As of September 1, electricity for households 6.5 percent more expensive

29.07.2022

electricity-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Starting from September 1, the price of electricity for households and smaller customers will amount to 8,144 din/kWh and will mark an increase of 6.5 percent compared to the current average price – according to the official website of the Energy Agency of Serbia.

At today’s meeting, the Council of the Energy Agency, at the request of PE EPS Belgrade, gave its consent to the decision on the price of electricity for guaranteed supply.

The price of electricity is determined on the basis of the maximum approved income and the estimated amount of electricity for sale to customers on the guaranteed supply.

As a reminder, the Minister of Mining and Energy, Zorana Mihajlovic, yesterday advised that she expects the price of electricity for citizens to increase and that the Regulation on energy-vulnerable customers has already been prepared, with the goal of helping those who cannot pay for electricity, gas or thermal energy.

Source: eKapija

How Can A Life-Cycle Approach Curb The Plastic Pollution Crisis?

28.07.2022

plastic-waste-3962409_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (VIVIANE6276)

At the recent United Nations Ocean Conference, another 22 governments agreed to join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which unites stakeholders around the goal of transitioning towards a circular economy for plastic.

Co-led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the global commitment has over 500 signatories across businesses, governments and other organizations committed to ensuring that plastic never becomes waste.

Plastic production, use and disposal are all contributors to the triple planetary crisis. UNEP’s From Pollution to Solution report shows that some 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced annually, and 7 billion tonnes of all plastic manufactured between 1950 and 2017 has become waste.

The equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean every minute, threatening biodiversity and damaging marine ecosystems, while greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastics are expected to reach 6.5 gigatons by 2050.

“Plastic pollution is a global crisis that threatens the environment, human health and the economy,” says Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of the Economy Division at UNEP

“It is critical that we transition towards a circular approach that considers the plastics’ full life cycle – from the extraction of raw materials to end-of-life management – to minimize their impact on the planet.”

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Brian Yurasits)

Here’s what you need to know about the life-cycle approach to plastic pollution, the benefits of circularity and how it can help stave off this global crisis:

A life-cycle approach is a way of thinking that considers the impacts of all the stages of a product or service’s life cycle. This approach helps us recognize how our choices are part of a wider and interconnected system.

UNEP’s Life Cycle Initiative, a multi-stakeholder partnership that enables the global use of credible life cycle knowledge, identifies these stages as raw material extraction, design, production, distribution, use, recovery and disposal. The recovery stage includes recycling materials and reusing products, which are necessary steps to create a circular model where resources do not become waste.

Research shows that a shift to a circular economy can reduce the volume of plastics entering the ocean by over 80 percent and save governments USD 70 billion by 2040. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and create 700,000 additional jobs.

Why is it important to adopt this approach?

A life-cycle approach allows people to make informed decisions that protect human and environmental health. Each life cycle stage offers the potential to reduce resource consumption and improve the performance of products to ensure collective responsibility across all stages of a product’s life cycle, thereby helping to design practical actions to tackle pollution. It evolves from the traditional focus of production, use, and disposal by highlighting the environmental, social, and economic impacts over the entire life cycle of products. A life-cycle approach also ensures that improvements in one life-cycle stage do not inadvertently create trade-offs in other stages.

How does this approach work with plastics?

A life-cycle approach to plastics considers the impacts of all activities and outcomes associated with producing and consuming plastic materials, products, and services.

This approach is key to enabling the global systemic change and collaboration that experts say are needed to curb plastic pollution. Using a life-cycle approach, we can identify the changes needed across all stages of a product’s life cycle to reduce the ubiquity of plastic pollution.

What actions can we take?

Products should be designed to be reused, recycled, and made with recycled content to limit the presence of plastics in the environment as much as possible.

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Tanvi Sharma)

Businesses can practice corporate responsibility by avoiding energy-intensive processes and switching to renewable energy. Plastics should also be free of hazardous chemicals.

Consumers can opt for reusable products to be used and reused as much as possible, ensuring they are efficiently washed and demanding that they are properly recycled. They can also play an important role in boycotting certain plastic products and advocating for businesses and governments to take stricter action on plastic use.

Governments need to be involved across all stages of plastic products’ life cycle and take actions to move to a new plastics economy, to eliminate, innovate and circulate. These include incentivizing reuse, banning unnecessary plastic packaging and products, investing in recycling infrastructure, and committing to partnerships that tackle existing plastic pollution. Raising awareness and promoting circularity can also be impactful.

What progress has been made towards adopting a circular economy for plastic?

In addition to the Global Commitment, world leaders agreed on a historic resolution to forge a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution by 2024 at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly in March.

The resolution addressed the full life cycle of plastic and established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). The first INC meeting, to be held in Uruguay from 28 November to 2 December 2022, will see countries begin the process of negotiating the agreement.

In conjunction with the meeting, UNEP will host a multi-stakeholder forum on 26 November to provide a platform for all stakeholders to provide input to the negotiations.

“The linear plastic economy is at the basis of the plastic pollution crisis,” says Aggarwal-Khan. “While the best solution differs by region, ultimately, following a life-cycle approach can set us on the path to circularity and combating the scourge of plastic pollution; additionally, a circular system change scenario will generate more and better jobs and bring significant economic savings.”

Pollution & Waste

To fight the pervasive impact of pollution on society, UNEP launched #BeatPollution, a strategy for rapid, large-scale and coordinated action against air, land and water pollution. The strategy highlights the impact of pollution on climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and human health. Through science-based messaging, the campaign showcases how transitioning to a pollution-free planet is vital for future generations.

Source: UNEP

Development of the Electricity Network as a Key to a Greater Regional RES Integration

27.07.2022

mhe-mala hidroelektrana — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Dan Meyers)

This process is unstoppable in developed countries, but despite the odds and good preconditions we have in this region to a more active approach to green transformation, the process is moving insignificantly. It is true that the interest for more significant investments in renewable energy sources exists, but this stream mainly comes from foreign and private investors.

Electrical companies, mostly state-owned, are still dozing peacefully, living at the expense of power plants built in Tito’s era. Mass integration of renewable energy sources is a systemic challenge, and proactive work of electrical companies and an understanding of the state apparatus that enacts legal regulations is required. Everyone must set this as imperative to establish a flexible power system that, under real conditions of production and consumption, should ensure stable operation.

A clear vision for energy transformation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is needed

Once the energy transition comes to the agenda, we should be aware that it is an inevitable process that has to start not tomorrow, not today, but yesterday. The energy transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina is sadly a small talk subject, and very little seems to be done in its implementation. All adopted plans and planned reforms of the energy transition are mainly the results of political and economic pressures from abroad. The pressure to implement the energy transition should be accepted as a chance for the modernization and development of the energy sector.

In focus:

To begin with, it is necessary to define the vision of where the electricity sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be positioned in 2030 and 2050. When you have a clear vision, all government structures, companies, and individuals should actively fulfill their obligations to achieve this vision.

Along the way, conventional energy, dominated by fossil fuels, must be transformed into modern energy, now dominated by renewable energy sources. Indeed, to speed up these processes, all positive practices should be used, and mistakes from countries in transition should be avoided.

RES is unpredictable, and that is a problem for the system

Solar energy is a gift of God and should be used to the maximum. Technological advances have made it possible to convert solar energy into electricity using solar and wind power plants. The unpredictability of energy production from these sources creates a problem in the power system, especially regarding large power plants. However, these problems are not uncommon all over the globe, and we should not run away from them and leave them to generations to come but focus on solving them.

A very efficient domestic solution could be the combination of solar power plants, wind power plants, and hydroelectric power plants. Bosnia and Herzegovina have very good preconditions for developing such a hybrid power system. That is why it is essential that, in addition to the great interest in the construction of solar and wind power plants, we keep the focus on the use of our hydro potentials. Although the public has a misconception about hydropower, in the future, there will be no reliant electricity system without hydropower components.

Electricity storage is one of the biggest challenges

The concepts of electricity storage in some special cases are well known in theory and practice; therefore, increasing their capacity and popularization are prerequisites for creating an ideal electricity sector. With the mass integration of renewable energy sources into the electricity system, energy “deficits” and “surpluses” are inevitable, and that’s why the management of the electricity system becomes an even greater challenge.

It is the very storage of electricity that plays a key role in solving this problem, and a future modern concept of the electricity system is required where energy storage becomes an equal participant along with the sources and consumers.

The problems could be solved in one of three ways: by balancing the energy in the network by building new production facilities, storing energy, and applying the concept of micro-networks. The topic of balancing energy in the grid is often mentioned as a key challenge in variable production from renewable energy sources. Hydro power plants, especially the technology of reversible hydroelectric power plants, is the most efficient way to solve the problem of balancing. All positive experiences from such systems can be seen in the example of HPP “Čapljina” (BiH), which is the oldest reversible hydroelectric power plant in the former Yugoslavia.

The construction of such facilities should be a priority, but due to the large financial resources required for their construction, this is not the case. Therefore, the controlled use of hydro potential should continue to be the focus of the development within the sector, provided the adoption of adequate legislation that will tighten measures for environmental impact assessment in issuing environmental permits.

dr. sc. Senad Huseinbegović

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

EU Solar Set to Save Additional 4.6 BCM Gas in 2022

27.07.2022

Beč_solarni_sistem — Foto: Facebook (screenshot)

Photo: Courtesy of Valburga Hemetsberger

As the European Commission launches its solidarity action to reduce gas consumption this winter, SolarPower Europe reveals the bloc is set to exceed even the highest projections of solar power generation in 2022. Around 39 GW of additional EU solar will be rolled-out before the end of the year, equivalent to 4.6 BCM of Russian gas.

Wednesday 20th July 2022, Brussels: The European Commission has proposed a regulation that sets a voluntary target to reduce gas demand by 15 per cent between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023.

The ‘Save Gas for a Safe Winter’ plan would also give the Commission the possibility to declare, after Member State consultation, a mandatory gas demand reduction. The move follows the ear in Ukraine, and is in response to the Kremlin’s weaponisation of energy supply.

The European Commission also points to fuel-switching measures to pre-emptively save gas, including the switch to renewables and solar.

“The role of renewables must continue to be accelerated. As the IMF has recently studied, the cost of transition to renewables is lower than continuing with fossil fuel”, said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans speaking at the publication of the proposal.

SolarPower Europe‘s mid-year analysis shows that European solar is set to overshoot even our highest deployment projections for 2022, and support the continent’s shift from gas. After breaking a decade-long installation record in 2021 with 27 GW, 2022 is set to see 39 GW of new European solar capacity. 39 GW of additional solar replaces the equivalent of 4.6 BCM of gas.

“Every megawatt of energy generated by solar and renewables is fewer fossil fuels we need from Russia. European solar is rolling out as fast as possible in anticipation of a difficult winter.”

“For this winter, and every winter that follows, Europe needs full focus and attention on accelerating renewables. A real challenge the sector is facing is a critical skills shortage – we risk not having the number of installers and project developers that we need. This cannot be overlooked in strategic planning for European energy security”, said Dries Acke, Policy Director at SolarPower Europe.

Today’s proposal will now go to energy ministers from EU member states, when it will be voted on at next week’s Extraordinary Energy Council meeting (Tuesday 26th).

Source: SolarPower Europe

Cooperation with Hungary in Field of Renewable Hydrogen

26.07.2022

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic and Hungarian Minister of Technology and Industry László Palkovics signed a Memorandum of understanding in the field of renewable hydrogen between the two ministries.

After the signing of the Memorandum at the Serbian government, Mihajlovic said that Serbia and Hungary have excellent political and bilateral relations and added that Hungary is an important trade partner of Serbia, the third largest of all EU states and the sixth of all countries in the world.

That is a good basis for the improvement of cooperation in the field of energy too, where we haven’t stopped on the gas supply only, but we want to cooperate in the process of energy transition too. We believe Hungary can help us become even more efficient in that process. Regardless of all that is happening, and regardless of the energy crisis in Europe and the world, we cannot avoid energy transition because that is a step towards greater energy security, Mihajlovic underlined.

She pointed out that in new energy laws, green hydrogen is recognised as a renewable source of energy and that the Hydrogen Strategy will be an integral part of a new strategy of development of the energy sector in Serbia.

The Memorandum we have just signed is a basis for exchanging documents and talking about potential joint projects. We are proud that we in Serbia have already created legal conditions for the use of hydrogen and I hope that we will be able to present more concretely the advantages of using hydrogen, she said.

Palkovics said that the issues of energy availability, access and costs are the crucial questions in the world today, to which the question of energy independence has been added.

He said that the field for which the Memorandum was signed today includes important issues such as production, storage and transport of hydrogen, and that Hungary, which already has certain experiences, is ready to share its strategies and regulations with Serbia, as well as investment plans and projects.

The two ministers recalled good cooperation achieved in the transportation sector and agreed that they expect the successful cooperation to continue in the field of energy too.

The signing of the Memorandum was preceded by a meeting of delegations of the two ministries, which was attended by Hungarian Ambassador to Serbia Attila Pinter.

Source: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Joint working group of Serbia, Albania, Northern Macedonia for energy cooperation

26.07.2022

Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic announced in Tirana that the relevant ministers from Northern Macedonia and Albania accepted Serbia’s initiative to form a joint working group for cooperation in the energy crisis and on strategic projects.

Mihajlovic, who spoke on the panel on energy security at the meeting of the Crisis Mitigation Group as part of the “Open Balkans” initiative, said that for the energy security of the region in the conditions of the national crisis, a community is needed for cooperation.

She said that there is no reason not to talk about connecting the market and joint balancing, which is needed in all countries of the region.

According to her, we will start working within the working group from next week and that we will present a proposal for joint investments to the presidents, that is, the prime ministers of our countries.

Mihajlovic reminded that Serbia has passed new laws in the field of energy, most of the by-laws, the drafting of strategic documents is nearing completion and it has a new investment plan.

The construction of gas interconnections with Bulgaria is underway, which will enable the diversification of supply sources, and we plan to connect with other neighbours as well, primarily Northern Macedonia and Romania, she said.

At the same time, we are interested in the possibilities of better cooperation and connection with Albania, when it comes to the planned LNG terminal, as well as for better connection in the region when it comes to the high-voltage network. All these interconnections enable greater energy stability not only for Serbia, but also for the region, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Source: Serbian Government

“This heatwave is the new normal”, WMO Secretary-General says

25.07.2022

landscape-klimatske promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

“We have broken an all-time high in the UK”, said Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General. “Heatwaves will happen more frequently because of climate change. The connection has been clearly demonstrated by IPCC”.

Stable high pressures, and hence the heatwave, are here to last for several days. This Tuesday was expected to be the hottest day of the year so far in France. Expected temperatures ranged from 36°C to 40°C with almost all parts of the country in heatwave alert, according to Météo France.

“The heatwave will continue at least until the middle of next week with continued high temperatures in much of Western Europe”, said Bob Stefanski, chief of Applied Climate Services at WMO. “This is alarming with over 40 days to go in the meteorological summer.”

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48°C (Greece, 1977). A suspected new record may have occurred in 2021 (48.8°C in Sicily) and is being reviewed by WMO.

The new normal

“In the future, this kind of heatwaves are going to be normal. We will see stronger extremes. We have pumped so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. We haven’t been able to reduce our emissions globally” SG Taalas lamented. “I hope that this will be a wake-up call for governments and that it will have an impact on voting behaviors in democratic countries”, he said.

“I hope that this event will be a wake-up call for governments and that it will have an impact on voting behaviors in democratic countries”

According to IPCC, temperatures will rise more quickly in European areas than elsewhere. In the Mediterranean, a worrisome combination of climatic impact-driver changes (warming; temperature extremes; increase in droughts and aridity; precipitation decrease; wildifire increase; mean and extreme sea levels; snow cover decrease; and wind speed decrease) is expected by mid-century if global warming exceeds 2°C.

The IPCC Special Report on Extremes also shows that heatwaves will be more frequent, longer and more intense in the 21st century. Early warning systems and reinforced health systems will be needed.

Pollution & health

“Stable, stagnant atmosphere traps atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter, resulting in a degradation of air quality. Sun rays lead to ozone formation. Both impact health, particularly among vulnerable people, and also impact vegetal life“, said Bob Stefanski

Health systems are challenged by heatwaves. “When a heatwave goes along with high levels of pollution it exacerbates respiratory, cardiovascular diseases and conditions especially in large urban spaces that are not adapted to cope with these high temperatures,” said Maria Neira, Director of Environment and Health at WHO. “We have been alerting for a long time that climate change is severely affecting human health and therefore taking measures to reach the zero carbon and accelerating the transition to clean renewable sources of energy will be extremely important.”

Source: WMO

1.1 Billion Dinars for Projects to Increase Energy Efficiency in 38 Cities and Municipalities

25.07.2022

Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Mining and Energy, prof. Zorana Mihajlovic, Ph.D., in Smederevska Palanka, handed over contracts to representatives of 38 local self-governments that received funds for investing in increasing energy efficiency in public buildings through a public call, and said that increasing energy efficiency is a national project and a job that concerns all institutions, the economy and citizens.

“This is the eighth time that the state allocates funds for increasing energy efficiency in public buildings through a public call, and for the first time money is allocated through the Directorate for Financing and Encouraging Energy Efficiency, which is part of the Ministry and was founded precisely with the task of helping public sector, but also citizens, to work faster on increasing energy efficiency. The total value of the projects that are co-financed through the public call is 1.12 billion dinars, of which 687.6 million dinars are from the funds of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, through the Administration, and 436.3 million dinars are the participation of local self-governments. Everything we do through this project means a healthier environment and energy savings, from 30 to 50 percent per year, depending on the measures applied.

“On an annual level, the savings in electricity consumption will be nine million kWh, and the expected reduction in CO2 emissions is about 4,500 tons per year,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

She reminded that, in addition to public buildings, the state also co-finances investments in increasing energy efficiency in households, where about 25,000 households in all parts of Serbia have been covered so far through three public calls in the previous year. The total investment through subsidies from the state and local self-governments is about 2.7 billion dinars, of which 1.4 billion dinars are subsidies from the Ministry. Also, in cooperation with the World Bank and EBRD, we secured another 70 million euros for the continuation of the project, which we expect to cover more than 100,000 households.

She announced that the state will continue to issue public invitations, to increase where necessary the subsidies given by the state and that she believes that it is possible that in the next three years at least 45 percent of households will be covered by this project.

“If we know that today Serbia consumes about four times more energy than the average EU member to create a unit of GDP and almost two times more heat energy per square meter in households compared to the EU, it is clear how important this area is, even today. When we have an energy crisis, but also for the future. And when we hear how in other European countries citizens are called to save electricity, then we should imagine what we can do to get through this crisis as painlessly as possible. The state is there to provide money, to announce public calls, but only if we all work together on this, we can ensure that we have enough energy and a healthy environment”, said Mihajlovic.

The projects for which funds were allocated include elementary schools, municipal buildings, centers of culture, kindergartens, faculties, a center for social work, an indoor swimming pool, public lighting, and for the first time, the public call included the installation of photovoltaic systems and solar panels for the production of electricity .

The President of the Municipality of Smederevska Palanka, Nikola Vucen, said that investing in energy efficiency means significant savings in all municipalities, and as one example he cited the building of the Municipality of Smederevska Palanka, which has not been invested in for 60 years.

“In this year, the total investment of the municipality of Smederevska Palanka together with the Ministry is 80 million dinars, which is the largest investment in one year in this area,” said Vucen.

President of the municipality of Trstenik, Milena Turk, said that through this project, energy efficiency in the elementary school in Trstenik will be improved, as well as that the municipality has other joint projects with the Ministry in this area.

Mayor of Vranje, Slobodan Milenkovic, said that for the third year in a row, this city received funds from the Ministry on a public call for increasing the energy efficiency of public buildings, and thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for good cooperation and support to local governments.

Subsidies were awarded for projects in: Trgoviste, Niska Banja, Kursumlija, Gadzin Han, Uzice, Bosilegrad, Vranje, Raznje, Kraljevo, Svilajnac, Ljubovija, Novi Sad, Zajecar, Vrnjacka Banja, Novi Pazar, Nis, Boljevac, Valjevo, Kragujevac, Kuli, Priboj, Trstenik, Smederevska Palanka, Negotin, Ljig, Pirot, Backi Petrovac, Vlasotince, Smederevo, Knic, Kikinda, Subotica, Senta, Backa Palanka, Krupanj, as well as municipalities of Belgrade: Obrenovac, Palilula and Stari grad.

Source: Ministry of mining and Energy

How Secretive Methane Leaks are Driving Climate Change

24.07.2022

pollution-zagađenje-vadzuh — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Massive methane leaks, known as super-emitter events, have been taking place at oil and gas fields all over the world, from the United States to Turkmenistan. The releases, most of which can be traced to equipment failures, can last for weeks. One outside of a storage facility in Los Angeles in 2015 hemorrhaged almost 100,000 tonnes of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — into the atmosphere over the course of four months.

In June, researchers at Spain’s Polytechnic University of Valencia, said they uncovered the latest known super-emitter event at an oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The installation discharged 40,000 tonnes of methane during a 17-day spell in December 2021 — equivalent to three per cent of Mexico’s annual oil and gas emissions. Researchers said the release may never have been known to the public if not for the fact that it was captured by a European Space Agency satellite.

While the discharge was caught, it remains challenging to trace emissions of methane, which is colourless, odourless and responsible for more than 25 per cent of the global warming the Earth is experiencing today. Due to its structure, methane traps more heat in the atmosphere per molecule than carbon dioxide (CO2) making it 80 times more harmful than CO2 during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere.

As countries develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the worst effects of climate change, experts say it’s vital to have a better handle on how much methane is being released into the atmosphere, including from super-emitter events. Cutting human-caused methane by 45 per cent this decade would keep warming beneath a threshold outlined by the Paris Agreement.

The big challenge is knowing exactly how much [methane] is being emitted, where it is being emitted and for how long it has been emitted.

Source: UNEP

Leveraging Urban Agriculture to Support Cities

22.07.2022

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Peter Feghali)

Cities, which occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land, account for up to 80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.

By 2050, nearly 70 percent of the global population is expected to live in urban areas, which experts warn will drive greater environmental change and contribute to the triple planetary crisis. To address the issues associated with rapid urbanization, governments must act decisively to build resilient and sustainable cities.

Safeguarding urban food security while limiting stress on human and environmental health is a key challenge cities face – and urban agriculture may be one of the solutions needed.

Reusing urban resources and promoting agriculture in cities provides myriad health, social and economic benefits. It can also alleviate the effects of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, according to a recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

Growing food closer to consumers reduces carbon emissions associated with delivery and storage, increases accessibility to healthier diets and promotes resilience in food systems.

With strong institutional governance, cities can embrace circularity in food systems and beyond to safeguard human and environmental health.

Source: UNEP

Save Gas for a Safe Winter: Commission Proposes Gas Demand Reduction Plan to Prepare EU for Supply Cuts

22.07.2022

gas_pipeline_gasovod — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Quinten de Graaf)

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Carl Nenzen Loven)

The European Union faces the risk of further gas supply cuts from Russia, due to the Kremlin’s weaponisation of gas exports, with almost half of our Member States already affected by reduced deliveries. Taking action now can reduce both the risk and the costs for Europe in case of further or full disruption, strengthening European energy resilience.

The Commission is therefore proposing a new legislative tool and a European Gas Demand Reduction Plan, to reduce gas use in Europe by 15 per cent until next spring. All consumers, public administrations, households, owners of public buildings, power suppliers and industry can and should take measures to save gas. The Commission will also accelerate work on supply diversification, including joint purchasing of gas to strengthen the EU’s possibility of sourcing alternative gas deliveries.

The Commission is proposing a new Council Regulation on Coordinated Demand Reduction Measures for Gas, based on Article 122 of the Treaty. The new Regulation would set a target for all Member States to reduce gas demand by 15 per cent between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023.

The new Regulation would also give the Commission the possibility to declare, after consulting Member States, a ‘Union Alert’ on security of supply, imposing a mandatory gas demand reduction on all Member States. The Union Alert can be triggered when there is a substantial risk of a severe gas shortage or an exceptionally high gas demand. Member States should update their national emergency plans by the end of September to show how they intend to meet the reduction target, and should report to the Commission on progress every two months. Member States requesting solidarity gas supplies will be required to demonstrate the measures they have taken to reduce demand domestically.

Energy saved in summer is energy available for winter

By substituting gas with other fuels and saving energy this summer, more gas can be stored for winter. Acting now will reduce the negative GDP impact, by avoiding unplanned actions in a crisis situation later. Early steps also spread out the efforts over time, ease market concerns and price volatility, and allow for a better design of targeted, cost-effective measures protecting industry.

Source: European Commission

WMO Has no Immediate Plans to Name Heatwaves

21.07.2022

sun-sunce-klimatske-promene — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The top priority of the World Meteorological Organization and its Members is to save lives through accurate forecasts and early warnings. A very successful example of this, in recent years, is improvements in Heat-Health Early Warnings and Heat Action plans, underpinned by strong collaborations between the meteorological, health, disaster management, and scientific communities.

WMO is aware of the current interest in developing heatwave ranking and naming systems. As the UN specialized agency responsible for weather, climate, and water, the WMO exercises a leadership role in coordinating globally recognized extreme weather naming conventions. The WMO Services Commission is therefore currently considering the advantages and disadvantages of naming heatwaves.

There is currently no agreed international system or protocol for naming or coordinating the naming of heatwave events. International and regional naming protocols are used to support risk management of different types of storms, including tropical cyclones. Storm naming protocols and agreed intergovernmental coordination mechanisms are required to prevent misnaming and to coordinate the naming of transboundary or regional scale events.

However, what has been established for tropical cyclone events may not necessarily translate easily across to heatwaves. Caution should be exercised when comparing or applying lessons or protocols from one hazard type to another, due to the important differences in the physical nature and impacts of storms and heatwaves.

A heat wave is broadly defined as a period of statistically unusual hot weather persisting for a number of days and nights. Indices based on local climatological conditions are used to objectively characterize and declare a heat wave. In most countries only designated national agencies, such as weather services or public health agencies, have the national responsibility to issue official heat warnings. Independent practices to rank and name heatwaves which are not coordinated with the official warning systems, may risk disrupting civil protection protocols and coordination efforts, bring unintended negative consequences, or reduce the effectiveness of established heat advisory and response measures. Coordination of “pilot heatwave naming” activities with the official heat advisory systems in a country is suggested to prevent any confusion and interference with existing public messaging and designated operational procedures and protocols.

Heatwaves can be forecast up to 10 days in advance in many areas (mainly extra-tropics and high latitudes) but lack skill at 3-day lead-times in many regions (mainly tropics). Forecast-based naming creates additional challenges that named events might not actually take place, might turn out to be less severe, or occur in different localities. This could potentially undermine any benefits of raised awareness through naming and create false alarms.

To protect communities from avoidable heat related illness the public should be aware of actions to take during extreme heat events, as well as recognize their personal vulnerability factors, such as age, medications, or medical conditions which can make prolonged exposure to heat even below heatwave thresholds also deadly.

Studies show heat-related illness and death are also strongly associated with ‘mild’ hot days, occurring outside declared heatwave events, including hot nights, prolonged occupational heat exposures, and exertional heat stress.

WMO, working with the relevant partners, will continue to support the development of heat early warning systems, including the update of extreme heat-related guidance and associated extreme heat risk communication strategies.

For further information on heat-health issues, consult the Global Heat Health Information Network, which is co-sponsored by WMO, WHO, and US NOAA and brings together the meteorological, health, and scientific communities.

Source: WMO

We are not Alone on the Path to Green Transformation

20.07.2022

Less developed countries are torn between the struggle to preserve energy stability and the domestic economy on the one hand and the pressures imposed by the global energy transition on the other. The main reason for their inability to keep pace with the rest of the world is the lack of financial resources, so achieving carbon neutrality in underdeveloped countries largely depends on advisory, moral and financial support.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) actively finances projects that contribute to climate change mitigation worldwide and thus represents one of the pillars of global green transformation. We talked about the EIB’s strategy and mission and their activities in the Western Balkans and our country with Alessandro Bragonzi, Head of the EIB Regional Office for the Western Balkans.

EP: The European Investment Bank is one of the main financiers of projects contributing to the fight against climate change. What kind of projects are we talking about, and in which countries are you implementing projects?

Alessandro Bragonzi: Under our Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025 adopted in 2020, the EIB has made a commitment to directing 50 percent of its lending to climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. This goal was already achieved last year when we allocated EUR 27.6 billion to climate action globally, which represents 51 percent of our financing volume.

We have aligned all our activities with the Paris Agreement goals, confirming our role as a leader in climate financing. We plan to help mobilize EUR 1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability projects over the current decade. On the mitigation side, for example, there is a need for energy efficiency investments to reduce energy poverty in Europe or support for low-carbon public transport designed with the travel needs of different socio-economic groups, women and men in mind. Targeted investments in renewable energy – both on and off-grid – can support the 1.1 billion people that today lack access to electricity while tackling related gender inequalities.

Let me mention a few of the concrete climate projects the EIB is supporting across the globe. Together with the World Bank, we are implementing the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, which helps cities plan projects that cut emissions and improve daily life in urban areas. Also, Western Balkans’ cities benefit from this valuable technical assistance. In Uganda, the EIB is financing the distribution of 240 000 solar power systems for homes. Thanks to this investment, over a million people across the country will get electricity for the first time to power mobile phones, provide light and make cooking easier. A EUR 280 million EIB loan is enabling ArcelorMittal to develop steel production methods that reduce emissions and help the environment in several EU countries. We support forest renewal in Latin America through the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund, which manages 500 000 hectares of land sustainably. The EIB is financing Europe’s first floating wind farm off the coast of Portugal, towering 210 metres above the North Atlantic. An impressive feat of engineering, the three turbines generate enough electricity for 60 000 households, saving an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 a year. Details of the Bank’s activities in the sector and highlights of key projects are publicly available. The most recent example is the Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability Overview 2022, published in March.

In focus:

EP: The goal of the European Investment Bank is to make Europe a carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Is the same goal achievable for the Western Balkans countries since fossil fuels will have priority over renewable energy sources for a long time to come?

Alessandro Bragonzi: Under the European Green Deal, greenhouse gas emissions will need to be reduced by 55 percent by 2030. Carbon pricing, a cornerstone of Europe’s energy transition, will continue to play a key role, including through the extension of the EU ETS emissions trading scheme to new sectors. Inevitably, these developments will affect the EU acquis, a precondition for Candidate Countries in the Western Balkans to move forward with their EU accession process.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Alex Blokstra)

However, several countries in the Western Balkans still heavily rely on coal/lignite for power production, despite deteriorating air quality, adverse health effects and significant untapped potential for renewable energy. Serbia, for instance, has made significant progress, particularly in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, thanks to the adoption of new laws. The country has implemented a market-based support scheme via the newly adopted Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources. However, we are still waiting to adopt Serbia’s National Energy and Climate Plan, which clearly spells out its decarbonization commitments and pathway. The Western Balkans, in part of EIB goals to make a Just Transition. It needs our strong support to gradually move away from coal and increase the share of energy from renewables.

EP: How much has the EIB allocated so far for the Western Balkans, and which projects are key to decarbonizing this part of Europe? Alessandro Bragonzi: Since 2009, the EIB has invested close to EUR 9.5 billion in the Western Balkans. Our goal is to support sustainable economic development and the EU integration process by improving living and business conditions for people across the region in terms of transport, water accessibility, energy supply, education, and healthcare quality. Regarding climate goals, we are supporting the public and private sectors. For example, we launched a dedicated credit line in 2021 to encourage SMEs to adopt climate and energy-efficient projects and practices, enabling a faster transition to a sustainable and circular economy.

In Serbia, together with the EU Delegation, UNDP, Sweden, and the Serbian government, we are helping Serbian companies, and local self-governments implement environmentally friendly projects to reduce the carbon footprint and pollutant emissions, waste and air pollution and help protect biodiversity and the ecosystem.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are providing technical support for preparing the Vlašić renewable energy project, which will facilitate the construction of a 50 MW wind farm in the Travnik region. Thanks to these efforts, the country can boost its energy supply, increase power generation from renewable resources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, thus stimulating sustainable growth. At the same time, we are investing in large-scale projects that help reduce CO2 emissions, such as modernization of railways, improvement of inland waterways along the Sava and Danube rivers and the upgrade of urban transport in Sarajevo and Niš. These investments will enable a gradual shift in passenger behavior from private to public and more climate-friendly modes of transportation.

Interviewed by: Milena Maglovski

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

UK Government Boosts Space Tech Funding To Cut Carbon Emissions And Improve Energy Security

20.07.2022

Funding for pioneering new space technologies will help to cut carbon emissions, improve energy security and enhance the UK’s reputation as a science superpower, the Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced today.

Three million pounds of grant funding will be made available for space-based solar power (SBSP) projects that collect the Sun’s energy using solar panels orbiting the Earth and can deliver clean energy, day and night, unaffected by the weather.

The technology has the potential to boost energy security by providing reliable, affordable alternative to expensive and volatile fossil fuels, while reducing the UK’s contributions to climate change.

Grant funding will also be made available for cutting-edge weather monitoring sensors to aid more accurate weather forecasts. The sensors will be put into orbit for the first time, thanks to a partnership with data and analytics company Spire Global.

The Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HYMS), developed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space, will help meteorological agencies and businesses around the world involved with planning, shipping and flood warnings. It is four times more powerful than the sensors used on existing satellites.

In a further demonstration of the government’s commitment to the sector, Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris will serve as the first ever National Space Champion. He will work closely with industry to ensure the UK’s space sector continues to grow, attract investment, and develop innovative products. Morris is a longstanding advocate for the UK space industry and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Space.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

,,Space-based solar power could provide an affordable, clean and reliable source of energy for the whole world to benefit from, helping the move away from expensive fossil fuels. Today’s investment is an exciting example of how we can go even further in our ambitions to make the UK a science superpower.”

,,I am also delighted that the HYMS technology, developed in Oxfordshire, will be put into service by Spire Global to help improve weather forecasting.”

,,These projects are major milestones for our National Space Strategy, developing the UK’s space capabilities while boosting the economy and delivering high-skill jobs.”

National Space Champion David Morris MP said:

,,It is a privilege to be asked to be the first UK National Space Champion and the appointment shows the government’s commitment to the sector and its commitment to its growth.”

,,The UK space sector is fast becoming a world leader and I look forward to being a champion for the industry within government to ensure we are able to spearhead the industry to even further growth.”

An independent report found significant commercial potential in developing SBSP’s underlying technologies as products in their own right – particularly with regards to wireless power transmission and solar power.

Similarly, the HYMS occupies a footprint fifty times smaller than current technology, which makes it possible to launch dozens of HYMS-equipped satellites, together forming a constellation that can track fast moving extreme weather events such as hurricanes.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

,,Satellite technology is helping us solve some of the most significant challenges we face. We’re working with the space sector to drive innovation, catalyse investment and bring tangible benefits to people and businesses across the UK.”

,,As these two new projects show, space is not only vital in helping us monitor the weather and our environment, it can also provide new solutions to our future energy needs and support the global fight against climate change.”

,,I would like also like to welcome the appointment of a National Space Champion and I look forward to working with David Morris to support our growing sector.”

The UK space sector employs around 47,000 people directly around the UK and supports around 190,000 jobs in the supply chain. By building on the commitments of the National Space Strategy to grow the economy and lead pioneering scientific discovery, these two projects will help to protect and grow these high-quality jobs across the country for generations to come.

Notes to editors

-HYMS was developed by RAL Space, the UK’s national space laboratory, at Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire, with GBP 600,000 funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) National Space Innovation Programme.

-The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) RAL Space will work with data and analytics company Spire Global to prepare HYMS for deployment in space, with the long-term objective of providing a full constellation of satellites.

-Work will be carried out both in Oxfordshire, at RAL Space, and in Glasgow where Spire Global has its UK headquarters and satellite manufacturing facility. The space industry supported 8,440 jobs in Scotland in 2020, almost a fifth of the total 46,995 jobs in the space industry across the whole of the UK. The UK space sector generates an income of GBP 16.5 billion a year. Scotland will also host the UK’s first vertical small satellite launches next year, from the SaxaVord and Sutherland spaceports.

-STFC is part of UK Research Innovation.

-More information on the Space Based Solar Power concept can be found in the report Space based solar power: de-risking the pathway to net zero, commissioned by BEIS. Funding for the SBSP Innovation Programme has been made available from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

-David Morris has been the Member of Parliament for Morecambe and Lunesdale since 2010. He has previously served as a member of the Commons Science and Technology Committee and was the government’s ambassador for freelancers and the self-employed (2014-2016). He was appointed an Assistant Government Whip in July 2022, and currently chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Lancashire.

Source: GOV.UK

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