China pushes for mandatory integration of renewable power

28.03.2016

China has ordered power transmission companies to provide grid connectivity for all renewable power generation sources and end a bottleneck that has left a large amount of clean power idle, the country’s energy regulator said on Monday. The grid companies have been ordered to plug in all renewable power sources that comply with their technical standards, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said. China’s power is primarily delivered by the State Grid Corp of China [STGRD.UL] and the China Southern Power Grid Co [CNPOW.UL], with the latter responsible for delivering electricity in five southern provinces and regions. China has become the world’s biggest wind and solar power user, but a large amount of renewable power has not been able to reach the grid because transmission capabilities are lagging generating capacity by around three to five years. The State Grid is banking on building new ultra-high voltage (UHV) long-distance transmission lines to fill the gap.

“The construction of UHV lines are to help with cross-regional power delivery,” said Wang Yanfang, a State Grid spokeswoman, referring to the need to deliver power from remoter regions to energy-hungry eastern China. Northern and western provinces, where energy resources are plentiful, are far from the industrial hubs in the nation’s eastern coastal regions. To transport surplus power from the north and west, China currently has 17 UHV transmission lines in operation or under construction. Suppliers generating power with wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and wave energy will benefit from the full integration plan, the NEA said. Integration will also encourage wind and solar power suppliers to participate in the country’s pilot power trading program, although grid companies will also be forced to make guaranteed purchases of a portion of the power generated.

“The authorities and provincial grid companies should promote cross-regional trading of renewable power to scale up its acceptance,” the NEA said. The regulator said the volume of electricity the grid is forced to buy will be determined by technical criteria such as transmission capacity and end-user demand in regions where capacity has been idled. The mandatory contracts mean that renewable power companies will still be compensated if they are squeezed out by other suppliers, said the NEA. Other renewable sources, such as biomass, geothermal, wave and small-scale solar power, will be integrated with the grid without the need to trade on the market.

Source: http://www.reuters.com

Decoupling of global emissions and economic growth confirmed

28.03.2016

IEA analysis shows energy-related emissions of CO2 stalled for the second year in a row as renewable energy surged. Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) – the largest source of man-made greenhouse gas emissions – stayed flat for the second year in a row, according to analysis of preliminary data for 2015 released recently by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Please look here for the document: 1 EnergyRelatedCO2_TimeSeriesData

“The new figures confirm last year’s surprising but welcome news: we now have seen two straight years of greenhouse gas emissions decoupling from economic growth,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Coming just a few months after the landmark COP21 agreement in Paris, this is yet another boost to the global fight against climate change.” Global emissions of carbon dioxide stood at 32.1 billion tonnes in 2015, having remained essentially flat since 2013. The IEA preliminary data suggest that electricity generated by renewable played a critical role, having accounted for around 90% of new electricity generation in 2015; wind alone produced more than half of new electricity generation. In parallel, the global economy continued to grow by more than 3%, offering further evidence that the link between economic growth and emissions growth is weakening.

In the more than 40 years in which the IEA has been providing information on CO2emissions, there have been only four periods in which emissions stood still or fell compared to the previous year. Three of those – the early 1980s, 1992 and 2009 – were associated with global economic weakness. But the recent stall in emissions comes amid economic expansion: according to the International Monetary Fund, global GDP grew by 3.4% in 2014 and 3.1% in 2015. The two largest emitters, China and the United States, both registered a decline in energy-related CO2 in 2015. In China, emissions declined by 1.5%, as coal use dropped for the second year in a row. The economic restructuring towards less energy-intensive industries and the government’s efforts to decarbonise electricity generation pushed coal use down. In 2015, coal generated less than 70% of Chinese electricity, ten percentage points less than four years ago (in 2011). Over the same period low-carbon sources jumped from 19% to 28%, with hydro and wind accounting for most of the increase.

In the United States, emissions declined by 2%, as a large switch from coal to natural gas use in electricity generation took place. The decline observed in the two major emitters was offset by increasing emissions in most other Asian developing economies and the Middle East, and also a moderate increase in Europe. More details on the data and analysis will be included in a World Energy Outlook special report on energy and air quality that will be released at the end of June. The report will go beyond CO2 emissions and will provide a first in-depth analysis of the role the energy sector plays in air pollution, a crucial policy issue that today results in 7 million premature deaths a year. The report will provide the outlook for emissions and their impact on health, and provide policy makers with strategies to mitigate energy-related air pollution in the short and long term.

http://www.iea.org

Towards Energy Union: The Commission presents sustainable energy security package

25.03.2016

The Commission on 16^th of February presented its energy security package with necessary proposals to equip the EU for global energy transition as well as to be prepared for possible energy supply interruptions. Energy security dimension is one of the cornerstones of the Energy Union strategy, a key political priority of the Juncker Commission. The package sets out a wide range of measures to strengthen the EU’s resilience to gas supply disruptions. These measures include moderating energy demand, increasing energy production in Europe (including from renewables), further developing a well-functioning and fully integrated internal energy market, as well as diversification of energy sources, suppliers and routes. Further, the proposals bring more transparency to the European energy market and create more solidarity between the Member States.

What does the package adopted by the Commission consist of?

Security of Gas Supply Regulation

Gas plays a role in the transition to a low-carbon economy and remains important in the EU energy mix. However the existing external dependence requires the EU to strengthen the resilience of its markets when confronted by gas supply disruptions. To reap full benefits of liquid and competitive market it is necessary to enhance the transparency on EU gas market. To address this fragility of the system, the Commission proposes a shift from national approach to a regional approach when designing security of supply measures. Further, the proposal introduces a solidarity principle among Member States to ensure the supply of households and essential social services, such as healthcare, in case their supply was affected due to a severe crisis.

A decision on Intergovernmental Agreements in energy

The EU needs to ensure that intergovernmental agreements signed by its Member States with third countries and relevant to EU gas security are more transparent and fully comply with EU law. To that end it introduces an ex-ante compatibility check by the Commission. This ex-ante assessment makes it possible to check compliance with competition rules and internal energy market legislation before the agreements are negotiated, signed and sealed. The Member States will have to take full account of the Commission’s opinion ahead of signing the agreements.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas storage strategy

Europe is the biggest importer of natural gas in the world. Europe’s overall LNG import capacity is significant – currently it is enough to meet around 43% of total current gas demand (2015). However, significant regional disparities as regards access to LNG remain. The Commission sets a liquefied natural gas (LNG) strategy that will improve access of all Member States to LNG as an alternative source of gas. The central elements of this strategy are building the strategic infrastructure to complete the internal energy market and identifying the necessary projects to end single-source dependency of some of the Member States.

Heating and Cooling strategy

The heating and cooling of buildings and industry consumes half of the EU’s energy. Further, it is 75% powered by fossil fuels. The proposed Heating and Cooling strategy focuses on removing barriers to decarbonisation in buildings and industry. It also stresses that increased energy efficiency and use of renewables will have an impact on energy security. Looking into this sector more strategically is crucial as the EU wants to improve its interdependence from external suppliers.

Source: http://europa.eu

2017 BMW 330e plug-in hybrid on sale in late summer

24.03.2016

bmw-electric — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

BMW has finally set a U.S. launch date for its plug-in hybrid 3-Series variant. The plug-in hybrid was briefly mentioned during BMW’s unveiling of a mid-cycle refresh for the entire 3-Series lineup last year. Then a European-spec model was unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show back in September. Now, we have confirmation that the 2017 BMW 330e iPerformance will go on sale in the U.S. late this summer. Since the 330e was first shown, BMW has begun adding the “iPerformance” tag to plug-in hybrids based on existing models, in order to tie them to the “i” family of dedicated plug-in models. So the 330e is now the 330e iPerformance, and the previously-revealed X5 xDrive40e and 740e xDrive are now officially the X5 xDrive40e iPerformance and 740e xDrive iPerformance, respectively.

The 330e powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, working with an electric motor and 7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Unlike the other two iPerformance models, the 330e is rear-wheel drive, rather than all-wheel drive. Total system output is 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, allowing for 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph, says BMW. Operating solely on electric power, the 330e can also drive up to 14 miles, at speeds up to 75 mph, according to the company. Official EPA range and fuel-economy ratings aren’t in yet, though. BMW estimates recharging will take 2.5 hours from a 240-volt Level 2 AC source, and six to seven hours from a 120-volt outlet.

The battery pack is located under the trunk load floor, which cuts trunk space from 17 cubic feet to 13 cubic feet, but preserves the 40/20/40 split-folding rear bench seat that allows longer items to be loaded through into the back-seat area. Like many plug-in hybrids, the 330e has a choice of driving modes. “Auto eDrive” automatically selects a combination of gasoline and electric power, “Max eDrive” prioritizes electric driving, and “Save Battery” holds battery charge at 50 percent. The car can also use real-time traffic information to plot when it is best to use electric power. It might, for example, save the charge for driving through urban areas, or to give the gasoline engine an extra boost on hills. All of that comes at a base price of $44,695 (including destination). When it goes on sale this summer, the 330e will join the 7-Series, X5, and i8 plug-in hybrids, as well as the all-electric and range-extended i3s, in a growing U.S. lineup of BMW plug-in cars.

http://www.greencarreports.com

The energy sector will mark the next decade in the global economy

23.03.2016

Vladimir Bošković, Head of the Department for small and medium enterprises

Sberbank currently has 33 branches in Serbia, 611 employees and nearly 69,000 clients. It is a financial institution which has been doing business in Russia for 170 years and is known as one of the most successful banks in the world. Sberbank provides services for individuals, but also for small, medium and large enterprises and we talked with Vladimir Bosković, Head of the Department for small and medium enterprises about that. We put special emphasis on the fact that this bank is one of few in Serbia which supports projects concerning energetics, environmental protection and energy efficiency. On the occasion of conference COP 21, straight from the horse’s mouth we find out how one successful bank operates in Serbia and what type of projects have been supported so far.

EP: In your opinion, why Sberbank has decided to support projects concerning energy efficiency, environmental protection and thus support economic development in Serbia?

Vladimir Bošković: Serbia as a country with limited energy resources has a lot of potential for saving, and improvement of energy efficiency is one of precondition for energy stability of the country as well as the economy in general. The energy sector became the most profitable and the most attractive sector for investment long time ago, and according to estimations of international financial institutions it will become the sector which will denote the following decades in global economy alongside with griculture. Given the current active experience in funding the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, Sberbank Serbia in its offer has all models necessary for financing the projects in this area thus giving concrete contribution to environmental protection. In cooperation with KfW (German Development Bank), we have invested more than 10 million EUR in more than 400 projects from earmarked credit line for the improvement of energy efficiency so far. By measuring concrete output our contribution expressed in units of measurement is nearly 20 million kWh per year of energy savings, as well as CO2 emission in the mount of 11 million tons per year.

EP: Which conditions should a private of legal person meet in order to obtain a loan from Sberbank?

Vladimir Bošković: Since this is an earmarked credit line, it represented an additional motive for us as a bank to offer far more favourable conditions than commercial, average conditions on the market to our clients. The only condition for clients was that each investment contributes to energy saving of minimum 20% accompanied by the reduction of CO2 in the same proportion. Our focus is private sector, and credit lines are designated for the stimulation of small and medium enterprises, as well as private individuals. The biggest part of implemented projects was related to the investment in building design and construction, and slightly less to the replacement of the equipment/ machines in production processes and the purchase of vehicles for the service and transportation sector. Bearing in mind potentials for investment, we also decided to direct our plans towards public sector and local self-government. The reason why we haven’t implemented more projects in local self-government sector lies in inadequate funding models, which can be surpassed in the near future by defining PPP (Public Private Partnership) as an adequate model of financing that would be acceptable for the banks and also for other participants in partnership. Legal framework has existed for a long time ago, but the reason of higher prudence of banks is still insufficient number of implemented projects done under this model.

EP: Can you find out, in direct contact with clients or potential clients from Serbia, to what extent do the clients understand the problem of global warming and climate change that are also themes of the conference COP21?

Vladimir Bošković: We are one of the first banks in the market which has introduced the credit lines for these projects and our main advantages are knowledge and experience. With the help of consultant teams, who have been an integral part of the implementation of the credit line together with KfW, we obtained certain knowledge and expertise that are necessary for active approach of our employees in sales so that they could be able to properly raise the awareness level among clients about the significance of investing in these projects. Employees have undergone several levels of energy efficiency, and some of them have gained additional knowledge, thus we formed an internal consulting team for energy efficiency whose primary role was the assess compliance with the criteria for financing, as well as constantly gaining knowledge in this area. The key factor is the implementation of legislation which will create a favorable ground for promotion and encourage further investments in this sector and that is what the experience of EU countries has indicated. We expect recent implementation of series of laws and bylaws which are in the process of implementation. I would mention only few of them: the announced amendments of the Law on Planning and Construction, full implementation of energy certification of buildings, the implementation of the Law on the Efficient Use of Energy which introduces the number of necessary measures for the increase of energy efficiency (I primarily refer to the ollection of heat energy according to the consumption in the distinct heating system), establishment of the energy management at the level of companies and local self-government, as well as many others.

Continuous work on raising of the awareness on energy efficiency and the importance of these investments for environmental protection, we confirm responsible business activity through investing into these and similar projects in the energy sector.

Interview led by: Vesna Vukajlović

Turkey hits historic gas consumption record in January

22.03.2016

Turkey’s monthly natural gas consumption reached a historic record high at 5.78 billion cubic meters (bcm) in January 2016, according to data from Turkish Energy Watchdog. In January 2016, 5.78 bcm of natural gas was consumed, Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority, EMRA, announced on Tuesday in its monthly natural gas report for January. The new monthly record is 5.7 percent higher than the previous highest consumption which was seen in January 2015 with 5.47 bcm. Turkey’s daily highest consumption was also seen in January 2016 with a consumption rate of 235 million cubic meters of gas, Turkey’s Energy Ministry had announced in February 2016. During January 2016, the most natural gas was consumed by households with 2.45 bcm and electricity plants with 1.34 bcm. Istanbul became the biggest natural gas consuming region followed by Ankara and Kocaeli.

Other gas imports records

Turkey’s natural gas imports rose by 7.8 percent to 5.39 bcm in January, compared to the same month last year. This represents the highest amount of natural gas imported in the country’s history, according to EMRA’s data. The country imported the most natural gas from Russia with 2.78 bcm. Iran and Azerbaijan followed with 852 million cubic meters (mcm) and 594 mcm respectively. Russia’s share in Turkey natural gas imports fell to 51.65 percent from 53.81 percent last January.

LNG’s role increases in natural gas supply

LNG was the main instrument to meet the country’s natural gas demand in January 2016. Turkey imported 396 mcm more natural gas than the previous January out of which 240 mcm was supplied by LNG facilities, according to the report. LNG imports for Turkey increased 25.97 percent to 1.16 bcm in January compared to the same month last year. Turkey imported the most LNG from Algeria with 468 mcm and Nigeria with 171 mcm. Turkey also imported 520 mcm of LNG from spot markets in January.

http://aaenergyterminal.com

China’s new 5-year plan is out, and it doesn’t sacrifice the environment for the economy

22.03.2016

countryside-2326787_1920 — Photo: Pixabay

On Wednesday, Chinese lawmakers approved the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan, the high-level document that will guide policymaking through 2020, including the country’s approach to climate and energy policy. As the world’s second-largest economy and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China necessarily plays a role in shaping global climate policy — and if it can deliver on the goals outlined in the plan, that role will undoubtedly expand. The plan is the first to set a national cap on energy consumption — 5 billion tons of standard coal equivalent for 2020 — as well as offering new visions for energy efficiency and air pollution. A World Resources Institute analysis concluded that this FYP sets China on a path to a 48 percent reduction in carbon intensity levels by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. (Carbon intensity refers to the ratio of CO2 emissions to GDP.) For reference, China’s pledge to the Paris Agreement has the country slashing carbon intensity by 60-65 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. All told, it’s the “greenest Five-Year Plan that China has ever produced,” said Barbara Finamore, director of NRDC’s Asia program, on a press call. There’s a lot more to the FYP than energy policy, but many of the other pieces are complementary when it comes to the climate. New standards on air quality indicators like PM 2.5, for example, will no doubt rein in the country’s rampant coal burning. But it’s not all about coal, either. While China saw a cut in coal use of around 3 percent in 2015, it increased its oil consumption by 5.6 percent in the same year. “If China is going to peak its CO2 emissions, it cannot just rely on [cutting] coal,” said Finamore. “Transportation emissions and oil consumption are going to be exceedingly important.” And they are: The FYP addresses vehicle emissions and public transportation in cities, in addition to allocating new money to high-speed rail initiatives.

It’s easy to raise questions about China’s ability to follow through on these kinds of ambitious plans in the face of slowing economic growth. The FYP outlines a target GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent through 2020 — speedy by global standards, but a far cry from the 10 percent growth rate of yesteryear. But that’s not the right way to think about it, said Paul Joffe, senior foreign policy counsel at WRI. “China envisions a ‘new normal’ level of growth,” explained Joffe to press. “At that level, they view the economic and environmental targets as entirely compatible.” In other words, anyone wildly gesticulating at China’s flagging growth rate needs to take a chill pill. Ten percent is simply not sustainable. Joffe’s description of coinciding economic and environmental goals bucks the conventional economic logic that says “you need to consume more to grow more,” said Kate Gordon, a vice chair at the Paulson Institute. That logic is faltering. Earlier this week, the International Energy Agency released data suggesting energy-related emissions and global GDP growth are decoupling. Indeed, Gordon argues that China’s energy-efficiency savings have in part allowed for that kind of decoupling. As the economy transitions to a larger focus on services — which the FYP has growing from 50.5 to 56 percent of the Chinese economy by 2020 — and a lesser emphasis on industry, the split between GDP growth and emission trends becomes even more apparent. A reasonably glaring omission in China’s FYP is the lack of an explicit goal for new renewable energy installed, though it’s conceivable that new goals for solar and wind capacity could find their way into the sub-plans that will be released over the coming months.

Existing targets include 150GW of new solar capacity and 250GW of wind by 2020. Of course, it’s also not just about capacity, said Gordon. You’ve also got to get that electricity on the grid. In its Paris Agreement pledge, China committed to raising its share of renewable to 20 percent of its energy mix by 2030. The plan’s ambition gives post-Paris climate-action further momentum, and can only serve to strengthen the recent U.S.-China climate pact. As with all ambitious plans, though, implementation will be key — and the country is outlining some stark transitions. Upwards of 1.8 million workers in the coal and steel industries are expected to lose their jobs due to changes outlined in the FYP, and those workers will need to be retrained and reemployed. Truly delivering on those goals will require an unprecedented degree of foresight and coordination. Or to put it in Finamore’s own words: “It’s going to be tough.”

www.grist.org

North America’s largest coal power plant to become 44-MW solar farm

17.03.2016

power-plant, carbon, co2 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, the Ontario Power Generation Nanticoke Generating Station was once North America’s largest coal-fired power plant. It was once capable of producing almost 4,000 megawatts at full capacity, but the aging plant has been shuttered since 2013. Now the site is to be re-purposed for a 44-MW solar farm, as part of a larger effort to replace coal with renewable sources, according to Cleantech Canada. The new solar farm is one of many projects stemming from a large solar-procurement project announced last week by Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Ontario’s grid operator.

Called the Large Renewable Procurement program, it includes 16 contracts for renewable energy, totalling 454.9 MW of power for the Canadian province. Ontario completed a phase out of coal power in 2014, which included the shutdown of the Nanticoke plant. The site’s redevelopment into a solar farm will be led by Sun Edison Canadian Construction LP, which will partner with Six Nations Development Corp. and Ontario Power Generation. Each of the solar providers involved in the Ontario Large Renewable Procurement program will receive an average 15.67 cents (about 11 cents U.S.) per kilowatt-hour for the energy their sites generate. That means Ontario residents likely won’t get much relief from recent increases in electricity rates. Average electricity costs in the province have risen significantly over the past decade, and some suggest that the phaseout of coal is at least partially to blame.

In November 2015, average peak electricity costs stood at 17.5 cents/kWh (13 cents U.S.), compared to 9.7 cents/kWh (7 cents U.S.) in November 2006, according to the Ontario Energy Board. For off-peak power, residents paid an average 8.3 cents/kWh (6 cents U.S.) in November 2015, compared to 3.4 (3 cents U.S.) cents for the same month in 2006. But regardless of current electricity rates, the long-term environmental benefits of Ontario’s shift away from coal will be worthwhile. The province had no smog days at all in 2015—the first full year of the coal phase out—compared to 53 such days in 2005. Construction of the Nanticoke solar farm will begin once the necessary environmental approvals and contracts are completed.

http://www.greencarreports.com

Earth Hour shines a light on climate action

16.03.2016

This Earth Hour, Saturday, 19 March 2016 8:30 p.m. local time, as the world’s most iconic landmarks prepare to switch off their lights, supporters will be invited to take a stand for climate action on their own personal landmarks – their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Social media users can promote their commitment to the planet by donating their Facebook feeds to spread climate awareness and action in a few clicks on earthhour.org/climateaction. Users can also add a custom-made Earth Hour filter to their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter to show they believe this is our time to change climate change.
“Social media knows no physical boundaries and neither does climate change,” said Siddarth Das, Executive Director, Earth Hour Global.

“A simple action on social media is the kind of powerful statement that can excite friends and communities to be a part of the climate action we need to take on this global challenge.” With the innovative ‘Donate Your Social Power’ Facebook app, created by Earth Hour in collaboration with creative agency iris Worldwide, supporters around the world can share climate information that matters most to them. By donating their timelines, users can invite friends and followers to discover how people and communities are helping protect #PlacesWeLove in Australia such as the World Heritage Forests in Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef or how they can be a part of India’s ambition to #GoSolar.

They can also collectively shine a light on the most pressing climate issues facing countries, people and wildlife in Latin America and be a part of Africa’s efforts to change climate change by helping protect forests and promoting access to climate education and renewable energy. “Climate action today will decide the future of our planet for generations to come. As more people sign up, an increasing number of individuals will be able to see how climate action starts with each of us, here and now,” said Das. “Earth Hour empowers each individual through a social event, interactive campaigns or through social networks to be a part of making climate change history.”

This year marks Earth Hour’s tenth lights out event. In the past nine years, WWF and Earth Hour teams worldwide have harnessed the power of the movement to raise support and funds for access to renewable energy, protection of wildlife and their habitats, building sustainable livelihoods and driving climate-friendly legislation and policy. In 2016, Earth Hour will continue to power grassroots efforts to change climate change including driving a petition for 100 per cent renewable energy in Spain, protecting forests and biodiversity in Africa and helping devise a comprehensive solution to Southeast Asia’s persistent haze crisis by working with governments, businesses and civil society simultaneously on peatland protection and sustainable palm oil. Earth Hour 2016 will be celebrated on Saturday, 19 March 2016 between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. in your local time zone. Log on to www.earthhour.org for more stories and articles on teams using the Earth Hour movement to shine a light on climate action. This is our time to change climate change.

www.wwf.com

Got Denmark envy? Wait until you hear about its energy policies

15.03.2016

Back in the early 1970s, Denmark got almost all its energy from imported oil. Then came the oil crisis, which, naturally, had a big impact. Political discussions throughout the ’80s resulted in two big strategic decisions. One, Denmark would develop its own North Sea oil and gas resources. Two, it would implement a green energy transition, or grøn omstilling, to get off fossil fuels entirely. Both strategies meant it would never again suffer at the mercy of international oil markets. Here’s how the first strategy has gone:

This enormous surge in energy production made Denmark a net energy exporter for many years, until 2013, when it once again became an importer:

As for the grøn omstilling, the country has seen rapid growth in wind turbines; small-scale combined heat-and-power (CHP) systems run on natural gas, biomass, or waste; and (more recently) rooftop solar panels.

Here’s a graphic from a presentation on Denmark’s energy efforts:

“In 1990,” writes the Rocky Mountain Institute, “the country had 15 central power plants. It now has 20 central power stations (4,200 MW), 45 electric boilers (550 MW), 5,300 wind turbines (5,070 MW), and 94,000 solar PV panels (785 MW), in addition to the 670 local combined heat and power plants (2,300 MW).” In 2013, renewable energy accounted for 46.7 percent of Danish electricity supply. Wind power alone supplied 42 percent in 2015.

Ambitious targets

Denmark’s ambitions have steadily risen over the years. In 2012, after a deliberative, country-wide, multi-stakeholder process (so Danish), the country implemented a new Energy Agreement, which among other things established some stringent targets. By 2020, Denmark aims to get 50 percent of its electricity from wind power and 35 percent of its total energy consumption from renewable sources. By 2030, no more coal. By 2035, 100 percent of electricity from renewable sources. By 2050, 100 of all the country’s final energy consumption — electricity, heat, transport, industrial — from renewable sources.

Maximizing local resources

Denmark boasts unusually high wind speeds, so they’ve built the hell out of wind turbines. Wind hit 42 percent of total Danish power in 2015 and is targeted for 50 percent by 2020.

Onshore wind is now, according to a government analysis, the cheapest form of electricity available in Denmark, about half the cost of new coal or natural gas plants. Denmark also has lots of natural gas (from the North Sea), biomass, and organic waste, so it made a concerted effort to encourage CHP. Now 80 percent of Danish heating co-generates electricity, and more than 50 percent of electricity is co-generated with heat. It’s the most extensive CHP system in the world. CHP only counts as “renewable” if it burns straw, wood chips, wood pellets, biogas, or waste. The vast bulk burn natural gas. To allay concerns about the use of biomass for electricity, in 2014. the country announced that it would only purchase sustainable biomass.

http://www.vox.com

EU grants support to Albania–Macedonia power link

15.03.2016

električna-mreža — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

At the Western Balkans Investment Summit, in the presence of all regional prime ministers, the European Union confirmed its intention to provide a EUR 12 million grant to support construction of the first electricity interconnector between Albania and Macedonia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said on its website. The package will also help the introduction of grid efficiency improvements to the infrastructure of MEPSO, the electricity transmission system operator of Macedonia. The project is part of the connectivity agenda for the Western Balkans with funding provided from the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) through the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF). EBRD has already committed a EUR 37 million loan for the regional integration of energy markets in the Western Balkans. Supporting crucial regional cross-border infrastructure and creating larger integrated energy markets increases energy security, said Suma Chakrabarti, president of EBRD. The project signifies an important step towards establishing a regional electricity market, he said. The European Commission supports the Western Balkans connectivity agenda and the transmission line will improve the security of supply and the stability of the two countries’ power systems, said Christian Danielsson, director general for enlargement, and added waste and excess capacity will be reduced. The project is part of the European Commission’s initiative to establish an East–West electricity transmission corridor between Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Italy, including the planned submarine cable from Montenegro to Italy.

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Underwater hotels intend to improve life beneath sea

15.03.2016

seaweed-1129226_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

When it comes to the future of travel, many experts have looked beyond Earth to the cosmos, naming space tourism as the next big trend. But it turns out there’s another trend that’s quietly making waves on our home planet, targeting destinations beneath the sea instead of above the sky: underwater hotels. The trend has been dubbed “inner space tourism” by Tony Webb, managing director of the new Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel, which is in development after receiving a U.S. patent for its innovative design last year. Webb even describes the 12-room luxury submarine hotel, which will float about 30 feet beneath the ocean surface, as being “like the International Space Station.” Just like the ISS, the property presents an exciting opportunity to do some science.

Planet Ocean aims to donate 10 percent of its proceeds to coral reef restoration — and wherever the movable hotel is located, marine biologist Dr Thomas Goreau will grow a natural coral reef habitat in that same area. The plan includes relocations to various sites around the world. “One point of this is to try to link the tourism to improving the environment,” Goreau, president of the Global Coral Reef Alliance told. “We help people restore reefs and having hotels do something and be part of the solution would be great. So far, they’ve been part of the problem.” Indeed, about 58 percent of the world’s reefs are threatened by human activity, such as the coastal development of buildings or yachts causing reef damage, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Restoring reefs is possible, however. Goreau and his colleagues at the alliance invented the so-called biorock method, in which low-voltage electrical currents are used to stimulate the growth of reefs on limestone surfaces. “We can grow reef frameworks all around an underwater hotel, and put them down on flat sand,” Goreau said.

“We can grow reefs of any size and shape around those and that material is limestone. It’s the only marine construction material that gains strength with age.” Planet Ocean itself will only be positioned above the sand, so as to reduce any potential negative impacts on the environment, Eleanor Mitch, CEO of the hotel, told The Huffington Post. She added that non-corrosive and non-pollutant marine equipment will be used to build the hotel. Marine biologists will help the hotel to select the best sites to settle in, Mitch said. The underwater property also will make an effort to avoid hurricanes and any other weather-related risks. “We believe that the future of travel and tourism will be tailor-made experiences,” she said. “We also firmly believe in responsible travel and tourism, which means that local economies and the environment benefit from these activities. It has to be a win-win scenario.”

www.pakistantoday.com

EU Ministers call on the EU to live up to its Paris commitments

10.03.2016

Many EU Environment Ministers discussing implications of the Paris Agreement for EU climate and energy policies today acknowledged that the EU must ramp up its climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement signed last year. In reaction to the debate at the Environment Council on 4th of March , Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action Network Europe said: “Many European leaders understand that the Paris Agreement will only be meaningful if it is translated into deeper emission cuts in every country. Several Ministers rightly acknowledged that if the goals adopted in Paris are to be within reach, we need to ramp up our current, weak climate targets. True leaders cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that there is a wide gap between our current climate action plans and what needs to be done to avoid a climate disaster.” The call for more ambition came from Germany, France, the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden. According to CAN Europe, the EU needs to revisit its inadequate 2030. targets latest by 2018. After 2018., when the EU will have adopted its policies to implement the 2030 targets, it will prove to be next to impossible to increase them.
Climate Action Network Europe is Europe’s largest coalition working on climate and energy issues. With over 120 member organizations in more than 30 European countries – representing over 44 million citizens – CAN Europe works to prevent dangerous climate change and promote sustainable climate and energy policy in Europe.

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WBA publishes a new factsheet on the global potential of biomass by 2035

08.03.2016

The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is pleased to announce the release of the factsheet ‘Global biomass potential towards 2035’ – the ninth in the series of publications. This comes at the opportune time when world leaders are developing new renewable energy targets based on the climate agreement at COP21 in Paris in December 2015. For the success of the Paris deal, an accelerated deployment of all renewable energy sources should take place including wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and bioenergy. Biomass is at present the largest renewable energy source. What can be the contribution of biomass to the global energy supply by 2035?

In this factsheet, WBA studied the realistic contribution of biomass to the global energy supply by 2035. Biomass for energy predominantly origins from 3 different sources: agriculture, forestry and waste streams. In the year 2012, the global supply of biomass was 56.2 EJ and WBA estimates that this can increase to 150 EJ by 2035. About 43% coming from agriculture (residues, by-products and energy crops), 52% from forests (wood fuel, forest residues and by-products of the forest industry) and 5% from waste streams.

Agriculture: In 2012, crops used for both food and for bioenergy include: sugarcane, corn, sugar beets, cereals, canola, oil palm, jatropha soybean, sorghum and sorghum. Plants only used for bioenergy or material purposes are: energy grasses, miscanthus, switchgrass and short rotation coppices. For agriculture, the energy output can be estimated with 26 – 34 EJ per year. Worldwide, corn, wheat, rice, sugar cane and soybean offer the biggest potential of residues. A systematic use of these by-products offers a potential of 30 – 38 EJ.

Forests: In 2012, 85% of all the biomass used for energy originated from forests or trees. Wood is by far the most important source for bioenergy. Wood for energy comprises different categories: wood fuel, charcoal, wood chips, pellets, bark, saw dust, recycled wood, black liquor and other residues of the forest harvest and the wood industry. The future potential of wood for energy depends on three aspects: (1) A better use and management of existing forests, (2) The better use of the by-products or residues of trees in non-forest areas for bioenergy instead of dumping a huge share of this material as it is done in many parts of the world today, and (3) The planting of new forests in order to compensate for the losses of forest in some regions, to increase the global forest area again and use part of this additional production for energy. 23 – 35 EJ of woody biomass can be supplied if these three conditions are fulfilled adding up to 72 – 84 EJ from woody biomass.

Waste: The organic fraction of waste streams can be used for energy purposes. Typical feedstock for energy generation from waste can be seen as: organic fraction of landfills, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste (MSW), organic fraction of agroindustry waste and unused food. The potential of the global waste streams for energy is estimated with 6 – 10 EJ.
This net potential of 150 EJ by 2035 can only be used if a wide range of government support policies promotes the sustainable production and efficient use of biomass for energy. Better protection of agricultural land, improving soil quality, increasing yields, protection of biodiversity and responsible use of water are key criteria for agriculture in general and also for bioenergy deployment.
The support programs have to be stable, reliable and specific for each region and country adapted to the regional needs and biomass resources.

As a WBA speaker puts it: “The PARIS agreement requires a rapid replacement of fossil fuels by renewables. Bioenergy together will all other Renewables could contribute about 50% of the global energy supply by 2035. ”

Please find more informations herehttp://www.worldbioenergy.org

Plug-In electric car sales for February: winter doldrums continue

07.03.2016

As in previous years, the dog days of January and February were not kind to electric-car sales this year. Both 2014 and 2015 saw the lowest number of plug-in cars sold in their first two months, and 2016 appears to be following that pattern. While February sales were slightly up on those in January, both months stayed at 6,000 to 8,000 vehicles-nowhere near the 8,800 to 14,000 per month sold last March through December. Continuing to ramp up sales of the all new 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, GM delivered 1,126 Volts in February. That compares to 693 a year ago, and brings the two-month total to 2,122 against last year’s 1,235. Sales of the Nissan Leaf battery-electric car stayed below 1,000 units for a second month, with February’s 930 a step up on January’s 755.

Both numbers were lower than the same months last year, a puzzlement considering that the new 30-kwh 2016 Leaf with 107-mile range should now be arriving at dealers. Sales of the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf were far below their late-2015 levels, too, at 248 and 198 cars respectively. One source suggests that BMW is deliberately keeping its inventories of 2016 i3 models low in anticipation of the longer-range 2017 version that goes into production in July. Tesla? Who knows? It’s possible, in fact, that the Tesla Model S could have been last month’s best-selling electric car but we don’t know, because Tesla Motors refuses to release monthly sales data. Among other plug-in hybrids, the Ford Fusion and C-Max Energi logged sales of 932 and 490 respectively- both up on their January numbers.

The C-Max Energi continues to sell at levels lower than last year’s, though the Fusion Energi is staying roughly on pace with its 2015 numbers. Audi delivered 248 A3 e-tron hatchbacks in the car’s second full month on sale, adding to January’s roaring launch total of 327 high numbers for a luxury maker. And a mere 6 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrids were delivered in February, indicating the the model has finally sunsetted after it went out of production last spring. A new 2017 Prius Plug-In is expected to be launched this spring or summer, and go on sale this fall, with a battery range of perhaps as much as 30 miles. Luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs surge meanwhile, three newer plug-in hybrid arrivals continued to log strong initial sales.

The BMW X5 xDrive 40e plug-in hybrid is doing surprisingly well, with February sales of 345 almost doubling the 181 delivered in January. Since it went on sale in October, BMW has delivered more than 1,400 of the luxury plug-in hybrid SUV with the 14-mile electric range. After five months of single- or double-digit sales during 2015, the Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid luxury SUV has hit its stride, with 176 deliveries last month adding to 226 in January.

http://www.greencarreports.com

UNIDO supports creation of Mesoamerican Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

04.03.2016

The General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SG-SICA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today announced last week a strategic partnership on the creation of a Mesoamerican Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (MCREEE). During the next months, SG-SICA and UNIDO, with financial support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), will execute a consultative preparatory process to assess the added value, feasibility and best technical and institutional design for such a centre. The process will include the development of a needs assessment, consultative workshops, as well as the development of a project document on the centre’s first operational phase. Once established, the technical centre is expected to support the SICA Member States through targeted regional programmes and projects on sustainable energy in the areas of capacity development, knowledge management and exchange, technology innovation, policy and legislation, as well as investment and business promotion. It will also contribute to better technical coordination, donor harmonisation, long-term sustainability of project interventions, as well as the documentation of lessons learned. The centre will become part of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers, a South-South multi-stakeholder partnership, coordinated by UNIDO in partnership with various regional organizations which are already working in other parts of the world, including in Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean regions.

V.V.
http://www.unido.org

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