives industrial CO2 emissions in Italy, for example, on an average day in 2019.

The paper then uses 669 datasets, covering each of these sectors over time, and classified according to the level of confinement in place at each point. For example, this might be daily reports on mobility, traffic and congestion to measure “activity” for surface transport.

The daily data is then adjusted to remove effects unrelated to coronavirus, such as the mild northern hemisphere winter or the day of the week.

Under the highest level of confinement, surface transport “activity” fell by 50% on average, the paper finds.

For electricity, the paper looks at total daily demand in Europe, the US and India, finding an average 15% reduction in demand under strict lockdown. In industry, the paper looks at daily coal use in China reported by Carbon Brief and weekly reports on steel production in the US.

For homes, the paper draws on figures from UK smart meters. And for aviation – the most strongly affected sector – it uses data on domestic and international departures around the world.

The analysis relies on relatively sparse information for industry, whereas activity levels in transport draw on a wider range of datasets.

Emissions estimates

The team then uses the average change in activity, for each sector and level of confinement, to build up an estimate of daily CO2 emissions around the world.

For example, on days when Turkey is under the strictest lockdown, the analysis assumes that its power-sector CO2 emissions would fall by 15% compared with the average in 2019 – and those from surface transport by 50%.

When Turkey shifts from “confinement index three”, the strictest controls, down to level two, its power-sector emissions would be 5% below usual levels and transport 40% lower. For each confinement level, the same percentage reductions are assumed to apply to all countries.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andy Li)

This approach means that the team only needed to know when each country, state or province changed its coronavirus lockdown from one “confinement level” to another, as well as the daily average level of CO2 emissions from each sector in 2019.

Putting all of these countries and lockdown levels together, the paper finds that the cut in daily global CO2 emissions peaked at -17% on 7 April, shown in the figure. Across the first four months of 2020, emissions fell by 1,048MtCO2 (8.6%), compared with 2019 levels.

Within this global total, the largest impacts were in China, where emissions fell by an estimated 242MtCO2 in the first four months of the year, followed by the US (-207MtCO2), Europe (-123MtCO2) and India (-98MtCO2).

Dr Glen Peters, research director at Norwegian climate institute Cicero and one of the study authors, tells Carbon Brief that while the approach was designed around the current crisis, the team has gathered the “raw material” to make daily CO2 estimates on an ongoing basis. He says: “We have discussed more ‘real-time’ estimates for sometime and there are many advantages. We are illustrating one advantage with our paper to see the consequences of particular policy interventions in near real time.”

But Peters notes that some of the daily data they used – the urban congestion index series from satnav maker TomTom, for example – is only being made publicly available during the current crisis and might be made private again in the future. He also asks whether daily data is truly needed, or whether weekly or even monthly estimates might be sufficient for scientists and policymakers.

Dr Hannah Ritchie, head of research at website Our World in Data and one of the reviewers of the new study, tells Carbon Brief: “I think daily CO2 estimates would be incredibly useful, particularly for motivating policy action and pressure…Climate change already has the classic long-termism problem, but this is exacerbated by the fact that we get a figure on CO2 emissions published once a year, as a marker of how each country is doing.”

If daily CO2 estimates were publicly available for all countries, it would become possible to actively track progress, she says, adding: “You can have a counter on the news, or an app or dashboard on your phone – just like we do with other metrics like stock markets.”

Alternative analyses

The research is not the first to analyse the CO2 impacts of the coronavirus crisis, although it is the first to have completed its passage through peer review.

Another paper, which is currently in review, also attempts to estimate daily global CO2 emissions in close to real time. This work finds the coronavirus crisis cut global emissions by -542MtCO2 below 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2020, similar to the -530MtCO2 figure from this paper.

In mid-February, Carbon Brief published an analysis showing that emissions in China were temporarily cut by 200MtCO2 (25%) over a four-week period, during the height of the restrictions. The new study finds that the cut in Chinese emissions peaked at 24%.

The research also includes estimates of the emissions impact in 2020 as a whole, based on three scenarios for the length of lockdowns around the world. These entail CO2 emissions falling by between -4% and -8%, depending on how the crisis plays out. This range is consistent with estimates published in April by Carbon Brief (-6%) and the International Energy Agency (-8%).

Source: WEF

The State of the World’s Forests: Forests, Biodiversity and People

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

As the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 comes to a close and countries prepare to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, this edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Forests cover just over 30 percent of the global land area, yet they provide habitat for the vast majority of the terrestrial plant and animal species known to science. Unfortunately, forests and the biodiversity they contain continue to be under threat from actions to convert the land to agriculture or unsustainable levels of exploitation, much of it illegal.

The State of the World’s Forests 2020 assesses progress to date in meeting global targets and goals related to forest biodiversity and examines the effectiveness of policies, actions and approaches, in terms of both conservation and sustainable development outcomes. A series of case studies provide examples of innovative practices that combine conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity to create balanced solutions for both people and the planet.

Source: UNEP

Siemens Gamesa Launches 14 MW Offshore Direct Drive Turbine with 222-Meter Rotor

Photo: Siemens Gamesa

The winds of change have never been stronger, especially when it comes to meeting the world’s needs for clean, renewable energy. Siemens Gamesa’s new SG 14-222 DD offshore Direct Drive wind turbine now sees the light of day as a part of the solution.

Photo: Siemens Gamesa

With an unprecedented 14-megawatt (MW) capacity – reaching up to 15 MW using the company’s Power Boost function, a 222-meter diameter rotor, 108-meter long blades, and an astounding 39,000 m2 swept area, the newest Siemens Gamesa wind turbine stands tall in a world currently undergoing enormous upheaval.

“We’ve gone bigger for the better,” states Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, who continues: “Safely and sustainably providing clean energy for our customers and society-at-large is at the core of all we do. The new SG 14-222 DD is a global product which allows all of us take giant steps towards protecting and preserving our planet. We ourselves became carbon neutral in late 2019 and are on track towards meeting our long-term ambition of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Our installed fleet of over 100 GW both offshore and onshore abates more than 260 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.”

“Offshore is in our DNA,” states Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit. “Since we helped create the offshore wind industry in 1991, we’ve been determined to safely increase operational performance, minimize technology risks, and create a consistently lower Levelized Cost of Energy. The SG 14-222 DD demonstrates our drive to lead the way in a world powered by clean energy. In fact, just one unit will avoid approx. 1.4 million tons of CO2 emissions compared to coal-fired power generation over the course of its projected 25-year lifetime,” he adds.

The 14 MW capacity allows one SG 14-222 DD machine able to provide enough energy to power approximately 18,000 average European households every year. Approximately 30 SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines could furthermore cover the annual electricity consumption of Bilbao, Spain.

The 222-meter diameter rotor uses the new Siemens Gamesa B108 blades. As long as almost three Space Shuttles placed end-to-end, each 108-meter long IntegralBlade® is cast in one piece using patented Siemens Gamesa blade technologies. Additionally, the turbine’s massive 39,000 m2 swept area is equivalent to approximately 5.5 standard football pitches. It allows the SG 14-222 DD to provide an increase of more than 25% in Annual Energy Production compared to the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine.

Furthermore, the new offshore giant features a low nacelle weight at 500 metric tons. This light weight enables Siemens Gamesa to safely utilize an optimized tower and foundation substructure compared to a heavier nacelle. Benefits thus arise in the form of lower costs per turbine by minimizing sourced materials and reducing transportation needs.

Extending on the proven offshore direct drive track record, the SG 14-222 DD is based on Siemens Gamesa’s deep understanding and expertise gained over five product generations since the platform was launched in 2011. Key components such as safety systems, hub and tower concepts, operations and maintenance solutions, along with a strong, qualified supply chain form the basis of the new offshore wind turbine.

Over 1,000 Siemens Gamesa Direct Drive offshore wind turbines have been installed in all major offshore wind markets globally. They include the UK, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Taiwan, among others. Furthermore, confirmed orders for an additional 1,000 Offshore Direct Drive turbines have been received, with installations planned for the markets mentioned above and new offshore markets including the USA and France.

Source: Siemens Gamesa

How Fossil Fuel-Derived Pesticides and Plastics Harm Health, Biodiversity, and the Climate

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A new commentary published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows how three global health threats – chemical pollution (including endocrine disrupting chemicals), loss of biodiversity and climate change – are more strongly interlinked than previously thought by their common origins in fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or gas, including that derived from fracking.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Author Professor Barbara Demeneix, biologist and endocrinologist at the Muséum National d’Histoire in Paris, argues policymakers and the general public need to better appreciate the links of each of these treats to human health, all intertwined by their origin. She notes that not only can these three threats be averted, but also by reducing our dependence on fossil fuel usage overall we can simultaneously mitigate and eventually reverse the current climate crisis, reduce pollution and improve our own health and that of the environment.

The commentary comes at a time during which the current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a reduced oil demand. The author argues that the oil and gas industry could attempt to restore profitability by increasing production of plastics and fertilizers, which are made from petrochemicals.

Génon K. Jensen, Executive Director at the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) said: “Professor Demeneix shows just how outdated and harmful the continued use of fossil fuel-based energy and products is – we need a decisive phase-out for our health and planetary health. This gives governments and institutions yet another good reason to set Europe on a path to a healthy, green and just recovery, along the principles of the EU Green Deal.”

Source: HEAL

Honey Bees Feel Sting of Viral Disease

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

There’s nothing new in nature. Viruses have been around for as long as plants and animals, if not longer. Most viruses are benign to humans and other animals and in fact are essential for life. Some—as humans are finding out with COVID-19—have negative consequences.

Chronic bee paralysis is a well-defined viral disease of honey bees across the world. Until recently, according to a study in Nature Communications, it caused rare, but severe, symptoms, including colony loss.

While the vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than 20,000 species of wild bees, the mass breeding and large-scale transport of pollinators, such as honey bees, can pose risks for the transmission of pathogens and parasites, says a May 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

“Emerging infectious diseases… often arise from livestock or plant movements,” notes the Nature Communications study.

Photo: UNEP

The study finds that the global trade in honey bees has expanded massively, owing to their use for managed pollination and honey production. This trade can also increase the geographic distribution of viral, bacterial and fungal honey bee parasites and pathogens. Consequently, it could increase prevalence of emerging infectious diseases, some of which have been implicated in large-scale population (colony) losses.

Chronic bee paralysis has a worldwide distribution, with recent increased incidence reported in Asia, Europe and North America, the study adds.

We all depend on the survival of bees

Bees are important pollinators and pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

This year’s theme  “Bee Engaged” focuses on bee production and good practices adopted by beekeepers to support their livelihoods and deliver good quality products.

Together with World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May) and the International Day for Biological Day (22 May), World Bee Day is devoted to raising awareness on areas that address the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, namely biodiversity conservation; health, food security and biodiversity; and people, culture and biodiversity.

World Environment Day on 5 June is also celebrating biodiversity. The occasion’s theme–It’s Time for Nature—highlights how nature delivers vital services to humanity and the urgent need to halt its destruction.

Source: UNEP

Multi-Purpose Enamelled Tanks of Excellent Resistance

Photo: Witkowitz

Having heard that one company was established in 1828 and that 85 per cent of their products are exported worldwide, these are the credible facts. The company we talk about is Witkowitz, the famous Czech corporation, which apart from inheriting almost two centuries long tradition, has a new look. One of the companies it includes that today holds a name of Witkowitz ENVI delivers its products to dynamically developing markets related to the protection of water resource and other environmental projects. Their production program base consists of large capacity tanks made of enamelled, stainless and comaxite* sheets. The experienced team is responsible for design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), biogas station and liquid fertilizer warehouses, as technological units based on their tanks.

Although metalwork is a legacy of the parent company, the comeback to the industrial scene has occurred with the intense development of technology in the second half of 20th century, which had resulted in changes in all spheres of life. However, those changes haven’t brought only well being, but they left huge vestige when it comes to pollution in nature, lack of drinking water and an enormous increase in waste quantity. Meanwhile, the need for energy, especially for the quality and clean one, has been multiplied. As a response to these demands, being imposed by a different strategical development, the production programme was made, and Witkowitz ENVI covers it from 1966 when they became a new member of the company. Enamelled tanks from this factory have become a synonym for success and base for gradual adoption of present-day technological solutions in fields of wastewater treatment, storing biological waste and manure, and eventually in the field of biogas production and electricity generation. With Vladimir Sitta, the general manager and chairman of the Witkowitz ENVI A.S. Board, we talked about the technological solutions made by this company.

EP: On account of a rather long history in the field of metallurgy, and because of modern-day demands for environmental protection, you established the production of tanks made of enamelled sheets which for decades have been the strategic product. What is their scope of us and what industry are they mostly used in?

Photo: Witkowitz

Vladimir Sitta: Sheets enamelling is done at the temperatures above 800 °C, where the surface of the steel is covered with a double layer of melted glass. The long-lasting protection of the surface of the steel is achieved this way, and enamelled tanks hold water just as drinking glass does. When it comes to quality, this is the unexcelled way of storing water and many other aggressive fluids and materials. That is the exact thing that ensured the good place of enamelled sheets at the market.

We have been into this business for more than 50 years, so it is no wonder that more than 10.000 tanks with our old and new logos can be seen throughout the world. Above-ground tanks covered with glass have the broadspectrum usage and can be applied in agriculture, industry, water management and energy sector. Our tanks and silos can contain liquid and bulk materials. High variability of design enables simple fitting of additional equipment into a currently wide-spread, above mentioned technology units. Aside from storing drinking and wastewater, sludge and rainwater, the tanks are designed to hold body fluids from cattle, pigs, and various industrial water, for suspension, silage, haylage etc. They are suitable for storing lime, cement, ash, biomass, gravel, salt, soot and other materials.

EP: What companies already use the Witkowitz above-ground tanks in Europe and the world?

Vladimir Sitta: We make deliveries directly to end buyers too. Still, the majority of plants are built as a result of longterm cooperation with the multinational companies which try to solve problems with drinking water shortage or wastewater treatment in all continents. Some of our clients are VEOLIA, SUEZ, SYMBIONA, AES Arabia, AQUARIUS, Tank Team, Gruppo Asham, Nijhuis Ind, Monostore, Agrofert, Hydrotech etc. On our web site, there is an interactive map where thousands of locations can be found where those projects were implemented. Also, visitors may see at our web site photo-documentation for certain facilities. A few hundred of water tanks were installed only in Arab states. However, a great number of them were implemented in Mexico, Malesia, north Africa, China, Spain, Poland, Russia, France, Bulgaria and Croatia. So, you can find our tanks from Vladivostok to Chile. Precisely in the Chilean town of Osorno is where our most distant reference is situated. This place and the Witkowitz region, where our production is located, are 13,407 km apart from each other.

EP: What is the most significant comparative advantage of your products in relation to the existing offer at the market?

Vladimir Sitta: The construction of the tank is made of prefabricated elements, which ensures very fast assembling, and along with that, an optimal time for completing the whole project. Transportation of disassembled tank is very easy and simple since all is packed in pallets and containers. It takes a rather small surface for building a tank, which generally consists of a belt 1.5 m wide around the tank. In comparison to a concrete tank, those we make have a small weight. Also, it is easy to inspect the tank after installation and during testing. Machinery isn’t required to build these tanks. Just a forklift or crane is needed. Occasionally, there is a necessity of crane for installing special roof. Mounting is done by using our technology for lifting from the foundation, which means that works are carried through from a ground level and having avoided almost entirely operations at altitude. That diminishes the risk of injuries at the construction site. The tank design can be adjusted to the installation of technological equipment such as pumps, mixers etc. The tank modification, reassembling due to breakdown or relocation is done very quickly. It is also uncomplicated to repair the damaged tank parts, and it is quick and cheap to disassemble the tank. After the expiry date, the tank can be recycled – material can be sold as a steel waste, unlike concrete which remains as a ruin. We have a lot of experience with tank installation throughout the world and in various extreme conditions. The fusion of glass and steel is achieved by their melting at high temperatures, which makes these tanks very durable. The planned operating life of the tank is at least 30 years, and some of them were in use for more than 40 years. Tanks are highly resistant so suitable for storage of even very aggressive substances, in comparison to concrete or tanks made of plasticized steel sheets. Enamelled steel tanks are resistant even in extreme marine conditions. Enamel is resistant to most bases, acids and organic solvents, and it stays unaffected by substances from different emissions. They can be used for all the contents with 3-12 pH value. There is no need for the repainting of the tank. The surface is impervious to all abrasive materials with hardness less than 6 or 7 (glass is 7). It is not possible to scratch the surface with a metal object (knife or other tool steel), and unwanted graffiti and spray paints are easily removed from enamelled surface too.

In focus:

Photo: Witkowitz

EP: Since these enamelled tans can hold drinking and seawater, and different kind of wastewater too, it isn’t unusual that your offer contains also wastewater treatment plants. What are the biggest benefits of this technology?

Vladimir Sitta: Since we established the production of enamelled tanks, the development of society and increase in need of wastewater treatment plants have led to massive construction of wastewater treatment plants near the cities. We were developing our systems for water treatment for years, such as Hydrovit, but today the WWTP design is always adjusted to the client’s needs. We have our design team and installers for fieldwork. The base of the WWTP used to be triple (or double) biological tank which consisted of enamelled sheet tanks placed concentrically: sludge tank, tank for activation and tank for deposition. Tank for activation was technologically used in the process of pre-denitrification (D-N) or sludge regeneration (R-D-N), as process variations during nitrogen removal. Computer-controlled aeration was used for air ventilation of the tank. It is the finest bubbles aeration which ensures high efficiency and low working costs. The new millennium has brought new rules. Design now follows investors’ demands and local needs for technology, and to the extent imposed by production processes and available materials. Aside for above mentioned, plants can have line production and multi-lines production, and they can not only provide water treatment but they also frequently include sludge to energy treatment.

EP: What happens to sludge which remains as a by-product after treatment?

Vladimir Sitta: Sludge coming from WWTP is today’s topical issue. Sludge treatment options depend on relevant national regulations. There has been a tendency in the European Union for the past few years to tightening of regulations concerning sludge treatment. In the Czech Republic, typically in WWTP for up to 50.000 EO sludge that is formed in deposition chamber (in front of WWTP) and excess of sludge from secondary depository are taken to the reservoir where they get mixed and stabilized so that free biological decomposition can be prevented. A solid and fluid fraction is separated, a watery element is returned to the treatment process, whereas the solid part after being sanitized and condensed is scattered in fields as manure. Also, sludges from big WWTPs (above 50.000 PE) after being processed are taken to landfills. In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of sludge incineration plants (for sludge drying, firing, etc.). After being dried and processed, a mass can be added then as an aggregate to concrete (in the form of granules), can be used as fuel in cement plants and blast furnaces, or added as manure (after being grounded). Sludge is always processed or disposed of according to existing regulations, and it is logic to further optimize its treatment process to reduce the costs. In the EU there are several different norms and solutions. Many countries in the EU are committed to removing hard metals and antibiotics from sludge, while a lot of countries have the obligation to incinerate sludge completely. Criteria will be even tighter!

 Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

 Read the whole Interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

As the Health Crisis Hammers the Auto Industry, Electric Cars Remain a Bright Spot

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Neonbrand)

Beyond the immediate impact on health, the Covid-19 pandemic is causing a major shock to the global economy. Electric cars – a key element of transitions to cleaner energy – are being affected in key markets. But despite the crisis, their sales could reach a record share of the overall car market this year.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Neonbrand)

Electric cars have experienced a decade of rapid growth. Global sales grew by more than 60% every year over the past decade except for 2019, when growth slowed down to 6% as the regulatory environment changed in China and passenger car sales contracted in major markets. Even so, electric vehicle sales still reached 2.2 million last year, securing their highest ever share – 2.6% – of the global car market.

In this commentary, we look at what happened to the global car market – and electric cars in particular – as the Covid-19 crisis escalated in the early months of 2020, and what could happen over the rest of the year.

To understand market expectations for electric cars, it is important to look at them in the context of overall car market trends. The first four months of 2020 have seen an unprecedented drop in global car sales. We estimate that global car sales between January and April this year dropped by about one-third from the same period in 2019, with around 9 million fewer cars sold.

On a monthly basis, the decline in sales was even more pronounced, mirroring the timing and stringency of the lockdowns across many countries. China, the world’s largest car market, registered its sharpest year-on-year decline in February. Car sales in China almost always dip in February because of the Lunar New Year holiday. But this year, they plummeted by 80% compared with February 2019.

Other major car markets experienced their heaviest declines in April. In the United States, they roughly halved year on year; in Germany, they dropped about 60%; and in France, they plunged nearly 90%. In the United Kingdom and Italy, sales dropped by 98% in April, signalling a complete breakdown of those markets. For India virtually no car sales were reported.

Initial signs in countries where the lockdown is gradually easing suggest the potential for a quick recovery. In China, policy makers were quick to identify the auto market as a primary target for economic stimulus and encouraged cities to relax car permit quotas, among other measures. Chinese car sales rebounded strongly in April to reach 80% of the level registered in the same month a year earlier. Fears of catching Covid-19 also were reported to be bolstering sales, with driving generally seen as posing a lower risk of infection than taking public transport. In Korea, where the spread of the virus was contained quickly, car sales actually registered an increase over 2019 levels in both March and April. In the first half of 2020, we currently expect global car sales to be around 30% lower than in the same period last year.

Car sales can generally be expected to pick up in the second half of 2020. The extent and pace of the rebound will depend on a range of factors, including the pace at which confinement measures are eased, potential second waves of the pandemic, the pace of economic recovery and the willingness and ability of consumers and businesses to purchase new cars. Government policy will also be critical.

As cities are gradually emerging from lockdowns, some of them are placing temporary restrictions on the frequency and occupancy of public transport, raising the risk of a spike in car traffic. Many cities, particularly in Europe, are therefore rapidly putting together policies to rethink the use of urban space and promote cycling. At the same time, however, national governments may look to reduce potential employment losses in the auto industry through measures that stimulate car sales.

Stimulus measures, if adopted, can boost car sales, although their impact can be difficult to foresee. During the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, the German cash-for-clunkers programme (which allowed consumers to trade in older vehicles for new ones) boosted car sales by around one-quarter over the first half of 2009, although they slowed down afterwards as available funds expired. In the United States, it took seven years for US car sales to reach pre-crisis levels. We currently expect overall car sales in 2020 to be around 15% (or 13 million cars) lower than in 2019, with the largest drops registered in Europe, the United States and China. This represents a historic drop twice the size of the decline that occurred between 2008 and 2009.1

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic brought about a dramatic decline in electric car sales. In China, the drop followed that of overall car sales. The decline was largest in February, with electric car sales falling to 16 000 vehicles, a plunge of around 60% from the same month in 2019. Sales rebounded strongly in April, reaching around 80% of the level they were at a year earlier. In the United States, electric car sales in April more than halved from a year earlier to about 10 000 vehicles.

Electric car sales in European countries bucked the trend of the overall car market for a variety of reasons. 2020 is the target year of the European Union’s CO2 emissions standards, which limit average CO2 emissions per kilometre driven of new car sales. In addition, Germany increased electric car purchase subsidies in February, and the impacts of the system introduced in Italy in 2019 to encourage electric cars started to affect the market.

The result: in the largest European car markets combined (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom), sales of electric cars in the first four months of 2020 reached more than 145 000 electric cars, about 90% higher than in the same period last year. In Norway, the country with the highest share of electric cars in overall car sales, the number of electric cars sold between January and April 2020 was about the same as in the same period in 2019.

Electric cars are likely to have a much better 2020 than the rest of the auto industry. Electric cars are gradually becoming competitive in some countries on the basis of the total cost of ownership (which includes fuel expenses as well as purchase costs), even if the recent plunge in oil prices has eroded that somewhat. But the high upfront investment for consumers – electric car prices are still higher than those of conventional cars – mean that the electric car market still relies on government support. Today, electric cars in many markets are subject to a host of incentives and regulatory efforts. Most global electric car sales involve a financial incentive from governments that often takes the form of direct purchase subsidies or tax reductions.

The Covid-19 crisis has raised concerns that the economic crisis could lead governments to relax fuel efficiency standards to lower the pressure on struggling automakers, or reduce support measures for electric cars to free up funds for use elsewhere. That has not happened so far. China announced it would extend the purchase subsidies that it had originally planned to discontinue this year until 2022 – albeit at a slightly reduced rate. In addition, the typical electric car buyer in many countries still tends to be wealthier than the average consumer and might be less affected by the economic downturn. And around 100 new electric car models are expected to become available over the course of 2020, increasing the choice for potential customers.

Against this backdrop, it is quite possible that global electric car sales in 2020 will continue their upward trend, experiencing a substantially lower impact than the overall car market. Our central estimate today is for global electric car sales to slightly exceed 2019’s total to reach more than 2.3 million and achieve a record share of the overall car market of more than 3%. This brings up the total number of electric cars on the road worldwide to a new record of about 10 million, around 1% of the global car stock.

The car industry is a critical part of economic activity in many of the world’s largest economies employing millions of people across the entire supply chain. It has been impacted severely during the Covid-19 crisis, with practically all major car manufacturers halting production lines for varying periods of time. The challenge for governments now is to craft the appropriate policy response. How can they enable the workforce to get back to their jobs and also make the electric car industry a key contributor to the economic recovery?

Past experience has been mixed. Cash-for-clunkers programmes can be an effective approach if they are designed to support the uptake of more efficient (e.g. hybrid) and electric cars. In past stimulus packages, however, such considerations were not always adequately addressed and sales of SUVs and diesel cars were boosted, which pushed up global oil demand and air pollution. Support for the auto industry can also be tied to ambitious fuel economy regulations, which in the past triggered innovation and helped jump start key parts of today’s electric car industry.

The IEA’s World Energy Outlook Sustainable Recovery Report, to be released in June, will examine the main ways to support sustainable transport through stimulus packages. If the auto industry were to delay its investment plans in electric car production because of the crisis, this would risk stalling a key component of clean energy transitions. Clear and continued commitment by governments willing to support the electrification of transport could ensure its acceleration.

Authors: Timur Gül, Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division Marine Gorner, Energy analyst, and Leonardo Paoli, Energy and Transport Researcher

Source: IEA

Total Production of Forest Assortments in Bosnia and Herzegovina Increased by 20 Per Cent

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Agency for Statistics of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (screenshot)

Total production of forest assortments in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1st quarter of 2020 increased by 20,29%, compared to the same period in 2019.

Production of coniferous (softwood)   assortments is higher for 26,26% while the production of broadleaf (hardwood) assortments increases for 14,19%.

Production of coniferous logs is 24,69% higher while the production of broadleaf logs records an increase of 13,48%.

An increase in production,  compared to the 1st quarter of 2019, has been recorded in all other forest assortments.

In the production of coniferous mining wood, the rise is 21,10%, in production of other coniferous long wood  2,23%, in production of coniferous cordwood 34,76%, in production of broadleaf other long wood  42,96%,  in production of broadleaf cordwood 46,00% and in production of broadleaf fuelwood 12,43%.

Broadleaf mining wood, other roughly worked wood and coniferous fuelwood are produced in small quantities and changes  in produced quantities do not affect variations in total production of forest assortments.

You can read the full statement here.

Source: Agency for Statistics of the Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNEP Start-Up Challenge Winners Show How Business Can Build Back Better From COVID-19

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quingbao Meng)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quingbao Meng)

The 2020 winners of a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) start-up initiative are demonstrating business solutions that will help Asia build back better and greener after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nine entrepreneurs selected by the 2020 Asia-Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge are advancing green businesses in the categories of low-carbon energy, plastic waste prevention and low-carbon mobility. Each winner receives $10,000 in funding, in addition to training, business mentoring and technical analysis of their environmental impacts. Winners hail from Bhutan, China, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“COVID-19 has brought about an unprecedented halt to many human activities, including some that have wreaked significant damage on environmental systems in Asia,” said Dechen Tsering, UNEP’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “Lessons learned from the management of this crisis provide an opportunity to both revisit our relationship with nature and rebuild a more environmentally responsible economy. Entrepreneurs in Asia stand ready with innovative business solutions that work for economic recovery and the environment. The Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge will help them overcome systemic barriers that innovations usually face, with grants, partnerships, training and visibility.”

In support of entrepreneurs experiencing downtime during lockdown, UNEP will make the eight-week startup bootcamp online, and free to all interested entrepreneurs.

The winners of the 2020 Asia-Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge are:

Preventing plastic waste

Sissi Chao, China

Sissi’s start-up REMAKEHUB works with NGOs and fishing companies and fashion brands to collect discarded fishing nets and then transform them into high-performance renewable plastic products. Having already collaborated with WWF to create upcycled sunglasses and prototyping furniture, REMAKEHUB is fixing its gaze on the US$141 billion eyewear market and the US$100 billion furniture market.

Rikesh Gurung, Bhutan

As Founder of The Green Road, Rikesh is transforming plastic waste into roadbuilding material. As the first effort of its kind in Bhutan, they have already recovered 400 tonnes of waste plastic from landfills and industry and have used it to pave over 65 kilometers of road. With 20 per cent of Bhutan’s 8,800km road network requiring surfacing each year, the potential demand for plastic waste is substantial.

Linh Le, Vietnam

Linh’s reusable cup share system, AYA Cup, is taking aim at the 27 tons of plastic and Styrofoam generated by Vietnam’s food delivery and take-away industry every year. But her environmental efforts also aim to turn a profit – the single-use plastic industry in Vietnam is worth up to US$1.6 billion each year.

Low-carbon energy

Kaikai Yang, China

Kaikai’s Wattime Platform is connecting renewable energy producers and consumers in rural areas. Often local generation and consumption is unbalanced, but Wattime aims to create a more sustainable business for renewables on the back of blockchain and advanced metering infrastructure technologies.

Osama bin Shakeel, Pakistan

An electrical engineer by training, Osama’s startup ENENT has built a solid-state load balancer that can save households 20-25 per cent on their electricity bills with virtually no impact to the consumer. The result is not only a welcome financial saving for household owners in Pakistan – it’s beneficial for the environment, cutting the carbon footprint of one of the largest contributors to climate change – buildings.

Tuan Tran, Vietnam

Tuan’s start-up Airiot is targeting the hotel and homestay market in Vietnam, where guests tend to leave air conditioning on even when they’re not in the room. Airiot’s simple solution, already piloted in 500 rooms across Vietnam has shown a 25-40 per cent reduction in electricity usage each month – with associated carbon emissions reductions.

Low-carbon mobility

Pichayanun Benjaboonyapisut, Thailand

Pichayanun’s company CyFai is tapping into two things Thailand has in abundance: sun and scooters. CyFai started as a provider of shading solutions for parking lots. Now, they are working with technical partners to add solar panels and charging stations to the shading setup and finance e-bikes to low income customers. The ebikes can also be used as mobile batteries for household energy use. CyFai is tying it all together to create an environmentally friendly alternative for the 83 per cent of Thai households that use a scooter.

Ajay Singh, India

Ajay’s Nimray Network is bringing electric mobility full circle, connecting electric vehicles to clean energy production. As more and more electric vehicles are adopted around the world, Ajay is working to achieve the up to 95 per cent reduction in carbon emissions that occurs when the vehicles are charged by renewable energy.

Earth Choohut, Thailand

Earth’s ETRAN was founded on the idea to develop an electric motorbike for public transportation. Now with two models, the PROM and the KRAF, ETRAN is working to edge out the 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced annually by electrifying Thailand’s 22 million motorcycles. Greenhouse gas reduction isn’t Earth’s only goal – ETRAN’s two-wheelers are now over 40 per cent bioplastics as well.

This is an initiative funded by the Ministry of Environment Japan, as part of the One Planet network (the network of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10 YFP)). Partners include the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Massive Earth Foundation, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Mitsui Chemicals International, and GCL Power.

Source: UNEP

International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO Reports

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
  • International tourism down 22% in Q1 and could decline by 60-80% over the whole year
  • 67 million fewer international tourists up to March translates into US$80 billion in lost exports
  • UNWTO has outlined three possible future scenarios depending on how the crisis unfolds
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020, the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows. According to the United Nations specialized agency, the crisis could lead to an annual decline of between 60% and 80% when compared with 2019 figures. This places millions of livelihoods at risk and threatens to roll back progress made in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Tourism has been hit hard, with millions of jobs at risk in one of the most labour-intensive sectors of the economy.

Available data reported by destinations point to a 22% decline in arrivals in the first three months of the year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Arrivals in March dropped sharply by 57% following the start of a lockdown in many countries, as well as the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders. This translates into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about US$80 billion in receipts (exports from tourism).

Although Asia and the Pacific shows the highest impact in relative and absolute terms (-33 million arrivals), the impact in Europe, though lower in percentage, is quite high in volume (-22 million).

International Tourism 2020 Scenarios

Prospects for the year have been downgraded several times since the outbreak and uncertainty continues to dominate. Current scenarios point to possible declines in arrivals of 58% to 78% for the year. These depend on the speed of containment and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders. The following scenarios for 2020 are based on three possible dates for the gradual opening up of international borders.

  • Scenario 1 (-58%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early July;
  • Scenario 2 (-70%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early September;
  • Scenario 3 (-78%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions only in early December.

Under these scenarios, the impact of the loss of demand in international travel could translate into:

  • Loss of 850 million to 1.1 billion international tourists;
  • Loss of US$910 billion to US$1.2 trillion in export revenues from tourism;
  • 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk.

This is by far the worst crisis that international tourism has faced since records began (1950). The impact will be felt to varying degrees in the different global regions and at overlapping times, with Asia and the Pacific expected to rebound first.

Experts see recovery in 2021

Domestic demand is expected to recover faster than international demand according to the UNWTO Panel of Experts survey. The majority expects to see signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021. Based on previous crises, leisure travel is expected to recover quicker, particularly travel for visiting friends and relatives, than business travel.

The estimates regarding the recovery of international travel is more positive in Africa and the Middle East with most experts foreseeing recovery still in 2020. Experts in the Americas are the least optimistic and least likely to believe in recovery in 2020, while in Europe and Asia the outlook is mixed, with half of the experts expecting to see recovery within this year.

Source: UNWTO

Staying the Course on Clean Transport Fuels in Latin America

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Modern bioenergy is an often-overlooked giant among renewable energy sources, accounting for half of the world’s renewable energy consumption. Biofuels are by far the largest source of clean transport fuels, with almost a quarter of the demand coming from Latin America. Biofuels have numerous benefits for the region, from ensuring energy security to lowering emissions and creating jobs in rural areas. Therefore, it is essential to understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on this key sector for Latin America’s clean energy transitions.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Producers of biofuels in Argentina and Brazil, the two largest markets, are facing lower demand and lower prices in their domestic and export markets. While ethanol producers are able to switch their production to sugar, the price of sugar is also currently low. The situation in Brazil is compounded by rapidly declining gasoline prices, which reduce the competitiveness of unblended biofuels at the pump.

In 2017, Latin America accounted for less than 8% of the world’s transport energy demand but was responsible for 23% of the demand for biofuels, with Argentina and Brazil as the two largest markets. With 9% (by energy) of renewables in its transport mix versus the global average of 3%, the region is a step ahead in decarbonising transport.

In addition to being the second-largest biofuel producer, Brazil has the world’s second-largest share of renewables in transport, the result of a policy established following the 1973 oil crisis to promote biofuels as an alternative to imported fossil fuels. Brazil’s flagship new biofuel policy, RenovaBio, was developed to meet targets included in Brazil’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on climate change: a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2028 and an 18% share for sustainable biofuels in the country’s energy mix by 2030.

Biofuels are a source of economic development and employment in rural areas. According to the Brazilian sugarcane industry association UNICA, the sector is responsible for 2.3 million direct and indirect jobs in Brazil, with a higher rate of formal employment than the rest of the agro-industry and the overall economy. Brazil has the world’s largest fleet of flex-fuel vehicles,2 representing over 70% of the country’s passenger vehicle fleet and more than 90% of new passenger car registrations each year, allowing consumers to choose at the pump between unblended ethanol and gasoline, depending on relative pricing.

Brazilian sugarcane mills usually produce both sugar and ethanol – with shares decided during the harvest based on which commodity will bring greater revenue – as well as renewable electricity generated from burning bagasse, a sugar cane residue.

Faced with lower transport fuel demand and prices, ethanol producers are allocating a larger part of the sugar cane crop to sugar, which leads, in turn, to lower prices. Lower demand has allowed producers in Argentina and Brazil to direct a share of ethanol for the production of hand sanitizers during the pandemic, although this market is far smaller than that for transport fuels.

Many mills in the sector were already heavily indebted before the crisis as a result of the loss of competitiveness of unblended ethanol while gasoline prices were subsidised between 2012 and 2016. The impact of the crisis could be compounded as it is taking place at the beginning of harvest season, when mills need income from ethanol sales to undertake their activities.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Brazilian ethanol producers are also dealing with decreasing gasoline prices, which have fallen more rapidly than unblended ethanol prices at the pump. This will not only reduce total consumption of biofuels, but also the share of biofuels in total transport demand. Therefore, Brazil’s newly introduced flagship RenovaBio program may need to adjust CO2 emissions reduction targets for the year, with a resulting change to the value of associated CBIO certificates.

Argentina’s biodiesel industry, the sixth‑largest globally, relies on exports as domestic demand from the country’s 10% blending mandate is well below production capacity. Argentine biofuel exports have been the focus of international trade disputes, which has led to several restrictions and quotas that have hurt the sector’s financial health and investment capacity. With local and export demand expected to shrink by around 30%, biofuels production in Argentina in 2020 is expected to drop to 2009 levels, with idle production capacity reaching around 60%.

To address the developing crisis in Latin America’s biofuel sector, it will be critical to recognise the numerous benefits that biofuels bring to the region, including energy security, lower emissions, jobs and economic development in rural areas.

Short-term measures could include making favourable changes in fuel taxation and financial support measures for the sector, including funding working capital, and making storage available to absorb excess production during periods of low demand. Tax regimes and incentives should be carefully reviewed on a regular basis to consider the impacts on final consumers as well as economic sustainability.

Demand is expected to grow in the longer term. So programmes that encourage the use of biofuels – and that provide a long-term vision of their place in the transport sector, such as RenovaBio – are crucial to enable long-term investments in the sector. It is essential that such policy ambitions are not delayed or diluted as a result of low oil prices.

Latin America, a leading region in biofuels, is a source of experience that is relevant for countries all over the world. Argentina and Brazil are founding members of the Biofuture Platform, a 20-country partnership established in 2016 to promote co-ordination of efforts to support the development and deployment of modern, sustainable bioenergy. Since 2019, the IEA has served as Facilitator for the Biofuture Platform.

Under its Clean Energy Transitions Programme, the IEA is developing a framework for assessing the impact and effectiveness of bioenergy policies and frameworks. The IEA will continue working with the Biofuture Platform, the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme and other flagship bioenergy partnerships. Together we will help policy makers and decision makers develop effective responses to the crisis and accelerate efforts in support of a sustainable bioeconomy in Latin America and beyond.

Authors: Mariano Berkenwald, Clean Energy Transitions Programme Officer for Latin America, and Pharoah Le Feuvre, Renewable Energy Analyst

Source: IEA

Harnessing Tech to Employ Last-Mile Tree Planters in a COVID-19 World

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

The year 2020 started with such optimism and hope for nature-based solutions and environmental sustainability.

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

Environmental, social and governance investments were high on the agenda at Davos; the World Economic Forum launched the 1 Trillion Trees campaign, backed by Salesforce; BlackRock’s CEO sent an open letter to industry leaders about the future of the planet and the tough but necessary choices ahead for investment; and calls for action from young people were gathering momentum.

The message was clear: if we don’t do something fast, our future does not look good.

Then, a few short weeks into the new decade, COVID-19 literally shut giant swaths of the world down. Planes stopped flying, factories closed, businesses had to adapt, and people stayed indoors. Many world leaders showed us that in times of crisis they can act fast.

Now what? Post COVID-19 recovery plans are a priority: the current loss of income and slowed economic growth are being compared by some to the Great Depression of the 1930s—and this time the situation may be affecting millions more people.

Photo: UNEP (Jon Trimarco)

The climate, biodiversity and COVID-19-induced poverty crises require creative and innovative solutions.

In recent years there has been much technological development in terms of restoring degraded land—from big satellite data and complex carbon measuring systems, to tree tracking and tree-based currencies. Investments in land restoration can create much needed jobs and income in rural areas of developing countries.

What if we harnessed new technology by linking donors investing in trees to the actual planters themselves, where the planters are paid not only to plant the tree, but also to ensure their survival?  Could we turn tree planters into tree growers through an incremental payment system that pays individual planters to maintain the life of a tree, especially during its first vulnerable years?

“The big result of this COVID crisis is there will be a lot of jobless people in many impoverished places, when in fact these people could… have jobs in carrying [out] restoration projects near their village, near their community,” says Robert Nasi, Director-General of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in a recent Global Landscapes Forum panel discussion [minute 38]. “I think we should provide the capacity for these people… to do good work where they are after the crisis.”

Photo: UNEP (Jon Trimarco)

Tim Christophersen, a nature and climate expert with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), says: “The pandemic requires vigorous physical distancing rules, but this need not affect tree-growing efforts. Imagine if one billion smallholder farmers around the world could keep working and supplement their income by planting trees. This could provide economic recovery funding to those who need it the most.”

According to the co-founder of Greenstand, Ezra Jay, “Tackling both climate change and poverty, Greenstand has created a technology stack to verify tree survival and enable planting organizations to pay individuals to grow trees and restore degraded land.”

The technology has been tested in several countries, and perhaps most effectively through a partnership with Fairtree.org, an organization that has developed a mobilization and engagement “pay-to-grow” framework and communications campaign to reach and pay these last mile planters.

Pay to Grow: Enabling a pan-African tree growing movement

As one of many contributing initiatives for a post COVID-19 economic recovery that, in turn, supports the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 and the 1 Trillion Trees campaign, UNEP is exploring the expansion of the “pay to grow” model in East Africa with Greenstand and Fairtree.org.

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

“Fairtree.org, using Greenstand technology, is expanding its pay-to-grow model to the greater tree-planting movement so that together we can ensure measurable social and environmental impact and create more jobs on the front lines of the climate crisis,” says Jon Trimarco, co-founder of Fairtree.org.

“Fairtree’s ‘pay-to-grow’ model ensures that hundreds of thousands of prospective tree growers have the resources and know-how they need to lead restoration projects in their own communities,” Trimarco adds.

The model, which includes a communications strategy and content to educate, mobilize and inspire tree growing, fits well with many ongoing efforts, such as the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and TerrAfrica.  The Pan-African Action Agenda on Ecosystem Restoration for Increased Resilience is the glue that binds all African restoration initiatives.

Trees provide ecosystems services, including protecting Africa’s soils, water and climate, and buffering disease, and are crucial to averting serious food crises.

Mobilizing millions of new tree champions along the last mile is imperative if we are to achieve the bold targets set out by the 1 Trillion Trees initiative and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Source: UNEP

A New Smart and Safe Way to Monitor Powertrain Equipment in Hazardous Areas

Photo: ABB

Operators can carry out remote real-time health checks on powertrain equipment in hazardous areas with ABB Ability™ Smart Sensors that offer improved analytics, functionality and communications.

ABB will launch its Smart Sensor for rotating machine operating in hazardous areas at Hannover Messe 2020, the leading international technology fair. It further extends the existing scope of applications for ABB Smart Sensors with a new generation design for powertrains in hazardous areas. Chemical and oil and gas customers can now benefit from cost-efficient condition monitoring in a wide variety of applications.

Photo: ABB

The wireless smart sensor monitors key parameters to provide detailed insights into the performance and health of assets such as motors and pumps. Equipment installed in difficult or dangerous to access locations can be safely monitored from a distance. Combining connectivity and data analytics means operators can plan their maintenance activities in advance, reduce downtime and extend equipment lifetime.

“Our new generation of smart sensors provide high quality data to enable ABB’s advanced analytics to be used in hazardous areas,” says Teijo Kärnä, Global Product Manager, ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor. “These smart sensors are more sensitive which allows customers to see problems earlier. They also offer more monitoring capabilities, a broader communication range and exceptional battery life.”

This sensor offers a battery life of up to three times longer than most competing designs. It is sealed for life, with an IP66/67 rating, and can be mounted directly to the equipment in a matter of minutes using a simple mounting bracket.

In focus:

The sensor communicates with smartphones, tablets, PCs and plant gateways using low energy Bluetooth or WirelessHART. A new antenna design has extended its  range by a factor of three to four, meaning that reliable communication over distances of a few hundred meters (line of sight) is now possible.

Another crucial upgrade is that the sensors have greater sensitivity to small changes in the condition of the equipment, including advanced warning of bearing damage. This capability to generate a much wider range of data is matched with state of the art integrated electronics that incorporate advanced algorithms based on ABB’s vast experience in electric motors. This helps operators and maintenance teams produce insightful information to predict potential failure, enabling remedial action to be taken before a breakdown occurs.

The Smart Sensor is currently completing certification for hazardous areas – ATEX, IECEx and NEC. Other certificates will follow over the coming year.

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

These Countries Are Leading the Transition to Sustainable Energy

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Frederick Tubiermont)
  • The Energy Transition Index 2020 analyzes the energy sectors of 115 countries.
  • Sweden tops the global rankings as the country most prepared to transition to clean energy.
  • COVID-19 could threaten the rate at which economies adopt more sustainable power.
  • Robust long-term policies are needed to guard against shocks such as the pandemic and climate change.
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Science in HD)

What does COVID-19 mean for the energy transition? While lockdowns have caused a temporary fall in CO2 emissions, the pandemic risks derailing recent progress in addressing the world’s energy challenges.

The current state of the sector is described in the World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2020. It benchmarks the energy systems of 115 economies, highlighting the leading players in the race to net-zero emissions, as well as those with work to do.

With pressure to get idle economies back to “normal”, the short-term shift to a more sustainable energy sector could be in doubt. But the current crisis also presents an opportunity to rethink how our energy needs are met, and consider the long-term impact on the planet.

Unprecedented change

The past decade has seen rapid transformations as countries move towards clean energy generation, supply and consumption. Coal-fired power plants have been retired, as reliance on natural gas and emissions-free renewable energy sources increases. Incremental gains have been made from carbon pricing initiatives.

Since 2015, 94 of 115 countries have improved their combined score on the Energy Translation Index (ETI), which analyzes each country’s readiness to adopt clean energy using three criteria: energy access and security; environmental sustainability; and economic development and growth.

But the degree of change and the timetable for reaching net-zero emissions differ greatly between countries, and taken as a whole, today’s advances are insufficient to meet the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

The 10 countries most prepared for the energy transition

Photo: WEF Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2020 edition

Sweden tops the overall ETI ranking for the third consecutive year as the country most ready to transition to clean energy, followed by Switzerland and Finland. There has been little change in the top 10 since the last report, which demonstrates the energy stability of these developed nations, although the gap with the lowest-ranked countries is closing.

Top-ranked countries share a reduced reliance on imported energy, lower energy subsidies and a strong political commitment to transforming their energy sector to meet climate targets.

The UK and France are the only two G20 economies in the top 10 however, which is otherwise made up of smaller nations.

Powerful shocks

Outside the top 10, progress has been modest in Germany. Ranked 20th, the country has committed to phasing out coal-fired power plants and moving industrial output to cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, but making energy services affordable remains a struggle.

China, ranked 78th, has made strong advances in controlling CO2 emissions by switching to electric vehicles and investing heavily in solar and wind energy – it currently has the world’s largest solar PV and onshore wind capacity. Alongside China, countries including Argentina, India and Italy have shown consistent strong improvements every year. Gains over time have also been recorded by Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Kenya and Oman, among others.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Frederick Tubiermont)

But high energy-consuming countries including the US, Canada and Brazil show little, if any, progress towards an energy transition.

In the US – ranked 32nd – moves to establish a more sustainable energy sector have been hampered by policy decisions, while neighbouring Canada grapples with the conflicting demands of a growing economy and the need to decarbonize the energy sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a reminder of the impact of external shocks on the global economy. As climate change increases the likelihood of weather extremes such as floods, droughts and violent storms, the need for more sustainable energy practices is intensified.

Policy-makers need to develop a robust framework for energy transition at local, national and international levels, capable of guarding against such shocks.

“The coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to consider unorthodox intervention in the energy markets, and global collaboration to support a recovery that accelerates the energy transition once the acute crisis subsides,” says Roberto Bocca, Head of Energy & Materials at the World Economic Forum.

“This giant reset grants us the option to launch aggressive, forward-thinking and long-term strategies leading to a diversified, secure and reliable energy system that will ultimately support the future growth of the world economy in a sustainable and equitable way.”

Source: WEF

Mobility for Africa Shows How Electric Vehicles Can Transform Lives Where It Matters Most

Photo: Courtesy of Mobility for Africa, via Clean Technica

A lot of startups pop up from time to time with the “Next Big Thing” or the next big service offering in EVs. Most of the time they will be hyping some futuristic and to some extent, mythical new six-figure price tagged EV packed with all the “Bells and Whistles” that promises to do 0 to 100 km/h in under 2 seconds! Sometimes we wonder why more people aren’t looking into some more practical solutions to everyday problems like an EV for ordinary people and not some futuristic vaporware some startups promise in perpetuity. People just want to be able to get about safely and efficiently!

Photo: Courtesy of Mobility for Africa, via Clean Technica

To be honest, at this stage 10 years after the first mass produced EV of the modern era, the Nissan Leaf, we just need more and more practical EVs that are widely available. High performance EVs have their place. We are not against people pushing the limits to improve tech. We would just love to see more EVs and mobility as a service firms that are focused on addressing some real life problems and transforming peoples lives where it matters most.

The lives of most rural women and their families have not changed much over the last couple of decades. The women and children still walk long distances to just about everywhere they need to get to. The women walk daily to collect firewood for cooking and heating, water from a well or the nearest river, the nearest clinic, the nearest bus stop to get to the nearest town, and they also walk some distance carrying heavy loads on their heads to take their produce to the market. They often have to make several trips or lose a huge chunk of their perishable produce as they cannot carry a lot of it to the market. The children aren’t spared either, they sometimes walk several km to and from school. The hours wasted mean the communities miss out on many potential economic and self-development opportunities.

Some startups are now working to address some of these problems. We recently found Mobility For Africa (MFA). MFA is a startup founded by Australian Shantha Bloeman and is currently piloting electric three-wheelers in the rural Wedza district of Zimbabwe. MFA’s vision is to “bring solar powered electric transport solutions to women and their families that are affordable, efficient and adapted to peri urban and rural areas in Africa.” As it executes its mission, MFA aims to “empower rural women in Africa with transport solutions that can help them save time, sell more of their goods at the market, take their children to the clinic, to school, to collect water, as well as improve their economic opportunities within the households and local communities.” Its ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of women and their families and at the same time “contribute to expanding renewable energy for transport in Africa contributing to longer term sustainability and mitigating climate change.”

MFA has partnered with Tsinghua University in China, Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and The Solar Shack to set up the pilot and create the data system to measure results from the pilot programs. MFA has also set up an assembly plant in Harare’s industrial zone. By choosing to bring in semi-knocked down kits from China and assembling the electric tricycle in Harare, MFA will create some good job opportunities and technology transfer programs in Zimbabwe’s current economic environment where unemployment is at an all-time high. MFA has also developed training and operation manuals for its Electric Lady Agents. MFA also facilitates driving lessons & testing for competency for users that also include a driving manual and battery charging guidelines. The manuals are available in both English and local language versions.

The electric tricycle is known as the Hamba, which means “go” in the local languages. Working with its technical partners, the company has used the lessons learnt in the first phase of the pilot to make improvements and modify the original Chinese tricycle to make it more suitable to rural African conditions. The use of solar charging hubs in such rural setups is critical, as most of the time these villages are far from the grid. The synergies between the solar hubs and the electric vehicles will help propel both the distributed solar microgrid and the electric vehicle sectors in this part of the world. The solar hubs will allow battery charging and or battery swapping stations to be set up at multiple locations, which in turn will encourage adoption of electric vehicles. Typical EVs utilized in these villages  may be in the form of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and low range affordable electric cars and lorries.

MFA plans to roll out a pay-as-you-go system (PayGo). The PayGo system is well understood in rural Africa since the wave of small home solar systems provided by the likes of M-Kopa swept across Sub-Saharan Africa. During this trial phase, MFA has started with a monthly and daily rental system and hope to prove that the women can pay. Armed with this data, it hopes to raise the capital to allow it to provide longer-term financing options.

MFA has successfully raised some funds through a crowdsourcing campaign that allowed it to ship the first container of tricycles and get the pilot program going. MFA has also won a grant from the Live Expo Innovation Grant and also secured a grant from the Africa Energy Competition Fund. MFA has recently secured a partnership with a German second-life battery company, batteries, to test out second-life lithium batteries for the Hamba. MFA hopes Zimbabwe will be a local base for assembly and distribution of its products across Africa. We hope it will be able to find more funding partners to enable it to quickly roll out the commercial phase of the project. After that, the company would have a very nice template to simply cut and paste across many African nations.

Author: Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai

Source: Clean Technica

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