Clean Technology Is an Exportation Leverage of the Greenest Country in the World

11.01.2018

Having been investing in the health sector and environmental protection for decades, Finland is now highly ranked among the world’s leading countries with the most advanced standards of environmental protection and health technology. In a conversation with Pertti Ikonen, Finnish ambassador in Serbia, we found out what measures the Finns have applied to develop “ecological health” which involves a multidisciplinary approach in order to preserve the balance between ecology and human health and encompass many areas including recycling and energy efficiency.

EP: Is an effective Finnish environmental policy the result of the implementation of the strict EU legislation or there are some particularities in applying those standards in your country?

Pertti Ikonen: Finland has indeed been doing well in international environmental rankings. Just to name one example, by the environmental performance index (EPI) 2016, Finland is the greenest country in the world. Even though we Finns are well-known for our compliance with rules and regulations, including EU legislation, environmental protection is something that is also close to our heart. Our Nordic environment is particularly vulnerable, especially in the northernmost part of the country, Lapland, where nature can be slow to recover from any damage. It is more difficult and costly to repair any damage done to our nature than to prevent it in the first place, so therefore, we need an appropriate legislative framework to protect the sensitive environment we live in.

EP: Was it necessary to run intensive campaigns on the importance of preserving the environment as a way to keep and boost the health of the nation back at the time when Finland was about to join the EU in early 90’s?

Pertti Ikonen: Environmental protection in Finland has a longer history than our EU integration. Its roots are in the international nature conservation movement in the 1960’s that started as a reaction to worsening water and air pollution. The Ministry of Environment, with departments focused on specific aspects of conservation and nature policy, was created in 1983, twelve years before Finland joined the EU. Also, our country is limited in terms of natural resources, which has created a conservation-focused mindset and the ability to do more with less. For example, used paper has been collected in Finland for almost a century and today, the recycling rate is 93 percent, while in many countries this is still something new.

EP: Your country provides many good examples of how to protect the natural environment. What is the key approach to keeping ecological balance and ecological health, without compromising economic growth?

Pertti Ikonen: Sustainability and economic growth go very well hand in hand and in today’s world, they should be seen inseparable. According to a recent study, Finns believe that in the future, domestic companies will be most successful in environmentally sustainable technologies, health technology, and the forest industry. Already today, the clean tech industry is one of the cornerstones of our economy. Finnish companies are global leaders in energy efficiency, clean industrial processes, and bioenergy.

In the extreme conditions of our country, innovative thinking has always played an important role. In the Global Clean tech Innovation Index 2017, Finland ranked second in clean tech. One example of our clean tech innovations is wood-based biofuel produced from forest industry residues. To name another example, 38% of the Finnish energy is produced from renewable sources and the national target for renewables is 50% by 2030. This ambitious goal provides many business opportunities for companies specializing in renewable energy production and distribution as well as products and services.

EP: How has your country achieved harmony between preserving nature and retaining land for many human needs?

Pertti Ikonen: I will focus here on the forest sector which is one of the mainstays of the Finnish economy. Today, the forest industry accounts for over 20 per cent of Finland’s export revenue and it is a major employer, especially in regional areas. This is understandable as Finland is Europe’s most forested country, with more than 70 per cent of the land covered with forests. As a result of sustainable forestry, Finland’s forest resources are increasing as the natural growth of forests more than compensates for the amounts of timber logged. In addition, 3.0 million hectares of forest, 13 per cent of the total forest area, are protected or under restricted use.

EP: Finland’s health sector has grown at a faster pace than many other sectors in recent years. What has given the major push ahead in this sector?

Pertti Ikonen: Research and development (R&D) play a crucial role here and it is something that we take very seriously in Finland, not only in the health sector but across the board. The importance of R&D is also reflected in the amount and diversity of funding which comes both from the private sector and the government. In 2014, 3.17 per cent of Finland’s GDP was used for R&D expenditure, which amounted to the highest R&D intensity of all 28 EU member states, followed closely by other Nordics Sweden and Denmark.

In the health care sector, this research-driven environment has earned Finland an impressive reputation for its numerous world-renowned scientists and groundbreaking treatments to various diseases. Finland has become one of the leading health care providers in the world in terms of diagnostics, treatment, and aftercare. Currently, the healthcare sector also attracts a significant amount of international investments, especially from global pharma and health tech companies, venture capitalists and private equity funds.

EP: The Finnish Diplomatic Mission in Serbia has been organizing the local Slush competition since 2015, providing local start-ups with an opportunity to present projects in the field of sustainable development. What kind of help can a local start-up company with innovative ideas expect?

Pertti Ikonen: Finland supports innovations and the startup ecosystem in Serbia. That is why for the third year in a row, the Embassy of Finland, in cooperation with the Serbian Innovation Fund, has organized the local Slush competition for startups. Each of the three shortlisted companies from this year’s competition offers solutions that support the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2016. For the first time this year, all three companies that have entered a major competition participated in the Global Impact Accelerator and the Slush Conference in Helsinki in late November and early December.

The Accelerator program provides a chance for the local startup company to improve its skills and business model and prepare the company to pitch its idea at the Slush conference, which is the biggest tech conference in Northern Europe. It is expected that this year it will gather more than 17,000 experts in the field of innovation, startups, and technology.The conference offers a great opportunity for Serbian companies to connect with the global start-up ecosystem, investors, and potential partners. This was also recognized by the Serbian companies that attended the Slush Conference this year and in this way make the most of this unique opportunity.

The Embassy would like to see more involvement of the relevant Serbian institutions in this sector. So far, good cooperation was established with the Innovation Fund and the Ministry for Innovation and Technological Development. Last year, Serbian experts had an opportunity to get to know the best practices from relevant Finnish institutions within their TAIEX study visit to Finland. This year, the Ministry for Innovation and Technological Development is considering participation at the Slush conference and meeting with relevant counterparts from Finland. All preconditions for creating an efficient innovation ecosystem in Serbia are in place and Finland will be there to help in this process.

EP: In addition to what we have mentioned, what other activities the Embassy undertakes in promoting regional cooperation and development projects for climate preservation?

Pertti Ikonen: In 2017, Finland is celebrating 100 years of independence and the Embassy is organizing numerous events to mark this special year in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. It is important to mention that we are supported by 18 partner companies in organizing different projects and events throughout the year. One of my favorite projects is planting trees in different cities around Serbia. We are looking forward to continuing with this project next year and to implement it in Montenegro and Macedonia, as well.

Finnish companies are a great example of responsible, environmentally friendly and sustainable businesses with highly developed social corporate responsibility. In September, we organized a seminar on “Sustainable and Innovative Businesses” that also included a social corporate responsibility component. The aim of the seminar was to show in which way Finnish companies and their distributors are implementing these values in their daily activities and to share the best practices with Serbian stakeholders, companies, and institutions.

Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

This interview was originally published in the ninth issue of the Energy Portal Magazine, named ECOHEALTH.

Oceans Losing Oxygen at Breathtaking Speeds

11.01.2018

Ocean dead zones quadrupled in size since 1950, while low oxygen sites around the world increased tenfold, threatening large swaths of marine life, scientists warned in a study released on Friday.

“Major extinction events in Earth’s history have been associated with warm climates and oxygen-deficient oceans,” the analysis published in the journal Science stated.

“Under the current trajectory that is where we would be headed. But the consequences to humans of staying on that trajectory are so dire that it is hard to imagine we would go quite that far down that path,” Denise Breitburg, an author of the study and researcher at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in the U.S., told the Guardian.

Human activities are largely responsible for the growth of ocean dead zones. Climate change, caused by fossil fuel emissions, is behind the large-scale removal of oxygen in open waters. Open oceans have naturally low oxygen areas that typically lay west of continents due to the Earth’s rotation.

Coastal zones, which provide jobs to 350 million people, are now home to at least 500 known dead zones, though that number could be much higher. According to the study, these areas have increased by an area roughly the size of the European Union since 1950, when there were 50 reported around the world.

In coastal regions, algae blooms are the main culprits behind dead zones. Manure, sewage and fertilizers create these blooms. When the algae decomposes it sucks oxygen out of the water.

“This is a problem we can solve,” Breitburg told the Guardian, pointing to the River Thames in the UK and the Chesapeake Bay in the U.S., where improved sewage and agricultural practices helped remove dead zones.

“Right now, the increasing expansion of coastal dead zones and decline in open ocean oxygen are not priority problems for governments around the world. Unfortunately, it will take severe and persistent mortality of fisheries for the seriousness of low oxygen to be realized,” Robert Diaz, a professor at the Virginia institute of Marine Science who reviewed the study, told the Guardian.

“No other variable of such ecological importance to coastal ecosystems has changed so drastically in such a short period of time from human activities as dissolved oxygen,” Diaz said.

Source: ecowatch.com

Beijing Meets Air Quality Improvement Goals With Crackdown on Polluters

11.01.2018

Beijing successfully lowered air pollution levels following a crackdown on polluters last year, bringing China’s capital in line with air quality targets, according to Chinese officials.

The announcement Wednesday by the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau followed a 2013 plan that ordered the city to reduce the yearly average concentration of particulate matter to less than 60 micrograms. According to the bureau, the capital succeeded by reducing PM2.5 concentrations to 58 micrograms per cubic meter—a reduction of 35.6 percent from 2012.

Reuters reported that the figures provided by the government agency were in line with the news agency’s own estimates.

Despite meeting the target, northern China is still a ways off its official PM2.5 of 35 micrograms per cubic meter and even further off the maximum of 10 micrograms per cubic meter recommended by the World Health Organization.

“Current air pollutant levels remain a lot higher than the national air quality standard, indicating the improvement in air quality will still be a long-term process,” Beijing’s environment agency said.

PM2.5 is particulate matter with a length of 2.5 microns or less. Often a mix of chemicals, the microscopic cocktail of toxins from power plants, automobiles and other sources of industry harm human lungs and can cause heart problems if they enter the bloodstream.

Brought about in 2013 by public anger over frequently hazardous air pollution levels, the initiative received a late push from the government in October to ensure 2017 targets were met. The push included 27 other northern Chinese cities.

To reduce air pollution, Beijing closed nearly 2000 factories in the cement, foundry and furniture sectors and shut down coal power plants in the past five years. The city also took nearly 2 million high-emission vehicles off the road.

In north China’s drive to switch to residential winter heating systems, it began phasing out coal-powered boilers to switch to gas or electric-powered equipment. It also shut down or curbed production at heavy industrial plants.

The government partly attributed the air quality improvement to drier and windier weather.

Wednesday’s announcement came just two days after China announced it would suspend the production of hundreds of car models to curb air pollution.

Source: ecowatch.com

New York to Confirm Landmark Fossil Fuel Divestment Plan

11.01.2018

New York City is to divest its pension funds of fossil fuels assets, in a move that could see the city authorities offload up to $5bn of fossil fuel-related investments.

Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott Stringer are expected to officially announce heavily trailled plans later today, detailing how they expect to deliver the largest divestment by a US municipality.

“Safeguarding the retirement of our city’s police officers, teachers and firefighters is our top priority, and we believe that their financial future is linked to the sustainability of the planet,” Stringer told the New York Times.

The new policy would cover five pension funds worth around $189bn.

The decision came as fossil fuel companies also came under fire in Portland, Oregon. The Court of Appeals ruled the city could ban major fuel terminal expansions within the city limits, jeopardising plans by Canadian fossil fuel transport company, Pembina Pipeline Corp.

The latest divestment pledge represents another victory for a global campaign that has seen a host of business, public sector bodies, and universities commit to reducing their exposure to fossil fuel investments.

Divestment campaigners maintain that ditching fossil fuel investments makes financial as well as environmental sense, as tougher climate change regulations and emerging clean technologies raise the prospect of fossil fuel demand peaking and leaving high carbon assets stranded.

However, the move by New York City comes on the same day as the Trump administration again underlined its commitment to stepping up fossil fuel production.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt told Reuters this week that his priorities for 2018 were replacing the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, rewriting water protection rules, and staging a public debate on climate change – moves that have already been widely condemned by green businesses and campaigners.

Source: businessgreen.com

‘Cheapest Option’: South Australia Reveals Plan for World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant

11.01.2018

Crescent_Dunes_Solar_December_2014 — Foto: en.wikipedia.org

The largest solar thermal energy plant in the world is set to be built in South Australia, after the state government declared that it represented the “cheapest option” available.

US developer SolarReserve bid to install the A$650m green power plant near Port Augusta, after the government invited applications for new generation capacity in a bid to encourage energy market competition and drive down prices.

The plant, which will be constructed this year, is set to generate 135MW under normal conditions and incorporate eight hours of storage capacity, meaning it will be able to continue to provide electricity during the night.

It is tipped to supply all the state government’s power needs by 2020.

South Australia’s acting Energy Minister Chris Picton, heralded the investment as “world-leading”.

“It will deliver clean, dispatchable renewable energy to supply our electrified rail, hospitals, schools and other major government buildings,” he said in a statement.

The project will use thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a receiver based at the top of a tower. The transferred energy will heat molten salt, providing the energy store and driving a single turbine to generate electricity.

South Australia has been turning to green power in response to the state’s well documented energy infrastructure problems.

Tesla installed the world’s largest lithium ion battery as part of a major renewables project in a high profile bid to help combat power cuts, while the government has allocated funding to drive clean energy investment through a A$550m six-point plan for renewables.

Source: businessgreen.com

Wind Energy Tariffs In India Fall 30% In 10 Months

10.01.2018

Within 10 months of introducing competitive auctions in the wind energy sector, India has witnessed a sharp correction in tariff bids by project developers. The major reason for this sharp correction is the virtual ban on allocation of wind energy projects under the feed-in tariff regime.

India held its first-ever national level wind energy auction in February 2017. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) offered 1,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity, and 1,050 megawatts of capacity was allocated to five developers at a minimum tariff of Rs 3.46/kWh (5.2¢/kWh). The lowest tariff offered under the feed-in tariff regime was Rs 4.16/kWh (6.2¢/kWh) in Tamil Nadu, although Rs 3.82/kWh (5.7¢/kWh) is also offered in the state of Maharashtra at sites with low wind speeds.

The first-ever state level auction was organized by the utility of the state of Tamil Nadu which allocated 450 megawatts of capacity at a tariff of Rs 3.42/kWh (5.4¢/kWh). The state is host to the largest capacity of wind energy capacity in India.

SECI again tendered 1,000 megawatts of capacity in October and once again allocated 1,050 megawatts of capacity among five developers at a tariff of Rs 2.64/kWh (4.1¢/kWh). These will be the first wind energy projects in India with a tariff of less than Rs 3.00/kWh (4.7¢/kWh).

The state of Gujarat organized its first-ever wind energy tender in December 2017 after some legal delays and allocated 407 megawatts of capacity at a tariff of Rs 2.43/kWh (3.8¢/kWh). The tariff is not only the lowest-ever wind energy tariff, but also the lowest tariff for any renewable energy project.

Over a period of 10 months, wind energy tariff bids in India fell 30%. State governments no longer sign power purchase agreements with wind energy projects under the feed-in tariff regime. Project developers have no option but to participate in auctions to set up wind energy projects and hence are willing to bid at such competitive rates.

Tariffs are expected to remain competitive as India’s central government, through SECI, plans to auction 10 gigawatts of wind energy capacity each in FY2018-19 and FY2019-20.

Source: cleantechnica.com

US Solar Imports See Upswing With Solar Tariffs Waiting In The Wings

10.01.2018

International manufacturers sent twice as many solar cells and modules to the US in November 2017 as November 2016. Solar panel importers are looking to capitalize on the robust market fundamentals ahead of potential future tariffs, ArsTechnica reported.

President Trump’s administration will reach a decision about solar cell and solar panel imports around January 26th. As a reminder, the potential penalty would not be due to any illegal trade practices, such as dumping. Rather, the challenge originated based on an obscure law that allowed the US to impose tariffs on low-cost imports if those imports hurt US manufacturers that couldn’t profit at such low market prices.

Last September, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that a couple of US solar manufacturers were indeed hurt by lower cost solar cells and modules produced by global manufacturers. (Ironically, one of the two US manufacturers represented is actually a subsidiary of a Chinese company, and the parent company in China opposed the case. The other “US manufacturer” is a subsidiary of a German company.)

President Trump’s administration can decide to impose tariffs on imported solar technology as long as the ITC suggests the imports can destroy US industries. The ITC is recommending strict tariffs on solar cells and modules, 30% on large cells and 35% on imported modules.

However, tariffs may have a negative impact on a growing solar energy market.

The vast bulk of the 260,000 solar jobs in the US are not in manufacturing. They are in installation, sales, etc. Significantly raising the costs of common solar technologies would cut into the compelling market case for going solar, so would hurt and even destroy many of those jobs.

There are indeed 38,000 solar manufacturing jobs in the United States, but most of those are for tech-leading solar companies that offer higher cost solar cells and panels that serve a certain portion of the market. Those companies are unlikely to see much benefit from tariffs on imported solar cells and panels that almost completely compete on low cost (not higher efficiency or advantages in certain climates or applications).

In 2016, global solar power installations grew by 50%, with China providing nearly half of the growth, according to the International Energy Agency. Meanwhile, 2016 US installations alone increased over 95%. However, 3rd quarter 2017 results saw the USA’s lowest new installation results in two years, with 2 gigawatts (GW) installed, while growth in China, India, and other leading markets seemed to remain strong.

Despite the looming trade tariff clouds, there may be a glimmer of hope. Despite ITC recommendations for President Trump to slap tariffs on the solar industry, at the World Trade Organization level, there may be a challenge. ArsTechnica said a business must have proof global competition hit them unexpectedly, which may not have been honestly predicted. US rules only need companies to show they were hurt, something that doesn’t line up with the global rules (and perhaps a reason why this relief for US manufacturers has almost never been pursued). Every time similar tariffs have been fought at the WTO level, they have lost.

While tariffs may be useful in helping homegrown companies, many right-leaning groups as well as the renewable energy industry are opposed to the tariffs, as they reduce free market competition while increasing otherwise low-cost solar. ArsTechnica writes:

“Oddly enough, the tariffs are opposed not just by the wider renewable energy industry, but by many Trump-supporting, right-leaning groups. They claim tariffs would muddy a free market while the industry argues that it has benefitted from being able to sell low-cost panels to residential solar customers.”

With the solar industry creating jobs 17 times faster than most of the economy, imposing such tariffs in a changing energy landscape in 2018 is not worth the economic risk (let alone the environmental harm that would result). Given the acceleration seen in solar energy, and the inevitable decline of the coal industry, tariffs would do far more harm in the long run compared to any short gains seen to those American manufacturers impacted. Well, even in the short run, tariffs would likely harm the US economy.

Source: cleantechnica.com

BluepointLondon Adds 1,000 EV Charge Points as Demand Accelerates

10.01.2018

BluepointLondon will add 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) charge points to the capital’s network this year, in response to seeing demand more than double over the past year to just under 50,000 charges, the firm said yesterday.

The new points will be added to the Source London network across 20 London Boroughs, including Westminster, Greenwich and Southwark, with a further six boroughs said to be considering signing up to the scheme.

BluepointLondon has only spent £25m of the £100m budget available to roll out the infrastructure, meaning further expansion is possible to keep pace with demand.

Charge point use under the Source London scheme increased steadily last year, according to data released by the company, before rising sharply between August and November, and then slightly decreasing due to the “holiday period”.

“This surge in usage shows that electric vehicle users increasingly need a far more comprehensive network of charge points,” said BluepointLondon in a statement.

The expansion of the network comes amidst similar commitments from other network operators to increase the number of chargepoints.

The move is likely to be welcomed by the government, which has earmarked EVs as a key component of its strategies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

As well as improving air quality in cities, a report by VUB University in Brussels recently confirmed that electric cars are responsible for significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional vehicles, even when reliant on dirty energy sources.

The report showed that EVs used in Poland, where 90 per cent of electricity is generated using coal power, still resulted in CO2 emissions that were 25 per cent less overall compared to diesel vehicles. EVs used in countries with cleaner grids would also deliver significantly larger emission reductions.

Many car manufacturers are now targeting the rollout of more electric cars, as sales across the sector continue to outperform the wider auto market.

Source: businessgreen.com

‘World-Leading’: UK Microbead Ban Comes Into Force

10.01.2018

The first phase of the UK ban on plastic microbeads will come into effect today, as the government moves to strengthen its crack down on marine plastic pollution.

The ban on the manufacture of microbeads in ‘rinse-off’ products comes into force today, with a further ban on selling products that contain microbeads due in six months time.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey heralded the ban as a “world-leading” move and an “important milestone” in the battle to reduce the amount of plastic entering our oceans.

“Microbeads are entirely unnecesary when there are so many natural alternatives available,” she said. “The world’s seas and oceans are some of our most valuable natural assets and I am determined we act now to tackle the plastic that devastates our previous marine life.”

Her comments came just days after Prime Minister Theresa May promised more action on tackling marine plastic pollution would be forthcoming from the government. “We want to do the same in relation to single-use plastic,” she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr. “Nobody who watched Blue Planet will doubt the need for us to do something.”

The Environmental Audit Committee said the ban was “a step in the right direction” but warned “much more needs to be achieved” to tackle the scourge of marine plastic pollution.

“Our seas are choked with massive quantities of polluting microplastics, which absorb chemicals, are eaten by wildlife and enter the food chain”, said Committee chair Mary Creagh.

“My committee has also recommended a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, a latte levy for plastic-lined coffee cups and reforms to make producers responsible for their packaging.”

Her comments were echoed by WWF Head of Marine Policy, Dr Lyndsey Dodds, who said “any step to tackle the plastic problem is welcome, but to save our oceans will require ambitious action”.

Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Tisha Brown also acknowledged the ban is a “positive first step”, but that “more work needs to be done.”

“There’s already some early stage work to look at extending the ban”, she said. “We hope that this will happen within the next couple of years, or even next year as the government seems very serious about this.”

Businesses still stocking products containing microbeads after the ban comes into force may face fines and possible legal action, Defra warned.

A guidance document has been provided to alert companies to potentially non-compliant products. Specially trained officers will also be checking goods at UK Borders to ensure they comply with the ban. A £100,000 fund for legal aid and court costs has been provided for the Ministry of Justice.

It is unclear whether the ban will extend to imports of products containing microplastics in the coming six months. Just over half of all products in the UK cosmetics market are imported, according to the CTPA or UK Cosmetic Trade Association.

The ban will not affect ‘leave on’ products such as make-up and sunscreen. The cosmetics industry said that such a change would force them to reformulate up to 90 per cent of their products.

Microbeads are tiny bits of plastic – typically formed from polyethylene, polypropylene and polymethylmethacrylate – that are too small for many sewage systems to filter them out. They are known to be accumulating in the ocean’s, causing serious damage to wildlife and entering the food chain, as shown in the recent BBC series Blue Planet II.

Many cosmetics companies have already stopped using microbeads. The Body Shop stopped using them in 2015 while Clearasil and Neutrogena products aimed to phase them out by the end of 2017.

However, green groups remain concerned that many non ‘rinse-off’ cosmetic products and textiles continue to contain microbeads and threads that are polluting marine environments.

Source: businessgreen.com

BNEF: Global Offshore Wind Market to Surge Six-Fold by 2030

10.01.2018

The global offshore wind market is set to grow 16 per cent a year through to 2030, delivering a six-fold increase in capacity compared to today’s levels, according to the latest analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

Global generation capacity from offshore wind today stands at 17.6GW, but BNEF is forecasting significant growth over the next decade or more, reaching a cumulative capacity of 115GW by 2030.

Separate previous forecasts have suggested Europe’s total installed offshore wind capacity alone could surge to 140GW as soon as 2025, while IRENA has put the global capacity figure at 100GW by 2030.

Today’s offshore wind market is led by the UK, but as early as 2022 China is expected to overtake as the market leader, while the US and Taiwan will also emerge as significant, gigawatt-strong markets in the next decade, yesterday’s analysis suggests.

However, BNEF expects annual installations to peak in 2027, after which the expiry of offshore wind subsidies and lack of regulatory transparency is set to result in a slowdown in global capacity rollout.

BNEF’s outlook report is just the latest to signal positive forecasts for the offshore wind sector, after a record-breaking year in 2017.

In particular, the UK’s Contracts for Difference auction delivered record-breaking low price of £57.50/MWh in last year’s UK Contracts for Difference auction, a price cut of 50 per cent compared to the previous auction two years earlier. Meanwhile, the first bids were placed in a subsidy-free auction for offshore wind in the Netherlands.

The report came amid further positive news for the growing market yesterday, with turbine manufacturer Vestas announcing a rise in its free cashflow expectations – operating cash flow minus capital expenditures – for 2017, following a sudden flurry of orders at the end of the year.

The global market leader said yesterday it now expected its free cashflow for 2017 to be around €1.15-1.25bn, marking a significant increase from its previous guidance of €450m-€900m.

The announcement prompted a five per cent jump in shares in the Danish firm, which surpassed 10GW in orders during 2017, according to the Financial Times.

In other recent renewables news, the African Development Bank said it achieved a 100 per cent investment in renewable energy across its energy-related investments last year, with 1.4GW of renewable power generation projects approved during 2017.

Source: businessgreen.com

Byton Unveils Electric Vehicle to Rival Tesla

10.01.2018

Byton has revealed the first look at the high-tech electric car it claims will ‘perceive more than what a human being will ever do.’ The firm finally unveiled its first drivable prototype at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, after teasing the so-called Smart Intuitive Vehicle (SIV) since September.

The Nanjing-based company plans to roll out the mid-sized crossover vehicle with level 3 autonomy in China in 2019, starting at $45,000, before hitting the US and Europe in 2020. The car will respond to conditions on the road to avoid potential threats; for example, ‘if the exterior lighting conditions change, your Byton will adjust to your needs automatically,’ the co-founder said. also has voice control with Amazon’s Alexa, and an intuitive gesture control system that responds to 5 different hand commands. The base model will be able to achieve 250 miles (400 km) on a charge, while the higher end variant will go up to about 325 miles (520 km) – and, the firm claims it will charge incredibly fast.

Byton claims it is on the verge of achieving a fast-charging system that will ‘get enough charge for a whole week of urban commuting’ in just the amount of time it takes you to have a cup of coffee. Onstage at CES, co-founder Dr Carson Breitfeld said the car will recharge to a range of 150 miles (250 kilometers) in just 20 minutes. And, in just 30 minutes, the battery will be 80 percent full.

Its cars are designed to be ‘the next generation of smart devices for shared mobility and autonomous driving.’ As a result, much of the focus has been put into its smart human-vehicle interface.

The car is essentially a ‘smartphone on wheels,’ a Byton test driver said during the Las Vegas event.

Source: Daily Mail

Huge China Reforestation Campaign Kicks Into High Gear

09.01.2018

If you want a feel-good story about a country that takes climate change seriously and is willing to take significant steps to protect the environment, China is a good place to start. Long the poster child for poisonous air, foul waterways, and coal-fired power plants, the country declared a war on pollution back in 2014, before the Paris climate accords were agreed to.

As part of its cleanup campaign, China has been installing vast amounts of renewable energy from wind, solar, and hydroelectric sources and decommissioning coal-fired power stations as quickly as possible. It is also pushing the EV revolution hard with both financial and regulatory tools and may be one of the first nations to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines. It’s fair to say that China is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to getting its own house in order.

Now China has announced a new reforestation program that will plant enough trees in 2018 to cover an area the size of Ireland. Forests already cover 21.7% of the country. That figure is set to increase to 23% by 2020 and 26% by 2035, according to a report in The Telegraph. Zhang Jianlong, head of China’s State Forestry Administration, says, “Companies, organizations and talent that specialize in greening work are all welcome to join in the country’s massive greening campaign. Cooperation between government and social capital will be put on the priority list.”

Zhang says China has invested more than $65 billion in new forests in the past 5 years. That push has brought the total amount of forested land in the country to 208 million hectares — or just over 800,000 square miles. The new reforestration program will take place in Hebei province in the northeast, Qinghai province on the Tibetan plateau, and in the Hunshandake Desert in Inner Mongolia.

To preserve its forests, China has promulgated “ecological red line” policies intended to prevent local governments from engaging in “irrational development” and construction near forests, rivers, and national parks. That is in sharp contrast to the United States, where irrational development near forests, rivers, national parks, and offshore areas is now considered desirable.

Source: cleantechnica.com

44% Wind — Denmark Set New Wind Energy Record In 2017

09.01.2018

wind-turbin-vetroturbina — Photo illustration: Pixabay

Numbers have just come out this week from danskenergi.dk, the Danish energy organization whose members support companies in delivering steady green power to the Danes, with an impressive uptime of 99.99% at competitive prices.

Wind turbines delivered power equivalent to 43.6 percent of Denmark’s electricity consumption in 2017. This is a new milestone in the effort to transition the energy supply system in the country to be carbon neutral.

2017 ended in a stormy December and the year totaled an output of about 14,700 GWh derived from data from Energinet.dk. Thus, 2017 became a new record year for wind in Denmark.

Lars Aagaard, CEO of Dansk Energi, emphasizes that it is very important we utilize the combination of this amazing wind resource and the ability to supply incredibly stable power supply. “Electricity must replace gasoline, oil and gas,” he says.

Although wind turbines deliver a steadily increasing share of the Danish electricity supply, that does not mean that the number of turbines increases. On the contrary, today there are about 20% fewer wind turbines in Denmark than in 2001, when the number of wind turbines peaked. In 2017, about 6,100 wind turbines were in service according to the Danish Energy Authority.

The turbines have become bigger and more efficient. In addition, the majority of Denmark’s offshore wind turbines have been installed since 2001. Overall, capacity in Denmark has more than doubled since 2001, with today’s 5.3 GW wind capacity installed on land and water.

By 2020, wind is expected to reach 50 percent of the electricity consumption in the country. In total, renewable energy, including solar and sustainable biomass, will cover 80 percent of electricity consumption in Denmark.

Source: cleantechnica.com

2017 Second Hottest Year On Record, After Only 2016

09.01.2018

climate-change- — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

2017 was the second hottest year on record with regard to global average temperatures — after only 2016 — according to a new report from the Europe-based Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The high level of heat was accompanied by abnormally high levels of wildfires, very abnormally low sea ice extent and thickness, and high levels of drought in various parts of the world.

To be more specific, the new report states that 2017 saw a global temperature average of 14.7° Celsius (58.46° Fahrenheit) at the Earth’s surface — which is roughly 1.2° Celsius (2.2° Fahrenheit) above that of pre-industrial times.

“It’s striking that 16 of the 17 warmest years have all been this century,” stated Jean-Noel Thepaut, the head of Copernicus, in an interview with Reuters.

Reuters provides more: “The Copernicus study is in line with a projection by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in November that 2017 would be second or third warmest behind 2016. … In 2016, an extra dose of heat came from El Nino, a natural event that releases heat from the Pacific Ocean every few years. But last year was the hottest year without an El Nino, according to Copernicus, run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.”

I suppose this story is likely to get buried, though, by all of the media spectacle concerning the winter storm hitting the northeastern US — with people apparently forgetting that the summer exists when the winter is ongoing.

Fifty years on from now, I wonder if people will still be claiming that climate warming isn’t occurring because the temperatures during the winter are 50° Fahrenheit on average in NYC rather than 100° Fahrenheit like during the summer? Perhaps the US won’t exist as a country by that point, though?

The World Meteorological Organization will be releasing its own report on 2017 in a few weeks, which may provide more context on the matter.

Source: cleantechnica.com

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