Urban Fish Ponds: Low-Tech Sewage Treatment for Towns and Cities

30.03.2021

wetlands - nature - grad - močvara — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

In the mid 20th century, whole cities’ sewage systems safely and successfully used fish to treat and purify their water. Waste-fed fish ponds are a low-tech, cheap, and sustainable alternative to deal with our own shit — and to obtain high protein food in the process.

In countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and China, toilets are often placed above fish ponds. Human and livestock waste may also be collected manually and put in fish ponds.

Why? Stimulated by the added nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon, algae and phytoplankton grow rapidly and start breaking down the nutrients and bacteria and produce oxygen. As oxygen levels go up, fish are able to swim in the water and eat the algae and phytoplankton. Then the fish are caught and sold on the market.

Finally, when the pond is drained, fish droppings and any remaining sediments can also be used to fertilize surrounding crops, like rice or fruit trees.

The city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India—population 14.8 million—has the largest sewage-fed aquaculture system in the world. Though farmers had been using sewage to feed fish in different ways since the 19th century, the system became more developed starting in the 1940s.

The Kolkata fish farms provide 8.000 tons of fish per year to the city, or 40 percent of the region’s fish production. It processes 80 percent of the city’s sewage, and reduces the nutrient and organic loads of the city’s sewage water by 50-90 percent, while keeping bacterial loads to an acceptable level under WHO guidelines.

Like in China, wastewater-fed fish ponds have a long but unappreciated history in Europe.

Castle moats, monasteries, and villages often had wastewater-fed fish ponds. Over 90 sewage fed aquaculture systems existed in Germany in the early 20th century. Up until the 1990s, the city of Munich still processed most of its wastewater through fish farming.

Indeed, Germany has pioneered some of the more detailed and rigorous scientific investigation into the large-scale viability of sewage-fed fish ponds, as early as the 1890s.

You can read whole article HERE.

Source: Low←tech Magazine

New Fund Leverages Nature to Adapt to Climate Change

29.03.2021

floodplain-rekla-priroda-zelenilo — Foto: B. Stammel

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is launching in June this year. The goal is ambitious – to trigger a global movement for restoring the world’s ecosystems. This is not merely for nature’s sake, say experts. Mounting evidence shows that a global re-greening could help humanity adapt to climate change.

In cities, restoring urban forests cools the air and reduces heatwaves. On coasts, mangrove forests provide natural sea defences from storm surges. And in high altitudes, re-greening mountain slopes protects communities from climate-induced landslides and avalanches.

To support more of this work, known as ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), the new Global EbA Fund opened its first call for proposals on 25 March. The fund, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will provide grants for innovative approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation.

“The momentum for nature-based solutions is building and the Global EbA Fund is ready to push this work to the next level,” says Tim Christophersen, UNEP’s Coordinator of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. “In order to bring nature-based solutions to scale, this fund will create synergies with other key initiatives, including our Restoration Seed Capital Facility, the Global Adaptation Network and IUCN’s Friends of EbA network.”

The call for proposals comes with the world already experiencing the early effects of climate change. Last year was one of the warmest on record and some 50 million people were directly affected by floods, droughts and storms, according to UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2020. The publication found that many countries are struggling to adjust to a “new climate reality” and said that even if the world manages to live up to the Paris Agreement, climate change will have a profound impact on many already-vulnerable communities.

One example of ecosystem-based adaptation can be found in the Great Green Wall of Africa. With the Sahara Desert expanding southward, wiping out watering holes and livelihoods in its path, many African countries have joined forces to plant an 8,000km band of trees and bushes across the entire width of Africa. When finished it will be the largest living structure on the planet.

The barrier holds back the desert by retaining moisture in the ground and keeping the soil intact. It brings greater food security to an exceptionally dry region by improving the soil for crops – all the while, drawing millions of tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere. The Great Green Wall initiative is also protecting communities from climate change by combining restoration with investments in sustainable agriculture and water management.

There are enormous economic benefits from ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions more broadly. Every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration generates USD 7 to USD 30 in total benefits. Nature-based solutions can be a job-creation machine in a time of COVID-19 and economic uncertainty. Between 10 and 40 jobs are supported per USD 1 million invested in nature-based approaches, which is almost 10 times the job creation rate of fossil fuel investments.

Protecting forests and mangroves alone could prevent global economic losses from climate change of over USD 500 billion annually by 2050.

“If climate change is the disease, nature is part of the cure,” says Christophersen.

Barriers to ecosystem-based adaptation

Despite the numerous benefits and the growing global interest, nature-based solutions for adaptation are still underutilized, according to the Adaptation Gap Report. This is due to three main barriers: firstly, a lack of awareness of the benefits; secondly, policy and regulation shortfalls that influence their attractiveness; and thirdly, limited access to finance. The Global EbA Fund will be prioritizing proposals that explicitly aim to overcome these barriers.

“IUCN has been at the forefront of Ecosystem-based Adaptation for over a decade now, harnessing the power of nature to increase the resilience of global communities who face the brunt of climate change,” says Stewart Maginnis, Global Director, Nature-based Solutions Group, IUCN. “By supporting a range of high-quality and diverse EbA projects, the Global EbA Fund will encourage innovation and scaling up of NbS for adaptation worldwide.”

The fund will also prioritize small grants for “catalytic” initiatives that can swell into a mass worldwide movement, where ecosystem-based adaptation becomes a core approach for tackling climate change.

The first call for proposals will focus on grants of USD 50,000 to USD 250,000 and will involve a rolling application process. Successful applicants will be selected within three months after the application is made.

The fund, which has received a 20-million-euro-injection from the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, through its International Climate Initiative, will also collect evidence and stories about ecosystem-based adaptation initiatives, and develop lessons for scaling up the practice.

Source: UNEP

BMW electric vehicle drivers in California get green energy option via smart charging

28.03.2021

punjenje_električni_auto_baterija — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Vlad Tchompalov)

There are many reasons to switch to electric cars instead of fossil fuel cars — better performance, quieter driving, lower operating and maintenance costs, and, of course, cleaner driving with zero tailpipe emissions. While many people buy electric vehicles for some of those initial benefits or for a combination of all of them, it is well known that many buyers put the last benefit (cleaner driving with zero tailpipe emissions) as their primary one. BMW is aware of this, and may also feel some moral responsibility to cut emissions (maybe). In response, BMW Group has teamed up with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to offer certain California residents more green, renewable energy via smart charging.

Not only that, but the program, ChargeForward, provides BMW EV and plugin hybrid drivers with incentives for maximizing their renewable energy use while charging! They get 150 dollars for signing up for the program and get up to 250 dollars per year if they follow ChargeForward instructions to do this. The total amount earned over the two years depends upon individual participation in charging events. These incentives can offset the extra cost for some drivers, depending on their electricity rate. For example, during the Spring and Fall months, program participants could earn incentives that offset the entire cost of charging their vehicle, charging 750 miles per month with clean electricity at no cost due to the ChargeForward incentives and plugging into the grid when renewable energy is highly available.

This is a 24-month pilot program that opened up on Monday, March 22. It is available to BMW plugin vehicle drivers who live in Northern or Central California and are PG&E electric customers. It is in the enrollment period right now (enroll if you can!), and the program itself begins in about a month, in mid April. It extends to March 2023. The pilot program is being opened up to 3.000 plugin vehicle drivers, and you can apply to be part of it here.

Right now, only BMW plugin vehicle drivers can apply, but the company intends to open it up to MINI EV drivers soon as well.

What are some key elements of the “smart” aspect of this smart charging program? Here’s a list:

Tries to get BMW plugin vehicle drivers to charge during times of low electricity demand.
Tries to get BMW plugin vehicle drivers to charge when there’s a higher than typical amount of renewable energy pumping into the grid (often midday in California now thanks to all of the low-cost rooftop solar PV systems in the state).
“Through BMW ConnectedDrive, which enables connectivity between cars, drivers and their surroundings, and a customized BMW ChargeForward smartphone app, participating BMW drivers will be able to opt-out of any smart charging request, based on their driving and personal preferences. When a customer allows their vehicle to be smart charged, the vehicle charging will be shifted to meet the needs of the electric grid.”

What does BMW think is actually possible with this program? It tells us what it expects right up front: Based on past research, the use of optimized charging can enable electric vehicles to accept an additional 1.200 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per vehicle per year, which is the equivalent of four months of clean energy charging for a typical battery EV. Overall, after getting through the first two phases of this program (which included 100 and 400 participants, respectively), renewable optimizations showed participants averaged more than 55 percentof renewable energy charging, more than double the national average at the time. The following are some other results from phase 2 of this process:

More than 1 million miles powered by 100 percent renewable energy in one year.
Smart charging EVs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 32 percent on average in Northern California, according to research from the University of California Berkeley.
Smart charging, when combined with broad access to workplace charging infrastructure, enables plug-in electric vehicles to more than double their renewable energy usage.
A ‘smart-charging’ plugin hybrid can integrate more renewable energy than a normal-charging all-battery electric vehicle, despite the smaller battery size. Well, that’s an interesting finding!

You can find more data and results from the initial portions of this extended pilot program here: Phase one and Phase two.

Separately, but in the same vein, BMW Group and PG&E are working together to explore vehicle-to-grid possibilities in the region — something, interestingly, BMW German rival Volkswagen Group is now gung-ho about.

“The more than 315.000 electric vehicles plugging into PG&E’s electric grid offer a unique resource that contributes to building our clean energy future in California. As EV adoption continues to grow, the potential for these clean vehicles as a flexible grid resource becomes more significant. Our ongoing collaboration with BMW has allowed us to explore and demonstrate future possibilities of scaling the smart charging capabilities of this growing resource to support the electric grid,” said Quinn Nakayama, Director of Integrated Grid Planning and Innovation at PG&E.

Source: Clean Technica

Motorised Transport: Train, Plane, Road or Boat — Which is Greenest?

27.03.2021

voz-trains — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Silver Ringvee)

Traveling by plane, train or automobile: the most environmentally sound choice may not always be clear. The latest annual Transport and Environment Report 2020 (TERM) addresses the issue assessing the value of travel by train and plane, amid efforts to put in place the European Union’s green deal. The European Green Deal includes the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emission from transport by 90 percent by 2050 compared with 1990. Shifting to more sustainable transport can make an important contribution to reaching this objective. For passenger transport, a shift from air to rail travel can play a key role, the report says.

Environmental impact of trains and planes

Transport accounted for 25 percent of EU greenhouse gas emissions in 2018. This sector’s emissions come primarily from road transport (72 percent), while marine transport and aviation represent shares of 14 percent and 13 percent of emissions, respectively, and rail a share of 0.4 percent (emissions by diesel trains only). Apart from their direct contribution to global warming and air pollution, emissions that take place during the production, transmission and distribution of energy used by trains and aircraft are also considered. Transport also causes non-exhaust emissions of air pollutants, for example from the abrasion of brakes, wheels and tyres or railway tracks.

Train or plane?

The report specifically looks into the impacts of rail and air travel, both of which are a big part of Europe’s passenger transport sector. The assessment concludes that rail travel is the best and most sensible mode of travel, apart from walking or cycling. Aviation’s emission impacts are much higher on a passenger-kilometre basis. But the report notes that flying is not necessarily the most harmful choice. Travel by a petrol or diesel-powered car, especially if traveling alone, can be more harmful.

The report notes however, that over longer distances, the environmental costs of travelling by air increase less because the environmental costs of landing and take-off do not change with distance on a direct flight. The assessment is based on a comparison of travel between 20 city pairs across Europe.

A separate EEA briefing, based on a study commissioned by the EEA also published today, says both rail and shipping are the least carbon-intensive choices for motorised transport. Rail and waterborne transport have the lowest emissions per kilometre and unit transported, while aviation and road transport emit significantly more.

While the efficiency of rail and aviation improved markedly during the 5-year period covered by the study, the efficiency of other modes appears to have stagnated. Shifting to rail and waterborne transport should be encouraged while at the same time improving the greenhouse gas efficiency of all motorised forms of transport, the briefing says.

Source: EEA

A Regional Scheme for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin Could Help Drive the Energy Transition

26.03.2021

renewables_obnovljivi_izvori_energije_wind_energy_energija_vetra_wind_park_vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Nicholas Doherty)

As invited by the Ministerial Council, the Energy Community Secretariat presented its Discussion Paper on the implementation of the guarantees of origin system at yesterday’s second regional meeting. The discussion was joined by 60 stakeholders from issuing bodies, ministries and other relevant institutions.

Guarantees of origin certify the production of energy from renewable sources and could serve as an important tool to boost renewables investment and drive the energy transition. The Contracting Parties are currently lagging behind in the establishment of the electronic system needed to issue and trade guarantees of origin, despite being mandatory under the Renewable Energy Directive.

The ultimate purpose of the Discussion Paper is to show options for the establishment of an efficient regional renewable energy certification system, allowing guarantees of origin to be issued and then traded among the Contracting Parties. Participation in the regional system will allow for the effective issuance of national guarantees of origin by default, and may constitute the first step towards integration with the European market.

The Secretariat will support the establishment of the regional scheme and invited the issuing bodies to confirm their interest in writing no later than 11 April 2021.

The Discussion Paper also points to potential restrictions in the recognition of guarantees of origin between the EU Member States and the Contracting Parties, which should be addressed in the ongoing revision of the Renewable Energy Directive in the European Union.

Source: Energy Community

Some Members of the Auto Industry Are Still Clueless About Electric Vehicles

26.03.2021

punjenje_električni_auto — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Markus Spiske)

Yeah, big shocker, right? Even though this cluelessness is hardly new information, it is still fascinating to see it when it presents itself. I recently had an exchange with said cluelessness in the comments section of a LinkedIn post. I know, I know, online comment sections are a vacuum for the egomaniacally ill-informed. I try my darndest not to engage in such fruitless exercise as I try to deprogram the disillusioned, but sometimes I just can’t help myself. I feel it is my duty as an ambassador of the rEVolution.

The post that sparked this exchange was about Massachusetts requiring all new cars sold to be electric by 2035. A lot of the comments were in support of the measure, but it didn’t take long for the ill-informed to chime in with the bellows of government overreach, EV inadequacies, and climate change denial. Below is an exchange I had with two such individuals, both of whom appear to be members of the incumbent automobile industry’s dealership apparatus.

The first individual I shall refer to as “Clueless Industry Guy”. His stated title on LinkedIn is “DEALERSHIP COMPLIANCE | INCOME DEVELOPEMENT | TRAINING.” He does not seem privy to the S-curve adoption model that comes with disruptive technology. Or perhaps he has not yet realized that the S-curve model can apply to the automobile industry, and that it is in fact in the initial stages of its exponential climb.

Clueless Industry Guy:

“Seems like a fantasy to me considering minimal demand for electric vehicles.”

Me:

“minimal demand?”

Clueless Industry Guy:

“Compared to 14–17 million new car registrations. Minimal is not the right word. Almost non-existent is more accurate.”

Me:

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Vlad Tchompalov)

“With Tesla’s exponential year-over-year adoption rate, the EV ‘fantasy’ is becoming a reality at an accelerated rate. Tesla is the fastest growing, and most valuable, auto manufacturer in history. The Model 3 had over 400k 1.000 dollars preorders for it — an unprecedented level of demand that the rest auto industry had never even come close to seeing. As the graph I posted shows, that is translating to unprecedented production demand. It is estimated that the Cybertruck has somewhere around one million — I repeat, one MILLION —preorders. No vehicle has ever even come remotely close to that preorder number. And those preorders will most certainly translate to production sales … which will then garner even more demand as more and more consumers experience it. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the EV empire is growing; and growing fast.”

Clueless Industry Guy :

“I agree. Tesla is a cult.”

Me:

“Just like the iPhone, and we have seen how that turned out.”

Clueless Industry Guy :

“love your optimism!”

Dismissing Tesla as cult, with all the connotations that come with it, is a common response from industry critics. Not only do they disregard the electric vehicle revolution as a trivial passing fad like bell-bottom jeans or the “Gangnam Style” YouTube craze, but they go as far as to call it a cult; its believers naïve and its fate doomed.

To them, Tesla is the automotive equivalent to Jamestown. A cult is a group, usually led by a charismatic leader, with a devotion to an idea that is usually predicated on lies. Tesla is not a cult. Tesla is helmed by a charismatic leader, Elon Musk, but he is no charlatan, and the companies he leads are not scams. Quite the contrary. Musk is a visionary leader (arguably the most profound visionary of our time), and the companies he leads make extraordinary products — in this case, Tesla’s truly extraordinary vehicles.

Tesla’s vehicles are not extraordinary as a matter of opinion, but extraordinary by being quantifiably superior in the metrics that one uses to measure what makes a great car — performance, safety, efficiency, technology, connectivity, cost (and ease) of ownership, etc. Tesla is the bonafide leader in all of those. These superlatives translate to a fanatical customer love/loyalty that any other company in the world could only dream of having. Tesla’s success is not predicated on intangible cult delusion, it is predicated on building amazing products that people love. Ask any Tesla owner, or spend some time in a Tesla yourself, and you’ll start to understand why this company garners so much adoration.

The dismissive viewpoint of the “Clueless Industry Guys” appear to come from their dogmatic complacency, which feeds their industry/technological ignorance, which then feeds their inability to make inference. It’s the same blasé complacency that telecom giants like Ericsson, Nokia, and Blackberry took towards Apple when Apple had the audacity to dare enter the cellphone market that these established titans had a seemingly unshakable grip on.

When and what will it take for the “Clueless Industry Guys” to finally realize the folly of their flawed logic? Will they come to the realization before their brand’s extinction is imminent? Time will tell. And for those in the automobile industry who remain clueless, that time is quickly running out.

Source: Clean Technica

Floating Islands in the Fight for Clean Lakes

25.03.2021

plutajuca ostrva 2 u junu — Foto: Nevena Čule

The project “Revitalization of the lake at the locality of Trešnja by the System of floating islands” has been recognized on several occasions as an example of good practice, both by the domestic and international scientific community. The project was realized from 2018 to 2020, and the financier is the Secretariat for Environmental Protection of Belgrade, while the executor is the Institute of Forestry from Belgrade.

The main goal of the project is to enable the treatment of polluted lake water in a completely natural way, without the use of chemicals and additional energy, which could further endanger the environment and human health. This goal was achieved by setting up and validating a predefined floating island model, which can be further used to revitalize lakes and rivers as a powerful nature-based solution for a sustainable and resilient society. We talked to Nevena Čule, PhD, one of the project managers, about how the project was conceived and then realized.

EP: How does the System of floating islands work and how is it implemented at the mentioned site?

Nevena Čule: Floating islands are a green technology based on plants, which have the ability to remove excess nutrients and heavy metals from surface waters under different conditions. By imitating natural processes, without the use of chemicals or additional energy, and thanks to the symbiotic relationships of its basic components, i.e. plants, algae, small invertebrates, zooplankton, microorganisms, substrate and water, this green technology enables the revitalization of polluted and wastewater treatment. Plants can accumulate various substances characterized as water pollutants, translocate them and store them in their tissues. The amount of intake and storage of nutrients, heavy metals and other substances depends on the plant species and the concentration of these pollutants in water and is positively correlated with the overall efficiency of the biological system.

Microorganisms, which are located in the rhizosphere of plants, remove large amounts of organic carbon, heavy metals, nutrients and other substances from their water, and it also affects the reduction of the number of pathogenic microorganisms. The floating islands themselves are square in shape, measuring 1×1 meter, which allows easy connection of islands to the System, their easy anchoring, makes it easier to make island carriers and reduces the possibility of retaining various solid waste within the System.

In fokus:

EP: Is this the first time such a system has been implemented?

Nevena Čule: The model of floating islands, which was used for the revitalization of the lake, is the result of my awarded doctoral dissertation and the project of revitalization of the Topčiderska river. After research conducted in the laboratory and within the pilot plant, this was the first time that floating islands were used in practice, in a real environment. The proposed model of floating islands has the character of an innovative technology, because so far in Serbia it has not been used for purification and revitalization of polluted waters. Also, based on the conducted research and review of scientific-professional and relevant literature on the existing types of floating islands, it was concluded that such a model in terms of construction of the lattice girder, substrate, composition of island vegetation and anchoring methods was not constructed in the world or in our country.

EP: How do you assess suitable sites for the application of such a system and why was Trešnja selected?

Nevena Čule: Further development of all biological methods for wastewater treatment, including floating islands, must move in the direction of their commercialization. The two biggest obstacles to achieving this goal are their non-recognition in the laws and other relevant regulations of the Republic of Serbia and the lack of financial resources to support and invest in such environmental projects, although they have multiple significance for the whole community. One of the first steps to overcome these problems is to create examples of good practice, which can attract investors for further projects and enable changes in laws and regulations. The first systems of floating islands should be installed in important locations for the city and its inhabitants, noting that it is desirable to choose waters with low to moderate concentrations of pollutants. The lake at the Trešnja site, based on the project “Revitalization of the Topčiderska river with biological systems for purification of polluted waters”, is marked as one of the potential areas for setting up biological systems for purification and revitalization of polluted waters, because it has some of the listed characteristics. This lake is about 35 kilometers away from the center of Belgrade and is located within the forest complex Trešnja. Thirty years ago, the site was a very popular picnic area, and today the lake is polluted with municipal waste and fecal wastewater, because in the meantime, just above the bank of the stream, whose waters fill the lake, built numerous weekend facilities with illegal septic tanks and field toilets whose contents flows into the streambed polluting the entire environment. The lake has a landscaped shore and water with low to moderate concentrations of pollutants, and since water of excellent ecological status is one of the most desirable natural elements of any resort, revitalization of the lake has multiple significance for this locality and could become a central factor in recovering a forgotten resort in the immediate vicinity of Belgrade.

EP: What results do you expect from this project?

Nevena Čule: The main goal of the Project is to enable the treatment of polluted lake water in a completely natural way, which will be efficient, environmentally friendly and economically viable. The results at the end of the research showed that the floating islands additionally enriched the lake water with oxygen and had excellent potential for reducing electrolytic conductivity and chemical oxygen demand as well as concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, total nitrogen, total phosphates and suspended solids. Also, the floating islands removed aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, calcium, cobalt, chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, lead, sulfur and zinc from the water with great efficiency. Achieved pollutant removal efficiencies are between 30 and 100 percent depending on the type of pollutant. The analysis of sanitary-microbiological parameters for the assessment of the ecological quality of water concluded that the floating islands reduced the number of bacteria of fecal origin in the range from 97 to 100 percent. The obtained results indicate that the water in the immediate vicinity of the floating islands had the characteristics of water of class I, i.e. excellent ecological status.

Interview by: Jovana Canic

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

ABB and ETH extend partnership to advance research into the future of robotics

24.03.2021

Foto: ABB

Building on their long-term relationship across several disciplines, ABB and ETH Zurich, a leading research university in Switzerland, have expanded their partnership into robotics research as part of ETH’s RobotX strategic initiative. Launched in 2019. RobotX aims to position ETH among the top robotics research institutions worldwide.

As part of RobotX’s industry affiliation program, ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business will support ETH’s ambitious initiative with its leading in-house robotics expertise to combine competence into a platform aimed at training new talent and attracting worldwide experts to advance a range of future technologies, including mobile robotics.

“We are delighted to partner with ETH as it is consistently rated among the top universities for engineering and technology in the world. Our partnership expands our global innovation ecosystem, supporting our engagement with the brightest minds to advance the future of robotics and unlock the potential of automation for our customers,” said Sami Atiya, President ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation.

“A close collaboration between ETH and industry partners including ABB Robotics is essential in establishing Switzerland as a leading robotics research hub. With RobotX we are enabling both interdisciplinary research across ETH while establishing new ways of collaboration with an industry affiliation program, open lab space and sabbatical programs for researchers from our industry partners”, said Prof. Dr. Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich.

The partnership between ABB Robotics and ETH builds on an existing collaboration with ABB launched in 2014. To enhance the initial 10-year commitment with ETH, ABB has now directed a donation of CHF 2,5 million to support the RobotX initiative.

ABB is already working with ETH around the university’s research in the field of robotic fabrication in architecture and construction and helped establish the world’s first laboratory for collaborative robotic digital fabrication in architecture hosted at ETH’s Institute of Technology in Architecture. Together with ETH, ABB is also part of a project launched by Schindler, one of the world’s leading providers of elevators and escalators, for an automated, independently operating robotic installation system for elevators aimed at improving the quality and ease working conditions for elevator installers.

ABB is committed to supporting and working with more than 100 universities such as ETH as part of the company’s technology ecosystem. These collaborations are exceedingly valuable in strengthening ties between academia and industry, which is essential for the future of innovation and employment for students. ABB’s longstanding relationship with ETH encompasses the contribution of technology, collaboration on university spin-offs and partnering with the university to bring education to developing nations.

Source: ABB

How to Value and Preserve Water

23.03.2021

potok_voda_šuma — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Ryan Lara)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jim Schuman)

Thinking big to protect the world’s biggest natural capital asset

Water, the source of life – celebrated on World Water Day – is under pressure from climate change. With some regions becoming drier and others ever more exposed to flooding, the need to find and share new ways to husband this vital resource, and measure its value so it can be built into economic development and work creation strategies, is intensifying.

The unsustainable use of the water environment in some of the regions where the EBRD works – nearly 40 economies stretching from Estonia to Egypt, and Morocco to Mongolia – puts it under particularly acute threat.

This is why one of the new areas in the EBRD’s expanded green planning for the half-decade to 2025, as it moves towards making a majority of its investments green, is looking at how best to invest in natural capital, from soil and sustainable land management to water and water ecosystems.

“It’s very clear that natural capital has a vital role for sustainable development in the EBRD regions,” explains the EBRD’s Marta Modelewska. “We operate in countries which are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This calls for action. We also need to take care of the ecosystems surrounding our investments – the natural ecosystems that support urban areas.”

Already a leader in climate finance, the EBRD has extensive project experience across water-scarce regions in north Africa and Central Asia, where soil degradation can be a problem for agricultural land, as well as in areas such as the Western Balkans which have seen serious flooding in recent years, and has gradually been scaling up its water husbandry efforts.

Since humans and businesses have a direct impact and dependency on the quality of water through sectors such as fisheries, tourism and food production, the EBRD’s Adonai Herrera Martinez, is also proud of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP), established 21 years ago, which has improved the water quality of the Gulf of Finland through a total of EUR 1.3 billion support to 23 wastewater treatment plants.

This, he says, remains “a rarity in regions that can still lag in adopting broader sustainability concepts, and preserving and even increasing the value of nature.”

One EBRD project on Morocco’s water-scarce Saiss plain has already demonstrated the benefits of systemic thinking on water supplies, Ms Modelewska says, by tackling the “massive challenge of how agriculture sector can suffer in the longer term because of the lack of available water resource.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jacek Dylag)

“We are supporting the government in using a more sustainable water source rather than groundwater resources which are depleting. They are building a massive infrastructure to make water available to the Saiss plain from different regions that are richer in water.”

The focus now is on expanding this type of systemic approach to benefit broader sustainability – an area of endeavour that is both full of exciting possibilities and, so far, short on definitions and metrics.

Biodiversity is already on the European Union’s policy radar, with ecosystems and biodiversity one of 10 focus European Green Deal areas and sustainable use and protection of water and marine resource one of six environmental objectives in the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities.

Says Mr Herrera Martinez: “our aim is both to find practical applications and encourage partners beyond the EU to take a similar approach. The costs of not doing this would be much higher for our regions.”

But how?

“We are at a very early stage of conceptualising what it means for the EBRD and how we can work in this space,” Ms Modelewska says. What she does know is that over the next few years the Bank will be defining “how we can preserve and enhance natural capital while supporting wider environmental and social benefits, both by scaling up what we have done so far and by innovating. And we will be looking into structuring financial mechanisms that help us work more effectively in this area”.

One part of the work envisaged is in encouraging nature-based solutions. As the EBRD’s Claudia Neuschulz says: “If you restore a wetland, or build an artificial wetland, you then have a natural water filter which will have filtered out some pollutants by the time your water comes to the water treatment plant, so you need to invest less in chemicals and energy-intensive processes to treat the water.

“Another example: a green area in a city will have more water retention. If with climate change you have more heavy rain events, and there’s more water running through your cities, so with more green space you have more opportunities to collect and hold the water.”

Another priority is work with corporate clients to encourage them to “look beyond the factory fence” and measure the water involved not just in their own industrial processes, but also to seek to understand how it relates to water use in the entire water basin in which they are located.

“We need to work on behavioural change, encouraging corporate clients to disclose climate-related information. It is not only that water-intensive industries will face some water risk for their operations, if they run out of water. The issue is broader: they need to look into the economic model applied and how they use the value of nature and understand all the risks related to their current model of economic activities, and to know how to manage these risks,” says Mr Herrera Martinez.

Another step forward will be conceptualising new types of investment in green spaces, evaluating and valorising the water and environmental resources being used so that a project’s environmental impact is correctly priced.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Paul Gilmore)

Here the question of defining the price of water arises. Although there are widely accepted measurements for greenhouse gas emissions – key to assessing pollution impacts – there is not yet any similar measurement for measuring the real cost of water and nature-capital assets in different environments.

The EBRD has been among the first to start working on a “shadow water price” to assess this, though this research is at an interim stage and still being refined. It is also working on a valuation model for natural capital assets. “This methodology will in future assist us accounting for natural capital in aquatic and marine systems, and the services these provide to people through carbon sequestration, oxygen production, climate change resilience, provision of food and medicine,” says the EBRD’s Julia Manning.

Innovation is everywhere, in an area developing at speed. As Ms Modelewska notes: “The natural capital theme is very, very new. Part of why we are looking into it now is because we need to think about what will happen after this five-year period, and our work now will help us further expand the scope of our activities into that longer-term future.”

Source: EBRD

How Renewables Offer New Solutions for District Heating and Cooling

20.03.2021

solar-panel-renewable-energy — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andreas Gücklhorn)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sungrow Emea)

Innovation in technology, digitalisation and building efficiency are opening the heating sector to low-temperature renewables according to IRENA report.

Heating is the largest end user of energy, accounting for over 50 percent of global final energy consumption worldwide. At present, much of this demand is met by burning fossil fuels, making the sector a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Renewables can play a significant role in decarbonising the way we heat homes and businesses.

Traditionally, biofuels have been the main alternative to fossil fuels in district heating and cooling. However recent improvements in building insulation and digitalisation have opened district energy to widely accessible, low-temperature renewables such as low-temperature geothermal, solar thermal and waste heat sources.

These sources are widely available in many regions. Yet, they remain largely untapped because they are not immediately compatible with current district energy infrastructure and existing building stock according to IRENA’s “Integrating Low-Temperature Renewables in District Energy Systems” published in collaboration with Aalborg university, Denmark.

Speaking during a recent workshop to launch the report, Miklos Antics, the President of the European Geothermal Energy Council, said more than 25 percent of the EU population lives in areas directly suitable for geothermal district heating.

The workshop was held under the framework of the Energy Solutions for Cities of the Future and under the umbrella of the Global Geothermal Alliance, with a focus on China with the support of the Chinese Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI). “District heating is of utmost importance to achieve decarbonised energy systems in China by 2060,” said Professor Brian Vad Mathiesen from Aalborg University.

For his part, Haukur Hardarsson, Chairman and Founder of Arctic Green Energy, highlighted the fact that Sinopec Green Energy connected about 60 million square meters of floor area to geothermal district heating systems, saving the country and the world close to 13 million tons of CO2 over the last decade – showing the environmental value of geothermal energy for heating and cooling.

IRENA’s analysis shares good practices from mature district heating and cooling markets with emerging markets and shows that a lack of data and a disconnect with building renovation strategies at the municipality level is holding back further integration of low-temperature renewables.

To overcome the challenges associated with the integration of low-temperature renewables into district heating and cooling, the report offers the following key recommendations:

Develop strategic heating and cooling plans based on clear political drivers and identify relevant stakeholders;
Elaborate technical scenarios based on heating and/or cooling demand and mapping of resources;
Integrate change of supply, modernization of the network and building renovations;
Promote the utilisation of locally available renewables for heating and cooling;
Establish enabling regulatory conditions, supportive financing options and business models

According to the report, heating and cooling challenges, such as issues with current energy supply, should be addressed in a co-ordinated and informed manner and with a long-term perspective.

“Development of district heating and cooling systems, particularly those that are compatible with low-temperature renewable energy resources, is one way to integrate more renewables in the heating and cooling sector. However, this requires a collaborative effort from all relevant stakeholders, to address the inherent challenges,” said IRENA’s Director of Country Engagement and Partnerships Gurbuz Gonul during the workshop.

“If action is taken, renewables can constitute up to 77 percent of the energy supplied to district heating energy systems by 2050, up from only 8 percent in 2017,” he added.

The high upfront capital costs associated with the construction and refurbishment of the building stock as well as of the district heating and cooling network are substantial and it can take a decade or longer before any profits are realised, according to the report. This makes these projects a good match for investors seeking long-term revenue streams rather than quick returns.

The report also highlights the role of national and local authorities in strategic planning for heating and cooling and supporting district energy operators by de-risking investments and facilitating access to direct funding from the public sector. Project developers can also benefit from technical assistance programmes that assess the viability of projects, support the development of district energy infrastructure in new markets, and evaluate renewable energy supply options.

Source: IRENA

MT-KOMEX – Bringing Smart and Easy EV Charging to the Western Balkans

19.03.2021

Charge&go-11-min (1) — Foto: Bojan Džodan/MT-KOMEX

Summary

Sustainable transport is slowly but surely gaining ground also in the Western Balkan region. Belgrade-based company MT-KOMEX is building electric vehicle charging network in the region. Thanks to the partnership with Virta, MT-KOMEX can offer companies the opportunity to enter the growing EV charging market in an easy, smart and reliable way. Together with Virta, they are helping companies such as NIS Gazprom Neft, BMW and Heineken to futureproof their business.

The world is moving full force towards electrification. In Europe, already one in six registered passenger cars is a plug-in-vehicle (16.5 percent). The growth rate is staggering, as in 2019 the market share of plug-in vehicles was only 3.1 percent. Global plug-in vehicle sales reached over 3,2 Million in 2020 and it is estimated that by 2030, global electric vehicle (EV) sales will reach 43 million, i.e., 70 percent of all vehicles.

However, there are big differences between continents and countries. In Europe, Norway, Iceland and Sweden are leading the charge. In 2020, plug-in electric vehicles accounted for 74.8 percent, 45 percent and 32.2 percent of the car registrations, respectively. At the same time in Serbia, only about 300 fully electric cars are cruising throughout the country, together with 2000 hybrid vehicles.

But the future of mobility is electric also in the Western Balkan region. The Serbian government has announced that the purchases of electric and hybrid vehicles will be subsidized with one million euros in 2021, the same as in 2020.

“Sustainable transport is slowly but surely becoming mainstream in our country, too. E-mobility and EV charging business is expanding in Serbia and we are proud to be at the center of it”, says Miloš Kostić, the CEO of Belgrade-based company MT-Komex.

MISSION: BUILD A CHARGING NETWORK

MT-KOMEX is the undisputable forerunner in bringing e-mobility to the Western Balkan region. The company has almost three decades of experience in the construction of solar power plants. In the past ten years, they have gradually expanded their core business to include electric vehicle charging and have actively participated in building the charging network for electric vehicles in the Western Balkans.

“We realized very early on that in order for electric mobility to come to life in this region, it is necessary to develop an appropriate charging infrastructure”, recalls Kostić.

Along with technological changes in various industrial sectors, the company has also invested in adopting new skills and knowledge. MT-KOMEX’s engineers and technicians are trained to install chargers in residential and business units as well as in larger facilities with more demanding infrastructure, in parking lots, gas stations and corridors and highways.

SOLUTIONS, SUPPORT AND SERVICE IN ONE PACKAGE

Over the years MT-KOMEX has ended up earning the trust of car manufacturers and their representatives such as BMW, British Motors, Hyundai, Fiat, Renault as well as prominent companies such as NIS Gazprom Neft, Public company Roads of Serbia, NEPI Rockcastle, Heineken, along with the public garage companies, hotels, shopping malls and gas stations on Serbian highways.

“But it is not enough to just install the chargers. The EV drivers need an easy way to find those charging locations. As you know, unlike gas stations, charging stations do not yet exist on every street corner”, explains Kostić.

In order to put this idea into practice, his team started looking for a partner. According to Kostić, the team was very well informed about the available solutions at the e-mobility market globally. One of the solution providers was Virta.

Virta’s commitment to merge renewable energy and mobility as well as the extensive experience of running 1000 professional charging networks made Virta an interesting option for MT-KOMEX. Virta is also an expert in EV energy demand response solutions that will become increasingly important when EV markets expand and energy systems transition to renewables.

“Virta – as a global innovation leader and one of the world’s leading vehicle-to-grid technology providers – stood out. We were also impressed by the extensive support and service solution package that Virta offered”, says Kostić.

Kostić and his team contacted the Finnish Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia and the embassy helped MT-KOMEX to get in touch with the Virta team. And the rest is history.

“Soon the process of acquiring know-how started. Together we found the best approach to integrate Virta’s Charging Solution into MT-KOMEX’s business model. We are glad to say that the cooperation has been great, and our team has gotten valuable training”, states Kostić.

THE FIRST DIGITAL EV CHARGING EXPERIENCE IN THE REGION

In cooperation with Virta, MT-KOMEX launched in 2020 the charge&GO platform, and a mobile application. The web platform gathers all the information about the charging network, charging methods, electric cars and MT-KOMEX service offering. Kostić is even more proud of the branded charge&GO mobile app which makes it easy for EV drivers to find available charging stations, start and end charging sessions as well as make in advance payment and reservation of the chosen charger.

With a help of Virta, MT-KOMEX is able to offer the only integrated EV charging solution in the Western Balkans region.

“The results of our cooperation with Virta are already fantastic: We have entered the market with our own brand and gotten clients and customers in a short time span. This is a tremendous outcome concerning the fact that EVs are still scarce in Serbia. As the number of EVs in Serbia is growing, we are getting more and more inquiries and new clients”, says Kostić.

FUTUREPROOFING NIS GAZPROM NEFT

One of MT KOMEX’s partners in the Western Balkan region is NIS Gazprom Neft. NIS Gazprom Neft became the first oil and gas company in the Serbian market to offer EV charging at their gas stations along the highways.

“They recognized the possibilities, which is no wonder as they are a cutting-edge company. Together we are paving the way for e-mobility as their customers are becoming more familiar with the new EV concept and interested in being part of it”, explains Kostić.

For MT-KOMEX, the partnership is a win-win on many levels, strengthening company’s credibility and opening new doors and growth opportunities. MT-KOMEX plans to integrate every new NIS Gazprom Neft EV charger with the web platform and mobile app to give full support to EV drivers on the road. In addition, MT-KOMEX plans to jointly invest in EV chargers to accelerate EV charging through the charge&GO platform and expand the charging network in the Western Balkans region.

RELIABILITY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Now MT-KOMEX is concentrating on installing more EV chargers, especially on highways throughout Serbia and aims to make the charge&GO platform as the number one choice for EV charging in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.

“Our partnership with Virta allows us to offer the opportunity to enter this market. All our client needs are EV chargers and electricity supply. The rest we provide – EV charging services, platform, branding, and naturally, know-how”, explains Kostić.

No wonder that the future looks busy for MT-KOMEX. In fact, the company needs to expand their team to serve all the new clients. But in the midst of growth, the company does not forget its mission.

“The most important thing to us is that we offer expertise, security – and above all, reliability. We have set that course 28 ago, and naturally, it is still our mission”, says Kostić.

MT-KOMEX wants to be worth of their customers trust every single day, with what they do and how the company delivers benefits to the customers.

“We are very proud of that. Our clients know that is what they will get, whether they want solar power plant for their facility or EV charging installation and integration into the chargo&GO platform.”

Reliability is something that according to Kostić cannot be stressed enough.

“The best thing about the Virta Charging Solution and our cooperation is the reliability: there is a whole system behind it, with the vast Virta team that backs you up. From the partners and customer’s point of view, that is the most critical thing”.

STARTING POINT

Belgrade-based company MT-KOMEX is building electric vehicle charging network in the Western Balkans. Early on, the company realized that it is not enough to just install the chargers. The EV drivers need an easy way to find the charging locations & charge their cars. In order to put this idea into practice, MT-KOMEX started looking for a partner.

SOLUTION

Virta – as a global innovation leader and one of the world’s leading vehicle-to-grid technology providers – stood out. MT-KOMEX was also impressed by the extensive support and service solution package that Virta offered. Together they found the best approach to integrate Virta’s Charging Solution into MT-KOMEX’s business model. In cooperation with Virta, MT-KOMEX launched in 2020 the charge&GO platform, and a branded mobile application. As a result, MT-KOMEX was able to enter the market with their own brand and the business is growing fast. One of MT-KOMEX’s partners in the Western Balkan region is NIS Gazprom Neft.

Source: Virta

Secretariat Initiates Dispute Settlement Procedures Against Four Contracting Parties in Relation to NERPs

18.03.2021

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Alexander Tsang)

Secretariat launched dispute settlement procedures against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia for not meeting their NERP ceilings for the reporting years 2018 and 2019. NERPs (National Emission Reduction Plans) are an instrument to comply with the Large Combustion Plants Directive and as such, they are to provide for emission reductions for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust for the group of plants covered by their scope. In the case of Serbia, compliance with the ceiling for sulphur dioxide presents the biggest challenge, while North Macedonia faces problems with ceilings for sulphur dioxide and dust. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* failed to meet the ceilings for all three pollutants.

By sending the Opening Letters, the Secretariat initiated a preliminary procedure, the purpose of which is to give the Contracting Parties concerned the opportunity to react to the allegation of non-compliance with Energy Community law within two months and to enable the Secretariat to establish the full background of the case.

According to Articles 7 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure for Dispute Settlement, interested parties may be granted access to the case file and may submit written observations on the present case to the Secretariat during the preliminary procedure.

Source: Energy Community

Charge&GO platform

17.03.2021

Charge&go-4-min — Photo: Bojan Džodan/MT-KOMEX

According to the International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT), road traffic accounts for about 20 per cent of global pollution. Air pollution has become a universal problem, and a growing number of countries are working intensively to reduce it and completely neutralize it. In aiming to reduce the exhaust gasses coming from traffic, the states pass the laws to limit the purchase of cars with ICE (internal combustion engines).

Thus, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands have devised the strategy to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2030. Norway has a very ambitious plan – to accomplish a full transition to cleaner forms of transportation by 2025, while most is expected from China, which, according to some forecasts, will make a sudden transition to full electrification of traffic by 2035. Subsidies and many other benefits encourage the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Many governments around the world are trying to improve air quality and protect the environment in this way. Serbia is slowly beginning to follow world trends. For subsidizing electric and hybrid vehicles’ purchase, our Government has set aside 120 million dinars for 2020, and electric vehicles can more often be seen on our streets. It is necessary to provide enough chargers for the drivers of these cars to function smoothly in traffic, without having to worry that they will drive all the way down to an empty battery.

In focus:

The leading men of MT-KOMEX realized that they could offer networked EV chargers as the best service for the drivers to find an ideal place to recharge their cars fast and easy. Charge&GO platform is everything an electric car owner needs. It is the first regional digital platform and application that remunerates the use of the charging spot for electric vehicles, which arose in partnership with the global Virta system form Finland.

The charge&GO system is designed to give e-powered car drivers the ability to find a charging point fast and easy, authorize themselves, plug in a vehicle when needed, stop charging and continue their journey. Registered and unregistered users can use this platform, and in addition

to chargers in Serbia, they have more than 100,000 chargers in 28 countries at their disposal. This system provides the possibility for foreigners to see the chargers in Serbia. At the same time, users registered in our country, through the partner network can find the chargers that are in the system, which includes internal and external roaming network of charging stations.

“The platform charge&GO has networked electric car drivers and owners of EV chargers, and we are the operators of the network. By using the platform, we can manage the energy power and consumption on the station systems themselves, and the remote check-up of each charger is also one of the possibilities of our system”, explains Miloš Kostić form MT-KOMEX.

Platform users can charge their electric vehicles fast and easy while having full control over the entire charging process, whether being a registered or unregistered user. The whole charging system is quite simple – the first step is to find a charging point through the platform or

mobile application. At mapa.chargego.rs you immediately get information which station is free to use. At the charging point, it is necessary to authorize by using an RFID card or mobile phone, either by scanning the QR code or entering the charger’s ID number. The charging session starts the moment you connect the cable to the selected charging point. You can follow the charging either on the platform or the application, and when you want to end the process, it is necessary to finish the process the same way you started it.

The last step is to unplug the cable and to continue your journey. If you use the system without registration, you need to start charging by scanning the QR code or typing the page ID number on the platform’s webpage punjenje.chargo.rs. When you do that, you will get the accurate display of a price per minute and the terms of use. You can change the language, and then it opens the page for entering the information of credit card. In the end, you choose the type of connection. You get the information on the amount of energy used and the duration of the session. Upon finished charging session you receive an email with an electronic invoice.

“The owners of electric vehicles who choose the option to register on the charge&GO system get a number of benefits, such as the better price for charging, both in the country and in the partner network, and can also choose between prepaid and post-paid options. It is usual for individuals to use the prepaid option, while corporate users have the opportunity to pay for our services on a monthly and quarterly basis”, adds Kostić.

The registration process on the charge&GO system is very easy and can be done by simply registering on the portal or installing a mobile application. You receive a welcome email in which you get the link to verify your account, and once you confirm it, you can access the following steps. The application or platform will guide you, and once you enter all the required data, your journey into the electric future can begin!

With the charge&GO app on your smartphone, you can find the nearest place to charge your electric car with either slow or fast chargers. You can manage the user account you have created and preview the history of all charging sessions. You can check the charger’s status at any time on the charger map, and the app makes all the following steps easier – to start charging, track the charging time on your phone and stop the session when needed. The platform users can use a roaming network with more than 100,000 chargers. It is important to know that all users of the Virta platform have the right to use intern roaming without additional fees. When it comes to external roaming stations Hubjet and

Gireve, charging vehicles can be done smoothly, but at an additional cost.

The partner of the charge&GO system is the company ABB. In front of their headquarters in Belgrade, a 50kW charger is installed, and it is integrated into the charge&GO system. The network also includes charging points at Gazprom gas stations in Stari Banovci, Velika Plana and Novi Sad, and in front of the company Termovent in Kladovo. There are also 5 chargers in Plaza Kragujevac shopping centre at your disposal. The same number of EV chargers are available at Promenada Novi Sad Shopping centre. Very soon, 6 new chargers in LEDI hub in Stari Banovci will be integrated into the charge&GO system.

“Our customers can be completely confident in our services because they have technical assistance, customer service with hotline and mobile teams for urgent technical support at their disposal 24/7. Besides, there is a Support/Frequently Asked Questions page on the charge&GO website where you can find a large amount of useful information, as well as the complete documentation with instructions”, adds Kostić.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

You can read the article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

EBRD and EU Help Serbia’s Bel-Plast to Become More Energy Efficient

17.03.2021

užice — Foto: Wikipedia/ CrniBombarder!!!

How an investment in modern equipment led to significant savings

Thirty years ago, the Špijunović family started a small home business. Today, the company’s facilities span 4,000 m2. Bel-Plast, in the Serbian city of Uzice, specialises in producing foils and films (such as stretch hooding, shrink wrap and laminating film) for the food, beverage and construction industries. Over the past three decades, it has established itself as a leader in the product packaging sector.

Sanja Markovic, a daughter of the founder, runs the family business with her sister and father. She tells us about her father’s 30-year-old business vision, which the company follows to this day.

“My father started the company in the 1990s, when product packaging and design in Serbia were not nearly as popular as they are today,” Markovic says. “Still, he knew that good packaging was one of the most important features of a successful product and that it had great influence on business and sales growth.”

“Over the years, we have continued to invest in new equipment, technology and services with a view to improving our business,” she adds. “We have always striven for innovation, to offer our clients something new, because their perfect product needs perfect packaging, such as ours!”

Today, Bel-Plast employs 39 people and its packaging services are used by a vast array of companies in Serbia, including blue-chip corporations such as Coca-Cola and Holcim.

Modern technology that generates savings

With an eye on the future and keen to get on board with green trends, especially in the European Union (EU) markets, Markovic started to think more about how to improve the energy efficiency of Bel-Plast’s production processes and how to increase the use of modern materials that would allow users to easily recycle their packaging with no harmful, polluting effects on the environment.

“We were interested in purchasing a modern production line by a German manufacturer ‒ something completely new for the Serbian market – which would allow us to make significant resource savings during the production process, but at the same time increase our output capacity and make a better product,” she says. “This was a significant investment, the biggest in our company’s 30-year history, but we expected great results and we started planning how we could achieve it with EBRD support.”

The EBRD and EU support private small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in making investments that help them become more competitive, both in local and foreign markets.

To export to the EU, Serbian SMEs need to meet EU regulations, for example, in the areas of environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and product quality and safety – all of which require additional investment. The EBRD and EU-supported programme offers SMEs access to credit lines through local partner financial institutions, precisely for this kind of investment.

On successful completion of the investment, SMEs are eligible for a cashback grant of 15 percent, which significantly reduces the overall cost of their investment. In addition, SMEs can obtain EBRD advisory support, which, in Serbia, is also funded by the EU.

Greening the business

“We decided to take out a loan and invest in the new production line,” Markovic says. “The results have been very satisfactory: our production capacity has doubled and the modern technology has allowed us to create a full range of new products to meet the needs of even the most demanding customers.”

The investment has also allowed Bel-Plast to make significant cost savings.

“The new production line not only allows us to produce better and more, but to use fewer production resources, which has helped us to achieve significant savings,” Markovic explains. “We can now produce more in less time, using only 100 percent virgin materials, with improved energy efficiency.”

EBRD and EU support

Improving access to finance for SMEs is key to economic growth, especially in Serbia where SMEs account for around 65 percent of the country’s employment.

“In addition to supporting entrepreneurs with EBRD and EIB, EU-funded projects in Serbia promote job creation, economic and technological development and legislative framework improvement, all of which contribute to an improved economic landscape. The EU supports the Serbian economy by strengthening its private sector and SMEs, which are essential for its economic growth. Through different mechanisms, the EU offers direct support for business development and supports business incubators. Furthermore, by promoting the cooperation between science and economy, the EU encourages companies and science and research organisations to create innovative products with commercial potential”, said the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi.

“In 2020 alone, the EBRD provided over EUR 480 million financing for the private sector in Serbia, and the biggest part of this support went to SMEs. The Bel-Plast example shows how access to well-structured financial and advisory support can encourage local firms to invest in boosting their competitiveness. It pays off in the long run with higher sales with better quality products and higher production capacities, among other benefits. Encouraged by many great companies and their success stories to which we contributed through the EUR 40 million programme to date, we are united with the EU in our ambition to continue providing support to the local companies in Serbia,” said Zsuzsanna Hargitai, EBRD Director, Western Balkans.

Source: EBRD

Fast-Track Energy Transitions to Win the Race to Zero

16.03.2021

policija - traka - police — Foto-illustration: Unsplash (Ehimentalor Akhere)

Foto- illustration: Unsplash (Miriam Espacio)

Proven technologies for a net-zero energy system already largely exist today, finds the preview of World Energy Transitions Outlook by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable power, green hydrogen and modern bioenergy will dominate the world of energy in the future.

Previewed at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue today, IRENA’s Outlook proposes energy transition solutions for the narrow pathway available to contain the rise of temperature to 1,5°C and halt irreversible global warming. 90 percent of all decarbonisation solutions in 2050. will involve renewable energy through direct supply of low-cost power, efficiency, renewable-powered electrification in end-use as well as green hydrogen. Carbon capture and removal technologies in combination with bioenergy will deliver the ‘last mile’ CO₂ reductions towards a net-zero energy system.

With 2030. deadlines around the corner, this Outlook comes at a critical time when acting fast and bold on global climate pledges is crucial in the decisive year of UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy and Glasgow Climate Conference COP26.

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA said: “The window of opportunity to achieve the 1,5°C Paris Agreement goal is closing fast. The recent trends show that the gap between where we are and where we should be is not decreasing but widening. We are heading in the wrong direction. The World Energy Transitions Outlook considers options of the narrow pathway we have to be in line with the 1,5°C goal. We need a drastic acceleration of energy transitions to make a meaningful turnaround. Time will be the most important variable to measure our efforts.”

“While the pathway is daunting, several favourable elements can make it achievable,” La Camera added. “Major economies accounting for over half of global CO₂ emissions are turning carbon neutral. Global capital is moving too. We see financial markets and investors shifting capital into sustainable assets. Covid-19 has highlighted the cost of tying economies to fossil fuels and confirmed the resilience of renewable energy. As governments pump huge sums in bailouts and recovery, investment must support energy transition. It is time to act and countries can lead the way with policies for a climate-safe, prosperous and just energy system fit for the 21st century.”

IRENA’s “1,5°C pathway” sees a trebling of global power dominated by renewables in 2050. It also sees a decline in fossil fuel use by more than 75 percent over the same time, with oil and coal consumption shrinking fastest. Natural gas should peak around 2025. becoming the

Foto-illsutration: Unsplash (John-o-Nolan)largest remaining fossil fuel by 2050.

Financial markets reflect this shift by allocating capital away from fossil fuels and into sustainable assets like renewables. The downgrading

of fossil fuels continues, with shares of fossil fuel-heavy energy sector in S&P index falling from 13 percent a decade ago to below 3 percent today. In contrast, investors are flooding money into renewable energy stock with S&P clean energy up by 138 percent in 2020.

However, significant investment will have to be redirected, IRENA’s Outlook shows. Major economies have announced economic stimulus packages that will pump approximately USD 4.6 trillion directly into carbon-relevant sectors such as agriculture, industry, waste, energy and transport, but less than USD 1,8 trillion is green.

By contrast, energy transition investment will have to increase by 30 percent over planned investment to a total of USD 131 trillion between now and 2050. corresponding to USD 4,4 trillion on average every year. Socio-economic benefits will be massive, investing in transition will create close to three times more jobs than fossil fuels, for each million dollars of spending. To address concerns about a fair and just transition, IRENA’s Outlook calls for a holistic and consistent overall policy framework.

IRENA’s “1,5°C pathway” sees electricity becoming the main energy carrier in 2050. with renewable power capacity expanding more than ten-fold over the same period. Transport will see the highest growth of electrification with a 30-fold increase. Almost 70 percent of carbon emission reductions in transport will come from direct and indirect electrification.

Green hydrogen will emerge as one of the major demand for electricity, representing 30 percent of total consumption in 2050. Bioenergy combined with carbon removal technologies (BECCS) will increasingly be important for industry to bring “negative emissions” in face of a limited carbon budget for 1,5°C.

Source: IRENA

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