A STORY INSPIRED BY THE LOVE AND CARE OF CHILDREN

01.11.2023

Alkaloid_corporate_2 — Photo: Alkaloid Skopje

The Alkaloid pharmaceutical company recently celebrated the 45th anniversary of one of its most recognizable brands – Becutan, a collection of skincare products for babies and children.

The story of Becutan is firmly rooted in love and care for children. In 1978, the Becutan brand became an indispensable part of childhood in this region and a synonym for quality. Thanks to constant investments and innovations carried out in Alkaloid’s state-of-the-art laboratories, Becutan has been and remains consistent in providing top-quality products. That’s why Becutan is used by our youngest and remains a skincare friend to all generations for decades to come.

Becutan and Alkaloid are not only symbols of tradition but also bearers of change, sustainable technologies and nature conservation through energy saving – both in the pharmaceutical industry and sustainable development.

IN FOCUS:

Alkaloid Skopje is a company that has been operational for over eight decades in the production of medication, cosmetic and chemical products and the processing of botanical raw materials. It is present in all markets of the former Yugoslavia and Switzerland, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and the USA.

The constant growth of production implies constant investment in production processes and the education of existing and new personnel. There are many areas in which Alkaloid can boast to be a socially responsible company – from helping orphanages and helping sports to be involved in the dual education system.

The company also recorded significant results in saving energy and caring for a healthier environment in which we live. It has set long-term goals, the most important of which is to help the community where we live and do business. Other long-term goals are divided into several segments – identifying the source and establishing a carbon footprint measurement process, devising measures to reduce CO2 emissions, increasing renewable energy production by 12 per cent in the next 25 years, increasing recyclable waste by 10 per cent by 2025, analyzing sustainable PC packaging for CCB and PC Pharmaceuticals, identifying sources and establishing a water footprint measurement process for all of the company’s sites by the end of 2023.

The first results are already visible in daily production, especially in the main production plant in Skopje. So far, CO2 emissions have been reduced by 1,285 tonnes, new bicycle parking spaces have been built, encouraging employees to use bicycles more in their daily commute, and 5,000 m3 of water has been saved, i.e. 1.5 per cent used in total production.

A digital platform for professional communication has also been launched, which saves on the energy consumption of other materials, such as paper. These are all parts of the company’s ESG strategy.

Alkaloid Skopje

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE OIL INDUSTRY: REDUCTION OF RAW MATERIALS, WASTE AND EMISSIONS

30.10.2023

According to the official data posted on the website of the European Parliament, 2.2 billion tonnes of waste are generated in the European Union each year. More than a quarter of it includes municipal waste: everyday waste that is collected and treated by municipalities, mainly produced by households. To reduce waste and its impact on the environment, the EU has adopted ambitious targets leading to a more sustainable model known as the circular economy.

What does the circular economy entail

In practice, this implies reducing waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its useful life, thanks to recycling, the resources it contains are reused, thus creating added value. Reusing and recycling products is important to slow down the consumption of natural resources, reduce environmental damage, and preserve biodiversity. Creating more sustainable products reduces energy and resource consumption and thereby the total annual greenhouse gas emissions, increases competitiveness, encourages innovation and creates new jobs.

Economically and environmentally sustainable development model

In addition, switching to reusable products reduces the amount of waste. Packaging is an increasing problem; the average European person produces almost 180 kilogrammes of packaging waste annually. The circular economy is not a new topic in Serbia either. The contribution to this concept is best illustrated by the example of our largest oil company – NIS. Namely, NIS explains that the company, as a packaging filler and supplier that places packaging on the market, hired an operator responsible for the packaging waste management system that holds a license for performing this activity. All packaging waste that was picked up and collected in 2022 was re-used, recycled, or disposed of during the current year, in order to meet the national objectives set for 2022.

Thus, in 2022, 111 t of paper, 18 t of PET packaging, and 10 kg of cans were handed over for recycling in NIS, which saved 1,887 trees, 36,090 litres of fuel, 3,552,000 litres of water, and 574,340 kWh.

Another of the goals that the company strives for is the constant reduction of the share of freshwater in the total amount of water used in business processes. At the Pančevo Oil Refinery, for example, thanks to the recovery of condensate, water is re-circulated, which achieves the effect of reducing the intake of fresh water by about 20 percent.

An important fact is that, just during 2022, NIS contributed to a healthier environment in Serbia by investing in environmental projects in the amount of almost RSD 315 million. All relevant data on this topic were presented within the 13th verified Sustainable Development Report, published by NIS under the symbolic slogan “Our Sustainable Community”.

In focus:

Operating according to global standards

NIS is the industry leader in the field of sustainable production and recycling, and it introduces good practices in its business. At eight oil and gas fields in Serbia, the company has built small power plants, in which electricity and thermal energy are now produced from gas that was previously burned on a flare, and thereby, the emission of harmful gases is reduced. Through the cogeneration program, the thermal energy produced is used for the needs of the NIS facilities, while electricity surpluses are sold on the domestic market.

This oil company also applies a modern environmental method of drilling in oil fields by applying the principle of “dry locations”, which is also used by the world’s leading oil and service companies. The material obtained during drilling is recycled on the site by separating it into a part that is re-used for drilling and a part that is waste and that is disposed to a landfill where it is stored according to global standards.

In addition, NIS also built the Amine Plant for the natural gas purification near Elemir. The processing method in this plant completely prevents carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, thus reducing the “greenhouse” effect. The extracted CO2 is then injected into the Rusanda oil and gas field, to increase oil utilization, which is another contribution of this company to the circular business model.

Source: NIS

MIXKON CONNECTS INDUSTRY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE

29.10.2023

Waste from most factories creates landfills, contaminates soil and groundwater, and frequently and significantly affects large bodies of water. Factories like chemical factories, steel mills, crude oil refineries, and aluminium smelters are often positioned near a water source due to production needs, such as having electricity generation plants nearby. Still, very few consider where the wastewater will end up during this process. Metals, chemicals, oils and various other substances are usually released into rivers, lakes or seas through wastewater, as this is the easiest way for factories to get rid of surpluses, which, in turn, has horrible consequences for aquatic ecosystems. It is not the only form of industrial pollution from which many living beings and nature suffer because, in addition to wastewater, over two billion tonnes of solid waste is produced on Earth annually, which ends up in landfills or is burned. At the same time, only 16 per cent are recycled.

IN FOCUS:

One industrial activity that inevitably generates large amounts of waste is casting. Foundry is a technological process in which metal objects are shaped by pouring molten metal into certain moulds to obtain the required casting. Mining, automotive, mechanical, construction, electrical industries and cement plants are just some of the manufacturers that depend to a large extent on this activity because they use different castings, i.e. moulded objects made of metal, which they then use in manufacturing their products. As foundry is necessary for production, just like a healthy living environment is also necessary, someone has thought of how to apply technological and technical knowledge and encompass all of the above thanks to a single idea.

Mileta Bogdanović from the town of Aranđelovac is a technology engineer who specializes in non-metals and construction materials. Back in 2018, when, as a co-owner, he founded MIXKON d.o.o., a company that carries out professional rehabilitation and employs persons with disabilities, he put his knowledge to good use. That effort and innovation paid off, as shown by the award won at the Green Ideas Forum last year, a kind of validation for entrepreneurs whose ideas are based on sustainable development.

The company processes waste material from the foundry, which is then used to produce refractory materials used at extremely high temperatures. As Mr Bogdanović explains, the waste is removed from the Mikro Liva landfill, and then the chemical composition and characteristics of the raw materials used are examined. The resulting products are made of aluminosilicate waste, and their strength lies in the ability to withstand enormously high temperatures – from 1,550 to 1,760°C. Thermal aggregates with high operating temperatures are one of the ways of applying such materials, but they are also used to make channels for transporting metals in the liquid phase. The company also produces thermal insulation plates from refractory materials that produce continuous cast iron. These products can be re-used in foundries and in thermal power plants, ironworks and other industries that work at such high temperatures.

Prepared by: Milica Vučković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

2023 Champions of the Earth award to celebrate pioneering efforts to end plastic pollution

28.10.2023

Trash on sand beach showing environmental pollution problem — Foto-ilustracija: Plastic ocean photo created by jcomp - www.freepik.com

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will announce next week the five winners of the 2023 Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour.

The award, now in its 19th year, recognizes pioneering leaders from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector for their transformative impacts on the natural world.

This year’s awards will honour innovators and initiatives that are helping to tackle plastic pollution, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned is having “catastrophic” consequences on the planet.

The laureates will be announced on 30 October 2023, ahead of the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which is developing a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution.

In 2023, UNEP received 2,500 nominations for the Champions of the Earth award, marking the third consecutive year in which nominations have reached a record high.

Innovative solutions

Plastic has transformed everyday life and provided many benefits for society. But humanity now produces around 430 million tonnes of the material annually, two-thirds of which quickly becomes waste.

Each year, 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. Research shows that, if current practices continue, plastic could emit 19 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions allowed under the most ambitious Paris Agreement target by 2040. Chemicals in plastic have been linked to health problems in humans.

To counter this crisis, experts say the world must reduce plastic production, eliminate short-lived and single-use plastics, accelerate reuse systems, switch to environmentally friendly alternatives, improve recycling and adopt a life-cycle approach to plastic pollution.

This year’s Champions of the Earth are doing many of those things.

“People around the world are stepping forward with innovative ways to end plastic pollution and improve the health of the planet. The Champions of the Earth are leading that push,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division. “They give us hope that solutions to plastic pollution exist and remind us that safeguarding nature is key to achieving sustainable development.”

Making a difference

The Champions of the Earth award will celebrate visionaries in four categories: Policy Leadership, Inspiration and Action, Entrepreneurial Vision and Science and Innovation.

To date, 111 laureates, including heads of state, grassroots activists, ecopreneurs, captains of industry and pioneering scientists, have been honoured as Champions of the Earth. Last year’s laureates include economist Sir Partha Dasgupta from the United Kingdom, environmental activist Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet from Cameroon, biologist Purnima Devi Barman from India, conservationist Constantino Aucca Chutas from Peru and arcenciel, a non-profit from Lebanon.

UNEP coordinates and hosts the Champions of the Earth award. UNEP’s reputation as the global, non-partisan authority on environmental issues is built from 50 years of ground-breaking scientific research that informs global environmental policy.

Source: UNEP

MENA’s Transforming Role in an Evolving Energy Landscape

27.10.2023

windmills-g02815a220_1920 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay (SailingOnChocolateRoses)

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been leading fossil fuel production for decades, creating tremendous economic growth.

However, fossil fuel-driven growth has proven to be unsustainable for both people and planet.

As the climate action clock ticks, and with the global community in a race to curb carbon emissions, the MENA region is redefining its role within an evolving energy landscape – one in which fossil fuels inevitably play a diminishing role.

Today, even without subsidies, solar and wind power stand cost-competitive with fossil fuels and have emerged as the preferred choices for new power generation. In fact, renewables accounted for 86 percent of all new power generation in 2022.

This trend is not merely set to continue; it is accelerating significantly, extending even beyond the power sectors.

For MENA countries, transitioning to a renewables-based energy system offers a pathway to simultaneously meet growing energy demand, promote economic growth, maximise socio-economic benefits, and achieve decarbonisation objectives.

Recognising this, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are far from standing idle. In a strategic shift towards enhanced climate ambition, nations including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have embraced net-zero emission targets.

According to IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023 (WETO), global renewable power capacity must triple from approximately 3,000 GW to just over 11,000 GW by the year 2030.

The world is seemingly aligning to meet this objective with G7 countries, adopting IRENA’s targets for the group, and more recently, G20 countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, echoing IRENA’s global goal to triple renewable energy capacity in New Delhi.

Nonetheless, the goal to triple renewable energy capacity is not confined to these nations alone; it is a global target that requires concerted efforts at the regional level to ensure that all countries are adequately represented and involved.

As an important milestone in the lead-up to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, MENA Climate Week in Riyadh stands as a significant opportunity to cultivate regional unity across the MENA region and drive coordinated action, with an eye toward forging a global consensus at COP28.

Recently, the UAE has embraced this level of ambition, pledging to triple its own renewable energy capacity by 2030. This endeavour is particularly noteworthy as the country prepares to host COP28, reflecting a genuine commitment to leading by example.

Building political momentum and commitment is a critical first step, but it is just the beginning. Everything, from our communities and energy frameworks to our everyday lives, is anchored in the current energy system. Yet, this has to change.

We need the courage to create a new reality and translate pledges into projects and actions.

IRENA’s WETO envisions three pillars that will form the foundation for a way forward.

First, building the necessary infrastructure and investing at scale in grids, via both land and sea routes, to accommodate new production locations, trade patterns, and demand centres.

Due to its abundance of low-cost renewable power and a strategic geographical location near Europe and Asia, the MENA region possesses a competitive advantage in becoming a key green hydrogen hub. Developing a system that cultivates and amplifies this potential will be crucial for the region.

In this regard, it is vital that International Financial Institutions and Multilateral Development Banks strategically prioritise their resources to maximise impact, especially in enhancing the region’s physical infrastructure, to encourage the scaling up of private investments.

Secondly, ambitious targets must be followed by effective policies and regulations that encourage investments. Fossil fuel investments in the Middle East are still significantly higher than renewable energy investments, indicating an urgent need to align financial flows with ambitious climate targets.

Although fossil fuels will inevitably remain a part of the energy mix for some time, their share must dramatically decrease as we approach mid-century.

The third priority is developing the necessary institutional capacities to help ensure that skills and capabilities match the energy system we aspire to create. This is crucial not only for a just transition but also for ensuring a workforce is ready for a new system.

Oil-importing economies in the MENA region exhibit higher levels of youth unemployment, necessitating extensive training, education, and capacity building.

Concurrently, oil-exporting countries will require deliberate policy attention to retrain workers and forge new employment opportunities by cultivating local industries and manufacturing, thereby replacing roles once sustained by the previous energy sectors.

Having hosted COP27 in Egypt last year, and with COP28 set to take place in Dubai later this year, the MENA region possesses a unique opportunity. It can ensure the emerging energy system not only accommodates but also capitalises on the region’s abundant renewable energy potential and strategic geographical proximity to major global markets, thereby securing its position in an evolving energy landscape.

The path forward, while demanding extensive planning, investment, and collaboration, unveils a promising future wherein development is inclusive and beneficial, safeguarding the interests of all nations and future generations.

Source: IRENA

Open Science Conference: We need dramatic climate action to meet unprecedented challenges

24.10.2023

Climate change impacts are becoming increasingly severe, posing unprecedented challenges. Dramatic climate action is needed to limit global warming, requiring unprecedented societal transformations to sustain the future of life on Earth, a major international scientific conference was told today.

More than 1,400 scientists, politicians, policy-makers, intergovernmental agencies and Non Governmental Organizations are participating in the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Open Science Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.

The five-day hybrid event will hear dozens of presentations from the world’s leading experts on issues including: rapid and/or irreversible changes in the climate system; impacts on food security and water availability; urban health; the carbon and water cycles; global energy budget; regional climate change; global and regional monsoons; extreme events; climate interventions; climate services, models and predictions and more.

“This once-in-a-decade event comes at an extraordinarily critical time in the history of Planet Earth, where the impacts of climate change are being felt every day around the world, in the oceans and on the land, from the Arctic to the Antarctic,” said conference co-chair Helen Cleugh.

For more than four decades, the WCRP has coordinated research which unequivocally concludes that humans are changing the Earth’s climate. Through advances in climate science, we can now project plausible future climates and the consequences, said Prof. Cleugh.

“Society must cope with ongoing changes and their impacts: the emergence of complex risks, including drought, heavy rain and flooding, heatwaves, extreme fire weather, other weather and climate extremes often occurring at the same time,” said Detlef Stammer, the other co-chair.

The reasons for this year’s unprecedented spikes in temperature increases in the atmosphere and the ocean are still being investigated. But they illustrate the complexity and connectivity of the climate system, and the urgent need for find sustainable solutions based on understanding of the entire Earth system, he said.

“A giant leap is required by societies embarking on a new path to a sustainable world. It requires that we fundamentally reconfigure our economies, energy, food and health systems so that they work for both people and the planet,” said Prof. Stammer.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sergey Pesterev)

Global South

The conference is hosted by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) on behalf of the Government of Rwanda and the University of Rwanda, from 23 to 27 October 2023 in Kigali. It includes a 2-day symposium run for and by early and mid-career scientist, before and after the main event.

It is the first time the conference takes place in Africa – a continent which has done little to contribute to climate change but bears a disproportionate burden.

Africa is experiencing higher temperatures, heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, prolonged droughts, desertification, and stronger cyclones. This has devastating impacts on communities, with serious health and economic implications involving displacement, migration, water shortages and food crises.

“Climate change is a fact. It is not a hoax. In Rwanda we are victims of climate change. Last May we had floods that killed more than 130 people in one night,” said Environment Minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.

“Our policy should be a science-based policy, informed by research,” she said.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed said the Open Science Conference would be crucial to identify key breakthroughs in climate science and research and to ensure that they benefit everyone, including the Global South,

“Weather, climate and water sciences provide the basis for climate action and can supercharge progress towards the sustainable development goals across the board,” she said in a video message to the opening plenary.

African and Least Developed countries are priorities for the global Early Warnings for All initiative, which seeks to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by life-saving early warnings by the end of 2027, said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

The initial investment of 3.1 billion US dollars will yield massive benefits. Early warnings are part of coordinated climate change adaptation policies, which must be based on skilfull predictions and include an understanding of complex risks, including all weather and climate extremes, that may be compounding in nature.

“The nexus of science and technology and climate action is a crucial point of concerted action needed to mitigate impacts of climate change. We need a powerful alliance of science, research and technology to inform policy on climate action,” said Macharia Kamau of the International Science Council.

The Open Science Conference will conclude on 27 October with the Kigali Declaration which will be forwarded to inform the COP28 climate negotiations in Dubai.

More details from WMO opening press release here

Source: WMO

EU packaging waste generation with record increase

21.10.2023

harper-sunday-fYH4ShNxuQ8-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Harper Sunday)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zuzanna Szczepańska)

From parcels for online purchases to coffee-to-go cups, packaging is almost everywhere. In 2021, the EU generated 188.7 kg packaging waste per inhabitant, 10.8 kg more per person than in 2020, the biggest increase in 10 years, and almost 32 kg more than in 2011.

In total, the EU generated 84 million tonnes of packaging waste, of which 40.3 percent were paper and cardboard. Plastic represented 19.0 percent, glass 18.5 percent, wood 17.1 percent and metal 4.9 percent.

In 2021, each person living in the EU generated an average of 35.9 kg of plastic packaging waste. Out of this, 14.2 kg were recycled. Compared with 2020, both plastic packaging waste generation and recycling increased: generation increased by 1.4 kg per capita (+4.0 percent) and recycling by +1.2 kg per capita (+9.5 percent).

Between 2011 and 2021, the amount per capita of plastic packaging waste generated increased by 26.7 percent (+7.6kg/per capita). The recycled amount of plastic packaging waste increased over the same period by 38.1 percent (+3.9 kg/per capita).

This information comes from data on packaging waste published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.

Plastic packaging recycling rate up to 39.7 percent in 2021

Following stricter rules, implemented in 2020 for Member States to report their recycling, the recycling rate shifted from 41.1 percent in 2019 to 37.6 percent in 2020. In 2021, the recycling rate was back to an increasing path, marking 39.7 percent.

In 2021, Slovenia (50.0 percent), Belgium (49.2 percent) and the Netherlands (48.9 percent) recycled half, or almost half, of their plastic packaging waste generated. In contrast, less than one-quarter of plastic packaging waste was recycled in Malta (20.5 percent), France (23.1 percent) and Sweden (23.8 percent).

Source: Eurostat

MT-KOMEX and Fronius are partners for the future

20.10.2023

371950849_827739142225336_9171409698529167777_n — Photo: EP

The MT-KOMEX Company is an expert and reliable partner in the construction of solar power plants. Their well-coordinated and reliable team has worked on more than 200 projects in this field so far while using the best equipment in the market on every one of these projects.

This is the reason why MT-KOMEX has been cooperating with the Fronius Company, which produces one of the best inverters in the market and has been Fronius’ official distributor and partner for seven years.

Miloš Kostić, Director of the MT-KOMEX Company, attended the official commissioning of the new Fronius factory.

“We are long-term partners with a company that produces the best inverters in Europe. Thanks to the new factory, Fronius will now produce over 7,000 megawatts annually, instead of the previous 3,400″, said Mr Kostić.

He added that he also expected an increase in the number of MPP Trackers, as well as greater efficiency.

“MT-KOMEX will continue to use Fronius inverters on all its projects, both on houses and commercial buildings, as well as in ground power plants”, Mr Kostić underlined.

To remind, instead of the previous seven-year warranty, MT-KOMEX now gives a ten-year warranty for all inverters up to 12.5kW. This extended warranty is now applicable to all new Fronius inverters up to 12.5kW if installed after September 1st, 2023.

Energy portal

IRENA Global Atlas Upgrade Enhances Understanding of Countries’ Renewables Potential

19.10.2023

planeta , globus — Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

Since its inception ten years ago, the IRENA Global Atlas for Renewable Energy has been the hub for open-source renewable resource assessment and data sharing. The new version 4.1 marks a significant milestone with substantial upgrade in capabilities and functionalities.

Building upon its previous version 4.0, the Global Atlas 4.1 enhances users’ experience with a more diverse and comprehensive range of datasets, which resulted from a strong collaboration within the resource data and assessment community. The new version offers historical meteorological reanalysis data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), global agro-ecological zoning version 4 by the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and global pumped hydro energy storage by the Australian National University (ANU).

The 4.1 version offers advanced functionalities for more efficient data screening and retrieval. It also includes country-specific resource statistics and zones for investment opportunities for solar photovoltaics and onshore wind project development in several countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, with more countries to add next year.
With such zonal techno-economic attributes, the zoning assessment components will support energy planners and modellers, as well as aid countries in planning projects and setting their renewable energy development targets.

Opening the launch webinar of the Global Atlas version 4.1, IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera emphasised how global access to data is essential in ensuring that the renewable energy targets set by countries are substantive and achievable. In that regard, he said, “The Global Atlas functions as a valuable online platform for assessing renewable energy opportunities and acquiring a thorough understanding of a region or nation’s renewable energy potential. It promotes data sharing and advances the deployment of all forms of renewable energy.”

The Global Atlas has been instrumental in propelling renewable energy initiatives forward. Activities stemming from the Global Atlas for Renewable Energy initiative have assisted two regions in identifying prime project zones, facilitated site-specific evaluations for over 150 large-scale projects in 13 countries, and enabled 20 cities to evaluate the technical feasibility of rooftop solar PV installations. These achievements span regions like the Gulf countries, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Small Island Developing States.

Moderating the webinar, Rabia Ferroukhi, Director of Knowledge Policy and Finance, said, “The notable progress of this initiative underscores IRENA’s dedication to enhancing and addressing the evolving needs of its members as they transition towards a sustainable energy future.” She also expressed her appreciation to all of the data providers and contributors to the platform.

Uniting a worldwide network of over 40 contributors, involving research institutions, private enterprises, and international organisations, the initiative highlights the importance of international collaboration in resource assessment. Furthermore, data providers are encouraged to actively engage and contribute to this collaborative effort, ensuring that the platform remains a dynamic and invaluable resource for a sustainable energy future. See the new version of IRENA Global Atlas here.

Source: IRENA

COOPERATION BETWEEN CEEFOR ENGINEERS AND GERMAN EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF RES

18.10.2023

The engineers of the Ceefor company, in cooperation with the company GOPA – International Energy Consultants (Intec), participated in the organization of a study trip to Germany as part of the project Promotion of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Serbia, which is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and as part of the program of German development cooperation in Serbia.

The project aims to encourage the use of renewable energy sources (RES) in Serbia, representing its great potential to produce electricity and heat and contribute to the green energy transition. The attention is primarily focused on prosumers, that is, solar power plants in households, residential communities, and public and private buildings for supplying their consumption, which deliver surpluses back to the grid. Through cooperation with relevant institutions and organizations, the implementation of the project is carried out by raising awareness of the advantages of solar energy, then by improving the legal and technical framework for the use of RES, as well as strengthening the capacities of relevant target groups, which include representatives of institutions in the field of energy policy, experts from the power industry system, energy managers, the education system, teachers and professors, as well as the civil sector and the media.

IN FOCUS:

The participants of the study visit were representatives of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia, Elektrodistribucija, Elektroprivreda Srbije, energy cooperative Elektropionir, as well as energy managers from five local governments and respected representatives of secondary technical schools and universities.

Ceefor company engineers had the opportunity to participate in lectures and exchange experiences with colleagues from Serbia and Germany as co-organizers of the study trip.

Ceefor engineers have many years of experience in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, and this was an opportunity to widen their horizons further.

On the first day, through a presentation, they presented the possibility of acquiring the status of prosumers and their position in Serbia, talking about the regulatory framework and procedures, types of contracts and account clarifications, then about return on investment and profitability for different types of prosumers. They also talked about prosumers in the countries of the European Union and the applicability of examples of good practice in Serbia. The first day was concluded with a discussion about the procedures for connecting to the network and obtaining the status of prosumer in Serbia, as well as about the possibility of simplifying the procedure based on a comparison with the practice in the countries of the European Union.

On the second day, our engineers had the opportunity to listen to lectures by German experts in the field of RES, who spoke about the special conditions for renewable energy sources, and then the compliance and certification process. They also discussed innovations in the field of checking the process of connecting to the network, automating the processing of requests, and future network management and monitoring.

The third day was reserved for a visit to the production facilities of the SMA company, where the entire portfolio was presented to them, from the first inverter to today’s solutions that contain all the elements for the construction of modern solar power plants, i.e. both off-grid and on-grid solutions. Also, they had the opportunity to attend and see what assembling all the elements of inverters from 3 kW to 160 kW looks like.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

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