US Targets 30,000 Megawatts Of Offshore Wind, and How We Get There

06.04.2021

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Shaun Dakin)

The Biden administration has just set a goal of 30.000 megawatts of US offshore wind by 2030. and that’s got me thinking about the pieces that need to come together to make that possible. And there sure are a lot of them. The good news is that there’s positive movement with a whole lot of those pieces.

In terms of what it’ll take to get to 30.000 megawatts (MW) as fast as possible, here’s what I’m thinking about: Robust demand for those clean electrons. A solid leasing and permitting process to allow good project proposals to proceed. Solid infrastructure to get parts, people, and power where they need to be. Continued technological innovation for even greater affordability and efficiency. And an approach that does right by people from start to finish.

The Biden administration’s effort is a multi-pronged push to “jumpstart” offshore wind in the US, with the push at the federal level involving the Departments of Interior, Energy, Commerce, and Transportation, plus members of the administration’s climate team. That’s important.

But there’s also a whole lot that needs to happen at local and regional levels, and a lot that already is. Here’s how things look in a few key areas.

Demand for offshore wind: States in the lead

Surprising to say, but demand is increasingly seeming like the easy part of all this, thanks to incredible state leadership. Starting with commitments like Massachusetts’s in 2016. (1.600 MW of offshore wind by 2030.), states have been outdoing each other over and over to attract offshore wind. They’re doing that for not just the megawatt-hours of clean electricity that offshore wind offers, but all the job creation, economic development, and increasingly attractive prices that come with it. (And there’s this breaking news: a new Massachusetts climate law ups that state’s offshore wind target yet again.)

The 30.000 MW in the new Biden plan are approximately what state commitments — statutory requirements, actual contracts, or both — add up to. But getting all that offshore wind installed by 2030. will require even faster progress than envisioned in some of those states.

The where and how: Offshore wind leasing and permitting

Part of getting there quickly and sensibly is making sure we have well thought-out places to put the turbines. The administration’s announcement includes a commitment to move toward identifying a new offshore wind leasing area in the waters off Long Island and New Jersey, to help in meeting the Tri-State area’s clean power needs.

Another piece is making sure that proposed projects are well designed, and avoid, minimize, and compensate for (in that order) harms. The federal government’s role in that includes conducting timely and thorough environmental reviews, and we were encouraged by the release earlier this month of the final environmental impact statement for the first large-scale US offshore wind farm, and progress in reviewing a second.

This week’s announcement includes the next steps in the environmental review of the next big offshore wind project in the queue, an expectation of starting the reviews of up to 10 more this year, and 16 completed reviews by 2025. It also mentions protecting biodiversity and “partnering with industry on data-sharing … to fill gaps in ocean science areas.”

Offshore wind infrastructure: If we build it, they will come

Part of creating a welcoming environment for offshore wind is getting the infrastructure in place, and there are lots of dimensions to that.

Offshore wind is big. Port infrastructure investment is an important piece, since offshore wind turbines involve a lot of very large components (nacelles, blades, tower sections, foundation) that need staging room onshore. States have been preparing through investments and upgrades, as in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia.
Big turbines need big ships.Or at least special/“purpose-built” ones, to do the hauling and installing. And a federal law, the century-old Jones Act, means we need US-built ships for that. Fortunately, progress on that is underway.
Power needs transmission.Getting the offshore wind power where it’s going involves collecting the electricity in a central location within a wind farm and getting it to shore—no mean feat. But it also involves making sure that the land-based components of the state or regional electricity grid can handle the power across the existing grid.

There’s also the tantalizing prospect of manufacturing. US-made components may start with pieces like the foundations and cabling, but there’s a lot of value in fabricating the big components close to project sites once the scale of activity is large enough.

Source: CleanTechnica

White Paper on the Future of Weather and Climate Forecasting

06.04.2021

thunder-nevreme-munja-grom — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The advancement of our ability to predict the weather and climate has been the core aspiration of a global community of scientists and practitioners, in the almost 150 years of international cooperation in meteorology and related Earth system sciences.

The demand for weather and climate forecast information in support of critical decision-making has grown rapidly during the last decade and will increase even faster in the coming years. The generation and provision of these services has been revolutionized by supercomputers, satellite and remote sensing technology, smart mobile devices. A growing share in these innovations has come from the private sector. At the same time progress has been hampered by persisting holes in the basic observing system.

In a new White Paper on the Future of Weather and Climate Forecasting, 30 leading experts from the research, operations and education fields therefore analyse the challenges and opportunities and set directions and recommendations for the future.

“Undoubtedly, the 2020s will bring significant changes to the weather, climate and water community: on the one hand through rapid advancement of science and technology, and on the other hand through a swiftly changing landscape of stakeholders with evolving capabilities and roles,” writes WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“Such changes will affect the way weather and climate forecasts are produced and used,” he says.

While National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in all 193 WMO Members are still the public entities designated by governments to provide meteorological and related services, many other providers have entered the weather forecasting business in recent decades, including intergovernmental organizations like ECMWF, private sector companies and academic institutions.

This profound change into multi-stakeholder delivery of weather and climate services is driven by several factors such as: rapidly growing demand for such services from public and private sectors; the open data policy of many public agencies and the technological advancement and affordable solutions for service delivery; and the improved skill of the forecasts, which raises demand and user confidence. As a result, there is now a new era of weather and climate services with many new challenges and opportunities.

In June 2019, WMO launched the Open Consultative Platform (OCP), Partnership and Innovation for the Next Generation of Weather and Climate Intelligence, embracing a community-wide approach with participation of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as academia and civil society. The new White Paper is an output of this consultative platform.

“The White Paper is based on the concept of a weather and climate innovation cycle which is determined to advance prediction services with the aim to improve public safety, quality of life, protect the environment, safeguard economic productivity. This applies across all domains, weather, climate, oceans, hydrology and the land surface, and time span of decisions from minutes and hours, through to weeks, months and even years ahead.” Says Dr Gilbert Brunet, Chair of the WMO Scientific Advisory Panel and lead author and coordinator of the group of prominent scientists and experts worldwide who contributed to the White Paper.

“With appropriate investment in science and technology, and through better PPE, the weather and climate enterprise will meet the increasing stakeholder and customer demands for tailored and seamless weather and climate forecasts. Such improvements will provide significant value to all nations. This paper makes the case that in many ways the PPE will accelerate the desired bridging of the capacity gap in weather and climate service needed for developing countries,” said Dr Brunet.

The White Paper traces the development of the weather enterprise and examines challenges and opportunities in the coming decade. It examines three overarching components of the innovation cycle: infrastructure, research and development, and operation.

Chapters include:

1. Infrastructure for forecasting (observational and high-performance ecosystems; advances through public-private engagement)

2. Science and technology driving advancement of numerical prediction (numerical Earth-system and weather-to-climate prediction; high-resolution global ensembles; quality and diversity of models; innovation through artificial intelligence and machine learning; leveraging through public–private engagement.

3. Operational forecasting: from global to local and urban prediction (computational challenges and cloud technology; verification and quality assurance; further automation of post-processing systems and the evolving role of human forecasters; leveraging through public–private engagement).

4. Acquiring value through weather and climate services (user perspective; forecasts for decision support; bridging between high-impact weather and climate services; education and training).

“The decade 2021–2030 will be the decisive period for realization of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Most of these goals have links with the changing environment – climate change, water resources and extreme events,” he said.

“The desired outcomes in all areas require enhanced resilience, which is also the main call of the WMO Vision 2030. The advances expected in weather forecasting and climate prediction during this decade will support those ambitious goals by enabling a next generation of weather and climate services that help people, businesses and governments to better mitigate risks, reduce losses, and materialize opportunities from the new intelligence of highly accurate and reliable forecasts and predictions,” says the concluding chapter of the White Paper.

Source: WMO

What Does the World Gain When We Protect Tigers?

05.04.2021

tiger-3264048_1920 tigar — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Tigers are one of the world’s most recognized animals. Throughout history they can be seen in cultural traditions across Asia, as well as in brand images and logos the world over. But while they might be omnipresent across our cultural landscape, their actual existence in the wild has been dramatically reduced to only a few pockets of their historical range. Wild tigers are now found in just 10 countries, their historical range shrunk by over 95 percent.

If tigers completely disappeared, we’d be losing so much more than an iconic species…

Protecting water sources for millions of people

Tiger habitats overlap nine of Asia’s most important watersheds which supply water to more than 800 million people. Protecting these tiger forests is the most cost-effective way to prevent droughts, reduce flooding, and limit the impacts of climate change.

Protected Areas are proven to reduce deforestation and across Asia tigers are the driving force behind creating and effectively managing protected areas. For example, India recently declared its 51^st Tiger Reserve, Srivilliputhur Megamalai, in southern India and this new protected area will safeguard more than 1.000 square kilometers of key river habitat.

Lose tigers, and lose entire forests

Here in Cambodia, where I photographed the country’s last wild tiger in November 2007. tiger spirits were used by indigenous communities to help regulate the management of forests and wildlife. Harvesting of valuable plants was only permitted in certain times of the year and only after the tiger spirits had been appeased. Failure to adhere would result in wild tigers stalking you in the forest. However, with the extinction of the tiger the spirits have vanished, and the forests become an open free-for-all.

Protecting tigers also protects a multitude of other species

Tiger-protected areas save much of Asia’s amazing wildlife. Take, for example, India’s Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam where tiger populations are increasing. In addition to tigers the grasslands and forests of Manas Tiger Reserve support the only viable global population of the world’s smallest, and rarest pig –pygmy hog – and, my personal favorite, the Bengal florican.

This critically endangered gamebird, which I studied for my doctorate, finds a mate with an elaborate display involving males shooting themselves into the sky before plummeting down kicking their legs as if riding a bicycle. Without tigers, these and many more species would not be as well protected.

A cultural and spiritual icon for millions

There are plenty of examples of mythical animals, such as the unicorn, and extinct creatures, like the dodo and dinosaurs, which remain part of international consciousness. Tigers are a global phenomenon, but unless conservation is successful, they will only be known in zoos or in cultural media. A world without tigers would be economically and spiritually a much poorer place. Let us continue focusing our efforts towards doubling wild tigers and ensuring that this species does not become a vanished cultural icon.

Source: WWF

Author: Tom Gray

What’s So Important About Mini-Grids?

04.04.2021

solar_panels_india_solarni_paneli_indija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Science in HD)

To power a drill, run a lathe, turn a mill or work a pump, a thriving business needs electricity. Without it, the work must be done by hand.

Six hundred million people living on the continent of Africa lack access to energy. These 600 million people need electricity to light their homes and to run their businesses.

In places where the national transmission grid does not reach or only provides an intermittent or irregular supply of electricity, manufacturers must rely on manual labour or use a diesel-powered generator to provide electricity.

The former limits productivity, while the latter pollutes the air, overheats the climate and is subject to fluctuating global oil prices.

And this is where mini-grids are coming to the rescue.

A mini-grid is a set of small-scale electricity generators interconnected to a distribution network that supplies electricity to a small, localized group of customers. It usually operates independently from the national transmission grid.

Renewable energy mini-grids, powered by solar, wind or hydro, are emerging as the superstars of energy access, particularly in rural areas, where they have become a viable option for providing reliable and high-quality electricity to rural populations and businesses.

In total, 47 million people worldwide are already connected to 19,000 mini-grids, of which more than 2,500 are operational clean-energy mini-grids (ESMAP, 2019).

But around 180.000 additional mini-grids need to be built to supply electricity to 440 million people across the world if the overarching objective of universal access to electricity by 2030. (ESMAP, 2019.) is to be achieved. The World Bank estimates that there is a need for over 140.000 mini-grids in Africa.

What are the obstacles that prevent mini-grids from reaching scale and how can policymakers help to smooth the way for greater uptake?

To propel mini-grids to even greater heights, and realize their potential, the United Nation’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), along with its partners the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE); the African Development Bank (AfDB); the Green MiniGrid Help Desk; and the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA); and INENSUS, recently launched a new mini-grid policy guide, to help policymakers achieve the most cost-effective way to achieve rural and last mile electrification.

The Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide helps policymakers – particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa- to navigate the renewable mini-grid market, providing them with tools and recommendations on how to approach policies and regulations in this space.

Helping to bridge the mini-grid policy shortfall

Speaking on the challenges associated with the large-scale deployment of mini-grids in rural areas, Aaron Leopold CEO of AMDA, explained that although mini-grids are a mature technology that provide high quality energy, they are often located in remote areas, which “presents some challenges from a policy, business and logistical perspective.”

David Lecoque, CEO of ARE noted that “their business models are quite different to many independent power producers.” Correspondingly, he argued “there is an enormous gap between what is needed in terms of delivery and what is currently possible in terms of governance, which shows the extremely urgent need for new thinking and approaches to policy and regulation across the continent.”

Explaining the objectives of the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide, Rana Ghoneim, who coordinated UNIDO’s contribution to the publication, explained that “the policy guide takes a decision-makers’ perspective on the options, trade-offs and benefits of different approaches a country might take to designing the policies. The guide also provides a number of templates for contracts and agreements, which can be used as references by policymakers when seeking to tailor such documents for their respective markets.”

Ghoneim further explained that the guide presents policymakers with a set of key recommendations on how to approach policies and regulations for a decentralized infrastructure market such as mini-grids– this- she emphasized would “require important and sometimes significant changes to how governments approach their energy policies and electrification planning.”

Getting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track

Speaking on the lost ground towards the SDGs caused by the global pandemic, Ghoneim conceded that it was likely that momentum towards attaining the Goals had been shifted to focus on addressing the immediate impacts of the pandemic, but now with less than a decade to go, tools such as the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide were now more important than ever as “around a dozen of the SDGs require universal energy access as a prerequisite for their success”.

“Every tool in policymakers’ arsenal should be dedicated to addressing the clean energy deficit.” Ghoneim said. Thus, the Clean Energy Mini-Grid Policy Development Guide will be “an essential, ‘gold standard’ instrument for policymakers seeking to integrate mini-grids in their country’s grid, and once the worst of the pandemic is over, to kick-start their economies and even surpass where they were prior to this point in time.”

Source: UNIDO

New WHO-IUCN Expert Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions

03.04.2021

salt-harvesting-poljoprivreda — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Leading experts engaged in the science-policy interface of public health, biodiversity, and climate change will collaborate in an innovative initiative led by the WHO and IUCN to help guide decision makers toward a healthier, greener and more sustainable future as they navigate the challenges of the post-COVID-19 era.

Based on the strong premise that many of the solutions to the common environmental and public health threats that we face can only be found through iterative, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, the working group will catalyse the development of coherent and inclusive, evidence-based policies that promote a healthy recovery, help prevent future health risks associated with ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change, and chart a common path toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The World Health Organization (WHO), through its Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health (ECH), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) network are establishing a new expert working group (EWG) on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions. This initiative builds upon and expands the scope of work carried out by the Inter-agency Liaison Group on biodiversity and health, co-chaired by WHO and the Convention on Biological Diversity between 2015 and 2020.

The EWG will develop guidance and tools to support the operationalization of One Health approaches and Nature-based Solutions by: (1) identifying co-benefits and trade-offs for human and ecosystem health, (2) strengthening social and ecological resilience and (3) supporting a healthy, green and just recovery from COVID-19.

The EWG will aim to catalyze health sector leadership, while ensuring cross-sectoral policy alignment, coordination and coherence across international policy processes. It will focus on embedding ecosystem health, biodiversity and climate change in One Health policies, plans and projects, and driving knowledge exchange on the environmental and social determinants of health. The group will also seek to systematically integrate health co-benefits in the development, design and implementation of Nature-based Solutions to climate change.

The work of the EWG will:

1. Examine the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, climate and (infectious and noncommunicable) disease emergence, with a view to maximizing health co-benefits of sustainable ecosystem management and restoration.

2. Assess the role of environmental, social and economic determinants of health and develop tools to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration, policy coherence and the operationalization of the One Health Approach;

3. Mainstream health and biodiversity to support a transition toward sustainable and healthy food systems in ways that also support: dietary diversity; the sustainable management and use of biodiversity in agriculture, fisheries and forestry ecosystems; regenerative agriculture practices; crop diversity and sustainable harvesting practices; sustainable fisheries; sustainable management of livestock, wildlife, terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems; climate change adaptation and mitigation; and the interactions between these drivers, responses, and outcomes;

4. Examine the contribution of biodiversity and green and blue infrastructure to support the creation of health-promoting environments and improve mental and physical health outcomes in both rural and urban areas, including the development and implementation of Nature-based climate Solutions focused on health co-benefits;

5. Evaluate climate change as a cross-cutting driver and amplifier of ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and ill health, and developing policy guidance to maximize the health co-benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The first meeting of the EWG will be convened in April 2021. Meetings of the EWG will be complemented by consultation and briefing sessions with WHO and IUCN partners and constituencies to review the findings, further drive cross-sectoral leadership, engage across communities of practice, and mutually support capacity-building and advocacy efforts.

Source: WHO

North Macedonia’s Electricity Producer ESM Commits to Internal Carbon Pricing

02.04.2021

electricity-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

North Macedonia’s state-owned electricity producer Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM) has expressed its intent to design and implement an internal mechanism to price carbon emissions of its plants and operators by the end of 2021 with the support of the Energy Community Secretariat. The carbon price will be incorporated in all investment decisions and its level based on the market price set under the EU Emission Trading Scheme.

Director Kopač said: “I sincerely commend ESM for being the first electricity company in the Energy Community Contracting Parties to commit itself to introduce internal carbon pricing. Voluntary bottom-up initiatives such as this one will allow us to actively accelerate the transition to a climate sustainable energy sector. By putting a price on carbon, ESM will be able to identify low carbon, low risk investment opportunities without having to wait for mandatory legislation to kick in.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ESM Vasko Kovačevski said: “De-risking our business against imminent carbon pricing legislation and gradually reducing our carbon footprint is an obligation that we have to our shareholders, customers and employees. I am proud that ESM will spearhead the introduction of internal carbon pricing in the Energy Community.”

Following the recommendations of the Secretariat’s Study on Carbon Pricing Design, which emphasized the gradual introduction of carbon pricing as the most optimal approach for the power sector, the Secretariat has invited all electricity generators in the Energy Community Contracting Parties to design and implement internal carbon pricing with its support.

Source: Energy Community

Volkswagen’s European Factories Up To 95 Percent Powered By Renewables

02.04.2021

In 2020. Volkswagen Group increased the share of renewables powering its European factories from 80 percent to 95 percent (year over year/YoY), and 10 of its factories became 100 percent renewably powered. The target is for them to reach 100 percent renewable power by 2023.

In China, Volkswagen Group increased the share of renewables powering its factories from 76 percent to 91 percent.

In total, eight production sites within the EU and two further sites outside the EU were completely converted to external supply with electricity from renewable energies in 2020. The three largest sites were the Audi plants in Győr, Hungary, and Neckarsulm, Germany, and the Volkswagen plant in Palmela, Portugal. Plants operated by Bugatti, Skoda, SITECH, MAN Truck&Bus and MAN Energy Solutions also converted to 100 percent renewable electricity in 2020.

The sites concerned are located in seven countries: Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Austria, Mexico and the USA. This year, additional sites will be converted, including the SITECH sites in Germany and the MAN site in Oberhausen.

Globally, Volkswagen Group has much further to go, but its share of renewables is still quite high relative to other businesses. A full 46 percent of the conglomerate’s energy came from renewables globally in 2020. That was up 5 percentage points from 2019. when it was at 41 percent.

However, not all is rainbows and sunshine. Volkswagen thought this was something it should highlight in its press release: “Volkswagen is also paying particular attention to converting its own electricity generation. For example, the two coal-fired power plant units at the Wolfsburg production site will be completely converted to natural gas by 2022. From 2023. this will reduce CO₂ emissions by 60 percent.”

Natural gas leaks like an ice cream cone with the bottom bitten off. Its climate benefits are widely viewed as overhyped and unrealistic. Why is Volkswagen wasting time converting coal plants to natural gas? It’s 2021. not 2011.

Nonetheless, the use of more renewables is real and is having an effect. “The increased share of renewable energies used to supply production helped to significantly reduce the Group’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. compared with 2019. – by 14 percent and 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂.”

Volkswagen Group Board Member Oliver Blume, head of production, also noted: “The transformation of the Volkswagen Group into a CO₂-neutral company has gained momentum. In this context, supplying our plants with renewable electricity is an important part of the overall decarbonization strategy. We are consistently implementing our plans together with all brands and regions, and in 2020. we have already come very close to the target lines that we actually only marked for 2023. and 2030. That’s an encouraging milestone. However, we are not resting on our laurels. The energy transition in production also includes an ambitious conversion of the power supply at the Chinese production sites. In addition, we also want to further reduce greenhouse gases in our in-house electricity production.”

Good luck to Volkswagen Group getting more renewables worked into its electricity supply every day. This is a critical step in solving the climate conundrum, and it’s something Volkswagen again seems to want to truly lead on. I look forward to seeing updates in 2022. and 2023. showing how far the company has gotten increasing its overall renewable energy share from 46 percent to something closer to 100 percent.

Source: CleanTechnica

EBRD Will Help Kazakhstan Achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2060

01.04.2021

windpark_vetropark_india_indija — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Omkar Jadhav)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jonny Clow)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Kazakhstan have agreed to develop a long-term cooperation strategy to achieve carbon neutrality of the country’s power sector by 2060. The accord will further cement Kazakhstan’s status as a regional renewable energy leader in Central Asia.

The roadmap for the decarbonisation strategy was signed by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Nurlan Nogayev and by EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso during her first visit to Central Asia’s largest state.

The EBRD and Kazakhstan will cooperate, among other things, on the development of renewable energy and the carbon market, the enhancement of the electrical grid and the decommissioning of old thermal capacity. The Bank is committed to financing renewable energy projects implemented through an auction mechanism in order to promote competitive pricing and to stimulate investment in renewable energy.

The EBRD President said: “We are pleased to help Kazakhstan develop its energy sector in line with the global decarbonisation agenda. Our partnership in the area of sustainable energy began over a decade ago and, based on the country’s achievements to date, Kazakhstan is right on track to achieve the new ambitious target of carbon neutrality.”

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy added: “Longstanding cooperation with the EBRD is helping us achieve our development goals in the energy sector. Jointly, we search for innovative solutions to enable the sector’s sustainable development and this is an important foundation for our present and future work. Today’s memorandum will shape our cooperation for years to come.”

The EBRD remains a committed supporter of the country’s renewable energy drive, with 14 projects worth USD 535 million financed to date. In 2020 alone, and despite the Covid-19 pandemic’s effect on the economy, the EBRD allocated USD 53 million to supporting the construction of a 100 MW wind farm near the city of Zhanatas and a 76 MW solar power plant in the Karaganda region.

To date, the EBRD has invested more than EUR 8.13 billion in the economy of Kazakhstan through 280 projects. Support for small businesses is particularly important and is in line with the EBRD’s country strategy for Kazakhstan.

Source: EBRD

Energy Goals Set, Green Results are Expected

31.03.2021

Renewable energy sources, environmental protection, and the pursuit of climate change mitigation have long been global goals, the achievement of which should lead to a new, significantly different concept of life on our planet. On the way to a sustainable organization of the economy and society as a whole, there are obstacles, and how Serbia plans to solve some of these problems and what are the plans for the transition to green energy and more comprehensive environmental protection, we spoke with Jovanka Atanacković, State Secretary for Green Energy in the Ministry of Mining and Energy.

EP: The Ministry formed the Sector for Green Energy. When do you expect the adoption of the National Plan for Climate and Energy expected?

Jovanka Atanacković: Considering the global policies related to the energy transition, it is necessary that Serbia resolutely dedicates the use of green energy and development in areas of energy. That is why the Sector for Green Energy has been formed within the Ministry and the administrative capacities for the big job that awaits us have been strengthened. We have already started with the reform of the regulatory framework and the creation of conditions for more intensive investment in this area. The Working Group for drafting the first special law on renewable energy sources was established, and it will regulate this very complex area. Next year, the Ministry’s main focus in the field of green energy will be the adoption of the Law on Renewable Energy Sources, which will lay the foundations for the transition to green energy and more dynamic use of renewable energy sources. The development of an integrated national plan for climate and energy will define Serbia’s goals by 2030 in three areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will also be a great challenge. This plan will concretize measures and activities, including projects in the field of renewable energy sources, which should position the Serbian economy and energy on the European and world market as a sustainable economy that produces goods and services with the greatest possible use of renewable sources. Also, all the procedures will be digitized.

EP: What are the plans for solving the problem of air pollution?

Jovanka Atanacković: By signing the Declaration on the Green Agenda in November this year, the Republic of Serbia expressed its readiness to decarbonize the electricity sector and to create public policy documents for the period until 2050, with clearly defined goals until 2030, in such a way as to achieve the goals. Decarbonization of the electricity sector will reduce all forms of pollution. Subsidies for financing energy efficiency technologies in the households are already available under credit lines for financing green GEFF- Green Energy Financing Facility. This credit line is part of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) program. The program envisages financing on the Western Balkans markets, and the total amount of the credit line is 85 million euros. Within this credit line, subsidies in the amount of 15 to 20 percent of costs are envisaged. We also plan to reform the system of financing and implementation of projects in the field of energy efficiency by allocating the Energy Efficiency Fund, which will be filled not only with money from the budget but also from international financial institutions, to, among other things, support citizens to replace their windows and doors because we are aware that they cannot do it alone. Our goal is to raise energy efficiency through savings in households, but also public buildings.

In focus:

EP: In its report for last year, the Energy Community states that Serbia has made the most progress in energy efficiency. What are the plans for further progress in this field?

Jovanka Atanacković: Serbia continuously since 2013 and since the adoption of the Law on the efficient use of energy transposes and implements legislation in energy efficiency. Energy efficiency regulations are largely in line with European Union directives. As the EU regulations in this area have been significantly changed in the last two years, the Ministry is working on adopting the New Law on Efficient Use of Energy to fully harmonise with the currently valid EU regulations. It will be especially important that the new Law will enable the application of Eco Design requirements, which will prevent the placing on the market of products that are not sufficiently energy efficient. We expect the new rules on energy labeling of products in the coming period because these labels for certain products in the EU have been amended. At the end of 2020, a new Public Call for Improving Energy Efficiency in Local Self-Government Units was announced, which will be financed by the Budget Fund for Improving Energy Efficiency in 2021. It is expected that the funds of around 250 million dinars will be allocated to the Local Self-Government Units through a public invitation.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sungrow Emea)

EP: Serbia has great potential for energy supply from renewable energy sources (RES). What has been achieved in this area, and what are the plans?

Jovanka Atanacković: Serbia indeed has significant potential in this area, and more importantly, the technically usable potential of RES is variable and can be increased. It depends on various factors. For example, the potential for electricity production from the sun and wind depends on the power system’s ability to accept that energy. By developing the electricity network, we increase the potential for the use of renewable energy sources. Biomass potential can be increased if fast-growing energy crops are planted in a planned and targeted manner, or if the collection of biodegradable waste, which is also considered a renewable energy source, is encouraged. Perhaps one of the most important results in the previous period is the acquired trust of investors in the legal system of the Republic of Serbia, who invested their money in RES and thus sent a good signal to other potential investors that Serbia is a favorable destination for investment in the energy sector. In relation to the goals until 2020, the most has been achieved in the electricity sector. So far, 265 power plants with a total capacity of 500 MW have been built, and another 300 MW is expected to be built in the coming period. The reason for that is that a regulatory framework has been created in this sector that encourages the construction of power plants that use RES, the so-called model feed-in tariff. This model was introduced following the example of other EU countries in which, as in Serbia, they gave excellent results. There was no obligation in the heat sector in the previous period to use a certain share of RES in heating plants. Experience in EU countries has shown that without introducing binding targets in certain sectors, ambitious targets in this area are not achieved. Hence, the new RES Directive, the so-called RED II (Renewable Energy Directive), envisages introducing a mandatory share of RES in heating plants. The new regulations will create conditions for greater “greening” of the heat and transport sectors.

Interview by: Milica Radičević

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

Four Rivers And Wetlands We Love, And Can’t Afford To Lose

31.03.2021

prairie-river-reka — Foto ilustracija: Pixabay

Water means different things to different people. For some, it nourishes livelihoods and drives local economies and for others it’s a source of recreation and reflection. Water is valued for a variety of reasons, but the common thread throughout is that it is essential for all life on Earth.

All water sources are precious, and rivers are no exception. In fact, an estimated 2 billion people around the world rely directly on rivers for their drinking water and fisheries from inland waters provide livelihoods for approximately 60 million.

Beyond the value they provide for humans, with the river flows nutrients and sediments that sustain incredible biodiversity. Those rivers that are free-flowing are the freshwater equivalent to wilderness areas but sadly over two-thirds of rivers are impeded by dams and deltas are disappearing due to lack of sediment.

This World Water Day, we’re celebrating 4 rivers and wetlands that we love, and cannot afford to lose.

The Mekong River

Flowing for nearly 3.000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau through six different countries all the way to the South China Sea, the Mekong River is the world’s 10th longest river. Not only does its basin host extraordinary wildlife, including the critically endangered Irrawaddy river dolphin, but it also hosts the largest and most productive freshwater fishery in the world. Supporting critical ecosystem goods and services for tens of millions of people, the catch from this fishery accounts for up to 25 percent of global freshwater catch.

But the development of additional river-fragmenting dams in the lower Mekong threatens the benefits that it still delivers. Poorly placed dams can have negative impacts on nature and people up and down-stream of a dam’s location. In this case, additional dams on the lower Mekong are anticipated to severely impact the fishery and the downstream Mekong Delta. In 2020. the Cambodian government took a proactive step in safeguarding the Mekong river and the communities and wildlife that depend on it by abandoning plans to build the Sambor hydropower dam and putting a 10-year moratorium on any new dams on the Mekong mainstem.

The Pantanal

Not a river, but the world’s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal spans over 42 million acres across three South American countries. Wetlands only cover 6 percent of the Earth’s land surface, but they are disappearing faster than forests.

But the Pantanal still stands as a spectacular wildlife refuge, home to iconic species such as jaguars and capybaras, and as a critical source of livelihoods for local communities and water for distant cities.

However, despite its significance, less than 5 percent of the Pantanal is currently protected; around 95 percent is under private ownership. In recent years, expansive development—roads, hydroelectric dams, large-scale mines, and cattle ranching, to name a few—has threatened the Pantanal and has begun to change the dynamics of the wetlands.

A shared resource brings shared benefits, and shared solutions are needed when problems arise. In 2018. Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, the three countries that share this ecosystem, made a shared commitment to sustaining the Pantanal when they signed a landmark trilateral agreement known as the Pantanal Declaration. In this agreement, the three countries commit to work together to protect the Pantanal through efforts to reduce pollution, strengthen water governance, and expand scientific knowledge, while ensuring the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Amazon River

The most biologically diverse place on Earth, the Amazon biome hosts four of the ten largest free-flowing rivers in the world, including the

Amazon River, a close second to the Nile River as the world’s longest. With its hundreds of tributaries and streams, the Amazon River flows for more than 4.000 miles across 10 South American countries, supporting the more than 30 million people living in the region who depend on its resources.

The Amazon River contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world—more than 3.000 with more being discovered every

year—but fish aren’t the only residents of this natural wonder. The Amazon river dolphin is characterized by its pale pink color and acts as a great indicator of overall river health. The healthier the population of dolphins, the healthier the river ecosystem. But when that population is in decline, it’s an indication of a problem for much more than just the dolphins.

The Amazon River is under threat from hydropower dams that block migration, and from mercury pollution from gold mining, a threat to fish, dolphins, and people. WWF works with governments to advocate for a basin-wide approach to hydropower planning that identifies the rivers with the highest conservation value so that development can be steered away from them.

The Luangwa River

The natural ebbs and flows of the Luangwa River in Southern Africa provide much more than drinking water for the communities and wildlife that depend on it. Simon Mwanza, a farmer who lives with his family along the riverbank, has synced his crop rotation with the seasonal rhythms of the river. The rainy season brings high tides that flood Mwanza’s gardens, leaving behind rich nutrients that fertilize the soil and feed his crops. And when the river retreats, it leaves behind temporary watering holes that draw wildlife—lions, elephants, hippos, and more—that in turn draw tourists, supporting the local economy.

In 2019. following a campaign run by local communities and conservationists, the Zambian government announced its decision to halt plans to construct a hydropower dam across the Luangwa, keeping the river free-flowing. This is a win for both people and nature, but the Luangwa river basin still faces other threats—including deforestation for charcoal—so there is still work for us to do to safeguard this extraordinary river.

Join our Freshwater Force today to find out how you can help safeguard these vital rivers and wetlands.

Source: WWF

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

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