Back in the Saddle

03.06.2020

bike_bicycle_bicikl — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Travis Yewell)

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited our movement and activities. Recreational sports around the world have been thrown into a deep freeze, shuttering everything from tennis clubs to weekend football leagues.

But one diversion that remains pandemic-approved: cycling. The World Health Organization has recommended it both as a mode of transport and as a way of staying healthy during the global crisis.

With World Bicycle Day set for 3 June 2020, now is a good time to take stock of the benefits of the bicycle both for staying healthy and as a sustainable mode of transport during (and after) the global crisis.

Many governments are looking for ways to ease lockdown measures while providing recreational opportunities to people living in cities. With the current need to maintain physical distances, bicycle use has gained popularity and filled the gap left by limitations on public transport.

Bikes are an affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally friendly means of transportation and are being recognized as a key component of post COVID-19 ‘green recovery’. The Municipality of Milan for example, will transform 35 kilometers of streets into cycling and walking space as restrictions are lifted.

Cycling contributes to healthy, livable cities as it not only prevents pollution, but also keeps people physically active.

This World Bicycle Day, the UN encourages governments to improve road safety and better integrate the needs of cyclists into the design of transport infrastructure. Measures to safeguard pedestrians and cyclists are a key part of building the urban spaces of tomorrow.

UNEP’s Share the Road Programme helps governments and stakeholders in developing countries to move away from prioritizing the car-driving minority and towards investing in infrastructure for the majority: those who walk and cycle. Millions of people around the world use a bicycle as their primary means of transportation, either as choice riders or captive riders. For the latter, it is essential that their needs are better incorporated into policy and transport infrastructure investments.

World Bicycle Day is a celebration of this instrument of zero emissions mobility and connectivity. It is an opportunity to come together to maximize the potential of the bicycle.

Source: UNEP

Renewables Increasingly Beat Even Cheapest Coal Competitors on Cost

03.06.2020

solar_panels_solarni_paneli_solar_energy_solarna_energija — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proenca)

Renewable power is increasingly cheaper than any new electricity capacity based on fossil fuels, a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published yesterday finds. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2019 shows that more than half of the renewable capacity added in 2019 achieved lower power costs than the cheapest new coal plants.

The report highlights that new renewable power generation projects now increasingly undercut existing coal-fired plants. On average, new solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind power cost less than keeping many existing coal plants in operation, and auction results show this trend accelerating – reinforcing the case to phase-out coal entirely. Next year, up to 1 200 gigawatts (GW) of existing coal capacity could cost more to operate than the cost of new utility-scale solar PV, the report shows.

Replacing the costliest 500 GW of coal with solar PV and onshore wind next year would cut power system costs by up to USD 23 billion every year and reduce annual emissions by around 1.8 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO2), equivalent to 5% of total global CO2 emissions in 2019. It would also yield an investment stimulus of USD 940 billion, which is equal to around 1% of global GDP.

“We have reached an important turning point in the energy transition. The case for new and much of the existing coal power generation, is both environmentally and economically unjustifiable,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA. “Renewable energy is increasingly the cheapest source of new electricity, offering tremendous potential to stimulate the global economy and get people back to work. Renewable investments are stable, cost-effective and attractive offering consistent and predictable returns while delivering benefits to the wider economy.

“A global recovery strategy must be a green strategy,” La Camera added. “Renewables offer a way to align short-term policy action with medium- and long-term energy and climate goals. Renewables must be the backbone of national efforts to restart economies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. With the right policies in place, falling renewable power costs, can shift markets and contribute greatly towards a green recovery.”

Renewable electricity costs have fallen sharply over the past decade, driven by improving technologies, economies of scale, increasingly competitive supply chains and growing developer experience. Since 2010, utility-scale solar PV power has shown the sharpest cost decline at 82%, followed by concentrating solar power (CSP) at 47%, onshore wind at 39% and offshore wind at 29%.

Costs for solar and wind power technologies also continued to fall year-on-year. Electricity costs from utility-scale solar PV fell 13% in 2019, reaching a global average of 6.8 cents (USD 0.068) per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Onshore and offshore wind both declined about 9%, reaching USD 0.053/kWh and USD 0.115/kWh, respectively.

Recent auctions and power purchase agreements (PPAs) show the downward trend continuing for new projects are commissioned in 2020 and beyond. Solar PV prices based on competitive procurement could average USD 0.039/kWh for projects commissioned in 2021, down 42% compared to 2019 and more than one-fifth less than the cheapest fossil-fuel competitor namely coal-fired plants. Record-low auction prices for solar PV in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), Chile, Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru and Saudi Arabia confirm that values as low as USD 0.03/kWh are already possible.

For the first time, IRENA’s annual report also looks at investment value in relation to falling generation costs. The same amount of money invested in renewable power today produces more new capacity than it would have a decade ago. In 2019, twice as much renewable power generation capacity was commissioned than in 2010 but required only 18% more investment.

Read the full report Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2019

See the interactive infographic on How Falling Costs Make Renewables a Cost-effective Investment

Source: IRENA

Come Rain or Shine May the CEEFOR-ce Be With You

03.06.2020

mačka_radijator_stan — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Gaelle Marcel)

According to the Institute for Energy Research, demand for fossil fuels globally skyrocketed during 2018, triggering a consequent increase in carbon dioxide emissions, despite the significant share of renewables in the planet’s energy mix. Increased demand for energy is attributed, among other things, to weather conditions that forced the population from different parts of the world to rely more on heating and cooling the premises. Coal, oil and gas certainly have their eco-friendly alternatives heating the space during the winter days – and at the same time its cooling during summer

For users who want to save both their own financial resources and the environment from the negative impact, heat pumps are an excellent option. They work on the principle of “reverse refrigerator” and they “extract” the accumulated heat from air, groundwater or soil, and increase it. That way, a large amount of energy of relatively low-temperature becomes high-temperature energy.

The main advantage of heat pumps over the competition in the market for heating and cooling appliances is that the facilities equipped with heat pumps receive much more energy compared to the costs. The system is powered by electricity and generates between 3.5 and 6 kW of thermal energy per kilowatt consumed.

Investment costs for heat pumps

We contacted the experts of the partner company CEEFOR (Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development) asking how much it would cost us to heat and cool a 60 m2 house or apartment with a heat pump. They explained that in this situation, the most appropriate choice would be an air-to-water heat pump since water-to-water and ground-to-water are more suitable for larger buildings – private houses.

The price of the recommended 9 kW heat pump is approximately € 1,700 in our country. With the cost of installing a heat pump, installing underfloor heating and installing a hot water system and air conditioning, the total investment would reach 7,000 euros.

The heat pump recommended to us, according to the engineers’ calculations, would generate 3.5 kW of thermal energy per each kilowatt consumed.

The payback period depends on the energy class of the household, as well as the way it was previously heated.

The company engineers calculated your annual heating costs during a heating season of 180 days if you live in an average isolated home already of previously mentioned square footage. It mostly depends on current costs how much it pays off to install a heat pump.

The fastest return on investment for a heat pump installation will be achieved by those households that are heated with propane-butane gas and electricity, considering the current situation in the market. In eight or thirteen years they will be “in the black”. There is also a possibility of shortening the repayment period of the investment – the heat pump installation through programming device operation during the lower tariff – 0.04 €/kWh. In this case, the total amount of your bills in the heating season will be 102.86 €. The payback period will be shortened to 7 years if you use propane-butane gas for heating, or 11 years if you use electricity.

However, as other energy sources skyrocket as well, it is a matter of time before our table in attachment becomes “outdated” – and your repayment period if you use pellets for heating, for example, shortens drastically.

In focus:

Other benefits of heat pumps

Of course, saving is just one of the motives for the energy transition of households, so additional benefits of heat pumps should not be neglected.

Quiet, fully automated and easy to operate, depending on the regime, they can be used both for heating and cooling, and their use in hot water preparation is increasingly being represented.

On top of that, maintenance is unnecessary. Manufacturers emphasise that by introducing heat pumps smoke, ash, heating with wood or coal, as well as “leakage” and condensation on boilers, will sink into oblivion. There are no worries and additional expenses for connection, meters and tanks, and before winter, there is no need to stock up on any energy product. They have a long-life expectancy.

With the application of adequate energy efficiency measures, the usefulness of heat pumps is further increased.

They also have a positive effect on air quality, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50 per cent over petroleum-based heating.

Prepared by: Jelena Kozbasic

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

Good Health is an Environmental Right

01.06.2020

health_zdravlje_kid_dete_girl_devojčica — Photo-illustation: Pixabay

The COVID-19 crisis is a reminder of the intimate relationship between humans, animals and the environment.

There are several human rights related to the environment- these are our environmental rights. Without clean, safe, healthy and sustainable ecosystems, numerous human rights cannot be fulfilled. The right to health; in addition to being a universally recognized human right, is intertwined with ecosystem health. Good health is a human and environmental right.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that if we want our ecosystems to take care of us, we need to take care of them. On average, one new infectious disease emerges in humans every four months- 75 percent of these infections emanate from animals. These zoonotic diseases can spill over to humans when we destroy habitats and trade illegally in wildlife, increasing our exposure to pathogens.

Zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 are one of the many ways in which the environment impacts human health.

Air pollution, for instance, kills over 6 million people each year. Airborne pollutants from cookstoves, coal-fired power plants, vehicles, industries, wildfires, and dust storms cause a significant portion of global deaths from strokes, lung cancer, heart attacks and respiratory diseases. Air pollution has been shown to exacerbate COVID-19 deaths.

Every day, 4,000 children die from diseases caused by polluted water and inadequate sanitation, whilst toxins present in crops and livestock can accumulate in human bodies if ingested. Freshwater, marine, coastal, land and soil resources are devastated by pollution from municipal, industrial and agricultural waste; wastewater and nutrient run-off; power generation; heavy industry; and automobiles. This harm to natural resources subsequently adversely impacts public health.

Humans use over 100,000 different chemical elements and compounds including lead, mercury, cadmium and persistent organic pollutants. If not managed properly, chemicals can severely harm human health, causing acute poisoning, cancers, birth defects, neurological disorders, hormone disruption and other illnesses.

Whilst pollution has decreased during the ongoing pandemic, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), warned against viewing this as an environmental win. “Visible, positive impacts are but temporary, because they come on the back of tragic economic slowdown and human distress,” she said.

Confinement is not a solution to the world’s environmental problems: sustainable consumption and production is.

Along with scaling up sustainable consumption and production, and turning to nature-based solutions, the world’s COVID-19 recovery plan should incorporate a rights-based approach to tackle pollution. By using a human rights perspective to decide, apply and evaluate plans and activities, we can beat pollution whilst we re-build following the COVID-19 crisis. Fulfilling the human rights obligations related to the environment ensures that people and planet thrive as one.

Since environmental and human health are mutually reinforcing, relaxing environmental governance undermines efforts to counter the current pandemic. Bolstering and defending our economies is a priority in these debilitating times, reducing environmental protections is ultimately counter-productive to bettering public health.

By promoting sound management of hazardous medical and chemical waste, encouraging global stewardship of nature and biodiversity, UNEP is committed to supporting countries through the COVID-19 crisis and into a resilient and sustainable future as laid out by the Sustainable Development Goals. Promoting the realisation of environmental rights is an important part of this work.

Source: UNEP

How a Lagoon Became a Frontline Defence Against Climate Change

01.06.2020

When Albert Pati moved closer to the sea to open a beach bar overlooking the Mediterranean in Albania, he never imagined that the sea would also be moving closer to him, now eroding the soil around his restaurant floor.

Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, families and businesses around the Adriatic Sea were faced with a serious threat. One of the countries hardest-hit by coastal erosion in Europe, almost a third of Albania’s 427 km coastline is being eroded by violent waves. And the challenge is accelerating at an alarming speed due to climate-induced storm surges and rising sea levels.

“One time I was driving my children to school when the sea came in front of me and flooded the car,” explains Pati. “If the coast is not protected, then God save us.”

In Lezha District, where Pati’s business operates, nuclear bunkers built in the 70s during Albania’s communist era are now lost under the sea, the barely perceptible roofs only just emerging above water.

“The damages have been extraordinary,” laments Pati. “Our fishing deck was completely wiped out in a storm. But who to complain to about these things?”

COVID-19 came as a second blow. Prior to the outbreak, tourism contributed 15 percent of Albania’s GDP, employing more than 90,000 people. But with travel having ground to a halt for nearly two months, tourism in Lezha district has been severely impacted.

Nature provides solutions

To adapt to the changing climate in Lezha District, the government of Albania is turning to a solution as old as the sea itself: Nature.

Covering around 4,000 hectares, the Kune-Vain Lagoon system is a biodiversity wonder, home to around 200 bird species, and an ecological corridor for birds on their migration routes. BirdLife International designated the region an ‘Important Bird Area’ of global significance.

The lagoon doesn’t only serve wildlife, but also people, by acting as a natural barrier against coastal erosion, protecting towns and villages– like Pati’s – from flooding.

Walking along a narrow aisle of sand dune – the sea on one side and the lagoon on the other – Pati explains: “Where we stand now is a protection for the villages and for the town, because if water covers this ground, the sea will get to the inner part of the lagoon and flow into the town.”

If this roughly 30-metre-wide corridor of sand succumbs to erosion, the lagoon will vanish and there will be nothing to stop the sea destroying the coast.

With support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the government of Albania is now reforesting and replanting 2,000 metres along this strip of sand dune. By restoring the vegetation, the project seeks to bind together the soil, strengthening the lagoon’s ability to withstand erosion. The restoration activities are selecting indigenous tree species that are both flood and salt tolerant to ensure long-term survival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ateupQpGGgE

Ecosystem-based adaptation

This approach of using natural solutions to withstand the impacts of climate change is known as ecosystem-based adaptation – in essence, look after nature and it will look after you.

“Ecosystem-based adaptation protects people from climate change, but also gives space for nature to breathe,” says Atifa Kassam, UNEP’s Programme Officer for the restoration project. “Citizens from all over Albania come to see the Kune-Vain Lagoon. By harnessing the lagoon to help people be resilient to climate change, we can preserve the vital ecotourism industry that keeps nearby towns afloat.”

With over 90 percent of lockdown measures imposed by the Albanian government to prevent the spread of coronavirus now eased, taking measures like this to protect local tourism as it recovers is critical.

Ecosystem-based adaptation approaches to flooding are also often cheaper than concrete options like seawalls. A study of 52 different sites found that coastal habitats were two to five times more cost-effective at lowering wave heights than engineered structures.

Custodians of nature

The GEF-backed project is training local communities and Albanian government staff on ecosystem-based adaptation, improving the capacity of policymakers to address climate change by using nature. It is also engaging students through hands-on learning, and facilitating studies of PhD and Masters students as they analyse the impacts of the ecosystem-based adaptation at Kune-Vain Lagoon.

The approach is also taking root locally.

At his beach bar, Pati points to the trees he’s planted on his private land to protect it from storms. “I’ve chosen this tree because it’s very strong and resistant,” he says, pointing to a tree that botanists call fraxinus ornus. “It grows easily and isn’t harmed by insects.”

Source: UNEP

COVID-19 Intensifies the Urgency to Expand Sustainable Energy Solutions Worldwide

29.05.2020

Despite accelerated progress over the past decade, the world will fall short of ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030 unless efforts are scaled up significantly, reveals the new Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report released recently by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the report, significant progress had been made on various aspects of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis. This includes a notable reduction in the number of people worldwide lacking access to electricity, strong uptake of renewable energy for electricity generation, and improvements in energy efficiency. Despite these advances, global efforts remain insufficient to reach the key targets of SDG 7 by 2030.

“Renewable energy is key to achieving SDG 7 and building resilient, equitable and sustainable economies in a post COVID-19 world. Now more than ever is the time for bold international cooperation to bridge the energy access gap and place sustainable energy at the heart of economic stimulus and recovery measures. IRENA is committed to scale up action with its global membership and partners to channel investment and guide policy intervention in pursuit of sustainable development for all humankind,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 789 million in 2018, however, under policies that were either in place or planned before the start of the COVID-19 crisis, an estimated 620 million people would still lack access in 2030, 85 percent of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. SDG 7 calls for universal energy access by 2030.

Other important elements of the goal also continue to be off track. Almost 3 billion people remained without access to clean cooking in 2017, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Largely stagnant progress since 2010 leads to millions of deaths each year from breathing cooking smoke. The share of renewable energy in the global energy mix is only inching up gradually, despite the rapid growth of wind and solar power in electricity generation. An acceleration of renewables across all sectors is required to move closer to reaching the SDG 7 target, with advances in heating and transport currently lagging far behind their potential. Following strong progress on global energy efficiency between 2015 and 2016, the pace has slackened. The rate of improvement needs to speed up dramatically, from 1.7 percent in 2017 to at least 3 percent in coming years.

Accelerating the pace of progress in all regions and sectors will require stronger political commitment, long-term energy planning, increased public and private financing, and adequate policy and fiscal incentives to spur faster deployment of new technologies An increased emphasis on “leaving no one behind” is required, given the large proportion of the population without access in remote, rural, poorer and vulnerable communities. The 2020 report introduces tracking on a new indicator, 7.A.1, on international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy. Although total flows have doubled since 2010, reaching $21.4 billion in 2017, only 12 percent reached the least-developed countries, which are the furthest from achieving the various SDG 7 targets.

The five custodian agencies of the report were designated by the UN Statistical Commission to compile and verify country data, along with regional and global aggregates, in relation to the progress in achieving the SDG 7 goals. The report presents policymakers and development partners with global, regional and country-level data to inform decisions and identify priorities for a sustainable recovery from COVID-19 that scales up affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. This collaborative work highlights once more the importance of reliable data to inform policy-making as well as the opportunity to enhance data quality through international cooperation to further strengthen national capacities. The report has been transmitted by SDG 7 custodian agencies to the United Nations Secretary-General to inform the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s annual review.

Key highlights on SDG7 targets

Please note that the report’s findings are based on international compilations of official national-level data up to 2018 while also drawing on analysis of recent trends and policies related to SDG 7 targets.

Access to electricity: Since 2010, more than a billion people have gained access to electricity. As a result, 90 percent of the planet’s population was connected in 2018. Yet 789 million people still live without electricity and despite accelerated progress in recent years, the SDG target of universal access by 2030 appears unlikely to be met, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic seriously disrupts electrification efforts. Regional disparities persist. Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia are approaching universal access but Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind, accounting for 70 percent of the global deficit. Several large access-deficit countries in the region have electrification growth rates that are not keeping up with population growth. Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have the largest deficits, with 85 million and 68 million unelectrified people, respectively. India has the third largest deficit with 64 million unelectrified people, although its rate of electrification outpaces population growth. Among the 20 countries with the largest access deficits, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda showed the greatest improvement since 2010, thanks to annual electrification growth rates in excess of 3.5 percentage points, driven largely by a comprehensive approach that combined grid, mini grid and off-grid solar electrification.

Clean cooking: Almost three billion people remained without access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, residing mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the 2010 to 2018 period, progress has remained largely stagnant, with the rate of increase in access to clean cooking even decelerating since 2012 in some countries, falling behind population growth. The top 20 countries lacking access to clean cooking accounted for 82 percent of the global population without access between 2014 and 2018. This lack of clean cooking access continues to have serious gender, health, and climate consequences that affect not only the achievement of SDG target 7.1, but also the progress towards several other related SDGs. Under current and planned policies, 2.3 billion people would still be deprived of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in 2030. The COVID 19 pandemic is likely to swell the toll of prolonged exposure of women and children to household air pollution caused by mainly using raw coal, kerosene or traditional uses of biomass for cooking. Without prompt action, the world will fall short of the universal cooking access goal by almost 30 percent. Greater access to clean cooking was achieved largely in two regions of Asia. From 2010 to 2018, in Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia the numbers of people lacking access fell from one billion to 0.8 billion. Central Asia and Southern Asia also saw improved access to clean cooking, in these regions the number of people without access dropped from 1.11 billion to 1.0 billion.

Renewables: The share of renewables in the global energy mix reached 17.3 percent of final energy consumption in 2017, up from 17.2 percent in 2016 and 16.3 percent in 2010. Renewables consumption (+2.5 percent in 2017) is growing faster than global energy consumption (+1.8 percent in 2017), continuing a trend in evidence since 2011. Most of the growth in renewables has occurred in the electricity sector, thanks to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power that has been enabled by sustained policy support and falling costs. Meanwhile, the use of renewables in heating and transport is lagging. An acceleration of renewables across all sectors will be needed to achieve SDG target 7.2. The full impact of the COVID-19 crisis on renewables is yet to become clear. Disruption to supply chains and other areas risks delaying deployments of wind and solar PV. The growth of electricity generation from renewables appears to have slowed down as a result of the pandemic, according to the available data. But they so far appear to be holding up much better than other major fuels such as coal and natural gas.

Energy efficiency: Global primary energy intensity – an important indicator of how heavily the world’s economic activity uses energy – improved by 1.7 percent in 2017. That is better than the 1.3 percent average rate of progress between 1990 and 2010 but still well below the original target rate of 2.6 percent and a marked slowdown from the previous two years. Specific metrics on energy intensity in different sectors indicate that improvements have been fastest in the industry and passenger transport sectors, exceeding 2 percent since 2010. In the services and residential sectors, they have averaged between 1.5 percent and 2 percent. Freight transport and agriculture have lagged slightly behind. Achieving SDG target 7.3 for energy efficiency will require the overall pace of improvement to accelerate significantly to around 3 percent a year between 2017 and 2030. But preliminary estimates suggest that the rate remained well below that level in 2018 and 2019, making an even more substantial increase in the coming years necessary to reach the SDG 7 target.

International financial flows: International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy doubled since 2010, reaching $21.4 billion in 2017. These flows mask important disparities with only 12 percent of flows in 2017 reaching those most in need (least developed countries and small island developing states). To accelerate renewable energy deployment in developing countries, there is a need for enhanced international cooperation that includes stronger public and private engagement, to drive an increase of financial flows to those most in need – even more so in a post-COVID-19 world.

This is the sixth edition of this report, formerly known as the Global Tracking Framework. The preparatory work of this year’s edition was chaired by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).

Source: IRENA

New Dates Agreed for COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference

29.05.2020

adam-marikar-7vJX8cIgLao-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Adam Marikar)

The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with the UK and its Italian partners, agreed yesterday new dates for the COP26 UN climate conference, which will now take place between 1 and 12 November 2021 in Glasgow.

The agreement followed consultation with UNFCCC members, delivery partners and the international climate community. The conference was originally set to take place in November 2020, but had been postponed due to COVID-19.

In the run up to November 2021, the UK as hosts will continue to work with all involved to increase climate action, build resilience and lower emissions. The new date will also allow the UK and its Italian partners to harness our incoming G7 and G20 presidencies in driving climate ambition.

The decision on the new date comes as the UK Government announces that over 25 experts in multiple global sectors will be advising the COP26 Presidency.

The Friends of COP bring expertise from countries across six continents, including France, Barbados, Chad, Australia, India and Peru. They will advise the UK Government and inspire action from their sectors ahead of the conference.

The Friends of COP include Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Action, Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

COP26 President and Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, said: “While we rightly focus on fighting the immediate crisis of the Coronavirus, we must not lose sight of the huge challenges of climate change. With the new dates for COP26 now agreed we are working with our international partners on an ambitious roadmap for global climate action between now and November 2021. The steps we take to rebuild our economies will have a profound impact on our societies’ future sustainability, resilience and wellbeing and COP26 can be a moment where the world unites behind a clean resilient recovery. Everyone will need to raise their ambitions to tackle climate change and the expertise of the Friends of COP will be important in helping boost climate action across the globe.”

Italian Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea Protection, Sergio Costa, said: “I am glad that consultations with Parties have made it possible to collectively and quickly agree new dates for COP26. The new dates mean the conference will be at a time when the Covid-19 tragedy will be behind us and we will be able to ensure inclusiveness, for us a fundamental prerequisite for an ambitious COP26 based on global commitment to action. Between now and November 2021 we will take advantage of every international opportunity to increase ambition and mobilization, also harnessing the G20 under the Italian Presidency and the G7 under the British Presidency.”

Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar, COP25 President and Minister of Environment of Chile said: “It is very important that we continue to push for climate action, and having quickly agreed on new dates for COP26 is a sign of this commitment. While the subsidiary body sessions (SB52) were also postponed 4-12 October 2020, the work of the Parties and stakeholders will continue through virtual meetings such as the upcoming ‘June Momentum’. The urgency with which governments and the way in which countries promote recovery from the post-COVID-19 crisis will directly affect the other serious global crisis we are experiencing: global warming and climate change crisis. That is why we will continue to strongly mobilize all actors. We need more ambition to reduce emissions, to build resilience and to cooperate with each other.”

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, said: “Our efforts to address climate change and COVID-19 are not mutually exclusive. If done right, the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis can steer us to a more inclusive and sustainable climate path. We honour those who we have lost by working with renewed commitment and continuing to demonstrate leadership and determination in addressing climate change, and building a safe, clean, just and resilient world.”

Source: Gov.uk

Opatija Will Host the Leading International Gas Conference in Southeast Europe

28.05.2020

pipeline_cevovod — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The jubilee 35th edition of the International Scientific & Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals will open its doors on the 21st of October, 2020 traditionally in Opatija, Croatia.

During three days of the event 600 delegates, representing more than 200 companies and institutions, 60 respected speakers, and 45 exhibitors from more than 20 countries will attend the event. Prominent gas event organized by Croatian Gas Association, member of the International Gas Union (IGU) and Croatian Gas Center Ltd. is under the high auspices of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Crafts, the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency.

The Conference will cover 12 thematic sessions, several interactive panel discussions, and a poster session on topics covering the entire natural gas chain, the application of new technologies, as well as key challenges that will determine the development of the natural gas market in the near future. The invited lectures will present the key environmental and economic role of natural gas as an integral part of a sustainable global energy system. The importance of natural gas as a geopolitical factor in the energy transition, the significance of strategic gas projects and the potential of natural gas to become the leading energy source in consumption in the world by 2050 will be emphasized.

In the second topic of the conference, the emphasis will be on the key policy recommendations to ensure a modern regulatory framework that is fit for the purpose to support the transition to a cost-efficient and carbon-neutral energy system. An important part of the upcoming event will be the presentation of several professional papers about the history, current development, and prospects of the future development of natural gas exploration and production projects in the Republic of Croatia.

The conference will show the current development and prospects of the future course of the strategic gas infrastructure development in Croatia and Europe, such as the construction of Zlobin-Omisalj, the new main gas pipeline that will provide the shipment of natural gas from the planned LNG terminal on the island of Krk to the transport system of the Republic of Croatia. More interesting presentations will present the application of smart technologies in gas and energy systems, innovations, and transfer of technologies and their role in the gas and energy industry. An interesting panel discussion on the current situation and trends of the natural gas market and future challenges will be held.

Due to the great interest of energy entities, an interesting workshop on the current topic of energy efficiency obligation scheme will be held as a part of the jubilee conference and will include an introductory presentation by an expert from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy and a panel discussion on the same topic.

Against the backdrop of the major shifts happening in energy markets dynamics, the workshop “Introduction to Fundamental Gas Modelling with PLEXOS” will focus on the European and regional gas supply and demand, drivers for emerging market changes (economic, technological and other) and will provide an insight into how these can be addressed with the adoption and use of PLEXOS Integrated Energy modelling platform in the region.

Since the great potential of expanding the use of natural gas is precisely in the transport sector, the conference will also discuss the importance and role of LNG in the road and maritime transport and green transport infrastructure and technology. Numerous experts will present papers on the issues of natural gas distribution and consumption from the point of view of efficiency and security of the gas system, as well as other current topics from the gas and energy industry. New developments in the legislation and technical regulations and rules of the profession for the safe and efficient use of gas and their practical application will be an important topic at the upcoming event. There will also be a poster session presenting the papers of experts from different energy sectors.

The Congress is involved in the Professional Ongoing Training Program of the Croatian Gas Association (CGA) and provides the participants with about 20 hours of professional lectures on topics related to gas, the energy industry, fundamentals of technical regulations, as well as thermo-engineering systems and facilities.

The conference will be followed by the gas equipment and technology exhibition which will bring together about 45 local and foreign exhibitors, mainly manufacturers and dealers of gas equipment, as well as many other renowned companies which will present their advanced technical solutions for the gas and energy industry.

Sponsorship of this established gas event provides a unique opportunity for companies to strengthen their position, show their expertise, and new technical solutions that are needed to overcome the challenges of the gas industry.

Targeted topics and reputable speakers represent a combination of science, education, profession, and business entities that actively participate in the gas industry.

Mobile application available before the opening ceremony and networking events in Opatija will secure enough time for interactive networking and new business opportunities.

SECURE YOUR PLACE ON TIME!

More information is available HERE and by phone at +385 (0) 6189-590/593.

Source: Croatian Gas Association

Green, Green Grass of Sombor

27.05.2020

Ulica_Kralja_Petra_Prvog_u_Somboru — Photo: Cabinet of Mayor of Sombor

It is not just the hackberries and yew trees that are the green symbol of Sombor given that the environmental standards and clean technology are also being more and more applied in the industry and communal life in this town. How far ahead the Sombor citizens are regarding the strategy of sustainable development and how it affects their life, as well as the Sombor’s tourism and economic potential, we are discussing with the Mayor of Sombor Dusanka Golubovic

Everyone who visits Sombor remembers this city by its greenery. Still, those who spend a little more time in the company of Somborians will realise that when it comes to lifestyle and environmental protection, the residents of this municipality think green. So does their city administration, led by the Mayor Dusanka Golubovic, from whom we learn firsthand what the priorities of this municipality are in terms of ecology, how to maintain the public order, as well as keep the water, land and air clean. Also, we learn the significance of the project of producing electricity from the wastewater, which is nearly being finalised, and what the expectations of the regional waste management centre are which is about to be built in Sombor.

EP: With the length of 120 kilometres of tree-lined alleys and more than 18,000 trees, they say, that Sombor is the greenest city in the country and Europe. Is that officially true?

Dusanka Golubovic: The data you provide is accurate, but unfortunately, there are no official records of the greenest city in Serbia. What we claim with certainty is that everyone who visits Sombor remembers our town by its greenery. The most common species of trees in the tree alleys is the honeysuckle, known among Somborians as bođoš, which was brought to our city as early as 1903. It was planted as a medium for combating dust, as its rugged leaf collects dust from the air, but also as a means for combating excess water since this terrain was once a wetland. For the same reason, the centuries-old yew survived here, besides the ones in Kalemegdan which are the only other ones still in existence in Serbia. Besides the hackberry and yew, there are significant numbers of maple, elm, birch, wild chestnut and other woody species in Sombor’s alleys and parks. Many trees are over a hundred years old and have reached their maximum lifespan, so they need to be rejuvenated. Over the last year alone, we have removed 493 trees and planted 952.

EP: Is that much greenery also followed by green standards in the environment, public order and the economy? Do you belong to a few local governments that have a strategy for improving the quality of the environment, and what are your priorities?

Dusanka Golubovic: The City of Sombor has a Sustainable Development Strategy for the period 2014-2020, and the creation of a new one is underway this year. It shows that the priority is a better quality of the environment, and it will be implemented through specific goals such as the reduction of harmful links between the environmental pressures and the health of the local population; the improvement of the ambient air quality; the effective management of the risks of endangering the human health and environmental pollution. Also, we have been performing the monitoring of the surface and groundwaters for many years now, since 2018, the monitoring of air quality, as well as the noise pollution monitoring, and earlier this year we adopted the regulations concerning the control of the soil. In accordance with the Air Protection Law, we have drawn up a short-term action plan for the air protection in Sombor’s territory for the period of 2020-2023, which has been forwarded to the Ministry of Environmental Protection for their approval. What we consider to be one of our principal activities is a regular education of school children to raise their awareness of the need for environmental protection

EP: Who are currently the biggest polluters in Sombor and how much are the green standards implemented in the business of the companies and manufacturers in your municipality?

Dusanka Golubovic: We are currently in the process of data collection for the year 2019, which will be published on the city’s official website probably after March 31st, which is a deadline for the polluters to submit their reports to the competent department of the City’s Administration. However, it can be said that in the City of Sombor, the biggest problem is the Veterinary Institution “Proteinka” with the emission of unpleasant odours that are sometimes felt throughout the city. The final solution of the “Proteinka” problem is what we all expect from the Ministry of Agriculture in the near future. On the other hand, we also have an example of good practice so we can mention the plant of the company “Agroplus”, which is the first bio-gas power plant built in West Backa district, which obtains biogas from manure and green waste. This company has built a facility based on German technology adjacent to their farm in Svetozar Miletic, where they obtained a singular production unit from which 1.2 MW of electricity is supplied to the Serbian power network. Besides, we have an announcement of an investor who already operates in our territory and who shares our opinion about the necessity of the introduction of solar sources for obtaining energy, that they are preparing for an investment in solar panels in a capacity that will exceed their needs. The surplus of the generated electricity will be available to the Serbian power network.

In focus:

EP: Not only are you the first and one of the few municipalities in Serbia that acquired a wastewater treatment plant, but you also announced last year that the electricity generation from the wastewater would be starting soon. Is this process completed?

Dusanka Golubovic: The Sombor’s PUC “Vodokanal” has a long tradition in the process of collection, drainage and treatment of wastewater. The first wastewater treatment plant was put into operation in 1964, while the wastewater treatment plant built in 1986 is still in operation today and has a much higher capacity. The purifier is developed based on a waterline (with a primary and secondary purification) and a sludge line, which is also composed of anaerobic conversion of biogas. The biogas from the plant has been used to heat the technological process and the buildings within the plant. To utilise the biogas completely, the plan is to use it to power the gas generator that is part of the IPA Serbia-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Project. From an economic point of view, we expect significant savings here.

In addition to the gas generator, the technical documentation for the project of the future solar power plant at the wastewater facility has also been prepared. By using renewable energy sources, “Vodokanal” will strive to achieve full energy independence at the wastewater facility in the future. The installation of the gas generator is the first stage in the process of obtaining electricity from biogas, and this phase has been completed. The second phase contemplates the use of new raw material in addition to the sewage sludge already in use, which is maize silage. The gas generator with the inlet basket has been entirely built with a new transformer station, and we foresee the construction of the switchgear which has been contracted. It represents the link between the wastewater treatment plant and the electricity buyer – EPS. The switchgear is planned to be completed by early summer.

Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

Read the whole Interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

Daily Global CO2 Emissions ‘Cut to 2006 Levels’ During Height of Coronavirus Crisis

26.05.2020

airplane_avion — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Global restrictions put in place COVID-19 pandemic saw carbon dioxide emissions fall to their lowest level since 2006.
The drop was highest in early April, when regions responsible for 89% of global emissions were under some form of lockdown.

The amount of CO2 being released by human activity each day fell by as much as 17% during the height of the coronavirus crisis in early April, a new study shows.

This means daily emissions temporarily fell to levels last seen in 2006, the study says. In the first four months of the year, it estimates that global emissions from burning fossil fuels and cement production were cut by 1,048m tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2), or 8.6%, compared with 2019 levels.

The research projects a decline of up to 2,729MtCO2 (7.5%) in 2020 as a whole, depending on how the crisis plays out. It is the first to have been through the peer-review process and is broadly in line with an early estimate for China published by Carbon Brief in February, as well as separate global estimates published last month by Carbon Brief and the International Energy Agency.

The study also marks the first-ever attempt to quantify CO2 emissions on a daily basis, for the world and for 69 individual countries, in close to real time. Until now, annual CO2 emissions data has typically been published months or even years later.

A publicly available daily estimate of global or national CO2 emissions would be “incredibly useful, particularly for motivating policy action and pressure”, another researcher tells Carbon Brief.

Coronavirus crisis

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world and seen the introduction of severe restrictions on movement in many countries.

These lockdowns have included “stay at home” orders, border closures and other measures that have had direct effects on the use of energy and, consequently, on the release of CO2 emissions.

As the crisis has unfolded, so too have attempts to quantify its impact on CO2 emissions. These efforts have been challenging, however, because real-time CO2 emissions data does not exist.

The annual emissions inventories that countries submit to the UN take years to compile – and even these are estimates rather than direct measurements.

Greenhouse gas emissions are estimated using a variety of methods, often based on “activity data”. This might be the number of miles being driven, the amount of electricity generated or even – in the case of nitrous oxide, which is used as a propellant – via cream consumption.

The study, published in Nature Climate Change, combines activity data for six sectors with a “confinement index” of lockdown measures in each country or region over time.

This allows for an estimate of changes in daily global CO2 emissions in January-April 2020, relative to the 100MtCO2 released on an average day in 2019.

During peak confinement in individual countries, daily CO2 emissions fell by 26% on average, the paper says. However, the size of this effect is reduced at a global level, because not all countries were under the most severe type of lockdown at the same time.

At the peak of the crisis in early April, regions responsible for 89% of daily CO2 emissions were under some form of lockdown, the paper says. Daily global CO2 emissions fell to 83MtCO2 (-17%, with a range of -11 to -25%) on 7 April, equivalent to levels last seen in 2006.

In a press release, lead author Prof Corinne Le Quéré, professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia’s Tyndall Centre (who will be a panelist at Carbon Brief’s webinar on 21 May), says: “Population confinement has led to drastic changes in energy use and CO2 emissions. These extreme decreases are likely to be temporary, however, as they do not reflect structural changes in the economic, transport, or energy systems.”

Daily data

In order to estimate daily global CO2 emissions, the researchers use a novel approach that combines sectoral activity data with a country-by-country confinement index.

The paper looks at six sectors, according to their share of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement. These are electricity and heat (44%); industry (22%); surface transport (20%); homes (6%); public buildings and commerce (4%); and aviation (3%).

Notably, this split highlights the limited potential for individual actions to radically reduce global emissions, in contrast to the societal choices that govern CO2 from electricity and industry.

The split in global CO2 emissions is then broken down further for each of 69 countries, 50 US states and 30 Chinese provinces, which account for 97% of the global total. This gives industrial CO2 emissions in Italy, for example, on an average day in 2019.

The paper then uses 669 datasets, covering each of these sectors over time, and classified according to the level of confinement in place at each point. For example, this might be daily reports on mobility, traffic and congestion to measure “activity” for surface transport.

The daily data is then adjusted to remove effects unrelated to coronavirus, such as the mild northern hemisphere winter or the day of the week.

Under the highest level of confinement, surface transport “activity” fell by 50% on average, the paper finds.

For electricity, the paper looks at total daily demand in Europe, the US and India, finding an average 15% reduction in demand under strict lockdown. In industry, the paper looks at daily coal use in China reported by Carbon Brief and weekly reports on steel production in the US.

For homes, the paper draws on figures from UK smart meters. And for aviation – the most strongly affected sector – it uses data on domestic and international departures around the world.

The analysis relies on relatively sparse information for industry, whereas activity levels in transport draw on a wider range of datasets.

Emissions estimates

The team then uses the average change in activity, for each sector and level of confinement, to build up an estimate of daily CO2 emissions around the world.

For example, on days when Turkey is under the strictest lockdown, the analysis assumes that its power-sector CO2 emissions would fall by 15% compared with the average in 2019 – and those from surface transport by 50%.

When Turkey shifts from “confinement index three”, the strictest controls, down to level two, its power-sector emissions would be 5% below usual levels and transport 40% lower. For each confinement level, the same percentage reductions are assumed to apply to all countries.

This approach means that the team only needed to know when each country, state or province changed its coronavirus lockdown from one “confinement level” to another, as well as the daily average level of CO2 emissions from each sector in 2019.

Putting all of these countries and lockdown levels together, the paper finds that the cut in daily global CO2 emissions peaked at -17% on 7 April, shown in the figure. Across the first four months of 2020, emissions fell by 1,048MtCO2 (8.6%), compared with 2019 levels.

Within this global total, the largest impacts were in China, where emissions fell by an estimated 242MtCO2 in the first four months of the year, followed by the US (-207MtCO2), Europe (-123MtCO2) and India (-98MtCO2).

Dr Glen Peters, research director at Norwegian climate institute Ci c ero and one of the study authors, tells Carbon Brief that while the approach was designed around the current crisis, the team has gathered the “raw material” to make daily CO2 estimates on an ongoing basis. He says: “We have discussed more ‘real-time’ estimates for sometime and there are many advantages. We are illustrating one advantage with our paper to see the consequences of particular policy interventions in near real time.”

But Peters notes that some of the daily data they used – the urban congestion index series from satnav maker TomTom, for example – is only being made publicly available during the current crisis and might be made private again in the future. He also asks whether daily data is truly needed, or whether weekly or even monthly estimates might be sufficient for scientists and policymakers.

Dr Hannah Ritchie, head of research at website Our World in Data and one of the reviewers of the new study, tells Carbon Brief: “I think daily CO2 estimates would be incredibly useful, particularly for motivating policy action and pressure…Climate change already has the classic long-termism problem, but this is exacerbated by the fact that we get a figure on CO2 emissions published once a year, as a marker of how each country is doing.”

If daily CO2 estimates were publicly available for all countries, it would become possible to actively track progress, she says, adding: “You can have a counter on the news, or an app or dashboard on your phone – just like we do with other metrics like stock markets.”

Alternative analyses

The research is not the first to analyse the CO2 impacts of the coronavirus crisis, although it is the first to have completed its passage through peer review.

Another paper, which is currently in review, also attempts to estimate daily global CO2 emissions in close to real time. This work finds the coronavirus crisis cut global emissions by -542MtCO2 below 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2020, similar to the -530MtCO2 figure from this paper.

In mid-February, Carbon Brief published an analysis showing that emissions in China were temporarily cut by 200MtCO2 (25%) over a four-week period, during the height of the restrictions. The new study finds that the cut in Chinese emissions peaked at 24%.

The research also includes estimates of the emissions impact in 2020 as a whole, based on three scenarios for the length of lockdowns around the world. These entail CO2 emissions falling by between -4% and -8%, depending on how the crisis plays out. This range is consistent with estimates published in April by Carbon Brief (-6%) and the International Energy Agency (-8%).

Source: WEF

The State of the World’s Forests: Forests, Biodiversity and People

25.05.2020

forest_walking_šuma_šetnja — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

As the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 comes to a close and countries prepare to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, this edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Forests cover just over 30 percent of the global land area, yet they provide habitat for the vast majority of the terrestrial plant and animal species known to science. Unfortunately, forests and the biodiversity they contain continue to be under threat from actions to convert the land to agriculture or unsustainable levels of exploitation, much of it illegal.

The State of the World’s Forests 2020 assesses progress to date in meeting global targets and goals related to forest biodiversity and examines the effectiveness of policies, actions and approaches, in terms of both conservation and sustainable development outcomes. A series of case studies provide examples of innovative practices that combine conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity to create balanced solutions for both people and the planet.

Source: UNEP

Siemens Gamesa Launches 14 MW Offshore Direct Drive Turbine with 222-Meter Rotor

23.05.2020

SGRE_OFF-Launch_Visual_835x468_Web-Teaser — Photo: Siemens Gamesa

The winds of change have never been stronger, especially when it comes to meeting the world’s needs for clean, renewable energy. Siemens Gamesa’s new SG 14-222 DD offshore Direct Drive wind turbine now sees the light of day as a part of the solution.

With an unprecedented 14-megawatt (MW) capacity – reaching up to 15 MW using the company’s Power Boost function, a 222-meter diameter rotor, 108-meter long blades, and an astounding 39,000 m2 swept area, the newest Siemens Gamesa wind turbine stands tall in a world currently undergoing enormous upheaval.

“We’ve gone bigger for the better,” states Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, who continues: “Safely and sustainably providing clean energy for our customers and society-at-large is at the core of all we do. The new SG 14-222 DD is a global product which allows all of us take giant steps towards protecting and preserving our planet. We ourselves became carbon neutral in late 2019 and are on track towards meeting our long-term ambition of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Our installed fleet of over 100 GW both offshore and onshore abates more than 260 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.”

“Offshore is in our DNA,” states Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit. “Since we helped create the offshore wind industry in 1991, we’ve been determined to safely increase operational performance, minimize technology risks, and create a consistently lower Levelized Cost of Energy. The SG 14-222 DD demonstrates our drive to lead the way in a world powered by clean energy. In fact, just one unit will avoid approx. 1.4 million tons of CO2 emissions compared to coal-fired power generation over the course of its projected 25-year lifetime,” he adds.

The 14 MW capacity allows one SG 14-222 DD machine able to provide enough energy to power approximately 18,000 average European households every year. Approximately 30 SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines could furthermore cover the annual electricity consumption of Bilbao, Spain.

The 222-meter diameter rotor uses the new Siemens Gamesa B108 blades. As long as almost three Space Shuttles placed end-to-end, each 108-meter long IntegralBlade® is cast in one piece using patented Siemens Gamesa blade technologies. Additionally, the turbine’s massive 39,000 m2 swept area is equivalent to approximately 5.5 standard football pitches. It allows the SG 14-222 DD to provide an increase of more than 25% in Annual Energy Production compared to the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine.

Furthermore, the new offshore giant features a low nacelle weight at 500 metric tons. This light weight enables Siemens Gamesa to safely utilize an optimized tower and foundation substructure compared to a heavier nacelle. Benefits thus arise in the form of lower costs per turbine by minimizing sourced materials and reducing transportation needs.

Extending on the proven offshore direct drive track record, the SG 14-222 DD is based on Siemens Gamesa’s deep understanding and expertise gained over five product generations since the platform was launched in 2011. Key components such as safety systems, hub and tower concepts, operations and maintenance solutions, along with a strong, qualified supply chain form the basis of the new offshore wind turbine.

Over 1,000 Siemens Gamesa Direct Drive offshore wind turbines have been installed in all major offshore wind markets globally. They include the UK, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Taiwan, among others. Furthermore, confirmed orders for an additional 1,000 Offshore Direct Drive turbines have been received, with installations planned for the markets mentioned above and new offshore markets including the USA and France.

Source: Siemens Gamesa

How Fossil Fuel-Derived Pesticides and Plastics Harm Health, Biodiversity, and the Climate

21.05.2020

industry_industrija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A new commentary published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows how three global health threats – chemical pollution (including endocrine disrupting chemicals), loss of biodiversity and climate change – are more strongly interlinked than previously thought by their common origins in fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or gas, including that derived from fracking.

Author Professor Barbara Demeneix, biologist and endocrinologist at the Muséum National d’Histoire in Paris, argues policymakers and the general public need to better appreciate the links of each of these treats to human health, all intertwined by their origin. She notes that not only can these three threats be averted, but also by reducing our dependence on fossil fuel usage overall we can simultaneously mitigate and eventually reverse the current climate crisis, reduce pollution and improve our own health and that of the environment.

The commentary comes at a time during which the current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a reduced oil demand. The author argues that the oil and gas industry could attempt to restore profitability by increasing production of plastics and fertilizers, which are made from petrochemicals.

Génon K. Jensen, Executive Director at the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) said: “Professor Demeneix shows just how outdated and harmful the continued use of fossil fuel-based energy and products is – we need a decisive phase-out for our health and planetary health. This gives governments and institutions yet another good reason to set Europe on a path to a healthy, green and just recovery, along the principles of the EU Green Deal.”

Source: HEAL

Honey Bees Feel Sting of Viral Disease

20.05.2020

There’s nothing new in nature. Viruses have been around for as long as plants and animals, if not longer. Most viruses are benign to humans and other animals and in fact are essential for life. Some—as humans are finding out with COVID-19—have negative consequences.

Chronic bee paralysis is a well-defined viral disease of honey bees across the world. Until recently, according to a study in Nature Communications, it caused rare, but severe, symptoms, including colony loss.

While the vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than 20,000 species of wild bees, the mass breeding and large-scale transport of pollinators, such as honey bees, can pose risks for the transmission of pathogens and parasites, says a May 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

“Emerging infectious diseases… often arise from livestock or plant movements,” notes the Nature Communications study.

The study finds that the global trade in honey bees has expanded massively, owing to their use for managed pollination and honey production. This trade can also increase the geographic distribution of viral, bacterial and fungal honey bee parasites and pathogens. Consequently, it could increase prevalence of emerging infectious diseases, some of which have been implicated in large-scale population (colony) losses.

Chronic bee paralysis has a worldwide distribution, with recent increased incidence reported in Asia, Europe and North America, the study adds.

We all depend on the survival of bees

Bees are important pollinators and pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

This year’s theme “Bee Engaged” focuses on bee production and good practices adopted by beekeepers to support their livelihoods and deliver good quality products.

Together with World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May) and the International Day for Biological Day (22 May), World Bee Day is devoted to raising awareness on areas that address the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, namely biodiversity conservation; health, food security and biodiversity; and people, culture and biodiversity.

World Environment Day on 5 June is also celebrating biodiversity. The occasion’s theme–It’s Time for Nature—highlights how nature delivers vital services to humanity and the urgent need to halt its destruction.

Source: UNEP

Multi-Purpose Enamelled Tanks of Excellent Resistance

20.05.2020

Having heard that one company was established in 1828 and that 85 per cent of their products are exported worldwide, these are the credible facts. The company we talk about is Witkowitz, the famous Czech corporation, which apart from inheriting almost two centuries long tradition, has a new look. One of the companies it includes that today holds a name of Witkowitz ENVI delivers its products to dynamically developing markets related to the protection of water resource and other environmental projects. Their production program base consists of large capacity tanks made of enamelled, stainless and comaxite* sheets. The experienced team is responsible for design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), biogas station and liquid fertilizer warehouses, as technological units based on their tanks.

Although metalwork is a legacy of the parent company, the comeback to the industrial scene has occurred with the intense development of technology in the second half of 20th century, which had resulted in changes in all spheres of life. However, those changes haven’t brought only well being, but they left huge vestige when it comes to pollution in nature, lack of drinking water and an enormous increase in waste quantity. Meanwhile, the need for energy, especially for the quality and clean one, has been multiplied. As a response to these demands, being imposed by a different strategical development, the production programme was made, and Witkowitz ENVI covers it from 1966 when they became a new member of the company. Enamelled tanks from this factory have become a synonym for success and base for gradual adoption of present-day technological solutions in fields of wastewater treatment, storing biological waste and manure, and eventually in the field of biogas production and electricity generation. With Vladimir Sitta, the general manager and chairman of the Witkowitz ENVI A.S. Board, we talked about the technological solutions made by this company.

EP: On account of a rather long history in the field of metallurgy, and because of modern-day demands for environmental protection, you established the production of tanks made of enamelled sheets which for decades have been the strategic product. What is their scope of us and what industry are they mostly used in?

Vladimir Sitta: Sheets enamelling is done at the temperatures above 800 °C, where the surface of the steel is covered with a double layer of melted glass. The long-lasting protection of the surface of the steel is achieved this way, and enamelled tanks hold water just as drinking glass does. When it comes to quality, this is the unexcelled way of storing water and many other aggressive fluids and materials. That is the exact thing that ensured the good place of enamelled sheets at the market.

We have been into this business for more than 50 years, so it is no wonder that more than 10.000 tanks with our old and new logos can be seen throughout the world. Above-ground tanks covered with glass have the broadspectrum usage and can be applied in agriculture, industry, water management and energy sector. Our tanks and silos can contain liquid and bulk materials. High variability of design enables simple fitting of additional equipment into a currently wide-spread, above mentioned technology units. Aside from storing drinking and wastewater, sludge and rainwater, the tanks are designed to hold body fluids from cattle, pigs, and various industrial water, for suspension, silage, haylage etc. They are suitable for storing lime, cement, ash, biomass, gravel, salt, soot and other materials.

EP: What companies already use the Witkowitz above-ground tanks in Europe and the world?

Vladimir Sitta: We make deliveries directly to end buyers too. Still, the majority of plants are built as a result of longterm cooperation with the multinational companies which try to solve problems with drinking water shortage or wastewater treatment in all continents. Some of our clients are VEOLIA, SUEZ, SYMBIONA, AES Arabia, AQUARIUS, Tank Team, Gruppo Asham, Nijhuis Ind, Monostore, Agrofert, Hydrotech etc. On our web site, there is an interactive map where thousands of locations can be found where those projects were implemented. Also, visitors may see at our web site photo-documentation for certain facilities. A few hundred of water tanks were installed only in Arab states. However, a great number of them were implemented in Mexico, Malesia, north Africa, China, Spain, Poland, Russia, France, Bulgaria and Croatia. So, you can find our tanks from Vladivostok to Chile. Precisely in the Chilean town of Osorno is where our most distant reference is situated. This place and the Witkowitz region, where our production is located, are 13,407 km apart from each other.

EP: What is the most significant comparative advantage of your products in relation to the existing offer at the market?

Vladimir Sitta: The construction of the tank is made of prefabricated elements, which ensures very fast assembling, and along with that, an optimal time for completing the whole project. Transportation of disassembled tank is very easy and simple since all is packed in pallets and containers. It takes a rather small surface for building a tank, which generally consists of a belt 1.5 m wide around the tank. In comparison to a concrete tank, those we make have a small weight. Also, it is easy to inspect the tank after installation and during testing. Machinery isn’t required to build these tanks. Just a forklift or crane is needed. Occasionally, there is a necessity of crane for installing special roof. Mounting is done by using our technology for lifting from the foundation, which means that works are carried through from a ground level and having avoided almost entirely operations at altitude. That diminishes the risk of injuries at the construction site. The tank design can be adjusted to the installation of technological equipment such as pumps, mixers etc. The tank modification, reassembling due to breakdown or relocation is done very quickly. It is also uncomplicated to repair the damaged tank parts, and it is quick and cheap to disassemble the tank. After the expiry date, the tank can be recycled – material can be sold as a steel waste, unlike concrete which remains as a ruin. We have a lot of experience with tank installation throughout the world and in various extreme conditions. The fusion of glass and steel is achieved by their melting at high temperatures, which makes these tanks very durable. The planned operating life of the tank is at least 30 years, and some of them were in use for more than 40 years. Tanks are highly resistant so suitable for storage of even very aggressive substances, in comparison to concrete or tanks made of plasticized steel sheets. Enamelled steel tanks are resistant even in extreme marine conditions. Enamel is resistant to most bases, acids and organic solvents, and it stays unaffected by substances from different emissions. They can be used for all the contents with 3-12 pH value. There is no need for the repainting of the tank. The surface is impervious to all abrasive materials with hardness less than 6 or 7 (glass is 7). It is not possible to scratch the surface with a metal object (knife or other tool steel), and unwanted graffiti and spray paints are easily removed from enamelled surface too.

In focus:

EP: Since these enamelled tans can hold drinking and seawater, and different kind of wastewater too, it isn’t unusual that your offer contains also wastewater treatment plants. What are the biggest benefits of this technology?

Vladimir Sitta: Since we established the production of enamelled tanks, the development of society and increase in need of wastewater treatment plants have led to massive construction of wastewater treatment plants near the cities. We were developing our systems for water treatment for years, such as Hydrovit, but today the WWTP design is always adjusted to the client’s needs. We have our design team and installers for fieldwork. The base of the WWTP used to be triple (or double) biological tank which consisted of enamelled sheet tanks placed concentrically: sludge tank, tank for activation and tank for deposition. Tank for activation was technologically used in the process of pre-denitrification (D-N) or sludge regeneration (R-D-N), as process variations during nitrogen removal. Computer-controlled aeration was used for air ventilation of the tank. It is the finest bubbles aeration which ensures high efficiency and low working costs. The new millennium has brought new rules. Design now follows investors’ demands and local needs for technology, and to the extent imposed by production processes and available materials. Aside for above mentioned, plants can have line production and multi-lines production, and they can not only provide water treatment but they also frequently include sludge to energy treatment.

EP: What happens to sludge which remains as a by-product after treatment?

Vladimir Sitta: Sludge coming from WWTP is today’s topical issue. Sludge treatment options depend on relevant national regulations. There has been a tendency in the European Union for the past few years to tightening of regulations concerning sludge treatment. In the Czech Republic, typically in WWTP for up to 50.000 EO sludge that is formed in deposition chamber (in front of WWTP) and excess of sludge from secondary depository are taken to the reservoir where they get mixed and stabilized so that free biological decomposition can be prevented. A solid and fluid fraction is separated, a watery element is returned to the treatment process, whereas the solid part after being sanitized and condensed is scattered in fields as manure. Also, sludges from big WWTPs (above 50.000 PE) after being processed are taken to landfills. In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of sludge incineration plants (for sludge drying, firing, etc.). After being dried and processed, a mass can be added then as an aggregate to concrete (in the form of granules), can be used as fuel in cement plants and blast furnaces, or added as manure (after being grounded). Sludge is always processed or disposed of according to existing regulations, and it is logic to further optimize its treatment process to reduce the costs. In the EU there are several different norms and solutions. Many countries in the EU are committed to removing hard metals and antibiotics from sludge, while a lot of countries have the obligation to incinerate sludge completely. Criteria will be even tighter!

Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

Read the whole Interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

As the Health Crisis Hammers the Auto Industry, Electric Cars Remain a Bright Spot

19.05.2020

neonbrand-orGJcWVI6js-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Neonbrand)

Beyond the immediate impact on health, the Covid-19 pandemic is causing a major shock to the global economy. Electric cars – a key element of transitions to cleaner energy – are being affected in key markets. But despite the crisis, their sales could reach a record share of the overall car market this year.

Electric cars have experienced a decade of rapid growth. Global sales grew by more than 60% every year over the past decade except for 2019, when growth slowed down to 6% as the regulatory environment changed in China and passenger car sales contracted in major markets. Even so, electric vehicle sales still reached 2.2 million last year, securing their highest ever share – 2.6% – of the global car market.

In this commentary, we look at what happened to the global car market – and electric cars in particular – as the Covid-19 crisis escalated in the early months of 2020, and what could happen over the rest of the year.

To understand market expectations for electric cars, it is important to look at them in the context of overall car market trends. The first four months of 2020 have seen an unprecedented drop in global car sales. We estimate that global car sales between January and April this year dropped by about one-third from the same period in 2019, with around 9 million fewer cars sold.

On a monthly basis, the decline in sales was even more pronounced, mirroring the timing and stringency of the lockdowns across many countries. China, the world’s largest car market, registered its sharpest year-on-year decline in February. Car sales in China almost always dip in February because of the Lunar New Year holiday. But this year, they plummeted by 80% compared with February 2019.

Other major car markets experienced their heaviest declines in April. In the United States, they roughly halved year on year; in Germany, they dropped about 60%; and in France, they plunged nearly 90%. In the United Kingdom and Italy, sales dropped by 98% in April, signalling a complete breakdown of those markets. For India virtually no car sales were reported.

Initial signs in countries where the lockdown is gradually easing suggest the potential for a quick recovery. In China, policy makers were quick to identify the auto market as a primary target for economic stimulus and encouraged cities to relax car permit quotas, among other measures. Chinese car sales rebounded strongly in April to reach 80% of the level registered in the same month a year earlier. Fears of catching Covid-19 also were reported to be bolstering sales, with driving generally seen as posing a lower risk of infection than taking public transport. In Korea, where the spread of the virus was contained quickly, car sales actually registered an increase over 2019 levels in both March and April. In the first half of 2020, we currently expect global car sales to be around 30% lower than in the same period last year.

Car sales can generally be expected to pick up in the second half of 2020. The extent and pace of the rebound will depend on a range of factors, including the pace at which confinement measures are eased, potential second waves of the pandemic, the pace of economic recovery and the willingness and ability of consumers and businesses to purchase new cars. Government policy will also be critical.

As cities are gradually emerging from lockdowns, some of them are placing temporary restrictions on the frequency and occupancy of public transport, raising the risk of a spike in car traffic. Many cities, particularly in Europe, are therefore rapidly putting together policies to rethink the use of urban space and promote cycling. At the same time, however, national governments may look to reduce potential employment losses in the auto industry through measures that stimulate car sales.

Stimulus measures, if adopted, can boost car sales, although their impact can be difficult to foresee. During the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, the German cash-for-clunkers programme (which allowed consumers to trade in older vehicles for new ones) boosted car sales by around one-quarter over the first half of 2009, although they slowed down afterwards as available funds expired. In the United States, it took seven years for US car sales to reach pre-crisis levels. We currently expect overall car sales in 2020 to be around 15% (or 13 million cars) lower than in 2019, with the largest drops registered in Europe, the United States and China. This represents a historic drop twice the size of the decline that occurred between 2008 and 2009.1

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic brought about a dramatic decline in electric car sales. In China, the drop followed that of overall car sales. The decline was largest in February, with electric car sales falling to 16 000 vehicles, a plunge of around 60% from the same month in 2019. Sales rebounded strongly in April, reaching around 80% of the level they were at a year earlier. In the United States, electric car sales in April more than halved from a year earlier to about 10 000 vehicles.

Electric car sales in European countries bucked the trend of the overall car market for a variety of reasons. 2020 is the target year of the European Union’s CO2 emissions standards, which limit average CO2 emissions per kilometre driven of new car sales. In addition, Germany increased electric car purchase subsidies in February, and the impacts of the system introduced in Italy in 2019 to encourage electric cars started to affect the market.

The result: in the largest European car markets combined (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom), sales of electric cars in the first four months of 2020 reached more than 145 000 electric cars, about 90% higher than in the same period last year. In Norway, the country with the highest share of electric cars in overall car sales, the number of electric cars sold between January and April 2020 was about the same as in the same period in 2019.

Electric cars are likely to have a much better 2020 than the rest of the auto industry. Electric cars are gradually becoming competitive in some countries on the basis of the total cost of ownership (which includes fuel expenses as well as purchase costs), even if the recent plunge in oil prices has eroded that somewhat. But the high upfront investment for consumers – electric car prices are still higher than those of conventional cars – mean that the electric car market still relies on government support. Today, electric cars in many markets are subject to a host of incentives and regulatory efforts. Most global electric car sales involve a financial incentive from governments that often takes the form of direct purchase subsidies or tax reductions.

The Covid-19 crisis has raised concerns that the economic crisis could lead governments to relax fuel efficiency standards to lower the pressure on struggling automakers, or reduce support measures for electric cars to free up funds for use elsewhere. That has not happened so far. China announced it would extend the purchase subsidies that it had originally planned to discontinue this year until 2022 – albeit at a slightly reduced rate. In addition, the typical electric car buyer in many countries still tends to be wealthier than the average consumer and might be less affected by the economic downturn. And around 100 new electric car models are expected to become available over the course of 2020, increasing the choice for potential customers.

Against this backdrop, it is quite possible that global electric car sales in 2020 will continue their upward trend, experiencing a substantially lower impact than the overall car market. Our central estimate today is for global electric car sales to slightly exceed 2019’s total to reach more than 2.3 million and achieve a record share of the overall car market of more than 3%. This brings up the total number of electric cars on the road worldwide to a new record of about 10 million, around 1% of the global car stock.

The car industry is a critical part of economic activity in many of the world’s largest economies employing millions of people across the entire supply chain. It has been impacted severely during the Covid-19 crisis, with practically all major car manufacturers halting production lines for varying periods of time. The challenge for governments now is to craft the appropriate policy response. How can they enable the workforce to get back to their jobs and also make the electric car industry a key contributor to the economic recovery?

Past experience has been mixed. Cash-for-clunkers programmes can be an effective approach if they are designed to support the uptake of more efficient (e.g. hybrid) and electric cars. In past stimulus packages, however, such considerations were not always adequately addressed and sales of SUVs and diesel cars were boosted, which pushed up global oil demand and air pollution. Support for the auto industry can also be tied to ambitious fuel economy regulations, which in the past triggered innovation and helped jump start key parts of today’s electric car industry.

The IEA’s World Energy Outlook Sustainable Recovery Report, to be released in June, will examine the main ways to support sustainable transport through stimulus packages. If the auto industry were to delay its investment plans in electric car production because of the crisis, this would risk stalling a key component of clean energy transitions. Clear and continued commitment by governments willing to support the electrification of transport could ensure its acceleration.

Authors: Timur Gül, Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division Marine Gorner, Energy analyst, and Leonardo Paoli, Energy and Transport Researcher

Source: IEA

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