ABB Launches the World’s Fastest Electric Car Charger

01.10.2021

ABB’s new Terra 360 is a modular charger which can simultaneously charge up to four vehicles with dynamic power distribution. This means that drivers will not have to wait if somebody else is already charging ahead of them. They simply pull up to another plug. The new charger has a maximum output of 360 kW and is capable of fully charging any electric car in 15 minutes or less, meeting the needs of a variety of EV users, whether they need a fast charge or to top their battery up while grocery shopping.

“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “The Terra 360, with charging options that fit a variety of needs, is the key to fulfilling that demand and accelerating e-mobility adoption globally.”

“It’s an exciting day for ABB, who as the global leader in electric vehicle fast charging, is playing a key role in enabling a low carbon society,” said Theodor Swedjemark, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at ABB. “With road transport accounting for nearly a fifth of global CO2 emissions, e-mobility is critical to achieving the Paris climate goal. We will also lead by example by switching our entire fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles to non-emitting vehicles.”

Available in Europe from the end of 2021, and in the USA, Latin America and Asia Pacific regions in 2022, Terra 360 is designed with the daily needs and expectations of EV drivers in mind. Leveraging the rich field experience gained by ABB E-mobility’s large installed base, the Terra 360 delivers speed and convenience along with comfort, ease-of-use and a sense of familiarity.

Its innovative lighting system guides the user through the charging process and shows the State of Charge (SoC) of the EV battery and the residual time before the end of an optimal charge session. The world’s fastest EV charger is also wheelchair accessible and features an ergonomic cable management system that helps drivers plug in quickly with minimal effort.

As well as serving the needs of private EV drivers at fueling stations, convenience stores and retail locations, Terra 360 chargers can also be installed on an organization’s commercial premises to charge electric fleet cars, vans and trucks. This gives owners the flexibility to charge up to four vehicles overnight or to give a quick refill to their EVs in the day. Because Terra 360 chargers have a small footprint, they can be installed in small depots or parking lots where space is at a premium.

Terra 360 chargers are fully customizable. To personalize the appearance, customers can ‘brand’ the chargers by using different foiling or changing the color of the LED light strips. There is also the option to include an integrated 27” advertisement screen to play video and pictures.

ABB is a world leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, offering the full range of charging and electrification solutions for electric cars, electric and hybrid buses, vans, trucks, ships and railways. ABB entered the e-mobility market back in 2010, and today has sold more than 460,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 88 markets; over 21,000 DC fast chargers and 440,000 AC chargers, including those sold through Chargedot.

ABB high-power chargers are already being deployed around the world through the company’s partnerships with international charging operators such as IONITY and Electrify America.

To explore ABB’s electric vehicle charging technology, visit www.abb.com/ev-charging.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

Source: ABB

EBRD and EU Help Furniture Manufacturer in Serbia to Invest in Modern Equipment

30.09.2021

couch-nameštaj — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

With eyes on the EU market, Novi Stil from Jagodina invests in quality to become more competitive.

Like other countries in the Western Balkans, Serbia faces a ‘brain drain’. However, Novi Stil, a company based in Jagodina and specialising in the production of tailor-made furniture, is a story of that trend in reverse.

Its founder Dragan Tasić was born in Serbia but grew up and finished his studies in Switzerland where, after graduation, he worked in the car industry. “When our school year would end, my friends and i would discuss where each of us would go on summer holiday. I would always respond ‘home to Serbia’ as, to me, Serbia was always my first home,” he recalls. He returned to Serbia for good in 2008 to start his own car dealership.

“Coming back here and starting from scratch was not easy, as I had to learn so many new things and read about laws and regulations that were relevant to my business. I was determined to develop my own business, I worked a lot and eventually it took off.”

After successfully starting and expanding his car dealership, Mr Tasić seized a new opportunity in 2015. He took over a furniture company from a family friend who was looking to withdraw from the business.

“That is how we started Novi Stil. I knew nothing about furniture production and this was another new challenge for me. Again, my strong determination, patience, hard work and good organisation were the key ingredients for success.”

Novi Stil makes tailor-made furniture for homes, but also for companies, retail units and schools. Their clients are mainly in Serbia, but thanks to Mr Tasić’s network from his school days, they have some clients in Switzerland too.

Looking to expand his firm and invest in modern equipment, Mr Tasić learned about an EBRD- and European Union (EU)-supported programme, which includes specialised credit lines for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and is offered through local partner banks. He applied for a loan from UniCredit Bank to purchase three new machines. Following his successful investment, he received a grant worth 15 percent of the loan amount, funded by the EU.

“Our work helps SMEs to boost their competitiveness by providing them with well-structured finance for investments in equipment to improve production processes, implement international standards and so on. The goal is to help these businesses modernise their activities so they can take advantage of trade opportunities in the Western Balkans and the wider European market,” explains Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director for the Western Balkans and Head of Serbia.

With new machines, Novi Stil is able not only to produce better-quality furniture, but also to make the process much quicker and achieve significant energy savings, explains Mr Tasić.

The company has already set foot in Switzerland and is now exploring opportunities to expand to other countries in Europe.

“Our products are now fully competitive to those made in the EU in terms of quality, because the latest technology that we use allows us to produce high-end products. Our price is also more competitive. We have seen how exporting to Switzerland can work and I am hopeful that in the future we will be able to export our products to Germany or Austria, too. We just need to establish business contacts there, like we did in Switzerland,” adds Mr Tasić.

Source: EBRD

The Energy Hat-Trick

29.09.2021

How to introduce energy efficiency, mitigate carbon footprint and reduce electricity bills? And can it be achieved at a single blow? This triple benefit is possible to attain by building the solar power plant. Since Serbia has excellent potential for electricity production from solar radiation and thanks to recently adopted laws in the energy sector, people frequently consider how to use this solar capital.

The idea of solar power plant construction is entertained by big companies and citizens, who have now gotten a chance to become prosumers. That means they will leave their usual role as electricity buyers and take on the new part of energy producers. There are many benefits of using renewable energy resources. The following might be the shortest and simplest explanation that Miloš Kostić offered. He is the manager of the MT-KOMEX company, which has been building solar power plants in Serbia for ten years.

“When we install a solar power plant on a roof, we have an opportunity to consume the energy we produce and to reduce the amount of energy we take directly from the grid. That way, the savings are made because all expenses incurred by energy transport are eliminated. In addition, the users gain independence from their suppliers. At the same time, the carbon emissions are reduced as well as the amount on electricity bills. Finally, the awareness on environmental protection is being raised”, notes Kostić.

Guided by these principles, the heads of the Stojanov and Stojanov Auto companies from Novi Sad decided to install solar power plants on the roof of their facilities. They wanted to provide for electricity supply in an ecological, efficient, and cheap way. Thus, in April this year, three solar power plants were commissioned, whose total capacity is 225.3 kW. To implement this project, they relied on the MT-KOMEX company. This enterprise has been in this business for more than 25 years. In its portfolio, it has more than 40 solar power plants constructed in Serbia, among other projects. The construction on the Renault-Nissan facility took four days. Some 168 photovoltaic panels were installed, with 330 W of individual capacity, all coming from the German company Luxor Solar. The installed capacity is 55.44 kW, while the active power is 50 kW. In addition, the inverters with 20 and 10 kW capacities were installed. The company that made them is the Austrian manufacturer Fronius. For the substructure for all three facilities, the German company K2 was selected, and their special substructure type Multi Rail. This power plant will generate approximately 64,472 kWh a year, making around 30,267 kg of CO2 savings a year.

In focus:

One hundred fifty-six photovoltaic panels were installed on the JEEP facility, with 30 W of individual capacity, coming from the same supplier Luxor Solar. The installed capacity is 51.48 kW, while the active power is 45 kW. Forthis power plant, the Fronius inverters were chosen with 20, 15, and 10 kW capacity. According to the plan, the solar power plant was built in four days. The annual production of this power plant will be around 61,366 kW, and CO2 yearly savings will reach 28,823 kg.

On the third FIAT facility, 320 photovoltaic panels were installed with a singular capacity of 370 W, produced by the Canadian Solar company. The installed capacity is 117.40kW, while the active power is 100kW. The engineers here decided to stick with checked inverters from the Austrian producer Fronius, whose capacity is 20 kW. The solar power plant on the FIAT facility will generate approximately 139,106 kWh a year. It will also make annual savings up to 111,235 kg CO2. It took seven days to build this power plant.

The MT-KOMEX company team isn’t only engaged in solar power plant construction. They have expanded their business to the development of e-mobility. Their experts have installed more than 200 EV chargers around the country so far. In addition to that, they constructed several solar canopies so that energy for EV charging could partially come from renewable energy resources. As leaders of e-mobility in our country, it doesn’t seem unusual that they launched the first regional platform charge&GO for billing the use of parking lots for EV charging. Thanks to this platform and mobile application, the owners of electric vehicles can find chargers fast and easily in Serbia and more than 30 countries worldwide. Furthermore, it is essential to say that there is no additional roaming expense for using the chargers in our partner’s network. At the very end, let’s get back to the beginning of this story. The electricity bills are higher year after year, and solar energy isn’t something we lack across this land.

Do you find it is about time you took advantage so that the solar power plant on your roof could work for you?

Prepared by: Jovana Canić

Text published in the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

What Are Nature-Based Solutions and How Can They Help Us Address the Climate Crisis?

27.09.2021

Photo: Wikipedia/US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Nature-based soluti ns refer to a suite of actions or policies that harness the power of nature to address some of our most pressing societal challenges, such as threats to water security, rising risk of natural disasters, or climate change.

These solutions involve protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing ecosystems in ways that increase their resiliency and ability to address those societal challenges, while also safeguarding biodiversity and improving human wellbeing.

Take mangroves, for example. Mangrove forests along coastlines are not only important for sustaining fisheries but also for providing protective natural barriers against erosion and strong storms. They filter water, provide valuable timber and food resources to coastal communities, and can store huge amounts of carbon. Conserving and restoring these ecosystems benefits people in coastal communities by reducing vulnerabilities and increasing their resilience to the effects of climate change.

In short, nature-based solutions can be a win-win for people and nature.

But nature-based solutions aren’t always the best answer. For example, planting non-native trees to offset carbon emissions can be detrimental to biodiversity and can even reduce the availability of water, and the potential climate benefits don’t outweigh the cost. It’s important that we make science-driven decisions to apply the right solution in the right place.

And nature-based solutions aren’t the only solutions we should use to help countries, communities, or corporations adapt to climate change.

“We should think of managing climate risks as being something like investing in stocks,” says WWF’s Jeff Opperman, Global Freshwater Lead Scientist. “It’s best to invest in a diversified portfolio. If you’re trying to keep a low-lying coastal community safe against the impacts of flooding, for example, it’s best to not to put all your investment into just one solution, like levees,” he says. “Instead, you use a range of strategies that complement one another. Nature-based solutions can be key assets in a diversified portfolio.”

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: WWF

Devastating Wildfires Cause Record Emissions in Northern Hemisphere

27.09.2021

wildfire_šumski_požar — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Matt Howard)

Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely monitoring a summer of extreme wildfires across the Northern Hemisphere, including intense hotspots around the Mediterranean basin and in North America and Siberia. The intense fires led to new records in the CAMS dataset with the months of July and August seeing their highest global carbon emissions respectively.

CAMS reports that not only large parts of the Northern Hemisphere were affected during this year’s boreal fire season, but the number of fires, their persistence and intensity were remarkable.

For example, the wildfires in Sakha Republic in northeastern Siberia have been burning since June and only started receding in late August although some continued in early September. In North America, parts of Canada, the Pacific Northwest and California, which have been experiencing large wildfires since the end of June and beginning of July and are still ongoing, according to the ECMWF Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.

Key points:

· Dry conditions and heatwaves in the Mediterranean contributed to a wildfire hotspot with many intense and fast developing fires across the region, which created large amounts of smoke pollution.

· July was a record month globally in the GFAS dataset with 1258.8 megatonnes of CO2 released. More than half of the carbon dioxide was attributed to fires in North America and Siberia.

· According to GFAS data, August was a record month for fires as well, releasing an estimated 1384.6 megatonnes of CO2 globally into the atmosphere.

· Arctic wildfires released 66 megatonnes of CO2 between June and August 2021.

· Estimated CO2 emissions from wildfires in Russia as a whole from June to August amounted to 970 megatonnes, with the Sakha Republic and Chukotka accounting for 806 megatonnes.

“It is concerning that drier and hotter regional conditions – brought about by global warming – increase the flammability and fire risk of vegetation. This has led to very intense and fast-developing fires. While the local weather conditions play a role in the actual fire behaviour, climate change is helping provide the ideal environments for wildfires. More fires around the world are anticipated in the coming weeks, too, as the fire season in the Amazon and South America continues to develop”, said Mark Parrington, Senior Scientist and wildfire expert at.

The wildfires came as the Northern hemisphere experienced its second warmest summer on record, tied with 2019 and slightly behind summer of 2020.

The Northern Hemisphere land-only summer temperature was the highest on record, besting the now-second highest set in 2016 by 0.20°C (0.36°F), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Satellite Observations

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Samuel Jeronimo)

Scientists at CAMS use satellite observations of active fires in near-real-time to estimate emissions and predict the impact of resulting air pollution. These observations provide a measure of the heat output of fires known as fire radiative power (FRP), which is related to the emission.

CAMS estimates daily global fire emissions with its Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) using the FRP observations from the NASA MODIS satellite instruments. The estimated emissions of different atmospheric pollutants are used as a surface boundary condition in the CAMS forecast system, based on the ECMWF weather forecast system, which models the transport and chemistry of atmospheric pollutants, to predict how global air quality will be affected up to five days ahead.

CAMS is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission with funding from the EU. The boreal fire season typically lasts from May to October with peak activity taking place between July and August.

Climate and Air Quality

Wildfires have a major impact on air quality around the world.

A new Air Quality and Climate Bulletin published by WMO, with input from CAMS, showed that meteorological extremes fuelled by climate and environmental change triggered unprecedented sand and dust storms and wildfires that affected air quality in 2020 – a trend which continues in 2021.

This partly offset the improvements in air quality as a result of the fall in human-caused emissions of air pollutants fell during the COVID-19 economic turndown.

Source: WMO

Key Renewables Payers Call for Collaboration Between Renewable Energy and Agriculture Sectors

26.09.2021

rice-cultivation-hrana — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Energy use is responsible for about one-third of greenhouse gases emitted by the food systems. With its continuously declining costs, renewables have become an attractive and effective way to fuel the achievement of key sustainable development goals including food security. However, large disparities remain in the access to and use of sustainable, clean energy for agricultural activities across the world. In the lead up to the UN Food Systems Summit and the High-Level Dialogue on Energy, accelerated action is needed to achieve sustainability and climate resilience for both food and energy systems.

To push for fast-moving progress, leading renewable energy players under the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Coalition for Action issue a joint statement today, urging renewable energy and agriculture sectors to break down silos and collaborate. By jointly advancing the integration of renewables in the agriculture sector, stakeholders can make an essential contribution towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals and global climate objectives.

In the joint statement, Coalition for Action members urge governments, the renewable energy sector, and the agriculture sector to jointly consider the following five recommendations:

1. Cross-sectoral strategies to co-ordinate the planning and implementation of energy transition and food systems transformation.

2. Multifaceted financing tools to improve access to capital for farmers, enterprises and end-users.

3. Innovative, cross-sectoral business models that enable energy access and improved agricultural yields while protecting biodiversity, ecosystems and communities.

4. Capacity-building initiatives to provide local actors with relevant skills, knowledge and resources to integrate renewable energy solutions in agriculture projects.

5. Improved data on renewables applications in agriculture to de-risk projects, improve acceptability and effectively guide sustainable investments.

Strong collaboration across sectors will be critical to successfully delivering on the energy transition and food systems transformation. Earlier this year, IRENA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies in agri-food, fisheries and forestry chains and sustainable bioenergy. Following the partnership, IRENA and FAO are working together on a joint report about renewable energy use for agri-food systems, to be released towards the end of this year. Both organisations are also leading an Energy Compact on “Energising Agri-food Systems with Renewable Energy” to be submitted during the UN High Level Dialogue On Energy this week—to implement a set of actions that support the advancement of renewables solutions in agri-food systems.

Source: IRENA

EBRD Launches Energy Compact for its Urban Sustainability Programme

25.09.2021

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is launching its own Energy Compact to support the energy transition, focussed on investments within its flagship urban sustainability programme, EBRD Green Cities. The Compact is a response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to provide clean and affordable energy for all.

Under this pledge, the EBRD commits itself to almost double investments in EBRD Green Cities’ priority investments to around EUR 1.9 billion by end-2023 from EUR 1,011 million as of August 2021. In the same period, the number of Green City Action Plans – the plans each city draws up after joining the programme, identifying priority environmental issues to address – is to rise to 50 from 19 currently completed.

On Friday in New York, the UN is hosting a High-Level Dialogue on Energy, whose outcomes will include a global roadmap towards the achievements of SDG 7 by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, as well as a series of Energy Compacts from member states and non-state actors such as the EBRD. The Dialogue is preceded by three days of multi-stakeholder pre-summit events.

Nandita Parshad, Managing Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, EBRD, announced the EBRD Energy Compact for Green Cities at a Wednesday event and stressed the importance of the focus on energy:

“When it comes to addressing the climate emergency, cities must be front and centre: they account for over 70 percent of global emissions, and the megatrend towards urbanization especially in the developing world, will place even more focus – quite rightly so – on the need for clean air, decarbonised urban transportation, and green and reliable energy access for all.”

With cities growing but their leaders aware of the need to slow the pace of climate change, a key task for planners is to work out how to provide energy to expanding urban populations without aggravating climate problems or worsening air quality. This applies particularly to cities around the EBRD regions – central and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the southern and eastern Mediterranean. The numerous challenges they face include insufficient infrastructure investment, demographic changes and poor air quality, all linked to a historical legacy of high energy and carbon intensity.

Solving these problems in a multi-faceted way was the inspiration behind the EBRD Green Cities programme, set up in 2016, which aims to help cities identify, prioritise and tackle these urban challenges to create more sustainable living spaces. It has proved so popular that, in its first five years, it has grown to include 49 cities.

The EBRD Energy Compact is based on the flagship EBRD Green Cities programme designed to introduce bottom-up planning through Green Cities Action Plans for green priority investments for cities. These include planning and financing aimed at forwarding SDG7, such as improving energy efficiency in buildings, supporting green urban mobility, water, waste management and digitalisation of city services.

The annual impact of Green Cities investments already translates into significant energy savings, estimated to be 2.4 million Gigajoules annually.

Source: EBRD

New Global Methane Pledge Aims to Tackle Climate Change

24.09.2021

landscape-zagađenje-vazduh — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A new joint agreement by the European Union and the United States to cut global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 could mark a crucial step in tackling climate change and getting the world closer to the goals of the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rise to below 2°C.

The announcement on Friday, which ushered in the start of what is hoped to be a ‘the Global Methane Pledge,’ will see the agreement formally launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties COP26, to be held in Glasgow from 31 October and 12 November.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas tens of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere. It is a short-lived climate pollutant with an atmospheric lifetime of roughly a decade. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) research shows that methane is responsible for at least a quarter of today’s global warming and reducing human-caused methane, which accounts for more than half of all methane emissions, is one of the most effective ways of combatting climate change.

The recent Global Methane Assessment launched by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that cutting human-caused methane by 45 percent this decade would keep warming beneath the threshold agreed by world leaders. This alone would avoid nearly 0.3°C of global warming by the 2040s. Each year it would prevent 255,000 premature deaths, 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits, 73 billion hours of lost labour from extreme heat, and 26 million tonnes of crop losses globally.

Methane from human activity falls into three main sectors: agriculture (40 percent), fossil fuels (35 percent) and waste (20 percent). Livestock farming is a key cause of methane in the agriculture sector. In the fossil fuel sector, oil and gas extraction, processing and distribution accounts for 23 percent, and coal mining accounts for 12 percent of emissions. With pre-existing technology, a 75 percent reduction in methane from the oil and gas sector is possible, 50 percent of this could be done at no net cost.

“Cutting methane emissions is the best way to slow climate change over the next 25 years,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“The Global Methane Pledge has great potential to increase ambition and improve cooperation by countries. UNEP will support efforts to turn commitments into actual emissions reductions through the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.”

UNEP is increasingly working to highlight and combat methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, including through IMEO, a data-driven, action-focused initiative to address methane. It does this by collecting, integrating and reconciling data from all sources to provide transparency, science, reports and recommendations on how governments can use this data to develop and implement policies to curb methane emissions from fossil fuels.

UNEP’s work in reducing methane emissions is part of its wider efforts to address the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

To help advance these goals, UNEP has developed a Six-Sector Solution to cutting emissions. The solution provides a roadmap for reducing emissions across sectors to meet the annual 29-32 gigaton reduction needed to limit temperature rise. The six sectors identified are agriculture and food; forests and land use; buildings and cities; transport; energy, and cities.

Source: UNEP

Živinice joins the Clean Air Regions Initiative

23.09.2021

Bosna_priroda — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Ramiz Dedaković)

The municipality of Živinice (Bosnia and Herzegovina) signed the declaration on the Clean Air Regions Initiative, raising the number of participants to ten.

Mayors of ambitious municipalities signed the Clean Air Regions Declaration on 30 June at the first Energy Community Just Transition Forum with the aim to undertake voluntary measures aimed to reduce air pollution at local level.

The pioneer signatories of the Clean Air Regions Initiative are the municipalities of Banovići, Kakanj, Lukavac, Maglaj and Tuzla from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pljevlja from Montenegro, Bitola from North Macedonia and Niš and Novi Sad from Serbia.

After launching the Clean Air Regions Initiative (CARI) at the Just Transition Forum on 30 June 2021, representatives of the participating municipalities in septembr have come together for the first two-day workshop to kick off work on developing ambitious local air quality policies and measures in line with the aims of the CARI declaration.

Source: Energy Community

Froneri Ice-Cream –Pleasure With an Environmental Protection Touch

22.09.2021

Fabrika sladoleda Froneri Adriatic, Stara Pazova — Foto: Executive Group

Thanks to the Fronery Adriatic company and its continuous investments, once a little local plant in Stara Pazova was turned into an advanced ice-cream factory for the 21 century. Today, this is where more than 200 of the most prominent world brands’ products are made. Besides the Froneri products, which are well recognized in the Serbian market under the Nestlé brand, there are also ice-cream brands such as Milka, Oreo, Nesquik, Cadbury, and Daim. The investments amount to 50 million euros. Production capacities are increased by 400 percent, allowing the Froneri Adriatic factory in Stara Pazova to become prominent as the leading ice-cream manufacturer in South Eastern Europe.

This plant currently exports its products to more than 25 countries, from Israel and Great Britain to the United States of America, South Africa, and almost all countries in Europe, so everyone with a sweet tooth worldwide will enjoy ice-creams made in Serbia. Additionally, there are plans for regular investment in environmental protection technology and recycling. That will help furthermore the development of Stara Pazova and the Serbian economy, which lead us to our conversation with Cristian Doxan , the general manager of the Froneri Adriatic Company, whom we asked about the company strategy for sustainable growth and environmental protection.

EP: Since sustainability and environmental protection are among the company’s priorities, tell us something about the techniques applied for the water usage reductions?

Cristian Doxan: During the last year, which was packed with challenges concerning the scale of the global pandemic, our company has cut water consumption by 6 percent. This year, we intend to reduce water consumption furthermore by another 5 percent. One of our techniques is optimizing water consumption during the production process, calculated by the unit of produced ice-cream quantity. That way, we get to, along with increased ice-cream production, save even more water year by year.

In focus:

EP: What are the results concerning communal waste reduction?

Cristian Doxan: Communal waste has been reduced by a fifth, namely 20 percent, last year, while the quantity of entirely recycled waste amounted to 1,450 tonnes in 2020. It has become our practice to recycle even a surplus ice cream remaining from the production process and turn it into a renewable energy source. It is the safest way of organic waste disposal, with no environmental impact whatsoever, and we do this in cooperation with authorized distributors and companies. Our target is to completely recycle all waste coming from the production in the next four years through the Zero to landfill project, which is underway.

EP: What is the Zero to landfill project?

Cristian Doxan: As the name suggests, Zero to landfill is a concept of waste quantity reduction that ends up in landfills. The main goal is that companies aim to significantly reduce the disposal of waste at landfills and recycle waste from the production process. Although it is challenging to reach actual zero targets, since we can’t recycle all waste, the objective is to attain 99 percent.

EP: What about the plastics in the packaging? Will you be able to replace the plastic for family packs, too, as well as the packaging of the ice cream bar that contains tin foil?

Cristian Doxan: When it comes to plastic waste, we are running projects to reduce disposable plastic usage in our ice-cream packaging. For example, plastic spoons have been replaced with wooden ones and this way we have cut the use of plastic for up to 18 million pieces. We intend to reduce plastic usage by 36 tonnes by the end of this year. Furthermore, since we have ongoing projects for the replacement of plastic parts in packaging with paper (cups, lids, and family packs), we aim to cut down the use of plastic by 200 tonnes by the end of 2022, namely for more than 50 million pieces of disposable plastic. Family packs are otherwise made of plastic that we can fully recycle.

Interviewed by: Milena Maglovski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

Why Public Finance for Climate Matters

21.09.2021

wind-turbine-vetro-vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Presidents of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), Odile Renaud-Basso and Werner Hoyer, appealed yesterday for urgent action on climate change, while comparing their complementary work on tackling it in their overlapping regions.

The EBRD works across 38 economies in three continents with a unique mandate that focuses on promoting market-oriented economies and private and entrepreneurial initiative.

The EIB is the investment bank of the European Union (EU), providing banking services throughout the EU and beyond and implementing the EU’s ambitious climate plan, the EU Green Deal.

Both multilateral development banks (MDBs) focus on climate action through climate financing mechanisms, aiming for more than 50 percent green investment by 2025 and for all their investments to be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change well before that.

While public finance actors such as the MDBs play an important role in addressing climate change, said the EBRD’s Renaud-Basso, it is also “very important to get all economic players aligned on this objective. This implies having … clear and convincing market signals that will show the way and trigger action from the private sector.”

Speaking with her EIB counterpart at a joint online sustainability event entitled “Building the Green Consensus,” she added that driving policy to create markets for green and sustainable development was “something that MDBs can help with.”

Crowding in the private sector is widely regarded as the next big step-up in action to address climate change. MDBs like the EBRD and EIB are seen as catalysts for creating conditions that will attract private companies to invest, thereby massively raising the amount of climate capital available.

The EIB and EBRD presidents agreed it was important for regional and global MDBs to align definitions, criteria, and methodology for issuing climate finance, so as to create an orderly environment in which private capital feels comfortable operating.

“I believe that we need all MDBs on board on this issue,” said EIB President Hoyer. “Time is running out.”

Source: EBRD

Solving the Chicken and Egg Problem: Auctions for Green Hydrogen

20.09.2021

cevi_gasovod — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Tian Kuan)

Green hydrogen (hydrogen produced from renewable energy) has received increasing attention across the energy sector in recent years, given its capability to decarbonise ‘hard to abate’ sectors (such as steelmaking) and provide seasonal storage for power grids rich in variable renewable energy (VRE).

IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook includes hydrogen as one of the main solutions to achieve the 1.5°C climate goal. The Outlook indicates that hydrogen can provide 10 percent of needed emissions reductions worldwide by 2050. This will require five terawatts (TW) of electrolyser capacity (to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity).

However, today there is no green hydrogen demand, little hydrogen infrastructure, and no global electrolyser capacity of a few hundred megawatts. The whole situation creates the so-called chicken and egg problem: at USD 4–6 per kg – compared to the USD 1–2/kg for fossil fuels-based hydrogen – green hydrogen production costs inhibit demand. But without demand, investments remain too risky for wide-scale green hydrogen production that could compress costs.

The hydrogen chicken and egg problem must be tackled, and policymakers have a crucial role to play. Firstly, there is a need for a broader policy framework for the green hydrogen sector. But tailored policies are also needed to address some barriers and support the sector in the same way solar photovoltaics and wind energy were supported more than one decade ago. IRENA has identified several policy options to support the green hydrogen supply, one of which is particularly promising – auctions.

Just as auctions have been deployed across the world to deliver new renewable power capacity and lower the cost of clean energy technologies, so too could they be implemented to promote green hydrogen. Auctions for carbon contracts for differences (CCfDs) using emissions trading system (ETS) would allow selected, hard-to-abate industries under the ETS scheme to secure a stable income for an agreed period, provided they use green hydrogen. The selected winners, who bid for a certain strike price, would receive the difference between the strike price and the market price of the emission allowances from the government. This would cover the costs of green hydrogen investments, and attract financing for green hydrogen projects. CCfD auctions are already being considered in various hydrogen strategies.

An alternative auction design could be set to facilitate trading in green hydrogen without the need for any physical exchange. In this case, a public intermediary could auction long-term purchase agreements with producers (with the lowest bid being selected), and separate service agreements with off-takers in the hard-to-abate sectors (with the highest bid being selected), who then could start decarbonising their processes. Carbon taxes or ETS revenues could be used to compensate for the initial price differences borne by the public intermediary.

These costs are expected to get lower, the same way the costs of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) and onshore wind have been reduced to below operating costs of existing coal-fired plants, due to steadily improving technologies, more competitive supply chains, improved developer experience, and economies of scale created through auctions. Over time, today’s green hydrogen tariff of USD 6/kg (around USD 180/MWh) would be lower than the feed-in tariff schemes used to promote solar PV electricity in its infancy, and below the average auction results for solar PV until 2013 (see below figure). When cost parity with fossil fuels-based hydrogen is achieved with the support of an enabling policy framework, a competitive market could be established, and green hydrogen will break free from the chicken and egg problem.

Source: IRENA

Ozone Layer Recovery is an Environmental Success Story

18.09.2021

MIT-Healing-Ozone_0 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The World Meteorological Organization joins the rest of the international community in marking World Ozone Day on 16 September. It highlights the importance of safeguarding the Earth’s protective ozone layer and shows that collective action, guided by science, is the best way to solve major global challenges.

The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet (UV) radiation that harms living tissue, including humans and plants. The ozone “hole,” which was discovered in 1985 is the result of human emited chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are ozone-depleting chemicals and greenhouse gases used as coolants in refrigerators and in aerosol spray. Nearly 200 countries signed the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which phased out the production and consumption of CFCs.

A new study in Nature demonstrates that by protecting the ozone layer, which blocks harmful UV radiation, the Montreal Protocol also protects plants and their ability to pull carbon from the atmosphere.

“The Montreal Protocol began life as a mechanism to protect and heal the ozone layer. It has done its job well over the past three decades. The ozone layer is on the road to recovery. The cooperation we have seen under the Montreal Protocol is exactly what is needed now to take on climate change, an equally existential threat to our societies,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a message.

The most recent WMO /UN Environment Programme Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, issued in 2018, concluded that the measures under the protocol will lead to the ozone layer on the path of recovery and to potential return of the ozone in the Arctic and Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude ozone before the middle of the century (~2035) followed by the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude around mid-century, and Antarctic region by 2060 .

Although the use of halons and chlorofluorocarbons has been discontinued, they will remain in the atmosphere for many decades. Even if there were no new emissions, there is still more than enough chlorine and bromine present in the atmosphere to destroy ozone at certain altitudes over Antarctica from August to December. The formation of the ozone hole is still expected to be an annual spring event. Its size and depth are governed to a large degree by the meteorological conditions particular for the year.

As of the first week of August 2021, the ozone hole reappeared and is rapidly growing and has extended to 23 million square kilometers on 13 September which is above the average since the mid 1980s. The lowest ozone value in the during this seasons was around 140 DU. The hole fluctuates in size annually and it usually reaches its largest area during the coldest months in the southern hemisphere, from late September to early October.

You can read the whole article here.

Source: WMO

UNESCO declares Mura-Drava-Danube as biosphere reserve

17.09.2021

caribou_deer_karibo_jelen_nature_priroda_alaska_aljaska — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (La coccinelle)

With the world facing climate and nature crises, UNESCO’s designation today of the Mura-Drava-Danube as the world’s first ‘5-country biosphere reserve’ represents a historic step towards a new era for people and nature in Europe as well as an international model for regional conservation, climate resilience and sustainable development.

Stretching across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, the biosphere reserve covers 700km of the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers and a total area of almost 1 million hectares in the so-called ‘Amazon of Europe’ – making it the largest riverine protected area on the continent.

“This landmark cross-border designation is a powerful demonstration of a shared green vision that builds on, and reinforces, both regional cooperation and unity in Europe,” said Andrea Johanides, CEO of WWF Austria. “It is a significant step forward in protecting the region’s natural and cultural treasures and serves as a striking example of how protected areas can benefit communities and wildlife – and bring countries together.”

With its rare floodplain forests, gravel and sand banks, islands, oxbows and riverine meadows, the new Mura-Drava-Danube reserve sustains extraordinary biodiversity as well as the livelihoods of 900,000 people.

Boasting continental Europe’s highest density of breeding white-tailed eagles, the region is home to otters, beavers and critically-endangered sturgeons. It is also an important stopover site for more than 250,000 migratory birds every year.

The biosphere reserve’s spectacular, pristine landscapes also lure increasing numbers of visitors to this Amazon of Europe, highlighting the potential for the development of sustainable nature-based tourism. Meanwhile, its intact floodplains ensure clean drinking water supplies and help protect communities from floods – an increasing concern in the era of climate change.

“Five countries have agreed to jointly protect one of the most unique river corridors in Europe. These healthy freshwater habitats play a significant role in climate change adaptation and their preservation will help the region prepare for climate change – the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced,” said Katalin Sipos, CEO of WWF Hungary.

The biosphere reserve represents an important contribution to the European Green Deal as well as contributing to the implementation of the EU’s new biodiversity strategy. It is also an international demonstration of how the protection of unique natural areas must be integrated with sustainable development.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: WWF Adria

Zero waste to landfill achieved at ABB’s Frosinone factory in Italy

16.09.2021

Zero production waste to landfill has been achieved at ABB Smart Power’s manufacturing unit in Frosinone, Italy — 14 years ahead of the European Union’s Circular Economy Package target of no more than 10 percent landfilling by 2035.

Driven by rapid urbanization and growing populations, global annual waste generation is expected to jump to 3.4 billion tons over the next 30 years, up from two billion tons in 2016. Some 37 percent of this global waste is disposed of in a landfill.

Landfills, long the default for waste removal across the world, are considered unsustainable. Space is running out and landfilling contributes to climate change through the high levels of methane and carbon dioxide generated by rotting rubbish that could otherwise be re-used.

Opened in 1969, ABB’s Frosinone factory represents a center of excellence in ABB for the development and manufacture of low-voltage circuit breakers. The 150,000 square-meter facility with 800 employees is highly automated and produces more than three million circuit breakers every year. A Lighthouse Plant, selected by the Italian government as a model for digital transformation and Industry 4.0 strategies, Frosinone promotes smart, digitalized, and connected operations, increasing efficiency across the full value chain. Achieving zero production waste to landfill was a whole-factory program.

ABB is steadily reducing its environmental footprint through waste reduction and recycling programs at its sites around the world, building on the 27 percent reduction in overall waste achieved over the 2013–2020 period. “Preserving resources is a key pillar of ABB’s Sustainability 2030 strategy, with zero waste to landfill – wherever local conditions allow – an explicit target,” said Theodor Swedjemark, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, ABB. “The benchmark on zero production waste achieved at ABB’s Frosinone facility serves as a testament to fast, tangible progress on that strategy and on more circular operations, moving past the unsustainable ‘take, make, dispose’ model of production.”

Giampiero Frisio, President Smart Power Division, said: “We have proven at our Frosinone plant that with the right attitude and commitment from everyone across the business, zero waste to landfill is achievable. Since announcing our zero waste ambitions in 2017, this latest milestone signifies how we are leading positive change across our full production chain, delivering more sustainable solutions for all our stakeholders.”

Staff training was critical in educating, empowering and building the right attitude and culture for the zero-production waste to landfill initiative. Training topics included managing waste in accordance with current environmental legislation and the importance of waste separation. By getting the teams engaged, handling personnel became more involved in the correct management of the waste area.

Waste sorting and identification is set up at the place where waste originates. There are about 150 different labeled production waste containers and separated paper-cardboard and plastic waste containers in each workstation. The same amount of waste is coded as before, but with higher degrees of separation comes a higher percentage of waste recovery.

ABB Smart Power’s manufacturing unit in Frosinone is exploring more sustainable practices such as reduced CO₂ emissions by optimizing processes across the entire supply chain, a circular manufacturing process, reducing transportation and increasing plastics recovery.

Source: ABB

Water Management According To European Standards

15.09.2021

river-reka-voda — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Nathan Anderson)

The draft of the Water management plan on the territory of Serbia for the next six years is in the final stage. Its fundamental goal is the protection and improvement of water resources in our country. We asked Nataša Milić, the acting manager of the Republic Water Directorate, what this strategic framework brings us concerning water management,the irrigation plans, what measures we take to protect against floods, and how to stop water pollution.

EP: The preparation of the Strategy of irrigation of Serbia started last year. What has been done so far, and who will benefit from this Strategy?

Nataša Milić: The Republic of Serbia and the European Bank for reconstruction and development signed the Loan agreement in 2019, which included preparing the Strategy for irrigation, with a five-year Action plan, which the grant would finance. Strategy for irrigation is a base for construction and exploitation of the irrigation system in the Republic of Serbia that will provide for sustainable usage of natural resources and their quality improvement. The project involves the preparation of seven technical documents which will analyze different aspects of irrigation: the price of water for irrigation, availability of water resources in the country, irrigation management, etc. In the upcoming time, there is a plan for organizing several webinars and workshops about irrigation, aiming for the full inclusion of the public into the strategy preparation process. We expect the first draft of the Strategy in September, and after that, the five-year Action plan preparation will start.

In focus:

EP: What size is the land that is irrigated, and in what parts of Serbia? Is the construction of some irrigation system underway, and if so, where?

Nataša Milić: According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, the irrigation systems cover 69,695 ha, with precisely 50,366 ha irrigated. Therefore, with the Loan Agreement, we created the legal frame for drawing 97 million dollars from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund to construct the water facilities for irrigation that are the public property of the Republic of Serbia. To proceed with the implementation of the Development of irrigation systems project – Stage I, in 2020, we concluded the agreements for construction, remediation, and refurbishment of the water facilities on the territory of Bačka, Banat, and Srem. This year’s plan includes the continuation of financing of the construction works. With ongoing construction, remediation, and refurbishment of the water facilities, the conditions are created to irrigate an additional 67,000 ha of agricultural land. Based on the Loan Agreement, during 2021 and 2020, the irrigation infrastructure’s construction and rehabilitation in Eastern Serbia (The Municipality of Negotin) and central Serbia (The Municipality of Svilajnac) will be financed with 15 million euro.

EP: Is the Water Management Plan ready, and what changes it actually brings?

Nataša Milić: The Water Management Plan is the fundamental instrument that allows the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive principles. It is the strategic frame for Integral water management. The Water Management Plan lays down the environmental goals for all water bodies on the surface and under surface waters. We need to achieve this by implementing water resources protection and improvement activities. That means that we will monitor the condition of every water body (watercourse segment) and take measures for maintaining its good condition, or provide for good condition by reducing or stopping further pollution. It is the first plan of the kind in our country, created according to all standards of EU legislation in the water sector and stipulations of domestic laws. The finalization of the Water Management Plan draft at the territory of the Republic of Serbia for 2021-2027 is underway. After that, we will go into the process of public inspection and public discussion.

EP: According to official information, there is enough water in Serbia. But, do we know how to use it properly and, more importantly, to preserve it? How polluted are our rivers?

Nataša Milić: Water supply is satisfactory in the majority of the cities and municipalities in the Republic of Serbia. The modern systems for water supply cover more than 75 percent of the population. In contrast, the remaining percentage is supplied from smaller water systems that don’t belong to the public water supply system and carry out regular water quality control. Water pollution can be generally divided into two categories: from concentrated sources and diffuse sources. Concentrated sources mainly are discharge points at the sewage system and industrial facility. The diffused sources generate spatial pollutions coming from households that aren’t connected to the sewage systems, from improper farming, leaching from the forest and other areas, livestock, unsanitary solid waste landfills and garbage dump, and other human activities. The conversation shouldn’t be on how polluted our rivers are, so the focus should be on the measures we should take so that human activities don’t affect water. Those measures are: primarily collecting and treatment of communal wastewater and treatment of industrial wastewater, the implementation of the good agriculture practice, including systematic monitoring and control of the usage of fertilizers and plant protection products, sanitation, remediation, and closure of unsanitary landfills/dumps, which are situated in large number by the rivers’ bank. One of the most crucial and initial measures is bringing awareness in all participants, the general population included, on the importance and need of preservation and improvement of the water quality.

Interviewed by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

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