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ABB and Microsoft collaborate to bring generative AI to industrial applications

Photo: ABB

Expanding on their long-standing partnership, ABB will collaborate with Microsoft on the integration of Azure OpenAI Service into the ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI suite. The companies will work together on the implementation of generative AI technology to help industrial customers unlock insights hidden in operational data. Improved data collection and remediation will enable significant gains in efficiency and productivity, asset reliability, operational safety, lower energy consumption, and reduced environmental impact.

ABB will integrate generative AI through Azure OpenAI Service including large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 into the Genix platform and applications, enabling functionality such as code, image, and text generation. Once launched, the new application – Genix Copilot – will enhance user experience by offering intuitive functionality and by streamlining the flow of contextualized data across processes and operations. This will provide industry executives, functional specialists, and shop floor engineers with real-time actionable insights for better decision-making and increased productivity. Such insights have the potential to extend asset lifespan by up to 20 percent and minimize unplanned downtime by up to 60 percent.

In addition, the solution will have the capability to help customers achieve their sustainability and energy transition objectives by providing advanced monitoring and optimization insights into the industrial greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage.

Genix Copilot will also enable capturing an operators’ knowledge and facilitating collaborative decision-making across various roles, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding data and knowledge within the enterprise.

Photo: ABB (Genix Copilot user interface)

ABB Ability™ Genix is a comprehensive, modular industrial IoT, analytics and AI platform that embeds industry-specific domain knowledge to drive business outcomes and ensures the protection of customers’ existing investments. Businesses running Genix have seen up to 40 percent cost savings in operations and maintenance, up to 30 percent improvement in production efficiency, and up to 25 percent improvements in energy and emission optimization. The addition of generative AI capabilities to Genix are expected to further increase these benefits.

“This is an important step in ABB and Microsoft’s strategic partnership which will accelerate the digital transformation of the industrial sector,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, Global Chief Digital Officer, ABB Process Automation. “We believe Genix Copilot will help industrial customers achieve their combined objectives of sustainability, operational excellence and enhanced asset performance. Extending the generative AI capabilities across ABB’s industrial digital solutions will usher customers into a new era of AI enabling billions of better decisions.”

Photo: ABB (ABB enables customers to realize the benefits of digitalization through six industry value pillars)

“We believe organizations that will be best positioned for long-term success are those that modernize and scale their data platforms,” said Ralph Haupter, President, EMEA at Microsoft. “Applying advanced digital capabilities such as Azure OpenAI Service will strengthen ABB’s Genix to effectively manage the contextualized data while also helping drive the digital transformation critical for growth and lasting change.”

Genix unlocks the power of data by automating contextual integration of operations (OT), information (IT), and engineering (ET) data across the enterprise and applies Industrial AI to bring advanced analytics and optimization. It can seamlessly scale from asset to plant to an enterprise. The platform can be deployed across cloud, hybrid, edge or on-premises. Genix is secure by design and uses Microsoft Azure for integrated cloud connectivity and services.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com

Important notice about forward-looking information

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “plans,” “is likely”, “intends” or similar expressions. However, there are many risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information and statements made in this press release and which could affect our ability to achieve any or all of our stated targets. Although ABB Ltd believes that its expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statement are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved.

Source: ABB

GREEN KILOWATTS FOR SECURE SUPPLY

Photo. CEEFOR
Photo: CEEFOR

Environmental responsibility has become a guiding idea for companies whose developed awareness allows them to see the bigger picture of their business. And it extends beyond the boundaries of the quality of the products or services and the company’s profit. The inclusion of renewable energy sources in business is an indicator of responsible behavior towards the current energy crisis in the world, the needs of one’s country, but also the environment through the preservation of non-renewable energy sources, the use of which impairs the health of the planet.

The STOP SHOP company, as one of the leading brands of the IMMOFINANZ company, which is the largest operator of retail parks in Central and Eastern Europe, has recognized the importance of caring for the environment, including environmental responsibility through the use of solar energy as the guiding principle of its business. The design was entrusted to the CEEFOR company, and as a pilot project in the retail park 2 in Požarevac, on the roof of the STOP SHOP facility, a solar power plant with a power of 989.74 kWp was built. The power plant includes 2,414 monocrystalline solar panels of the brand Luxor Solar LX410M/182-108+, with a power of 410 Wp.

AC distribution cabinets are an indispensable part. It was decided to use the Fronius monitoring system and smart meters, necessary additional equipment that allows the solar power plant to be maximally efficient.

The CEEFOR company pays special attention to always using only the best and highest quality products on the market. So, for this solar power plant, they chose inverters produced by Fronius, which are known to be among the highest quality on the market. Forty-six inverters of different power are installed on the roof of this retail park. The roof surface of this building required the installation of a D-Dome construction manufactured by K2 Systems. The annual production of the power plant is expected to be 1,140 MWh, while the carbon dioxide savings will reach about 530,000 kg.

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This entire project was entrusted to Bojan Jovanović, a young electrical engineer who is part of the CEEFOR company team. Thanks to his previous involvement in similar projects, all the obstacles he encountered during the development of the solution for this solar power plant were quickly and easily removed, and the client was offered the best solution.

“Designing the solar power plant at the STOP SHOP facility in Požarevac was very interesting for me as an engineer. The facility has over 25 measuring points at low voltage and one common measurement at medium voltage. In order to simplify the procedure, we decided to make one power plant that will be connected to medium voltage. The specific thing is that we had to evenly distribute all the energy obtained from the solar power plant to each measuring point. We did this by distributing the electricity obtained from the solar power plant as a percentage in proportion to the consumption of each measuring point. My colleagues and I believe this is the best solution for this kind of facility,” said Bojan.

Apart from Požarevac, work is currently underway on designing 13 more power plants on the roofs of STOP SHOP facilities throughout Serbia. Most of the buildings will be equipped with power plants of similar power as in Požarevac, while two locations will have higher power. At all locations where solar power plants will be installed, Luxor Solar brand solar panels with individual panel power of 545, the latest generation, are planned. Also, a D-Dome-type structure manufactured by K2 Systems will be installed on all other buildings. The total power of all power plants will be able to cover, on average, between 60 and 70 per cent of the electricity used.

“In the coming period, we plan to install photovoltaic plants in all our facilities and ensure that STOP SHOP retail parks produce green energy, all in cooperation with the CEEFOR company. Sustainability is an essential part of our corporate strategy, and accordingly, we will continue to expand our services towards a clean and sustainable future,” says Maja Marić, regional operations manager and leader of the Belgrade office within CPI Property Group.

The Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development (CEEFOR) has been successfully operating for more than a decade in the field of developing sustainable projects and energy efficiency in the Balkan region. It offers its clients consulting and design services in renewable energy sources. The company’s professional team is ready to answer all client requests and questions.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

INTELLIGENT ELECTRIFICATION FOR THE INDUSTRY

Photo: Siemens
Photo: courtesy of Darko Ristić

We spoke with Miroslav Ristić, from the company Smart Infrastructure, at Siemens Serbia, about the ways of supporting the industry in reducing emissions and decarbonization and the possibilities for greater sustainability within the work processes.

“Industrial companies, as well as the rest of the economy, have years behind them that were marked by the covid 19 pandemic. Some companies are in a better position than others due to the location where they operate or the sector in which they are located. Regardless of how they overcame the previous period, there is now an opportunity to shape the post-pandemic recovery in a greener way, especially because this year of uncertainty has exposed an additional problem that affects us all – climate change,” Ristić said.

Significant and mutually coordinated measures are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also applies to the industrial sector, especially the process and manufacturing industry, which consumes a lot of energy.

Miroslav Ristić pointed out that adequate processes are crucial in this sector because industry represents a third of the total energy consumption. And not only that. While sectors such as power generation, agriculture and households have started to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, industry has so far seen little progress compared to how much can be done.

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Photo: Siemens

“We have identified three levers that will drive emissions reduction and decarbonization in the industry. The first is the introduction of greater flexibility in the use of energy, for example, by using storage solutions and virtual power plants. Second, we need to digitize operational processes, which will allow us to use energy efficiently. This can be achieved using IoT devices, sensors, and software. Third, we need intelligent electrification in all driving processes,” says Ristić.

Of the three levers mentioned, the third one has the greatest potential for decarbonization and can greatly profit from the first two. With electrification, two aspects should be considered: the supply of energy to the industrial site, for example, the possible use of renewable energy from wind farms, solar plants, and hydroelectric plants without CO2 emissions, as well as energy management at the site itself, for example in the form of software demand management.

Emission-free processes

Miroslav Ristić says that electrification has a large potential impact on decarbonization. It allows clean electricity from renewable sources to drive processes that previously used high-emission technologies, such as diesel generators. The process, which until this moment has led to high emissions of harmful gases, can be carried out entirely without emissions if renewable energy is used for the drive.

There are numerous opportunities for on-site energy management, as electrification opens the door to digitization and more intelligent electrification. In this way, numerous possibilities are opened for energy efficiency, operational resistance, and plant optimization.

Photo: Siemens

Making electrification “smart” means introducing IoT sensors and platforms to collect massive amounts of data. Data is accumulated and analyzed using algorithms and software to help plant operators identify opportunities to increase efficiency in the plant’s energy system and overall operations.

Our interlocutor points out that this, among other things, leads to optimized production and low energy consumption. At the same time, it is possible to recognize early situations that can negatively affect the system’s efficiency, such as machine downtime.

Digitization enables the creation of a digital twin of the factory’s energy system.

In combination with industrial automation, designers can thus test numerous operational scenarios. The purpose of testing is the optimal coordination of systems and services. It contributes to lower error rates and also lower design, construction, and maintenance costs.

Examples from practice show what opportunities are available to industrial companies.

“A large number of industrial companies have used our solutions. The number of satisfied users is increasing daily, and new opportunities for cooperation are opening up. As one example, I would single out cooperation with the MIND Kragujevac industrial complex, where our advanced solutions and sophisticated equipment are installed in all distribution substations, enabling reliable electricity supply and monitoring and analysis of all system parameters,” says Ristić.

Source: Siemens

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

COP28 President-Designate calls for holistic ecosystem to drive climate action during London Climate Action week

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo: UAE Embassy in Belgrade

Connecting policy, technology, finance, and people is essential to keep 1.5C within reach.

  • Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, meets with His Majesty King Charles III, UK Government ministers, industry leaders across tech and finance, and university students during London Climate Action Week 2023.
  • Dr. Sultan Al Jaber renews his call for world leaders to start delivering on climate finance reform and accelerate technology development ahead of COP28.
  • “We must stop talking and start delivering. Climate finance is nowhere near available enough, accessible enough and affordable enough – especially for countries in the Global South”.
  • “Money isn’t flowing to the places that need it most. Less than two per cent of the 1.5 trillion dollar of clean tech finance was invested in vulnerable and low-income countries across the Global South”.
  • “We must create an active partnership between the largest producers of energy, the biggest industrial consumers, technology companies, entrepreneurs, the finance community, investors, governments and civil society”.
  • “It is time to do things differently because we can’t afford to rely on business as usual”.
  • “Working together, we will narrow the gap to 2030, deliver a just transition, and mobilize all stakeholders in a new way”.
  • “We will bring everyone the table in a more inclusive process than ever before and institutionalize accountability globally, and within the COP process”.

During London Climate Action Week 2023, COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, traveled to London to collaborate with British stakeholders to develop holistic ecosystems that connect policy, technology, finance, and people. During his visit, he collaborated with the UK Government on polices which enable greater climate investments, he galvanized investors to fund climate technology, and he consulted with youth climate advocates to help shape the COP28 agenda.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (NIcholas Doherty)

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber met with a wide range of key stakeholders during a visit to London this week, including H.M King Charles III, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP, and Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, the Rt Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, as well as business leaders, university students and young climate advocates.

The COP28 President-Designate attended a roundtable on climate solutions joined by H.M King Charles III and attended by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London; Rt Hon. Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero; the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; and the CEOs of HSBC, AstraZeneca, OVO Energy, and Gridserve.

During London Climate Action Week, Dr. Al Jaber said, “If we are going to cut emissions by 43 percent in the next seven years, we need a holistic ecosystem that connects policy, technology, finance and people. We need supportive policies to stimulate adoption of clean energies and incentivize decarbonization. We obviously need to apply the latest technologies rapidly and at scale. That will require finance and lots of capital across the world, and particularly in emerging and developing economies. And a critical success factor is people. We need capacity building, and skills development to train young people for the jobs of the future. Because we must deliver climate action and socio-economic opportunity at the same time.”

“This is a moment of clarity that we must face with total honesty – we need a major course correction, and we need it now. Our goal must be to stop talking and start delivering”.

During his visit, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, also held meetings with UK Government Ministers from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss key initiatives and areas for collaboration ahead of COP28.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber also visited Octopus Energy and its founding CEO, Greg Jackson, in their London headquarters. They discussed the latest technologies that support the rollout of renewable energy and storage solutions, improve energy efficiency, and help in the race to net zero.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (mrganso)

Masdar, the UAE’s world-leading renewable energy company that Dr. Sultan al-Jaber chairs, has committed to invest one billion pound in British battery storage, following its acquisition of Arlington Energy. Masdar has partnered with Octopus Energy to license its groundbreaking technology platform, Kraken, to manage its battery portfolio at low cost and with maximum efficiency. The platform aims to manage 100,000 devices and 6GW of energy capacity by the end of 2023. This will help bring more renewables onto the grid quicker and drive down prices.

During one of his visit highlights, Dr. Al Jaber attended a roundtable with university students and young climate advocates. Hosted by H.E Shamma Al Mazrui, COP28 Youth Climate Champion, the consultation sought views from young people to shape the agenda at COP28, including how the President-Designate can help to ensure that the process and outcomes can be more inclusive and equitable.

Addressing the youth consultation, the COP28 President-Designate said “your generation is critical, because you will inherit some of the greatest challenges of climate change and will also provide many of the solutions. Your perspectives must be heard. And you must be empowered to make a difference. We need pioneers like yourselves – who are impatient set new benchmarks.”

He also restated his commitment to making COP28 the most inclusive COP ever, by providing “opportunities for youth who have never been included in the process and that come from countries which have seen climate disasters firsthand” through initiatives like the Youth Climate Delegates Program.

In his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the need for the voices of young people to be included at COP28 and stated his commitment to called on young people to “bring your passion, your focus and your courage to meet the challenge”, reflecting that “it is time to do things differently because we can’t afford to rely on business as usual”.

COP28 UAE:

  • COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
  • As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
  • The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

Youth Climate Delegate Program

  • Through the International Youth Delegates Program we will support 100 youth to join us from small island developing states, least developed countries and indigenous communities from around the world.
  • Further information on the Youth Climate Delegates can be found on the COP28 website

Masdar UK investment

  • Dr. Sultan al-Jaber was the founding CEO of Masdar, the UAE’s leading renewable energy company, and still serves as its chairman. COP28 Classification: Internal
  • In October 2022, Masdar acquired Arlington Energy, a UK-based battery energy storage system developer.
  • Masdar has committed to invest one billion pound in UK battery storage.
  • In May 2022, Masdar and Octopus Energy Group signed an agreement to use Octopus’ groundbreaking technology platform, Kraken, to manage its battery storage portfolio in the UK.

Source: UAE Embassy in Belgrade

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION IN LINE WITH PRIORITIES AND STANDARDS

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: courtesy of Vera Arežina

When discussing environmental security, we should first highlight the problem of different attitudes towards it. Previously, there were two understandings in the study of environmental safety. According to the first, people cannot influence the climate, and the argumentation was based on the works of our prominent scientist Milutin Milanković. According to another understanding in circulation since the 1980s, people have significantly impacted the climate. Both understandings are correct because Milutin Milanković died in the 1960s when people still didn’t cause substantial negative effects on many environmental factors.

Another problem relates to adopting international agreements and laws regulating environmental protection, environmental safety and sustainable development in our country. Following the United Nations Agenda 21 (1992), we adopted the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, the National Strategy on Sustainable Development, the National Millennium Goals of Sustainable Development and several other regulations. Based on this, many Local Environmental Action Plans – LEAPs were adopted too, such as LEAPs for the City of Niš (2001), the City of Belgrade and the City of Smederevo (2005), and later for many other cities and municipalities. Belgrade municipalities such as Zemun, Savski Venac, and others all have LEAPs. However, the issue with the implementation of many documents remains. Based on the United Nations 2030 Agenda (2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to water, it is estimated that 75 per cent of people in our country have access to healthy drinking water, while about 21 per cent of people use clean energy. Furthermore, under the 2015 Paris Agreement, United Nations member states committed to reducing greenhouse gases to curb the growth of average global temperatures to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Based on this agreement, each country has Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Serbia needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to around 10 per cent by 2030, compared to emissions in 1990.

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Photo: courtesy of Vera Arežina

The third and main problem is defining priorities, especially in our country. Are our priorities protecting water resources, air, biodiversity, reforestation and education? Environmental safety is a long-term process that begins at home, with education at all levels, socialization and dissemination of information, more people reporting environmental crimes, and more people being indicted for them. Students study environmental protection at our higher learning institutions and in elementary and high schools in Serbia. The University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Sciences has several courses related to environmental security and policies, and we have also organized events such as sustainable development weeks. For instance, students of the University of Gothenburg, the University of Michigan, and others study ecological methodology, ecological assessments, and the like. Recently, I took part in the United Nations Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI), which aims to implement sustainable development, with an emphasis on quality education and lifelong learning. Some countries have defined afforestation as priorities. As of 2019, Italy has planted around 300,000 trees and reforested 30,000 hectares of land. Pakistan plans to plant 10 billion trees, and so far, they have planted one-third of that number. Ten years ago, the Wall of Trees project was launched in over 20 African countries, spanning over 8,000 kilometres. Around 15 per cent of this project has been implemented to date.

We face many climate change consequences because we have not defined environmental safety priorities in Serbia. Furthermore, we have air and water pollution, problems with waste disposal and wastewater processing, outdated industrial facilities and thermal power plants that have not been renovated, and more. New industrial plants being built on agricultural land should also be considered, such as the tire production plant in Zrenjanin that is being built near Carska Bara, despite Zrenjanin having an adequate industrial zone. According to estimates by the European Environmental Agency (EEA), one in eight deaths in Europe is related to environmental pollution, mostly air, noise or poor water quality. The population in the Balkans is most at risk, especially in Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is estimated that in Serbia, 6,000 people die each year due to air pollution alone, of which there are about 2,000 cases in Belgrade alone. Also, environmental safety in our country can be jeopardized by the installation of derivation mini-hydroelectric plants and the opening of new mines while disregarding the ISO 14000 environmental standards, for instance, in Loznica and other populated places, which are known as fruit growing and generally agricultural areas.

Vera Arežina

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

ART THROUGH THE PRISM OF ECOLOGY

Photo: Nebojša Babić
Photo: Nebojša Babić

When landfills spring up on green areas, and floating waste displaces fish from rivers, instead of a beautiful landscape, we get a mockery, which can wait a long time for its clean, green-blue clothes to return. This emerging image seems to send a strong message. Although such a message is not always enough for change to take place, sometimes a glimmer of hope appears when ecology and art intertwine, creating a unique energy in this new symbiosis. Such is the art lived by muralist Andrej Josifovski, assistant professor at the Department of Architectural Technologies at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Architecture, who is perhaps better known to the public by his nickname, The Pianist. We talked with Andrej about his artistic creations dedicated to ecology and the power of their message.

“The task of art is to refine people with its creativity, evoking beautiful and lofty feelings, thereby also highlighting all that is ugly and that needs to be changed to make the world a better and more beautiful place,” says Andrej.

One of his big projects is The golden container, which, starting from the sociological aspect of poverty, draws attention to the idea that the attitude towards rubbish is a view of the world and its future. With this project, he participated, as part of the team led by architect Branko Stojanović, in the Biennale of Architecture in Venice in 2018, representing the Republic of Serbia.

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Although nature is “rich” in the waste this artist needs for his work, it is not always easy to find. His assistants give him significant support, as do organizations that deal with waste, such as EkoStar PAK and KappaStar Recycling.

Save Our Home is the result of a joint effort – Andrej made a figure of Jovan Memedović, a renowned activist in preserving a healthy environment, from plastic bottles collected along the river. Jovan was the first to draw attention to the pollution of our rivers publicly, Andrej adds.

Photo: Nebojša Babić

The Eko čikice project attracted the special attention of people. The inspiration for the project came from Andrej’s favorite childhood pastime – stacking plastic Lego blocks.

“Plastic waste is the biggest accumulated type of waste and, as such, is the most serious threat to the planetary ecosystem, and thus to the survival of the living world on Earth. The Eko čikice game is designed to develop creativity and imagination since a new, beautiful children’s world of the future comes to life by stacking uniform cubes. The beginning of the game is always a new challenge, and for the game to be repeated and to last, everything is broken down at the end, and the blocks are packed in their cardboard boxes,” says Andrej.

The word “lego” is a combination of two Danish words “leg” and “godt” and means “play well”. “That’s how I was brought up – to play well. Children should be brought up in that spirit because the world’s belongs to them,” Andrej adds.

After several days of making Eko čikice, they ended up in unregulated landfills intending to spread the message that littering is not “playing well”, but an ugly and dangerous habit. What is valid for children should also be valid for adults, and as long as it takes, Andrej will highlight this through his work, and he has no plans of stopping any time soon.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

SUSTAINABILITY AS A BUSINESS DRIVER

Photo: Microsoft
Photo: Microsoft

At Microsoft, sustainability is at the heart of the business, and the success of the sustainability concept depends on the company’s entire value chain. Sustainability is a responsibility but also an opportunity. It is, in fact, the only way forward.

When we think about what we can do to prevent further climate change, we also find solutions to other challenges. For example, the digitalization of services automatically uses less paper and creates less waste, hybrid work brings us fewer trips, more time and faster collaboration, reducing air pollution affects the number of health problems, and energy-efficient buildings lead to a better quality of life. In a report by the World Economic Forum, climate protection is a mandatory part of business strategy.

Companies that base their strategy on sustainability create a long-term competitive advantage. This is how Tatjana Skoko, Sustainability Lead at Microsoft SE, discussed how Microsoft supports the Global Sustainability Strategy. For our Magazine, Tatjana explained how they help clients improve the path to sustainability and how they empower companies to become more sensitive to the topic of sustainability. Then what they base innovative projects on, as well as how advanced technology enables access, analysis, and use of global data on Earth.

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EP: What are the goals set by the Global Sustainability Strategy?

Tatjana Skoko: Climate change is a real challenge, and it is important to act immediately. Microsoft is committed to sustainability and has made considerable progress in reducing carbon emissions, increasing renewable energy use, and innovating in environmental data science to accelerate the progress. But it is clear that we need to do more. Moving forward, we have a vision of sustainability at our company’s core – embedding it into all our technology solutions and incorporating them into our environmental work. Microsoft is making ongoing investments to support new research and development, innovation, and progress across all aspects of our business. Sustainability is present in everything Microsoft does. As a company, we have committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030, achieving zero waste production and positive water usage, and offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions produced since our founding by 2050.

EP: What is the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability initiative based on?

Photo: Microsoft

Tatjana Skoko: Our products and services are built with sustainability in mind. With Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, we help customers advance their sustainability journey by integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) capabilities across the Microsoft Cloud portfolio with solutions from our global and local partner ecosystem. It can help organizations improve business processes, reduce environmental impact, identify opportunities to build more sustainable IT infrastructure, create greener value chains, and automate carbon accounting and reporting.

As part of our Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability platform, we offer solutions enabling organizations to progress on their sustainability journey. It includes the Microsoft Emission Impact Dashboard, where customers using Microsoft Cloud can measure and report data on carbon emissions reduction.

Microsoft Sustainability Manager enables organizations to track, report, and reduce environmental impact through automated data integration that provides clear insights. This solution accelerates data integration, calculation, and reporting throughout the organization and the entire value chain. Currently, the focus is on reducing carbon emissions, while waste and water management are expected to be included soon.

EP: What is most important in implementing sustainability goals?

Tatjana Skoko: Digital innovations will play a crucial role in helping organizations reduce energy consumption, optimize resource utilization, and make informed decisions based on relevant data.

Data-driven organizations empower leaders and employees to make smarter decisions that improve business and sustainability outcomes. By harnessing data from across the enterprise and using artificial intelligence to create a layer of intelligence, companies can better translate insights into action, helping to drive sustainability, operational efficiency, growth opportunities, impact monitoring and reporting, and, ultimately, value creation.

Interviewed by: Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS, CLIMATE PROTECTION AND REDUCTION OF CO2 EMISSIONS AT THE TOP OF OMV’S AGENDA

Photo: OMV
Photo: OMV

With headquarters in Belgrade and a network of 63 petrol stations throughout Serbia, OMV Serbia strives daily to spread good energy with its quality products and services, as well as by carrying out numerous socially responsible activities and sustainable business operations while climate protection and CO2 emission reduction are at the top of the company’s agenda. Considering all the above, we can rightly say that the company’s motto – Energy for Better Life – is completely befitting.

OMV has committed to supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement and the key climate goals set by the EU Council for 2030. The company is also committed to building a sustainable world and achieving specific climate-related goals such as net zero greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 2050 or earlier, acquiring a leadership position in the circular plastics economy (thanks to innovative solutions such as ReOil®), and at least 60 per cent of its product portfolio is low carbon or no carbon at all. The accomplishment of these goals is possible due to the increased use of crude oil for petrochemical products, a greater share of gas in the product portfolio, hydrogen solutions for mobility and industry, solutions for e-mobility and the delivery of advanced biofuels.

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Fighting for clean air

Climate protection and the reduction of CO2 emissions are at the top of OMV’s agenda. OMV Serbia launches various initiatives each year to protect the climate while taking concrete steps to reduce or neutralize CO2 emissions.

One of the initiatives is long-term afforestation in which OMV Serbia employees cooperate with the public company Srbijašume. The last such campaign, whose aim was to continuously contribute to the neutralization of CO₂ emissions and the preservation of Serbia’s natural abundance, was carried out in November 2022, when 2,500 black pine trees were planted on the slopes of the Rudnik Mountain.

Investing in electric chargers continues

Photo: OMV

Another form of support for climate protection and lower gas emissions is to provide as many charging points for electric vehicles as possible at OMV gas stations. At the same time, in this way, the company expands its range of services by fulfilling the ever-changing needs of its consumers. The company is investing a lot of effort into providing over 2,000 chargers at OMV petrol stations across Europe, on motorways and near major cities by 2030.

So far, in cooperation with its partners, OMV Serbia has provided 11 locations for e-chargers, and it continues to expand this network this year as well. Electric chargers are available at OMV stations Lapovo Sever, Martinci 1, Doljevac, Gradina, Beška 1, Bačka Topola 1, Bubanj Potok, Novi Sad, Ruma and Kruševac, and soon at Vranje petrol station. The plan is to continue expanding and improving the e-charger network in our country.

Also, there is a fully operational solar power plant on the roof of the OMV Ražanj petrol station, which will produce 72,000 kWh of clean electricity every year and cover 23 per cent of the facility’s total electricity consumption. Installation of solar panels that save energy and at the same time protect the environment is also planned at other stations, and the next in line is OMV Krnjača.

Consumers know that OMV MaxxMotion Performance fuel keeps their cars safe

The OMV Company has set new trends in the Serbian fuel market by being the first in Serbia to import and sell 100-octane fuel from its oil refinery in Austria. OMV’s produ ct development and innovation department is on a constant mission to improve MaxxMotion Performance fuel. For instance, OMV MaxxMotion 100plus petrol meets the highest quality requirements of the World Fuel Charter (WWFC), category 6, which enables maximum engine efficiency and minimum exhaust gas emissions. All OMV MaxxMotion Performance fuels, with their ACTIVEFLOW™ technology, offer drivers a superior level of fuel quality, protect the engine, provide excellent protection and extend its life.

Source: OMV

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

GREEN SPACES IN CITY AREAS UNDER THREAT

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (pawel-czerwinski)
Photo: courtesy of Marija Ostojić

Almost every piece of advertising, from cosmetics to vehicles, is imbued with green themes, while in reality, they could be found in traces. This trend is also present in spatial planning of cities, where green construction often ends up not even including the green colour of the facade, and green areas are reduced to having a single planter. In competition with concrete surfaces, green surfaces are unfortunately doomed to defeat.

We spoke with Marija S. Ostojić, graduate forestry/ landscape architecture engineer, about the problems of green infrastructure in cities, its importance and possible solutions that would satisfy the needs of both urban planning and nature.

Quality infrastructure

Green infrastructure is a system of interconnected green spaces, which cumulatively affect the environment and consist of parks, nurseries, protected areas, green lawns and other types of green areas. The more connected they are and have better continuity, the better their effect. Certain prerequisites need to be met beforehand to establish themselves, survive, function and give their maximum. Just as there are prerequisites for other types of infrastructure – sewage, gas pipelines, water supply or heating – there are also conditions regarding planning and implementing good green infrastructure.

“The basic compounding unit of the green infrastructure should span at least 100 square metres and include at least one tall tree, one from the middle category, bushes, and a lawn to be considered multi-storey and diverse. High categories of greenery must be at a certain distance from underground installations. In that sense, when planning green spaces, the space must be synchronized with the underground and above-ground installations routes,” Marija points out.

IN FOCUS:

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Danist Soh)

Their function is to protect us from air pollution but also severe heat that leads to the formation of heat islands and floods. Furthermore, they improve soil quality and restore the biodiversity of flora and fauna. As Marija explains, another important influence is improving the overall psychophysical condition of the urban population since being in nature positively affects health, and the proximity of such environments promotes physical activity. Also, green infrastructure has a social aspect, as it is a place to meet, socialize and get to know each other. A town centre has the smallest percentage of green spaces. However, as the city grows and develops, the suburbs tend to compete with this feature characteristic of city centres.

“Considering the ever-growing urbanization and the desire to obtain the maximum square footage of residential, business and other space, plots are being “sealed”, that is, the occupancy of above-ground and underground facilities is increasing,” explains Marija.

For a city to be sustainable and healthy, the size of green spaces should be considered in reference to the city’s pollution as one of the main indicators of whether there are enough green spaces. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the composition of green spaces is very significant, that is, its “building elements”. It is not the same if a green area consists only of a lawn or other growing plants. Trees that grow in-between concrete slabs or plants that are growing in limited spaces, such as pots and planters or a green roof with a maximum height of between 80 and 120cm of the substrate, cannot grow properly and possess adequate qualities. Hence they cannot have the same positive impact on the living environment as a tree that grows freely. As Marija explains, the tree’s roots have limited space to grow, so the above-ground segment develops accordingly, i.e. it stagnates and cannot achieve its full, maximum function.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Gayatri Malhotra)

Speaking about green roofs and facades, Marija says they represent a technological shift in response to urbanization and the disappearance of vacant land. They improve the microclimate, reduce the effect of heat islands, bind toxic particles and dust, and increase the water capacity. However, it should be noted that rainwater mostly goes into the rain sewers, not into the soil. Also, green roofs reduce noise and energy needed for cooling and heating the building, protect and extend the life of waterproof materials and more. Although they are currently the best way to green up built environments and contribute to a better quality environment, we should not give up on creating green spaces on the ground, which are significantly more effective.

Still, buildings are greener in advertisements than in reality.

“The terms ‘green’, ‘greenery’ and ‘oasis’ are commercialized. Any term that evokes nature, a garden, shade or chirping birds is used for marketing purposes. The presentations for customers are bursting with images of greenery, and once the use permit for a building is issued, there is no trace of greenery anymore,” Marija warns. She adds that foreign investments have grown awareness about the need to construct and maintain green spaces eventually.

“Namely, a certain space is subject to planning and designing conditions, and for a property developer to obtain a building permit, they need to meet these conditions,” Marija explains.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Five tips for living more sustainably

Foto: pixabay
Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Humanity’s unsustainable consumption and production patterns are placing unprecedented pressure on the planet. From the ubiquity of single-use plastic products and fast fashion to food and transportation choices, lifestyle choices impact human wellbeing, environmental health and the economy.

Food loss and waste account for up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, humanity produces around 430 million tonnes of plastic a year, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, according to the Turning off the Tap report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). By 2040, plastic production could be responsible for 19 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

To address these issues, individuals must make sustainable lifestyle changes in their day-to-day lives, say experts. 

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Fallon Travels)

Food – Choose local, plant-based options

Opting for plant-based diets when possible is the most effective way to reduce the wide-ranging impacts of food consumption. Agricultural expansion is driving almost 90 per cent of global deforestation, while some 25 per cent of the global land surface is used for grazing livestock. This threatens biodiversity and ecosystem services, which provide shelter to local communities, medicine, recreational and spiritual benefits, and economic opportunities. Swapping to a more vegetable-friendly diet can improve one’s health, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce biodiversity loss.

More:

Travel – Avoid short car trips

Approximately 95 per cent of the world’s transport is still fossil-fuel-powered and the transport sector directly accounts for 23 per cent of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Using public or shared transport, or even better, walking and cycling, can help reduce emissions – and air pollution. It can also encourage a shift in the way planners design cities.

Housing – Make simple changes at home and work

Buildings account for 21 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, primarily due to electricity, heating and cooling. Simple actions in households and offices can reduce energy needs. This includes using natural light, changing clothes instead of relying on heating or cooling, and shifting to more sustainable furnishings and energy-efficient appliances.

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Angela Bailey)

Shopping – Think before buying

Humanity produces 2.24 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 per cent is managed in controlled facilities, according to the World Bank. In this era of overconsumption, experts say consumers must change shopping patterns to consider what they need, prioritize products that last longer, and opt for sharing and repairing goods – while still ensuring people can meet their basic needs. These practices can reduce the use of high-footprint materials like plastics, paper and textiles, reducing waste and associated emissions.

Leisure – Rediscover local attractions

How people spend their leisure time – including on tourism and recreational activities – significantly impacts the environment. Individuals can make impactful actions to shift to more sustainable leisure activities by staying local and supporting nearby businesses. The tourism sector accounts for around 8 per cent of all emissions. When travelling a long distance, experts suggest extending stays, eating local and avoiding disposables in favour of reusable products, including utensils.

Source: UNEP

WHO CAN PREVENT AN ECO-CATASTROPHE?

Photo: MT KOMEX
Photo: ProCredit bank

If we were not worried about the snow we had in April instead of December, perhaps we should be worried about the results of the index developed by the American University of Notre Dame. The index, which includes a range of indicators, shows that Serbia is the most vulnerable country in Europe regarding climate change and among the slowest in the fight against the world’s challenges today.

Global warming is one of the biggest problems facing modern society

The forecasts are unfavorable, so digital clocks have been installed in many countries in the middle of large city squares, which count down to the “eco-cataclysm”. Monitors with warning messages are unnecessary in Serbia because pollution is noticeable throughout the year, especially in Belgrade, which is also constantly shown by the air quality measurement index. This problem is serious but not unsolvable, but requires the engagement of all of us – the state and the private sector, but also individuals.

IN FOCUS:

What does the state do?

The Republic of Serbia has committed to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990. Priority areas are low-carbon transport, forestry, water management and agriculture, and the focus is on introducing energy-efficient and sustainable solutions. The private sector plays a major role in solving the problem, which, through its actions, greatly affects society and the environment in which it operates.

How should responsible companies behave?

Photo: ProCredit bank

Since the beginning of operations in Serbia in 2001, ProCredit Bank has been committed to respecting sustainable business principles. The bank was among the first to realize the powerful role of financial institutions in the fight for environmental protection and the importance of cooperation with companies and individuals who want to invest in sustainable projects. Thus, the bank, together with the company MT-KOMEX, financed the largest bifacial solar power plant in Serbia, DeLasol in Lapovo, which will be able to supply electricity to as many as 2,100 households. This large project, which is very important for the state, was preceded by two other important undertakings, financing the solar power plants in Kladovo, Solaris 1 and Solaris 2. Such investments prove that financial institutions and how can direct capital flows, thereby influencing the reduction of harmful emissions.

ProCredit Bank, in addition to financing large “green” projects, has excellent lending conditions for private households that want to install more technologically efficient solutions, with the possibility of returning up to 20 per cent of the investment. A house does not have to be demolished and built from scratch to be energy efficient. It is enough to do good insulation and replace the carpentry, and it would be ideal for installing solar panels on the roof or a heat pump.

The bank also owns an eco-vehicle fleet. All official vehicles are electric, and they have set up a network of over 40 free electric car chargers throughout Serbia.

Big changes start with small steps

Although it may seem that the effect of personal contribution to solving environmental problems is minor compared to the state or company results, it is still not insignificant. It is crucial to understand that each one of us has an impact on improving the environment. And how? It is simpler than it seems. Instead of a plastic bag, there are bags. Instead of single-use plastic, there is a cardboard or paper solution. The water bottle can be made of glass, the light bulb is economical, and the paper is made of recycled material. We don’t have to start the car every now and then. Sometimes we can walk or reach the destination by bicycle. ProCredit Bank tried to explain that people benefit from cycling as much as our environment, which gave away bicycles to its followers on social networks during the whole of last year – an action in which several dozen eco-two-wheelers were awarded.

Therefore, for snow to fall in December and not April, it is important to be part of the solution, not the problem. There are several solutions, and no more excuses like the famous “I can’t do anything”.

Source: ProCredit bank

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

WITH CREATIVE IDEAS FOR GREENER SERBIA

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Milica Spasojević)
Photo: WWF

Well-organized and developed civil society organizations are one of the main driving forces behind changes and implementation of all strategic and legal frameworks related to the environment and climate change. The World Organization for Nature Protection WWF Adria has gathered civil society organizations in Serbia under the auspices of the project ‘Serbia’s Actions for a Safe Environment, Nature and Climate – Safe Nature and Climate’ – to empower these organizations to highlight environmental and other related problems in their local areas, all to create a healthier place to live.

The strategic grant programme is a WWF project that will last until 2025, and a maximum of four more cycles will be announced by the end of the project. Any organization that meets the requirements can apply for a grant in the maximum amount of 18,000 euros. The programme is designed so that an organization can apply next year as the continuation of the same project or with a different project. The total grant amount during these three years is not exceeding 40,000 euros.

A total of 95 applications from organizations throughout Serbia were submitted following the first call. A total of 20 project proposals that touch on the issue of environmental protection in the broadest sense were shortlisted. Here, we present to you the 10 selected ones.

Association for Promotion and Ecological Marketing of Natural Values – EKOMAR

The Sustainability of Water Reservoirs in Serbia in the Climate Change project aims to identify and present the current situation and problems associated with reservoirs while highlighting the shortcomings in managing and implementing public policies governing this segment.

Our World, Our Rules

This Vranje-based association highlights that Vranje doesn’t have a single official document, protocol, or recommendation to prevent climate change’s causes and consequences. The town authorities either do not monitor the environmental impacts of climate change, or they do monitor them, but not adequately. Because of this, the association wants to help draft a strategic document dealing with climate change’s consequences and causes, thus making Vranje more resilient and healthier. Their goal entails creating public policies, i.e. a strategic document, and better cross-sectoral cooperation to have adequate policies and practical application.

IN FOCUS:

Мonitor  

The overall goal of this project, implemented by the MONITOR civil association, is to improve local environmental protection policies in Novi Pazar from 2022 to 2030 through dialogue and active engagement of citizens in creating them. The project implementation will form a basis for eliminating the problem of the ongoing lack of local environmental protection policy documents in the town, as well as contribute to the elimination of environmental threats in Novi Pazar. At the same time, it will establish a dialogue between the public, on the one hand, and local government, on the other, in assessing the state and needs of environmental security of all relevant stakeholders.

Centre for Education and Transparency – CETRA

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

‘From Monitoring to Participation – for Better Environmental Policies in Pančevo’ is the name of the project with which CETRA intends to achieve several goals. They want to help Pančevo-based associations to monitor better, analyze and participate in the drafting and adoption of local regulations related to the protection of the right to healthy air, to educate young people and remind the public of an important message about the significance of local regulations related to the protection of the right to healthy air. They plan to achieve this through civic oversight and upholding community interests.

Club for UN 

The idea of the Sustainable Development Goals  project as a shortcut for Serbia to join the EU is to answer the questions professionally and practically, namely, why it is important to make a connection between the obligations stemming from Agenda 2030 (COR) and the EU accession process related to environmental protection and ways in which this can be done. One-of-a-kind research will provide the answers to these questions. The research will be conducted by relevant experts and will be made available to all citizens and stakeholders related to environmental protection. With the help of educational workshops, representatives of civil society organizations from the Republic of Serbia will have the opportunity to learn how to monitor public policies and implement their advocacy activities in environmental protection at the same time in the context of fulfilling obligations stemming from Agenda 2030 and the EU accession process.

Natura Natural Resources Centre 

The Centre’s focus is on creating a new regulatory framework in policies related to environmental protection and mitigating the consequences of climate change in the Republic of Serbia. The Advocacy of Non-Financial Reporting on Corporate Sustainability  project, as the business sector’s response to the challenges of the climate and environmental crisis, aims to help the civil sector in the use of sustainability tools and indicators so that they can credibly participate in the creation of public policies related to sustainable production in our economy.

Join In Civil Association

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The project Are We Protecting Nature?  aims to document the current situation regarding nature protection in the Municipality of Paraćin and the attitude of local institutions towards planned and established protected areas in accordance with the Spatial Plan and the Law on Nature Protection. By obtaining the relevant data, the association would be able to propose measures to improve local policies in this area and, via a campaign, to acquaint the public with research findings and the consequences that human activities have on areas of special importance for nature protection. The project results will be a very detailed analysis/documentation of the state of nature protection in the Municipality of Paraćin with proposals on how to further improve the system of monitoring local policies.

The Private Forests Owners Association – Bor 

The  From Forests to Forests  project aims to improve the current state of forests in the Pčinj, Pirot and Južnobački districts. Private forests make up more than half of all forests in Serbia, which is why the association believes their voice should be heard. Their idea is to invite local governments to incorporate the Association’s solutions in their public policies to invest money from the fund that belongs to them adequately. This money is regularly paid into local budgets and should be spent in line with its purpose.

The Vision Civil Association

The Green Step project is implemented by the Vision Civil Association from Pirot, whose main goal is to improve the protection and preservation of nature and biological, geological and regional diversity in the territory of the Nature Park (future National Park) on Stara Planina (The Old Mountain). The project plans to boost cooperation between all stakeholders in the preservation of this landscape in all four local units on whose territories the Stara Planina Nature Park is located in 2023, as well as to motivate citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process on the protection of nature on the Nature Park’s territory.

The Rural Development of Serbia Network

The project aims to improve the development of rural areas of Serbia through increased ecological, climatic and social vitality of rural communities by creating a stimulating environment at the local and national level, as well as improving the capacity of the entire society for a modern approach in planning and implementing measures to support rural development. In addition to economic issues, the project also considers the need to solve social and environmental issues, primarily at the local level. Information about Strategic Grants will be available on the WWF Adria Serbia website and social media (Facebook and Instagram).

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

PRODUCTIVITY AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THE ABB WAY

Photo: ABB
Photo: ABB

Numerous measuring instruments, sensors, actuators, electronic transmitters and other devices hidden in the depths of a plant constantly record data on the flow of air, gas, water or thermal energy. With the emergence of new technologies and companies specializing in digital transformation, the conditions have been created for this source of valuable information to be the starting point for the industry’s transition to sustainable business. Contrary to the conventional production process, in which a carefree attitude towards resources such as water, heat or electricity reflected the general spirit of the times, today, there is a new model based precisely on the measurements of the consumption of various resources in the plants themselves. 

This modern production process implies that all operations are fully connected, flexible and self-optimizing. ABB, the world’s leading engineering company, stands out among the companies that can provide this to increasingly demanding industries. Their software solutions in power engineering, robotics, automation and electric drives have been implemented in many factories, power plants and other facilities, achieving greater productivity, safety and reliability while reducing the carbon footprint. 

ABB in the fight against the consequences of climate change

It is known that there is no good management without measurement, and the achievement of sustainability in the industry is based precisely on the careful collection of consumption data. Research has shown that global electricity consumption could be reduced by up to 10 per cent if the world’s 300 million electric-powered industrial systems were replaced with optimized, high-efficiency equipment. However, that would not be the only benefit. As a result, emissions of harmful gases, the main cause of global warming, would be reduced. As a world leader in resource efficiency, ABB enables the energy transition in factories, power plants and other industrial facilities. Their solutions help reduce emissions of harmful gases and preserve natural resources in the industry. They also gave a time frame to their ecological aspirations. They plan to help their customers reduce annual CO2 emissions by 100 million tons by 2030, which is the amount of annual emissions emitted by 30 million internal combustion engine vehicles.

IN FOCUS:

What does it look like in action?  

Six years ago, the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt sought a partner to develop a new technical solution. They found the perfect collaborator in ABB, which accelerated the implementation of that solution through electrification and automation. The applied technology enabled the transformation of the factory. Northvolth is today the world’s most environmentally friendly battery manufacturer, but it is not the only Swedish company to which ABB has provided this very flattering title. You may have heard about the new textile raw material called Circulose® or the term “circular fashion”.

A company from Stockholm has developed a technology that enables a new life cycle for used cotton and other materials with a high percentage of cellulose. Instead of new cotton, clothing factories can now use Circulose, a biodegradable pulp derived entirely from textile waste. For this Swedish factory to meet all the criteria of the circular economy, they hired ABB to introduce complete automation of operations, a quality measurement system and electrification. At ABB, they say they create innovation and push the boundaries of technology to enable a greener future for customers, industries and society. Their sustainability initiative, Mission to Zero™, which should accelerate the transformation in the industry, speaks for itself. It is an open-source program that allows companies to use and modify technical drawings for smart buildings with their energy production from renewable sources and solutions for its storage.

By using the incredible capabilities of technologies to digitally connect all components within an industrial ecosystem so that they are subject to control, thanks to the connection of data on heating, lighting, ventilation, security and room utilization, energy consumption can be drastically reduced, and with it, harmful gas emissions. ABB’s expertise and experience represent safe support for companies on the way to achieving goals such as reducing the carbon footprint and, ultimately, climate neutrality by 2030 and 2050. 

Prepared by: Jovana Marković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

A DEPOSIT SYSTEM WOULD MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO RECYCLE

Photo: NALED
Photo: NALED

All NALED projects aim to pilot modern solutions and provide reliable insight into how the management of food, packaging and hazardous waste flows would look if the related solution were to be systematically adopted and implemented throughout the country.

In collaboration with the Serbian government and line institutions, The National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) participates in the working groups working on amending regulations, especially the amendment to the Law on Packaging Waste. In cooperation with the business sector, NALED prepares analyses that justify implementing a deposit system for packaging returns. They also supported the development of the Circular Economy Development Programme and implementing measures stated in the relevant Action Plan.

They hired the renowned British company Eunomia to research the continuation of waste collection in Serbia. Two studies were made on the back of the results of collection based on the existing ‘polluter pays’ principle, as well as on the goals that would be achieved if a deposit system were implemented, which is a method of returning packaging to stores and getting a partial refund for the money paid when purchasing the product. The analyses were done on a neutral basis to arrive at solutions that are best for the overall country, not individuals.

We spoke with Slobodan Krstović, the Sustainable Development Director at NALED, about improving the environment for further developing the green economy in Serbia, European regulations, measures for proper waste disposal and plans for improving environmental protection.

IN FOCUS:

EP: What are the key steps for making significant progress towards a healthier environment in our country?

Photo: NALED

Slobodan Krstović: In terms of waste management, it is important to continue developing primary selection and constructing regional landfills where waste would be properly stored, but also implementing new technologies such as a deposit system, which would motivate people to care more about recycling. It is also necessary to continue with the construction of the sewage grid and waste treatment plants because, for the past several years, less than 10 per cent of wastewater in Serbia has been treated, while the largest cities such as Belgrade, Niš, and Novi Sad do not have a single waste treatment plant. Communal and industrial wastewater is discharged directly into rivers. If we want cleaner air, we need to replace coal with other energy sources and invest in cleaner technological solutions in the industry and at home, which are all the basis for a healthier future. One of the measures that NALED advocates is higher fees for large polluters because the current fee calculation system does not motivate them to reduce the number of pollution particles they emit.

EP: What are the possibilities for establishing a functional Green Fund in Serbia as an important instrument for financing environmental projects?

Slobodan Krstović: NALED recognizes the importance of forming the Green Fund to ensure the transparency and sustainability of financing environmental protection projects. The new edition of the Gray Book again recommends an operational Green Fund be established, as a completely functional body that will serve projects oriented towards environmental protection, with a clearly defined legal framework and budget. Efforts are also being made to boost the capacity of public administration in matters pertaining to the environment at both the local and national levels and to change pollution fees.

EP: What should be done to raise the awareness of both companies and individuals about the importance of proper waste disposal in Serbia?

Photo: NALED

Slobodan Krstović: Companies should be able to make proper waste disposal more profitable than simply taking it to landfills. It can be done by higher fees for this service and having certain incentives. Individuals should be assured that the state and local governments are implementing all required environmental measures so that they develop better habits. If people see that waste is properly collected and treated, they will be motivated to separate household waste. Special containers must be more accessible, and there should be significantly more near every residential building or house. In the research carried out under the auspices of the “Management of Glass Packaging in the Western Balkans” project, the research participants said that having incentives in the form of discounts on the next purchase or on utility bills, as well as being entitled to refunds when taking packaging back to shops, would motivate them to start sorting waste.

EP: What waste management projects has NALED launched with partners in an attempt to find systemic solutions to this problem? What results have you achieved?

Slobodan Krstović: Our projects have focused on managing food waste, batteries, light bulbs, and glass packaging. The piloting of a smart packaging waste collection system in Zrenjanin using the latest technologies is currently underway. In this way, we collected more than 1,300 tonnes of food waste and installed 1,400 recycling containers for glass packaging in Serbia and the region. We started collecting hazardous waste at public locations in our country for the first time in our country, Kragujevac and Belgrade.

These are the small steps we have taken to indicate the required systemic solutions in these areas, which must be adopted at the institutional level. Waste disposal fees need to be higher to make it more profitable to send packaging waste for recycling rather than ship it to landfills. Incentives should be provided for establishing a collection system and exporting batteries and light bulbs because building a recycling plant is unprofitable at this time. Proper collection and storage of a kilogramme of batteries currently cost 4 euros. The solution we proposed for regulating special waste flows under the auspices of the Proper Management of Food Waste project is that all catering establishments that serve more than 50 meals a day have to separate waste properly. In cooperation with the EsoTron Company and with the support of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) organization, we have created a Guide containing precise instructions which can facilitate this practice.

Interviewed by: Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

GOOD POLICIES AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A GREEN TRANSITION

Photo: Nenad Kostić

Meet the smallest country in Scandinavia. In it, almost every resident, and there are 5.8 million of them, not only owns a bicycle but also rides it every day, and 11,000 km of bicycle paths are at their disposal. In its capital, during the summer, you can see bathers cooling off in the crystal-clear sea water in the nearby harbor. As if the multitude of islands that this country is proud of were not enough, they decided to create new, very special, energy islands. To that, they added climatic and ecological parks. We present to you the green achievements of the Kingdom of Denmark through a conversation with Susanne Shine, the ambassador of this country in Serbia.

EP: The Kingdom of Denmark ranks first in the EPI list (Environmental Performance Index). Does the progress in preserving the environment and nature affect the strengthening of the feeling of happiness since the Kingdom of Denmark has been considered one of the happiest countries in the world for years?

Susanne Shine: We are honored to be at the top of the Environmental Performance Index. Most Danes prioritize environmental protection, and “green living“ has become an integrated part of everyday life in Denmark. As a Danish ambassador, I am proud to see Denmark lead the way.

Getting to this leadership position has not been an easy accomplishment, but it is something that has been built over generations. Besides having a highly developed educational and research ecosystem in Denmark, one of the keys to reaching this position lies in the cooperation between crucial private and public stakeholders in sustainable development. Through close cooperation, we dare to set ambitious climate change and environmental protection goals. It means that good ideas are quickly reflected in policies and regulations, that private and government investments support them and that they enjoy essential public support.

Regarding our happiness, I do think it is a big speculation to draw a straight line from the green transition to a country’s overall happiness. However, in the past decades, we have focused on the restoration of wild nature and on including more nature in our cities. Maybe it does have an effect? Perhaps having more trees and green areas to look at in the cities can actually make people happier.

IN FOCUS:

EP: On the other hand, according to Footprintnetwork, during one year, you use up four to five annual resources of the planet Earth. In what way are you trying to change this?

Photo: courtesy of Ambassy of the Kingdom of Denmark

Susanne Shine: Despite our high rankings in the various indexes, we recognize that there is still a long way to go, and we still have many environmental challenges to overcome. Consumption is increasingly becoming an important political issue, and the government, civil society, and the public are taking more determined steps to combat it. One success within this area is our recycling system for bottles and cans, which has worked flawlessly for years. Another positive step is a new collection system that will more effectively separate household waste and increase recycling. Relatedly, a tax on the use of plastic bags in all shops was implemented a couple of years ago. It has already reduced plastic bag use and helped make consumers more conscious of their environmental footprint.

Our new Danish government has announced more ambitious climate change targets, proposing to reach net zero by 2045. To help meet those goals, the government, among other things, plans to roll out an emission tax on the agriculture sector and a tax on air travel.

Even though Denmark only accounts for around 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, we are determined to lead by example. We want to show the world that developing replicable and scalable ways to protect the planet while maintaining a prosperous, socially cohesive, and just society is possible. An important aspect of this is our government-to-government energy partnerships with 19  nations representing more than 60 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, including China, the U.S. and India.

EP: How would you rate the importance of projects such as the Amager Bakke Recycling Center and the waste-water treatment plant on the island of Zealand?

Susanne Shine: These are two really fantastic projects. Amager Resource Centre (ARC) produces district heating and electricity for citizens in the Copenhagen region. Every year, it turns almost half a million tonnes of waste into electricity and district heating for some 140,000 households. It provides the opportunity to establish a circular economic perspective, where waste becomes a useful resource instead of a burden. Also, ARC is located in Copenhagen’s port and industrial area, which has undergone many changes over the past years. Surrounding ARC, the port area has become an extreme sport destination for thrill seekers with different sports activities in the deserted industrial facilities. So in designing ARC, the machinery was built to generate a slope that now serves as a skiing terrain. The project replaces an old waste incineration plant and is part of a municipal initiative to achieve carbon neutrality in Copenhagen by 2025. ARC is set out as a next-generation waste-to-energy plant that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, and where industrial needs are combined with urban leisure to let citizens become part of the process.

Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0. (Kallerna)

Solrødgård Climate&Environmental Park is another interesting project. This park aims to create a closed circular system where preserving nature becomes an integral part of our life.The 50-hectare park includes a new headquarter for Hillerød Utility Company, a waste-water treatment plant and a recycling centre. The park transformed 50 hectares of farmland into a hilly and publicly available landscape with winding streams and wetlands that Solrødgård Climate&Environmental Park is another interesting project. This park aims to create a closed circular system where preserving nature becomes an integral part of our life.The 50-hectare park includes a new headquarter for Hillerød Utility Company, a waste-water treatment plant and a recycling centre. The park transformed 50 hectares of farmland into a hilly and publicly available landscape with winding streams and wetlands that catch rainwater and provide habitats for animals, fish and birds. Visitors can learn close-up about the different supply and resource circuits that are part of our ecosystem – and at the same time, experience bats, lapwings and birds of prey in their natural habitat. The climate and environmental park is a place where technology and recreation can be experienced in close and unusual cohabitation. The park offers a unique possibility to play and learn in a landscape where the supply circuits of water, energy and materials are prominently displayed as attractions.

EP: You have a clear plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What does it include?

Susanne Shine: This ambition of ours is one of Denmark’s most important political goals, and we are working across all levels to achieve it. For example, Denmark has introduced a corporate carbon tax, which means that by 2025, companies will pay around €150 per ton of emitted CO2. The aim of the tax is to reduce the total carbon emissions by around 4.3 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Also, within the agricultural and food sector, we have a strong track record for resource efficiency. While production output has increased by almost a third since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions have declined by around 16 per cent in the same period. There are many other examples, but these few examples show that not only are we in Denmark able to develop world-class technologies, but we are also able to sustain the green transition by ensuring the right policies and regulatory framework.

EP: You are leaders in constructing offshore and onshore wind farms. However, is wind the only way to obtain electricity exclusively from renewable sources by 2030?

Photo: courtesy of Ambassy of the Kingdom of Denmark

Susanne Shine: Both Denmark and the EU have established strong climate targets. Striving to become climate neutral by 2045, Denmark aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and to meet its entire electricity needs with renewables by the same date.

Our expansive plans for offshore wind combined with aggressive climate targets signal that offshore wind energy will become the backbone of our energy system. Denmark, which has always been a pioneer in the use of offshore wind energy, having constructed the world’s first offshore wind energy farm in 1991, is currently in the process of constructing three new offshore wind farms that will be operational by 2030.

Today, more than 40 per cent of Denmark’s energy requirements come from renewables, and we aim to reach 50 per cent by 2030. Last year was a record year for green energy production in Denmark. And though wind remains an integral part of our electricity production, it is not the only source. In 2022, 48 per cent of our electricity came from wind power, 16 per cent from biomass and 6 per cent from solar. On certain windy days, wind turbines can actually produce more than 100 per cent of our electricity needs. Over the past 15 years, the use of coal has dropped by 83 per cent and natural gas by 50 per cent. An important but often overlooked aspect is the importance of the infrastructure surrounding wind turbines and solar panels. In Denmark, we have one of the world’s most flexible and stable electricity grids, ensuring that we have 99.99 per cent security of electricity supply.

Interviewed by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Energetik Energija – LIVE TECHNICAL TRAINING in Partnership with SolarEdge

Photo-illustration: Freepik (senivpetro)
Photo: Energetik energija

As specialized distributors of photovoltaic components Energetik energija d.o.o. and being in the center of the supply chain, our main focuses are the needs of installers giving them tools and manuals, education and training followed up with the right products and solutions.

Installers daily troubles are the challenges we are engaged to solve with our dedicated technical department available in any stage of the installation: from the design to the commissioning. That’s why we create solutions to make their work easier and more efficient.

Accordingly, Energetik energija is organizing “LIVE TECHNICAL TRAINING” in partnership with the manufacturer SolarEdge. The training will include practical installation demonstrations with physical devices.

The event will take place on July 6th in Belgrade with start at 9:00 a.m.

Event topics:

  • SolarEdge Introduction
  • SolarEdge1PH/3PH inverters and Storage Solutions for Residential Market
  • How to install a SolarEdge system
  • Commissioning of a new plant – SetApp
  • Operational Concept
  • Live Training on Designer – String Rules
  • How to map your pv system
  • C&I Solutions
  • Safety Focus
  • SolarEdge Marketing Support Tools
  • After Sales Support
  • Q&A

For all interested, secure your place now at technical training via link.

Any other details, questions, contact our marketing department at milena@energetik.si.

Source: Energetik energija

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