Global Carbon Intensity Falls as Coal Use Declines

02.11.2016

global warming, air pollution — Photo: Pixabay

The amount of carbon needed to power the global economy fell to record lows in 2015, as coal consumption in major economies plummeted.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) annual Low Carbon Economy Index report has found that the global carbon intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) fell by 2.8%.

This was more than double the average fall of 1.3% between 2000 and 2014, but far below the 6.5% required to stay within the 2C warming limit set by last year’s Paris agreement.

“What we’ve seen in 2014-15 is a real step change in decarbonisation,” said Jonathan Grant, PwC director of sustainability and climate change.

The result was just 0.1% lower than the previous year, but it occurred against the background of healthy growth, which usually spurs carbon emissions growth.

“There was fairly reasonable economic growth in 2015, which is why we think this result is quite significant,” said Grant.

The biggest driver was a decline in China’s coal consumption, which resulted a 6.4% drop the carbon intensity of the world’s second biggest economy.

A centrally-led shift of the economy to a service-based industry has begun to shut down the vast coal-fuelled steel and cement sectors. For the first time, China led the rankings table for the biggest drop in intensity.

The UK and US were also significant contributors, reducing by 6% and 4.7% respectively, to the overall drop as both governments introduced policies that pushed coal plants out of business. In the UK coal use dropped by 20% for the second year running.

Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “In the week in which the Paris Agreement comes into force, this is very promising news in showing that the dominant paradigm of economic growth is swiftly changing, which makes the Paris targets look more achievable.

“This analysis shows once again that economic growth and carbon emissions are not inextricably linked… Climate science is unequivocal in showing that switching away from coal is an essential first step in keeping climate change within ‘safe’ limits.”

But Grant said coal represented the low-hanging fruit and that economies were enjoying the benefits of relatively painless early decarbonisation.

“Countries are focussing on decarbonising electricity. That means tackling coal power. I think it will get increasingly challenging. Coal is the easiest target for government policy,” he said.

Source: theguardian.com

Make Central London Diesel-Free to Solve Air Pollution Crisis – Report

02.11.2016

auspuh, auto, zagadjenje — Photo: Pixabay

Ridding inner London of virtually all diesel vehicles would solve the capital’s air pollution crisis, according to research published as the high court is due to rule on the government’s air quality plan.

Illegal levels of air pollution cause about 9,500 early deaths a year in London and a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) sets out a series of measures to solve the problem.

Imposing charges on all diesel cars and banning diesel taxis, plus stricter limits for trucks and buses, are central to the plan, which modelling by scientists at King’s College London show would deliver clean air. Boosting public transport, cycling and walking are also vital, according to the report, as is a national scrappage scheme for old diesel vehicles.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has proposed strong new measures to tackle air pollution but the IPPR proposals go further. Khan has joined a legal action against the government by NGO ClientEarth, which says the national plan does not cut illegal levels of air pollution in the “shortest possible time”, as required by law.

ClientEarth defeated the government in the supreme court in 2015 but argues that even the new plan prompted by the defeat is still illegal. The judgment from the new challenge is expected in the high court on Wednesday morning.

In October, it was revealed that George Osborne, then chancellor, had blocked moves to charge diesel cars for entering cities due to worries over cost and alienating drivers. In April, a cross-party committee of MPs said air pollution in the UK was a “public health emergency”.

Traffic is the major cause of air pollution in cities, with diesel vehicles especially dirty. Paris is already taking steps to phase out diesels, as are cities across Germany.

“Air pollution in London is at lethal levels,” said Laurie Laybourn-Langton, one of the IPPR report authors. “Bringing these levels down will save lives and make the capital more pleasant and prosperous for all Londoners. This won’t be easy and so our plan includes a number of measures that reduce the cost to Londoners of cleaning up transport.”

“The fact that air pollution is an invisible and odourless killer has meant that we have been sleepwalking into a health crisis that has already claimed thousands of lives,” said a trio of medical professors, Jonathan Grigg, Chris Griffiths and Stephen Holgate, in a foreword for the report.

“The benefits of moving away from diesel and fossil-fuel vehicles to health, to the economy, and to the climate will be significant. All we need is the political courage to do so.”

Source: theguardian.com

World’s largest study shows effects of long-term exposure to air pollution and traffic noise on blood pressure

01.11.2016

Long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to a greater incidence of high blood pressure, according to the largest study to investigate the effects of both air pollution and traffic noise by following over 41,000 people in five different countries for five to nine years.

The study, which is published October 25 in the European Heart Journal, found that among adults, up to one extra person per 100 people of the same age group living in the most polluted areas of cities would develop high blood pressure (hypertension) compared to those living in the less polluted areas. This risk is similar to the effect of being overweight with a body mass index (BMI) between 25-30 compared to people with normal weight (BMI 18.5-25). High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for premature illness and death.

This study is one of the first to investigate both air pollution and traffic noise simultaneously and it found that traffic noise is associated with an increase in cases of hypertension as well. The way the study was conducted enabled the researchers to estimate the risk that was linked to air pollution and the risk linked to noise separately. The association of air pollution with hypertension remained even when exposure to traffic noise was considered in the analysis. The researchers say this is an important finding because there are differing ways of reducing air pollution and noise.

A total of 41,072 people living in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Spain participated in the study, which was part of the “European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects” (ESCAPE) project that is investigating long-term effects of exposure to air pollution on human health in Europe. Information on blood pressure was gathered when the participants joined the study and during a follow-up examination in later years. None had hypertension when they joined the study, but during the follow-up period 6,207 people (15%) reported that they developed hypertension or started to take blood pressure-lowering medications.

Between 2008 and 2011, the researchers measured air pollution during three separate two-week periods (to allow for seasonal effects). They used filters to capture information on concentrations of polluting particles known as “particulate matter” (PM) of different sizes: PM10 (particles less than or equal to 10 microns [1] in diameter), PM2.5 (less than or equal to 2.5 microns), PMcoarse (PM10 minus PM2.5) and PM2.5 absorbance (a measurement of soot particles). These measurements were taken at 20 sites in each of the areas being studied, and measurements of nitrogen oxides were measured at 40 different sites in each area. Traffic density was assessed outside the homes of the participants and traffic noise was modelled according to the EU Directive on environmental noise.

The researchers found that for every five micrograms per cubic metre (5 µg/m3) of PM2.5, the risk of hypertension increased by a fifth (22%) in people living in the most polluted areas compared to those in the least polluted areas. Higher soot concentrations also increased the risk.

For exposure to chronic traffic noise, the researchers found that people living in noisy streets, where there were average night time noise levels of 50 decibels, had a six percent increased risk of developing hypertension compared to those living on quieter streets where average noise levels were 40 decibels during the night.

Professor Barbara Hoffmann, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at the Centre for Health and Society at Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Germany, who led the analysis, said: “Our findings show that long-term exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with a higher incidence of self-reported hypertension and with intake of anti-hypertensive medication. As virtually everybody is exposed to air pollution for all of their lives, this leads to a high number of hypertension cases, posing a great burden on the individual and on society.

“Exposure to traffic noise shares many of the same sources with air pollution and so has the potential to confound the estimates of the adverse effects of pollution on human health. However, this study controlled for traffic noise exposure and found that the associations of air pollution with hypertension did not vanish. This is important because preventive measures for air pollution and noise differ.

“One very important aspect is that these associations can be seen in people living well below current European air pollution standards. This means, the current legislation does not protect the European population adequately from adverse effects of air pollution. Given the ubiquitous presence of air pollution and the importance of hypertension as the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, these results have important public health consequences and call for more stringent air quality regulations.”

The study found there were higher average levels of pollution in the central and southern European study areas – Germany and Spain – than in the Scandinavian areas – Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Exposure to traffic noise and traffic load was highest in the study areas of Sweden and Spain.

The researchers say that it is possible that air pollution and noise affect different, or not completely overlapping, pathways involved in disturbances in the way the body normally functions. Possible biological mechanisms for the adverse effect of air pollution on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels include local and systemic inflammation, oxidative stress (a build-up of damaging molecules in the body), and an imbalance in correct functioning of the nervous system. Noise is thought to affect the functioning of both the nervous and hormonal systems.

Source: sciencedaily.com

$75m Loan for Country’s Largest Wind Farm in Pakistan

01.11.2016

The Asian Development Bank announced on Monday its approval of a $75 million loan to support the development of the largest wind farm in Pakistan.

The deal with Triconboston Consulting Corporation (TBCC) is ADB’s third wind energy investment in Pakistan’s burgeoning independent power producer segment.

Power from the largest project will be sold under a twenty-year take-or-pay energy purchase agreement under a feed-in-tariff to Pakistan’s Central Power Purchasing Agency.

The three 50MW wind farms, situated located in Jhimpir, some 100km northeast of Karachi, will generate a total of 520 gigawatt-hours annually and are expected to be completed by March 2018. The project sponsors include Sapphire Textile Mills, a leading local energy developer, and Bank Alfalah, Pakistan’s sixth largest bank by market share.

“This wind farm is a major contributor to Pakistan’s drive to scale up renewable energy use and to reduce its reliance on coal and petroleum for power generation,” said Mohammed Azim Hashimi, Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.

“The operation of this farm will avoid the production of over 350,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions a year and help to close the country’s power shortfall,” he said.

The Sindh government has leased three contiguous parcels of land totaling 3,852 acres to TBCC for the development of the project, which will not require any physical or economic displacement since the lease area is uninhabited and agriculturally unproductive.

Sapphire firmly believes that renewables have changed the energy paradigm and remains committed to the development of renewable energy resources in Pakistan. The 150 MW Triconboston wind power project is a step in this direction” said Nadeem Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of Sapphire Textile Mills.

Pakistan has launched several initiatives to promote private sector participation in the country’s energy sector, with a concerted push to build up its renewable energy resources and to cut its heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Power shortages are a major obstacle in Pakistan’s economic development, with demand for electricity outpacing supply.

By providing much needed power to a country facing a severe power shortage, which is adversely affecting economic growth, the project has direct and indirect benefits by incrementally increasing access to energy for households, businesses, and industry. It will alleviate poverty through skilled and unskilled job creation and other associated economic activities, ADB says.

The project will also help realise government’s target of 6 per cent renewable energy in the country’s energy mix by 2030, as stated in the Medium Term Development Framework. By using wind energy, the project will diversify the country’s fuel mix away from its current heavy dependence on (imported and price volatile) fossil fuels.

It will also help the country to attain a diverse fuel mix using indigenous and renewable sources of power, which is needed to develop a balanced and robust power supply system with hedged power generation prices in the medium and long term.

ADB’s assistance is helping the government to address the persistent energy crisis through Vision 2025, Pakistan’s comprehensive plan for economic growth. The plan aims to increase power generation, provide uninterrupted electricity to all, and improve demand management.

Source: dawn.com

Photo: white-energy.com.sa

Stanford Engineers Set Record for Capturing and Storing Solar Energy in Hydrogen Fuel

01.11.2016

Solar energy has the potential to provide abundant power, but only if scientists solve two key issues: storing the energy for use at all hours, particularly at night, and making the technology more cost effective. Now an interdisciplinary team at Stanford has made significant strides toward solving the storage issue, demonstrating the most efficient means yet of storing electricity captured from sunlight in the form of chemical bonds. If the team can find a way of lowering the cost of their technology, they say it would be a huge step toward making solar power a viable alternative to current, more polluting energy sources.

The basic science behind the team’s approach is well understood: Use the electricity captured from sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas. That stored energy can be recovered later in different ways: by recombining the hydrogen and oxygen into water to release electricity again, or by burning the hydrogen gas in an internal combustion engine, similar to those running on petroleum products today.

Although the process is well understood, the challenge has been turning this science into an efficient industrial process. That’s where a team led by Thomas Jaramillo, an associate professor of chemical engineering and of photon science, and James Harris, a professor of electrical engineering, has made a significant improvement. In work published in Nature Communications, they were able to capture and store 30 percent of the energy captured from sunlight into stored hydrogen, beating the prior record of 24.4 percent.

“This milestone brings us much closer to a sustainable and practical process to use water-splitting as a storage technology,” Jaramillo said. “Improving efficiency has a remarkable impact on lowering costs. We have to continue work on finding more ways to lower the costs to compete with conventional fuels.”

The starting point of their system is the solar cell they used in their experiments, one that is very different – and more expensive – than the typical rooftop solar arrays. While typical rooftop arrays are based on silicon, the Stanford team employed solar cells pioneered by Harris’ lab that use three less-common semiconductor materials. They are called triple-junction solar cells because each material is tuned to capture blue, green or red light, respectively. Through this precision, triple-junction solar cells convert 39 percent of incoming solar energy into electricity, compared with roughly 20 percent for silicon-based, single-junction solar cells found on rooftops worldwide.

The most important question for the team, though, was not how much energy they captured, but how much energy was stored through water splitting. To solve that question, Jaramillo and his collaborators built on research they have been conducting on how to improve the performance of catalysts – materials that speed up chemical reactions but are not consumed in the process. To store electricity captured from sunlight, the team looked in particular at water-splitting catalysts, in which electrons flow through the catalytic materials to break apart the stable H2O molecule.

Much of the catalytic process in the Stanford experiment is built on their previous advances in the area, with one particularly important approach to achieve their record energy capture. Most photovoltaic-powered water-splitting reactions use a single electrolysis device, but this team was able to combine two identical electrolysis devices in such a manner to produce twice as much hydrogen, making use of their higher-efficiency solar cells and putting them to work.

“Tuning all the elements, electronics and the chemistry was critical,” Harris said. “The entire system has to be perfectly balanced or the process wouldn’t work at all.”

When their experiment was done, their measurements showed that 30 percent of the energy originally collected by the triple-junction solar cells had been stored in the form of hydrogen gas.
Now that the Stanford team has demonstrated this record-setting efficiency in the use of water-splitting to store sun power, the focus shifts to costs: the triple-junction solar cells and catalysts they used, which included platinum, are fine for proof-of-principle experiments but not for an industrial process. “But what we’ve done is demonstrate how a systems approach can vastly improve storage efficiency,” Jaramillo said. “Now we have to find ways to get similar results with less expensive materials and devices.”

Jaramillo and Harris say that one big reason for the success of this research is the collaboration among different engineers and scientists. The team brought in 11 researchers, including collaborators from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and experts in chemistry, process engineering and electronics to achieve two goals – first to squeeze the utmost in power from sunlight, and then to store as much of this as possible through water-splitting chemistry.

“It took specialists in different fields to do what none of us could have done alone,” Harris said. “That’s one of the lessons of this result: There is no single fix. How everything links together is the key.”

Harris is also the James and Elenor Chesebrough Professor in the School of Engineering, professor, by courtesy, of applied physics and of materials science and engineering, a member of Stanford Bio-X and of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute, and an affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Jamarillo is also an affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy.

Source: news.stanford.edu

Puducherry Government to Implement Waste Management Rules

01.11.2016

Puducherry government will implement the Municipal solid waste management rules, 2016, notified by the Union environment, forest and climate change ministry within a month following a direction from the National green tribunal (NGT).

Puducherry municipality and Oulgaret municipality commissioners – R Chandrasekar and M S Ramesh respectively – made an announcement in this regard in the presence of director (science and technology) and member secretary (Puducherry pollution control committee) M Dwarakanath and PPCC environmental engineer N Ramesh while briefing reporters on October 31.

The commissioners, while outlining the duties of the waste generators as per the newly notified rules, appealed to the general public not to throw, burn or bury the solid waste on streets and open public spaces. They said organisers cannot hold any event that attracts more than 100 people without prior approval of the local bodies.

Similarly all resident welfare and market associations, gated communities and institutions with more than 5,000sqm and hotels and restaurants should within one year ensure segregation of waste at source, they said.

They appealed to the general public to segregate and store waste generated in three separate streams – bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste materials and hand them over to the authorised waste collectors. Every street vendor must keep suitable containers for storage of waste generated as notified by the local bodies. The used sanitary waste like diapers and sanitary pads must be wrapped securely in the pouches provided by the manufacturers of these products and store them as dry waste or non-biodegradable waste materials.

Though there are provisions to penalise the residents and organisations for any violation the government decided against it in an effort to give ample time and opportunity for the waste generators to adhere to the newly notified rules.

The government proposes to process, treat and dispose biodegradable waste through composting or bio-methanation while handing over the residual waste to the waste collectors or agencies as directed by the local bodies.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ministers Reject Calls for Charge on UK’s Disposable Coffee Cups

01.11.2016

Ministers have rejected calls for a charge on the 2.5bn disposable coffee cups thrown away each year because they believe coffee shop chains are already taking enough action to cut down waste.

Therese Coffey told the Liberal Democrats, who have urged the government to impose a 5p charge similar to that levied on plastic bags, that industry and chains were already doing enough voluntarily.

“Many major chains are taking their own action to incentivise environmentally friendly behaviour, for example, offering a discount on drinks if customers bring their own cup,” the environment minister wrote in a letter to Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder.

But Starbucks is the only major chain to offer customers a discount, of 25p, if they bring in their own cup. Costa and Pret a Manger give coffee drinkers no financial incentive to reduce the waste created by takeaway cups. Caffe Nero gives customers double stamps on its reward cards for reusable cups.

The minister also pointed to the establishment of an industry group to look at the problem.

“This letter shows the Conservative government is in complete denial about the scandalous waste caused by throwaway coffee cups. Not only is the minister refusing to act, she is refusing to even acknowledge this as an issue,” said Bearder.

It emerged earlier this year that only one in 400 coffee cups are recycled because they are made of a difficult to recycle mix of paper and plastic. That prompted calls for a charge on takeaway cups by the chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the then-environment minister, Rory Stewart, and saw Starbucks begin a trial of recyclable cups.

Last month a Cardiff University study said the 5p bag charge had been so successful in England that a fee on cups could work too. The research found that the bag charge had led people to more willingly embrace other waste policies too, such as a charge on plastic bottles or coffee cups.

“We saw with the 5p plastic bag charge how a small intervention can make a huge difference in cutting unnecessary waste and protecting the environment,” said Bearder. “The Conservatives should build on this success, not leave it up to the private sector alone when that approach has so clearly failed in the past.”

The Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group, an industry body founded in 2014, defended its record on waste. “The industry recognises it has to do something. Therefore it’s done exactly that and said we recognise the concerns and let’s get some sustainable solutions to recycle more cups,” said the chairman, Neil Whittall.

There are two main companies in the UK that recycle the current cups, which are made up of about 5% plastic to stop them leaking. Whittall said although he could not give an exact figure for how many cups are recycled, the market for disposable cups was still growing.

But the government said it has no plans to impose a mandatory charge on the cups, which experts recently said will take decades to break down.

Source: theguardian.com

Landlocked developing countries count on UNIDO to accelerate sustainable energy innovation, entrepreneurship and cleaner production

01.11.2016

International cooperation and partnerships are essential to accelerate universal access, renewable energy and energy efficiency development in Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), said participants at a high-level seminar held in Vienna this week.

The event, held from 24 to 25 October, was organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with the UN Office of High Representative for Least Developed Countries Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, and the Government of Austria.“This seminar provided participants with an opportunity to exchange on experiences and best practices, and

find solutions to achieving the goals of Sustainable Energy for All by 2030 in LLDCs,” said Taizo Nishikawa, the Deputy to the Director General of UNIDO.

Because of geographical factors, the level of development in the LLDCs is, on average, 20 per cent lower than what it would be if the countries were not landlocked. This affects their capability to structurally transform toward “green” circular economies and to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Senior representatives from the 32 LLDCs, international organizations, financial institutions, academia, NGOs and the private sector discussed the potential contribution of innovative South-South and North-South partnerships and regional cooperation to develop energy infrastructure, scale-up energy access, promote renewable energy and improve energy efficiency in the LLDCs.

LLDC delegates encouraged UNIDO to consolidate and expand the global network of regional sustainable energy centres and the network for resource efficient and cleaner production to all LLDCs; promote sustainable energy entrepreneurship, industrial development and innovation in LLDCs in line with the recent G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in Africa and Least Developed Countries; and to expand the programme on energy management standards for industries and small and medium enterprises to all LLDCs. They also suggested further strengthening the function of the biennial Vienna Energy Forum as a North-South and South-South exchange platform for sustainable energy entrepreneurs, start-ups and manufacturing and service companies from developed and LLDCs.

Source: unido.org

Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Local Communities

01.11.2016

Burning global issue of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction was the topic of last week in Belgrade meeting that gathered representatives of Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, UNDP, Embassy of France in Serbia and Embassy of Morocco in Belgrade, who discussed the best measures for reduction of GHG in municipalities. The meeting was organized ahead of the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that will be held on November 7-18, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The keynote speakers Ms. Stana Božovic, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, H.E. Christine Moro, Ambassador of France, H.E. Driss Hachaq, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Morocco stressed the importance of the issue and adherence to the Paris Agreement.

Ms. Irena Vojackova Sollorano thanked the Ministry, Embassy of France and development partners for their cooperation and expressed UNDP’s commitment to support the government of Serbia in their efforts to fight climate change on both local and national level.

Attendees had an opportunity to learn more about national goals in climate change reduction, innovative solutions for local development resilient to climate change, international innovation, support of the Swiss government to local communities and the role of civil society organizations as a link between the national policy and local measures. An example of solutions of resilience to climate change was presented in the context of the experience by the Finnish capital city of Helsinki.

This meeting was also one of the final activities in the preparation for the project entitled „Local Development Resilient to Climate Change“, which aims to help the local communities to launch and implement innovative measures and solutions for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Project will be implemented in the next five years by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection in partnership with UNDP and thanks to the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Source: undp.org

Nelt Releases its First Sustainability Report

01.11.2016

Nelt has released its first “Distribution with care” Sustainability Report in line with the international GRI reporting standard.

The Report uses measurable indicators to show important aspects of the business and objectives that Nelt as a socially responsible company has achieved over the last two years while acting responsibly to the market, company employees, the environment, and the local community.

“The last two years have been very successful for us,” Nelt’s CEO Boris Mačak said. “With an organic, stable growth of business, we have done a lot in the field of sustainability itself. We have introduced systemic improvement of knowledge and skills of our employees through additional hours of training, we have increased efficiency through new technologies, we are using natural resources more rationally, and we continue to help local communities through our years-long CSR strategy.

Mačak added: “To us, reporting means a continued dialogue with stakeholders, and the methodology we used is one that enables transparency in business and comparing our results with those of other companies in this industry, both globally and locally.”

GRI is an international independent organization whose established methodology provides guidelines for companies, governments, and other organizations to understand and communicate the impact of business on key sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption, environmental protection and many others. GRI sets a standard in reporting, allowing reports to be comparable.

In the context of increasing demands for transparency, more intense reporting on sustainability and corporate social responsibility has become an inevitable practice and one of the most efficient ways of communicating. In addition, the European Parliament passed a law in 2014, stipulating this type of reporting as mandatory for companies with 500+ employees. In Serbia, so far, 12 companies have published sustainable reports to GRI standards.

Nelt’s sustainability report “Distribution with care” you can find on this link.

Source: amcham.rs

World’s Largest Thermal Solar Plant Could Be Coming To Nevada

01.11.2016

While thermal solar power plants have had a bit of trouble catching on in the US, solar energy company SolarReserve is hoping to change that. The company recently announced it’s hoping to build a 2,000 megawatt facility in Nevada called Sandstone. With a planned 10 towers and more than 100,000 concentrating mirrors, the plant would be the largest of its type anywhere in the world. It would overshadow SolarReserve’s Crescent Dunes plant, currently the largest in the US with 110 megawatts of capacity.

The new report comes via the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which reports the plant would cost about $5 billion to build and would deliver enough power for 1 million homes–the same amount of energy generated by Hoover Dam. Its energy capacity would also put it solidly in line with many nuclear power plants which, in the US, generate anywhere from 479 to 3,973 megawatts. If this project is successful, it could prove once and for all that solar energy is competitive with more conventional power sources.

Its size isn’t the only thing that makes the proposed Sandstone plant unique. It would also be only one of two in the US to store excess solar energy in a molten salt battery, allowing it to continue generating power overnight.

At the moment, SolarReserve is looking at two potential sites to house the Sandstone plant, both on federal land in Nye County. The facility itself could range in size from 15,000 to 20,000 acres, and a decision is expected sometime in the next six months. After various criticisms faced by the Ivanpah solar plant in California, SolarReserve appears to be carefully considering the environmental and wildlife conservation impact of both potential sites.

Source: inhabitat.com

The Mediterranean Will Become a Desert Unless Global Warming is Limited to 1.5°C

01.11.2016

klimatske-promene — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Southern Spain could look like the Sahara unless global warming is held to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Science titled “Climate change: The 2015 Paris Agreement thresholds and Mediterranean basin ecosystems.” According to the analysis, if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated and global warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), desertification could overtake many areas around the Mediterranean by the end of the century, altering ecosystems in ways not seen in 10,000 years.

The researchers examined pollen cores from sediments during the Holocene, the geological epoch that began more than 10,000 years ago. They than compared the information from past conditions to predictions of future climate and vegetation under different climate change scenarios. Warming beyond 2 degrees Celsius could cause an expansion of deserts in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East with decidious forests replaced by shrubs and bushes.

The Mediterranean region is already warming at a more rapid pace than the rest of the world. Since 1880 when modern record-keeping began, average land and ocean surface temperature has increased by .85 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit). However, the Mediterranean basin has seen 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming.

“The main message is really to maintain at less than 1.5C,” Joel Guiot, palaeoclimatologist at the European Centre for Geoscience Research and Education in Aix-en-Provence, France, and the study’s lead author, told The Guardian. “For that, we need to decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases very quickly, and start the decreasing now, and not by 2020, and to arrive at zero emissions by 2050 and not by the end of the century.”

Source: inhabitat.com

The Dutch Mountains is the ‘Interactive Work and Residential Environment of the Future’

01.11.2016

Mixed-use buildings are the future of sustainability, according to many in the movement, and it’s likely that no place on Earth is implementing that concept faster than the Netherlands. A proposed project dubbed the Dutch Mountains aims to fuse office space with hotel rooms and event venues under one roof, in an enormous concave structure that appears boat-like in silhouette. Studio Marco Vermeulenand BLOC (designers of the Dutch Windwheel) have established a consortium of companies and academic institutes to advance the project, including Dell Technologies, Honeywell Building Solutions, SPIE Netherlands, and the Technical University of Eindhoven.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Dutch Mountains design is its shape. From the outside, it recalls the hull of an enormous ship just launched into a body of water, with either end curving upward to a height of 147 feet. An aerial view reveals that the building surrounds a private green spacespanning nearly 43,000 square feet. There, workers and residents can relax in a park-like setting, hold outdoor meetings, or enjoy a picnic on the shore of a man-made pond—all while protected from the noise and pollution of the major highway running adjacent to the proposed site. The park is visible from all of the development’s amenities, offering a pleasant view of nature as opposed to looking out onto other buildings.

The Dutch Mountains features a 52,000-square-foot lobby, which houses the reception area for offices upstairs. The entrance to restaurants, conference venues, a health club, an indoor swimming pool, a supermarket, and an exhibition space are also located on this level. Beyond the lobby is close to 100,000 square feet of office space, laboratories, and hotel rooms. The Dutch Mountains’ ideal tenants include large businesses as well as startups, as the building is designed to be flexible to the needs of each company.

The mixed use project is proposed for De Run in the municipality of Veldhoven, in the Eindhoven area. The Dutch Mountains will support the claim that Eindhoven is the “smartest region in the world” by housing the Brainport Experience Center where business come to present their latest innovations. Also included in the plans are a field lab for innovative construction and energy technology, and a gardenfor food production.

Source: inhabitat.com

ABB to Strengthen Power Infrastructure on Canary Islands while Preserving Natural Beauty

31.10.2016

ABB has received orders to supply gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and shunt reactors to Red Eléctrica de España, (REE) the transmission agent and operator of the Spanish electricity system to support the upgrade of the electricity transmission infrastructure on the Canary Islands. The islands are part of an archipelago located off the coast of northwestern Africa, and one of Spain’s farthest-flung territories. They are also a popular tourist destination, renowned for their black- and white-sand beaches.

Designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, they consist of seven main islands and several smaller ones, all formed by remaining cones of extinct volcanos giving the islands their very steep and diverse landscape. The islands are most popularly known for their beaches and temperate climate and attract some 12 million tourists per year. With tourism accounting for 80 % of the archipelago’s economy, the reliable supply of electricity is vital.

The Canary Islands transmission grid comprises around 1,350 km of power lines and 50 substations. Since 2011, REE has been working on the upgrade of the transmission infrastructure in the Canaries. The ambitious plans under the project name MAR (Improvement of Grid Assets) aim to adapt the electricity infrastructure to the quality of REE’s facilities on the mainland Spanish peninsula. They will also help to address existing infrastructure deficiencies and integrate the acquired assets into REE control systems, to secure electricity supply in the archipelago.

As part of this upgrade project, ABB will design, supply and commission 145-kilovolt (kV) and 72 kV GIS to be installed in three indoor substations located on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Upon completion in 2017, the GIS will enable an interconnection between the electricity systems of the islands. ABB’s robust and highly compact GIS technology can enable up to 90 percent space savings compared to air-insulated switchgear (AIS). Its significantly smaller footprint enables GIS substations to be hidden in buildings, thus preserving the surroundings in its natural state.

“ABB’s compact GIS technology will help to strengthen the power transmission infrastructure on the picturesque Canary Islands and boost power supplies while preserving their natural landscape and minimizing environmental impact,” said Giandomenico Rivetti, Managing Director of ABB’s High Voltage Products business unit, a part of the company’s Power Grids division.

In a power system, switchgear controls, protects and isolates electrical equipment to boost the reliability of power supply. ABB pioneered high-voltage GIS in the mid-1960s and continues to drive the technology, offering a full range product portfolio with voltage levels from 72.5 kV to 1,200 kV. As a market leader in high-voltage GIS technology, ABB has a global installed base of more than 25,000 bays.

The project also includes the design, supply and commission of three shunt reactors 6 megavolt amperes reactive (Mvar) 72kV and one 9 MVAr 132kV to be installed in the same indoor substations located on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Shunt reactors are low loss versions and will be used for compensating of capacitive power of submarine cables between Canary Islands. In addition to this project, ABB will support REE with their upgrade of the mainland electricity transmission infrastructure with seven single phase 200 megavolt amperes (MVA) 420 kV autotransformers.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leading global technology company in power and automation that enables utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.

Source: abb.com

GE Secures over $900 Million Order for Latin America’s Largest Gas Power Plant

31.10.2016

GE announced few days ago that it has secured a more than $900 million turnkey order with Centrais Elétricas de Sergipe S.A. (CELSE) for Brazil’s Porto de Sergipe combined-cycle power plant. With a generating capacity of 1,516 MW, the facility will be the largest gas power plant in Latin America and can deliver an efficiency rate of over 62%.

“Porto de Sergipe will transform the way power is delivered in Brazil, and we’re confident that GE is the right partner to deliver the full scope of this project through its optimized gas power solutions,” said Eduardo Antonello, CEO of Golar Power, an owner of the project company CELSE. “We look forward to working together to supply more affordable, reliable and cleaner energy solutions to the people of Brazil.”

The plant will feature three of GE’s world-record-setting HA gas turbines and a steam turbine as well as a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and other related equipment added to the GE portfolio through the Alstom acquisition nearly one year ago. The contract also includes a robust transmission system provided on a turnkey basis by GE Energy Connections. This system incorporates a high voltage step up substation at the power plant, transmission lines and a bay at an existing substation.

“GE’s HA technology is faster – capable of delivering full power to the grid in under 30 minutes – and able to achieve more efficiency than ever before, and it’s changing the way our customers deliver power around the world,” said Joe Mastrangelo, president and CEO, Gas Power Systems at GE Power. “When we tap into the GE store and combine the HA with other innovative technologies across GE, it’s a game changer that will make a real difference in meeting the growing energy demands in Brazil.”

Once complete, the combined-cycle plant, located at Barra dos Coqueiros, will account for an estimated 15% of Northeast energy demand in Brazil. In addition, with an extensive amount of wind and hydro power in Brazil, GE’s 7HA technology will play an important role in enabling a quick response to fluctuations in grid demand and adapting quickly to weather changes. The plant’s first operation is scheduled for January 2020 as part of the Governador Marcelo Déda power generation complex.

“Our world depends on electricity to power people’s lives and Brazil’s demand for energy is expected to continue to grow,” said Reinaldo Garcia, president and CEO, Grid Solutions at GE Energy Connections. “This new power plant allows the country to meet growing demand, providing the necessary complement to its intermittent renewable energy sources. Our role is to ensure the reliable, efficient and safe connection from the power plant to the electricity grid. We are proud to provide the connective fiber delivering energy to the Brazilian people.”

GE has a longstanding presence in Brazil of 96 years. Today, there are more than 12,000 GE employees in the country based throughout 10 GE businesses, including 29 production and services units and one of GE’s main hubs for innovation, a Global Research facility that was inaugurated in 2014. Additionally, GE equipment helps power approximately one-third of all energy generated throughout Latin America.

Source: genewsroom.com

1st Meeting of the High-level Committee of the Algiers Accord – OPEC and Non-OPEC Oil Producing Countries

31.10.2016

The OPEC High-level Committee, established by the Algiers Accord, met with non-OPEC oil producing countries on Saturday, 29 October, at OPEC headquarters in Vienna. It was preceded by the first High-Level Committee Meeting, held Friday, 28 October, among OPEC Member Countries.

In addition to OPEC Member Countries, six non-OPEC countries attended the joint Meeting. They were Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Oman and the Russian Federation.

The Meeting acknowledged the landmark Algiers Accord, which was a consensus decision of all OPEC Member Countries, and underscored the positive impacts it has had on the markets, with a reversed trend in oil prices and reduced volatility, providing a common platform for all producers to work jointly on restoring stability to the markets.

Delegates also discussed current oil market conditions and prospects for the rest of the year and in 2017. Deliberations focused on oil market fundamentals and driving factors for the economy, oil demand and supply, including the exceptionally high stock overhang.

The Meeting noted that the world economy, despite prevailing uncertainties, is expected to see improvements in the current year and in 2017. There has already been an increase in oil demand growth so far in 2016 in both the OECD and other regions, with potential for similar growth in 2017. On the supply side, significant declines were noted in non-OPEC regions in 2016. However, the stock overhang continues to be very high.

In addition, the negative impact of prolonged low oil prices, which has resulted in deep cuts in upstream investments, is expected to extend into an unprecedented third year. Furthermore, despite gradual adjustment, persistent oversupply with excess stocks was noted as a concern, exerting adverse pressure in the market.

The Meeting engaged in intensive and fruitful deliberations on how best to return much-needed stability to the market. The participants shared their readiness to enhance the rebalancing process, including through joint coordinated actions implemented on a sustainable basis, in order to accelerate the ongoing drawdown of the stock overhang and bring the rebalancing forward.

In this regard, the Meeting emphasized the value of more frequent consultations towards contributing to the effective implementation of the Algiers Accord.

In view of the market complexities and large uncertainties going forward, the Meeting stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation for all times, along with technical interactions, so that future consultative meetings may adequately address topical issues affecting the oil market and the industry at large.

At the conclusion of the Meeting, participating countries expressed their appreciation for the constructive and fruitful discussions, and resolved to strengthen their cooperation through regular, structured and sustainable consultations among OPEC and non-OPEC producers in accordance with the mandate of the Algiers Accord. The consultations will continue in November 2016.

The Meeting marked positive development on the road towards reaching an agreement at the OPEC Ministerial Conference to be held on 30 November 2016.

Source: opec.org

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