Albania Launches First Tender for Wind Power

22.06.2021

solarna energija - vetropark - vetroturbine — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Gonz DDL)

Albania has launched its first tender for utility-scale onshore wind power plants. Individual projects with a capacity of between 10 MW and 75 MW can apply. Several projects will be chosen; total tendered capacity equals 100 MW and this may be increased to 150 MW in the coming months, in line with the country’s renewable energy targets. The announcement of the successful bidders is expected in the first half of 2023.

The Albanian Ministry for Infrastructure and Energy is running the tender. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been supporting the Albanian authorities in the introduction of competitive procurement processes for renewable energy projects.

Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Head of Western Balkans, said: “We are delighted with the progress Albania is making on scaling up wind and solar energy through open and transparent tenders. This is another milestone for the diversification, resilience and sustainable development of the country’s energy sector.”

Developers are invited to submit their qualification submissions by mid-June 2022. This will be followed by a request for proposals from applicants successful in the first phase. The launch of the tender process marks the start of a work-intensive phase for developers to meet the stringent technical, environmental and social requirements of the selection process.

Bidders are requested to propose sites for wind power-plant developments. To assist them, a wind siting study has been prepared, including suitability criteria for the selection of sites, as well as a preliminary high-level screening of no-go areas. The Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy will organise a conference for prospective bidders later this year to provide clarification and answer questions.

Today’s call follows the successful award of two EBRD-supported solar tenders for the 140 MW Karavasta and 100 MW Spitallë solar photovoltaic projects in recent years. The projects will help to diversify sources of supply in Albania’s electricity sector, which is vulnerable to seasonal changes in hydrology and dependent on expensive and emissions-intensive power imports. The competitive procurement processes to date have achieved highly competitive prices for electricity from solar power of less than EUR 30 per MWh. The wind tender is also expected to deliver highly competitively prices for clean power.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is providing funding for the technical assistance that covers the new tender as well as regulatory work in the energy sector to facilitate the introduction of auctions.

Françoise Salamé Guex, Infrastructure Financing Division, SECO Switzerland, commented: “We are proud to support the Government of Albania in developing the country’s wind power market. The launch of the wind tender is an important milestone in attracting private-sector competition to the renewable energy sector in Albania, which is a critical step in transitioning to a diversified low-carbon economy.”

The EBRD has been supporting Albania in the development of a sustainable and diversified energy sector through policy dialogue, technical assistance and investment. To date, the EBRD has invested more than EUR 1.5 billion in 112 investment projects in the country.

Source: EBRD

Hydrogen study explores potential of technologies and utilisation in the Energy Community

21.06.2021

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Hydrogen has attracted worldwide interest as one of the potential solutions for hard to decarbonize sectors and became an integral part of many countries’ energy transition plans. How hydrogen could aid the decarbonization efforts of Energy Community Contracting Parties was explored in a study on the potential of hydrogen published by the Secretariat today.

For each Contracting Party, the study assessed the drivers for introducing hydrogen, its potential production capacity, availability of delivery infrastructure and potential hydrogen applications.

The study concluded that the Contracting Parties are very diverse in terms of their potential for producing, transiting/exporting and utilising zero and low carbon hydrogen and there is no one size fits all policy or technological solution.

Given its extensive gas infrastructure network, industry sector and good conditions for renewable energy production, Ukraine holds the highest green hydrogen development potential.

The study provides tailored recommendations for each Contracting Party, including a guide as to what hydrogen technologies and applications might have the greatest economic potential, such as space and water heating, transport or storage of renewable electricity.

A hydrogen-specific legal and regulatory framework needed to support investment is currently missing in all Contracting Parties. The study recommends the continued cooperation at the level of the Energy Community to help leverage on experiences gained and facilitate regional cooperation and alignment with wider European market and legal developments.

Source: Energy Community

Soaring E-waste Affects the Health of Millions of Children, WHO Warns

21.06.2021

recycling-recikliranje-ee-otpad — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay

Effective and binding action is urgently required to protect the millions of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide whose health is jeopardized by the informal processing of discarded electrical or electronic devices according to a new ground-breaking report from the World Health Organization: Children and Digital Dumpsites.

“With mounting volumes of production and disposal, the world faces what one recent international forum described as a mounting “tsunami of e-waste”, putting lives and health at risk.” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In the same way the world has rallied to protect the seas and their ecosystems from plastic and microplastic pollution, we need to rally to protect our most valuable resource –the health of our children – from the growing threat of e-waste.”

As many as 12.9 million women are working in the informal waste sector, which potentially exposes them to toxic e-waste and puts them and their unborn children at risk.

Meanwhile more than 18 million children and adolescents, some as young as 5 years of age, are actively engaged in the informal industrial sector, of which waste processing is a sub-sector. Children are often engaged by parents or caregivers in e-waste recycling because their small hands are more dexterous than those of adults. Other children live, go to school and play near e-waste recycling centres where high levels of toxic chemicals, mostly lead and mercury, can damage their intellectual abilities

Children exposed to e-waste are particularly vulnerable to the toxic chemicals they contain due to their smaller size, less developed organs and rapid rate of growth and development. They absorb more pollutants relative to their size and are less able to metabolize or eradicate toxic substances from their bodies.

Impact of e-waste on human health

Workers, aiming to recover valuable materials such as copper and gold, are at risk of exposure to over 1,000 harmful substances, including lead, mercury, nickel, brominated flame retardants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

For an expectant mother, exposure to toxic e-waste can affect the health and development of her unborn child for the rest of its life. Potential adverse health effects include negative birth outcomes, such as stillbirth and premature births, as well as low birth weight and length. Exposure to lead from e-waste recycling activities has been associated with significantly reduced neonatal behavioural neurological assessment scores, increased rates of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioural problems, changes in child temperament, sensory integration difficulties, and reduced cognitive and language scores.

Other adverse child health impacts linked to e-waste include changes in lung function, respiratory and respiratory effects, DNA damage, impaired thyroid function and increased risk of some chronic diseases later in life, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

“A child who eats just one chicken egg from Agbogbloshie, a waste site in Ghana, will absorb 220 times the European Food Safety Authority daily limit for intake of chlorinated dioxins,” said Marie-Noel Brune Drisse, the lead WHO author on the report. “Improper e-waste management is the cause. This is a rising issue that many countries do not recognize yet as a health problem. If they do not act now, its impacts will have a devastating health effect on children and lay a heavy burden on the health sector in the years to come.”

A rapidly escalating problem

E-waste volumes are surging globally. According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), they grew by 21 percent in the five years up to 2019, when 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste were generated. For perspective, last year’s e-waste weighed as much as 350 cruise ships placed end to end to form a line 125km long. This growth is projected to continue as the use of computers, mobile phones and other electronics continues to expand, alongside their rapid obsolescence.

Only 17.4 percent of e-waste produced in 2019 reached formal management or recycling facilities, according to the most recent GESP estimates, the rest was illegally dumped, overwhelmingly in low- or middle-income countries, where it is recycled by informal workers.

Appropriate collection and recycling of e-waste is key to protect the environment and reduce climate emissions. In 2019, the GESP found that the 17.4 percent of e-waste that was collected and appropriately recycled prevented as much as 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from being released into the environment.

Call to Action

Children and Digital Dumpsites calls for effective and binding action by exporters, importers and governments to ensure environmentally sound disposal of e-waste and the health and safety of workers, their families and communities; to monitor e-waste exposure and health outcomes; to facilitate better reuse of materials; and to encourage the manufacture of more durable electronic and electrical equipment.

It also calls on the health community to take action to reduce the adverse health effects from e-waste, by building health sector capacity to diagnose, monitor and prevent toxic exposure among children and women, raising awareness of the potential co-benefits of more responsible recycling, working with affected communities and advocating for better data and health research on the health risks faced by informal e-waste workers.

“Children and adolescents have the right to grow and learn in a healthy environment, and exposure to electrical and electronic waste and its many toxic components unquestionably impacts that right,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at the WHO. “The health sector can play a role by providing leadership and advocacy, conducting research, influencing policy-makers, engaging communities, and reaching out to other sectors to demand that health concerns be made central to e-waste policies.”

Source: WHO

New Research Shows Food System is Responsible for a Third of Global Anthropogenic Emissions

20.06.2021

food production hrana proizvodnja — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Paul Einerhand)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Dave Takisaki)

The world’s food system is responsible for a third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to new research by a team led by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and consisting of experts from UNIDO, UNDESA, Columbia University, NASA and several policy-focused research centres.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Food System: Building the Evidence Base presents new estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the food system developed at the country level and integrating data from crop and l

ivestock production, on-farm energy use, land use and land use change, domestic food transport and food waste disposal.

With the addition of global and regional estimates of energy use in food supply chains, the research results indicate that food system emissions amounted to 16 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalents (CO2eq) in 2018, an eight percent increase since 1990.

According to the research, a quarter of these food system emissions were generated through land use change at the conversion boundaries of natural ecosystems to agricultural land, while the other three-quarters were generated either within the farm gate or during pre- and post-production activities, such as manufacturing, transport, processing and waste disposal.

UNIDO’s Alessandro Flammini, one of the authors of the study, notes that the amount of emissions from pre- and post-production activities is much higher than commonly perceived. He says detailed emissions information about critical components of the food system beyond crops, livestock and land use are only recently becoming available.

The food system is recognized as a central issue in climate change mitigation. Flammini explains, “The majority of the mitigation commitments communicated by countries to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) include agriculture and land use as strategic priorities, but these cover mainly the non-CO2 emissions generated within the farm gate.”

“Important CO2 emissions of food production and consumption are not accounted for in this inventory category, and are spread under other IPCC categories such as energy, industry or waste, making it difficult to realize the importance of food for GHG emissions.”

The researchers developed new food system data at the country level for the period 1990–2018 for: domestic food transport (mainly CO2),

food waste disposal (CH4 emissions from the decomposition of solid food waste in landfills and CO2 emissions from the incineration of food waste), and CH4 and N2O emissions from domestic and industrial wastewater management. Regional and global estimates of food system emissions from energy use in food supply chains were also included.

The research results, showing the increase in pre- and post-production emissions in the global food system, highlight the potential of food-related GHG mitigation strategies, providing impetus for innovative approaches in food supply chains, consumption, and waste processes.

This, together with the fact that industry is responsible for around 30 percent of GHG emissions, underpins the relevance of UNIDO’s mandate for climate change mitigation.

In September 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene a Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit will bring people together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.

Source: UNIDO

Sustainability is in the Best Interests of Business

19.06.2021

earth-zemlja-održivost — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

We are in the midst of the intensifying triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution and waste. A triple crisis that threatens human health, prosperity, equality and peace – as we have seen only too clearly in COVID-19. A triple crisis that also threatens the operations of businesses, big and small, across the globe.

Sustainability is, on every level, in the best interests of business. This is because the financial implications of the triple crisis are countless: from reduced commodity yields to changing consumer attitudes and operational environments.

One recent survey found that 73 percent of people would change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment. A court in the Netherlands ordered Shell to cut its emissions. Chevron shareholders voted to cut pollution. This is just the beginning of a sea change that will sweep away those companies that follow the status quo.

For the sake of the planet, and for the sake of long-term profitability, big business has to be proactive and lead change. So, how does business reform?

The first step is to start accounting for the value of nature. UNEP is encouraging governments to use natural capital alongside produced and human capital to deliver a true, inclusive measure of growth. The same applies to businesses. If a business is making money in the short-term, but damaging the planet in the long-term, it needs to reflect this in the balance sheet.

The next step is to set science-based targets for nature, climate and pollution. This means adopting a transparent and time-bound plan for net-zero operations. That means ensuring that business operations are nature positive; It means adopting circular models, to reuse and recycle resources. And it means dealing with the toxic trail of pollution that industry and business can leave behind.

The third step is to hold suppliers and trading partners to high standards. We are talking about being comprehensive and holistic. A business’s internal operations can be squeaky clean, but if it is outsourcing environmental damage either domestically or abroad, it is still part of the problem.

All of this applies equally to investors, bankers and insurers. We can no longer afford to have ethical finance on the fringes. These issues cannot merely be left to the CSR Director, but must be the key business principle held in the C-suite and by the CEO. They must power the change. We are seeing every-stronger commitments on this front. We have 229 banks, covering one third of the global banking industry, signed up to the Principles for Responsible Banking. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) has 44 banks with USD 30 trillion on board. The Net-Zero Asset Owners Alliance brings together 40 asset owners with USD 6 trillion to work towards decarbonization.

Finally, we need transparency and independent oversight on these process and commitments to avoid greenwashing. Greenwashing is a cynical attempt to gain the financial benefits of a sustainable profile without doing any of the work. It directly harms our efforts to build a better world.

Because of course. Businesses run on earnings and profitability. And that is a fine thing. But there can be no profit, if there is no planet. Backing sustainability is the only sensible way to boost the corporate bottom line and to makes everyone’s lives better. And the private sector needs to lead the way.

Source: UNEP

Ministry for Innovation and Technology of Hungary and Energy Community Secretariat team up to Support Green Transition in the Western Balkans

18.06.2021

buda-budimpešta — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The Ministry for Innovation and Technology of Hungary through its development agency of the Western Balkans Green Center (WBGC) and the Vienna-based Energy Community Secretariat joined efforts to help the Western Balkans fight climate change and foster the region’s green transition.

Cooperation will take the form of knowledge sharing and exchange programs under the newly created Center of Excellence in Green Transition for the Western Balkans (CEGT) as part of the WBGC, to be based in Budapest, with additional external events and capacity support at the seat of the Secretariat in Vienna. All actions will be in line with the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal and the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.

Opening today’s signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding, State Secretary of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology of Hungary, Attila Steiner, highlighted: “By concluding a memorandum of understanding in international partnership with a benchmark institution, Hungary enters a new phase of creating value in the context of regional cooperation while supporting knowledge sharing to boost green growth. The two-year rolling work plan of the CEGT, benefiting the Western Balkans, will capitalize on Hungary’s progress in developing and implementing policies and investments in order to support green economy transition in a neighbouring region of strategic importance. To realize carbon neutrality, we need to mobilize private resources, therefore better regulation and constant improvement in the business environment is inevitable. The CEGT is well positioned to contribute to these efforts.”

Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, Janez Kopač, said: “The Energy Community Secretariat has been supporting the Contracting Parties for over 15 years to align their energy, climate and environment legislation with the EU acquis and to also modernize their energy systems to the benefit of their citizens. Today’s signature of the memorandum of understanding testifies to the commitment that our two institutions have to support not only the legislative measures, but also the transitions to a clean energy future in the Western Balkans. Through our joint cooperation, we will provide specific energy transition, climate change and environment protection knowhow and tools needed to overcome legal, regulatory as well as financial and social challenges standing in between our Contracting Parties and a clean energy future.

Attending the ceremony virtually, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, emphasized: “Being so closely interconnected, the region currently faces similar challenges as the rest of Europe. The disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to recessions throughout the region. This is why the European Commission is applying the same growth strategy that was put in place for the EU to the Western Balkans: large-scale investments. The Economic and Investment Plan we launched last autumn is our recovery plan for the Western Balkans. This Plan provides 28 billion euros of investments to give a boost to the economic recovery and to the long-term convergence with the EU and it lays the ground to open up many business opportunities for European companies. I am sure that joining the technical and political expertise and standing of the Energy Community Secretariat with the know-how and ambitions of the Green Center will yield excellent results in terms of concrete projects.”

Source: Energy Community

The Right Measures Always Lead to a Solution

16.06.2021

Photo: Courtesy of Jelena Raković Radivojević

For many years, Užice was on the list of cities with the highest air pollution. During the heating season, it often happened that the amount of soot in the air exceeded the allowed limits several times. The city’s specific position, which did not allow the wind to disperse the dangerous particles of pollution, only aggravated the situation. When numerous individual coal and wood fireboxes are added to that, as well as exhaust gases from cars, it is clear that the fight of the citizens of Užice for the right to cleaner air was not easy.

When we say the citizens of Užice, we mean both the citizens and the local self-government, and the city authorities are already working hard to solve the problem of polluted air, which greatly affects the quality of life of people and the environment. Gasification of the city, afforestation, investments in energy efficiency, and the inclusion of boiler rooms in the district heating system, purposeful spending of funds intended for environmental protection, are just some of the authorities’ measures taken by the so that citizens in this city can breathe clean air. We asked Jelena Raković-Radivojević, the mayor of Užice, how they affected the air quality and what they plan to do in the future.

EP: Užice is working intensively on solving the problem of air pollution. What would you highlight as the most important results?

Jelena Raković-Radivojević: We are one of the small number of local governments that in the previous period took a large number of measures and activities aimed at reducing air pollution, in accordance with the Air Quality Plan that we have adopted. The first measure that gave the most results was the gasification of the city, starting with the construction of the main gas pipeline Preljina-Užice, construction of asteel gas pipeline and metering and regulation stations, to the formation of a public-private partnership between the City of Užice and MPP “Jedinstvo” and gas distribution “Užice gas”. In the last ten years, the boiler rooms have been connected to the district heating system “City heating plant Užice”. 11 out of 12 city boiler rooms were converted, representing 75 percent of the total installed capacity. Due to technical reasons, it is not possible to connect the last boiler room, which is on fuel oil, to the district heating system, so the construction of a new gas boiler room is planned, which will enable the connection of new users to the heating network.

In focus:

In cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, we implemented the project “Let’s breathe life into nature” within which 14 hectares were afforested in the city area. An effective measure with a direct impact on reducing air pollution is the separate ash from burning in individual households. By installing special containers for collecting ashes, we reduced the burning of containers by 70 percent.

At the City’s initiative, the monitoring of ambient air at the Automatic Measuring Station has been improved, where, in addition to other parameters, we can now monitor the values of suspended PM10 and PM2.5 particles in real-time. Ambient air monitoring has also been improved within the local monitoring network by setting up another measuring point in the city center for monitoring the concentrations of PM10 particles, where pollution from the combustion chamber is primarily registered. In this way we monitor the effects of the measures taken to reduce pollution. The competent inspections regularly control the boiler rooms of economic entities and other legal entities and entrepreneurs. Where the emission limit values for the measured parameters are determined to be exceeded, it is necessary to eliminate the deficiencies, i.e. to reduce the emission. Fuel oil, pellet and gas combustion plants did not show exceeding the emission limit values for the tested substances.

The City of Užice is also one of the few local governments in which there is no unintended spending of funds intended for environmental protection. Funds earned from the collection of local fees for environmental protection and improvement were increased by additional funds from the City budget and spent exclusively in accordance with the Program for the use of funds from the budget fund for environmental protection approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The fact that every year, despite the unfavorable weather conditions caused by climate change, the number of days with exceeding the limit values, as well as the number of days with very high values of pollutants, speaks in the right direction

EP: How much is invested in energy efficiency, and to what extent do citizens apply for these funds?

Jelena Raković-Radivojević: Since 2015, the local self-government has been implementing a unique project to improve energy efficiency in individual buildings as direct assistance to our fellow citizens in solving air pollution. This project co-finances the installation of joinery, thermal insulation and the purchase of gas and pellet boilers. The project’s goal of the project is to reduce harmful emissions through energy savings, which will be achieved through better insulation of buildings and the use of environmentally friendly fuels. From the beginning of this unique project until 2020, more than 90 million dinars have been allocated from the budget for its realization. Last year alone, 40 million dinars were set aside for co financing energy efficiency measures. So far, over 1,000 of our fellow citizens have used the funds we allocate. Many citizens always apply to local competitions, which indicates their great interest in solving this problem. Most people were interested in purchasing gas boilers. According to the plans, 45 million dinars should be set aside for this year to subsidize energy efficiency measures. So we hope that only this year we will largely solve the problem of air pollution from individual furnaces.

Interview by: Milica Radičević

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY, march 2021 – may 2021.

Native Hawaiian Community will have their Lands Restored

16.06.2021

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to honor relationships with Indigenous communities and uphold trust responsibilities, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves today announced the transfer of an 80-acre parcel of surplus federal property at the former NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on O‘ahu for inclusion in the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. The land has the potential to provide homesteads for 200 to 400 Native Hawaiian families.

The lands are being transferred to the state of Hawaii’s Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for inclusion in the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. The transfer will help fulfill the terms of a settlement agreement authorized by Congress in 1995 to compensate Native Hawaiians for the lost use of 1,500 acres of lands set aside as potential homelands but subsequently acquired and used by the U.S. Government for other purposes.

“The Native Hawaiian Community has waited more than 20 years for the federal government to address a $16.9 million credit owed by the United States to the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Today’s action is an important step in our commitment to resolving the Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act settlement. We thank the Department of Commerce, General Services Administration, State of Hawai‘i, and Native Hawaiian Community members who provided their input during consultation on this transfer.”

“We are pleased that Native Hawaiians will now have access to the 80 acres in Ewa Beach where the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center once resided,” said Deputy Secretary Don Graves. “With this overdue transfer, this parcel of land will soon be called home for hundreds of Native Hawaiians.”

In 1998, the Interior Department and the state of Hawai‘i identified a site for transfer under the HHLRA. In 2000, that site became unavailable, leaving a credit of $16.9 million owed to the Trust by the United States.

The General Services Administration notified the state of Hawai‘i of the availability of NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center site in 2020. The former Pacific Tsunami Warning Center land represents the best available property offered to the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust by the United States, suitable for residential development, under the HHLRA.

After an appraisal, environmental review, and consultation with the Native Hawaiian Community, the Interior Department notified the General Services Administration that the site is suitable and approved the conveyance to the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust to satisfy $10 million of the $16.9 million credit.

Source: Clean Technica

$200 Million More For Electric Vehicles, Batteries, & Connected Vehicles From US Department Of Energy

15.06.2021

elektropunjač — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (CHUTTERSNAP)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Marc Heckner)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $200 million in funding over the next five years for electric vehicles, batteries, and connected vehicles projects at DOE national labs and new DOE partnerships to support electric vehicles innovation.

“We’re focusing on the entire battery supply chain from soup to nuts — from sustainable mining and processing to manufacturing and recycling — which will translate to thousands of new jobs across the country and put more clean-running electric vehicles on the road,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Kelly Speakes-Backman. “We want to establish global leadership at each level of the supply chain, and I am so excited for the possibilities.”

The $200 million in funding to national labs, subject to appropriations, seeks to make electric vehicle innovations in order to decarbonize the transportation sector, the top source for greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The funding is open to DOE’s network of 17 national laboratories and is administered by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office.

This funding compliments VTO’s funding opportunity of $62 million for reducing emissions and increasing efficiencies for on- and off-road vehicles, announced in April 2021. Projects will require applicants to submit a plan for achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives, including support for people from underrepresented groups in STEM, advancing equity within the project team, and producing benefits for underserved communities.

Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the funding at a roundtable discussion on strengthening the domestic advanced battery supply chain, which followed recommendations from the recently released National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021–2030.

Advanced, lithium-based batteries play an integral role in 21^st century technologies such as electric vehicles, stationary grid storage, and defense applications that will be critical to securing America’s clean energy future. Today, the U.S. relies heavily on importing advanced battery components from abroad, exposing the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities that threaten to disrupt the availability and cost of these technologies, as well as the workforce that manufactures them.

The blueprint, developed by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB), underscores the need for strong collaboration across the federal government, U.S. academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial stakeholders, and international allies.

DOE’s efforts to strengthen the domestic lithium battery supply chain will also support the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC). The ESGC is a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.

Source: Clean Technica

Three Ways the US can Act on the Plastic Waste Crisis and Protect our Oceans

14.06.2021

ptica voda zagađenje bird water pollution — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Tim Mossholder)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Brian Yurasits)

An exorbitant amount of plastic waste continues to plague our oceans, threatening marine life and the people who depend on these waters for their livelihoods. An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic enters our oceans each year—the equivalent of at least a dump truck per minute.

Despite the dire scope of this crisis, the growing momentum to address it is promising. Over 757.000 people have signed WWF‘s fight against plastic pollution. More and more companies are making large-scale commitments to eliminate unnecessary plastic and make their plastic reusable, recyclable or compostable. And 76 countries launched a declaration calling for a United Nations globally binding treaty to address plastic pollution.

And while we need everyone to be a part of the plastic waste solution, some actions weigh more than others. Right now, all eyes are on the United States, where the actions we take in the year ahead can have a profound influence on the course of the plastic waste crisis.

Americans account for only 5 percent of the world’s population yet create half of the globe’s solid waste. As one of the top producers and users of plastic worldwide, we recycle only a mere 9 percent of it. That means over 90 percent of the plastic we use—even if it is recyclable—ends up incinerated, landfilled, or polluting nature.

With this challenge comes an immense opportunity to fix our broken systems so that the plastic we make is sustainable and not going to waste. Unlocking this potential will take political leadership, which is why we are calling for the US to push policy solutions forward in three concrete areas:

1. Calling for environmental justice

In the US, we need policies that prioritize community protections and lift the voices of those afflicted by the environmental impact of plastic production. We must also push to ensure that, no matter where you live, the environment surrounding you is free from pollution and mismanaged waste.

You can help. Tell the Biden administration to support the inclusion of principles for environmental justice executive actions.

2. Strengthening recycling by putting the responsibility on producers

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jakob Owens)

A big fixture in the broken plastic system today is recycling—or lack thereof.

To ensure that what goes into our blue bins actually ends up recycled and used again, we need to disrupt business-as-usual and shift to a system in which the producers of plastic help pay for it.

And all Americans must have equal and straightforward access to the recycling system in a way that will work for every community. This change is a critical lever for driving the circular economies—those aimed at eliminating waste and pollution and keeping existing products and materials in use—we need to help turn off the tap of pollution leaking into nature.

We can make this possible through a national public policy approach called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR aims to eliminate plastic waste by putting the burden of the proper disposal of products on the producers.

We need public policy to bring EPR to life. Y ou can support this effort by signing on to tell Congress to enact the Break Free From Plastic Act.

3. Supporting international leadership

While we can act locally to address plastic pollution, the crisis transcends borders. Every single country must be part of the solution. We need a united global response to the plastic pollution crisis, with the world’s governments taking accountability. The US is no exception and should play an active role in the development and signing of a UN treaty on plastic pollution.

Help us get to a million signatures for a binding global international treaty HERE.

Source: WWF

Autonomous Electric Boats To Begin Trials On Amsterdam Canals

13.06.2021

Amsterdam_Holandija — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Adrien Olichon)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Steven Lasry)

When it comes to reducing the number of vehicles on its roads, Amsterdam has a method that not many other cities can offer — taking to the canals. The city has been using its waterways for transport since long before the internal combustion engine even existed.

Back in 2016, MIT and the Netherlands’ Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) announced a new collaboration that would provide a cleaner, safer option for water transport in the city — a self-driving electric boat dubbed the Roboat. Now that project is reaching fruition, with trials of the futuristic boat concept about to start.

A new slewing crane has been erected at Marineterrein Amsterdam which allows for the first full-scale prototype of the Roboat to be tested, and is a precursor to further trials with the electric boat in other parts of the city.

Roboats are autonomous vehicles without human drivers on board. They have four thrusters that are powered by an electric battery and will travel at a speed or around 4 mph (6 kph). Depending on the type of battery and the cargo load, the Roboat will be able to run for between 12 and 24 hours.

Steering is managed remotely by a computer which uses cameras and sensors to scan the area around the vessel to detect moving and stationary objects. Roboats are also modular in design, meaning they can adapted for different use cases such as carrying workers or cargo.

There are a broad number of use cases planned for the Roboats, such as passenger transport, refuse collection, and food delivery. Even though the first trials are currently underway, it will be a little while before the boats become commonplace on the waterways. Developers have stated that it will take between two and four years before the self-steering technology is perfected.

Mechatronics engineer Rens Doornbusch clarified this cautious approach: “It’s mostly because we want to be absolutely sure that we can navigate safely in the canals. Right now we have the autonomy in place, but one of the next steps is to make sure that we can actually handle any kind of situation that we might encounter in the canals.”

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: Clean Technica

Clean Seas Campaign Promotes the Right to a Healthy Environment, Including Plastic-Free Oceans

12.06.2021

plastika-voda — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Naja Bertolt)

On World Oceans Day 2021, UNEP’s Clean Seas Campaign renews its global efforts to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution, now with a focus on how individuals can use both national and international laws to push for change.

The campaign aims to break humanity’s addiction to unnecessary and avoidable plastic, nearly 11 million tonnes of which end up in the ocean annually. It was launched by UNEP in 2017 to help curb the flow of marine litter and plastic waste entering lakes, waterways, and oceans. Since then, 62 member States – covering 60 percent of the world’s coastlines – have joined the campaign with ambitious pledges and commitments.

The right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is legally recognized in 155 countries. Actions to protect oceans and seas must include a human rights-based approach, according to UNEP’s recent report: Neglected: Environmental Justice Impacts of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution. The actions should also build upon the obligations and responsibilities of governments and businesses under international environmental law and human rights instruments.

The Clean Seas Campaign is calling on citizens across the world to reduce their plastic footprint and speak up for their right to a healthy environment, including pollution-free oceans using the hashtags #BeatPlasticPollution for #CleanSeas.

A growing tide of pollution

Oceans produce at least 50 percent of the planet’s oxygen, are home to most of earth’s biodiversity and provide the main source of protein for more than a billion people. They also underpin the global economy. Marine ecosystem services provide more than 60 percent of the economic value of the global biosphere and 590 million people rely on marine fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods.

But, plastic pollution is posing an existential threat to marine ecosystems.

Much of the plastic originates on land and winds its way into the oceans through rivers and sewage systems. The impact on human and animal health has been worrisome – up to 90 percent of sea birds are being found with plastic in their guts, and microplastic has been found in the placentas of unborn babies.

“Marine litter, especially plastic, could be the biggest threat to our oceans,” said Lefteris Arapakis, founder of a sustainable fishing school in Greece, and UNEP Young Champion of the Earth for 2020.

“By breaking down to microplastics, they enter the food chain while killing marine life. Marine plastic is causing irreparable damage to economies, especially in the tourism and fishing sectors,” he said.

Rights-based approach to the environment

UNEP’s ‘Neglected’ report found that the poor and marginalized are deeply impacted by marine litter and plastic pollution, threatening the full and effective enjoyment of all human rights including the rights to life, water and sanitation, food, health, housing, culture, and development.

In recent years, human rights have played a central role in advocacy on climate change, with people turning to courts to fight for their right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

UNEP and the Clean Seas Campaign are pursuing their work in this field, making the link between the right to a healthy environment and how safe, plastic-free oceans will contribute towards its realization.

The campaign against marine litter and plastic pollution

Starting on World Environment Day 2021, individuals, groups, governments, businesses and organizations can also join forces in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.

Over the course of the next year, the Clean Seas Campaign aims to highlight innovative steps that governments, businesses, civil society and individuals are taking to reduce plastic waste and to prevent it from entering the marine environment while building on their obligations and duties in environmental and human rights law.

“It’s our hope that politicians cannot but appreciate the resolve from several actors to turn the tide on plastic and come together in a global action,” said Leticia Carvalho, Head of Marine and Freshwater at UNEP.

The Clean Seas Campaign is part of UNEP’s broader work on plastic pollution. In 2018, UNEP joined forces with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on the Global Commitment to the New Plastics Economy. The agreement unites private and public sector leaders to pursue circular economies around plastics. This would involve new products and business models, as well as enhanced recycling and composting systems. To date, it has 500 signatories, including plastics producers, financial institutions and governments.

Source: UNEP

Secretariat Receives High-Level Delegation from Montenegro

11.06.2021

Director Kopač and Deputy Director Buschle held a working meeting with State Secretary responsible for Energy, Marko Perunović, and representatives of state-owned power utility “Elektroprivreda” Crne Gore (EPCG), Chairman of the Board of Directors, Milutin Djukanović, and Generation Manager, Bojan Djordan, at the premises of the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna.

The meeting focused on Montenegro’s progress in reforming its energy sector in line with the country’s obligations under the Energy Community Treaty.

The Secretariat welcomed Montenegro’s commitment to the energy transition and the adoption of a National Energy and Climate Plan and a coal phase-out timeline. The Secretariat urged Montenegro to respect the Large Combustion Plants Directive’s opt-out timeline for the thermal power plant (TPP) Pljevlja, the subject of an infringement procedure. The Montenegrin delegation explained the planned roadmap for the reconstruction of TPP Pljevlja, which envisages emission standards compliance in 2023 and the reasons for delay.

The Secretariat agreed to extend its assistance to Montenegro, in particular with respect to the development of the missing secondary legislation for renewables, environmental impact assessment for hydropower projects in Komarnica and Krusevo, and social and environmental impacts of the transition at local level in Pljevlja.

Source: Energy Community

South African Companies Now Allowed To Generate Up To 100 MW Without Applying For Generation License

11.06.2021

solar-panel-zgrada-grad-city — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has just announced that the threshold for companies to produce their own electricity without a licence will now be increased from the current 1 MW to 100 MW. Generation projects will still need to obtain a grid connection permit to ensure that they meet all of the requirements for grid compliance.

In a surprise but very welcome move, the new threshold, which had previously been set at 10 MW in the Draft Schedule 2 to the Electricity Act, will catalyze private sector investment into the electricity sector. This move will go a long way in relieving pressure on Eskom and the government and is the quickest route to plugging the country’s massive deficit in the electricity generation sector.

South Africa’s current installed generation capacity is about 50 GW, made up of mostly old coal plants. Just yesterday, Eskom, the national utility company, announced it was implementing Stage 4 load-shedding to manage the generation shortfall on the day. Eskom’s load-shedding program is structured in “Stages” where Eskom sheds a certain quantum of load from the grid to stabilize the grid.

So, depending on the severity of the crisis, load-shedding is implemented in stages from Stage 1 to Stage 8, where Stage 1 sheds 1000 MW of load from the grid and in a Stage 8 scenario, Eskom takes out 8,000 MW of load from the grid. Load-shedding is implemented over 2-hour or 4-hour blocks on a rotational basis depending on the severity of the crises. Stage 8, however means most consumers will experience a blackout for about 12 hours. As of yesterday, breakdowns at Eskom’s plants in total were adding up to a massive 15,087 MW! A further 1,273 MW was out of service for planned maintenance.

The process of obtaining a generation license for PV plants above 1 MW for the commercial and industrial segment had been a long and complicated one, slowing town the adoption of solar by large energy consumers. The new threshold removes this burden and opens up a huge segment in the solar industry. Large factories such as large cement factories, data centers, mines, shopping malls, and universities can now build their own power plants to compliment what they currently get from the grid.

Source: Clean technica

Tourism Stakeholders Invited to Share Progress on Climate Action

10.06.2021

landscape-voda-priroda-reka — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Lea Kobal)

UNWTO is inviting public and private stakeholders from around the world to take part in a Global Survey of Climate Action in Tourism and help identify frontrunning initiatives and opportunities to accelerate climate action in tourism.

Launched on World Environment Day, the survey aims to support the ongoing efforts of the sector to reduce its environmental impacts and carbon emissions, as well as to strengthen its capacity to adapt to a changing climate.

In May, the Tourism Ministers of the G20 nations stressed the need to rethink tourism and shape a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive sector. They also committed to take action and to promote such a green transformation. The UNWTO Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy, welcomed by the G20 Tourism Ministers, highlighted the need to transform tourism operations for climate action. Otherwise, emissions from global tourism could rise by at least 25 percent by 2030, as estimated in the latest research carried out by UNWTO and ITF.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “The pandemic and its impact on tourism, jobs and revenues, offers an unprecedented reminder of the need to rebalance our relationship with people, planet and prosperity. The green transformation of the sector is needed, not just for the planet, but also for tourism itself, boosting competitiveness and increasing resilience.”

The Global Survey is part of the preparations for the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 and the results will be presented in November 2021 in Glasgow. It has been developed within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme.

The survey is open until 15 July 2021 and destinations, businesses and tourism associations are all invited to take part.

Please find more information on the survey here.

Source: World Tourism Organization

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