General Electric Installing First 1,500 Volt Solar Power Plant In Egypt

28.09.2017

solarka-iran — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The first utility-scale solar power facility in Egypt will be provided by General Electric and feature the company’s 1,500 volt inverters. Thanks to a new government-sponsored feed-in tariff policy, Egypt is rapidly becoming a focus of solar power in the region. Because of that, General Electric Power Conversion, a division of GE, will build a 50 megawatt solar power plant for the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). GE will provide both the equipment and the financing for the project, which will generate enough power for up to 15,000 homes.

Lamya Yousef, an executive at EETC, says that Egypt’s New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has set a target of generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. Solar will play a vital part in meeting that objective. “In order to achieve the government’s renewable target, it requires partners that have strong financing capacity and technology expertise,” says Sabri Asfour, general manager at FAS ENERGY. “We are impressed to find GE as a reliable partner that embodies both capabilities. Furthermore, Egypt is an excellent market for the renewable projects, FAS is expanding our investment portfolio to install on their roof top and car park as well. Now FAS ENERGY already signed a few PPA’s in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”

This will be GE’s first full turnkey contract for a solar power plant. Azeez Mohammed, CEO of GE Power Conversion, notes that taking an integrated approach helps limit risk and and enhance reliability and revenues. “With the digital technology coming as the next piece among our solar solution portfolio, we are committed to building tomorrow’s solar farms that are set to bring greater efficiency and productivity.”

General Electric’s 1,500 volt high-efficiency inverters help improve annual energy production, leading to increased project revenues. The integrated system will result in 3% lower system costs and reduce maintenance costs by 15% compared to 1,000 volt systems. They also help reduce costs associated with infrastructure, deployment, and operation expenditures.

GE will be responsible for obtaining the solar modules, trackers, and cables needed to create the completed system. It will also be responsible for the civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering solutions needed to ensure the successful asset deployment and commissioning of the power plant, in addition to providing a favorable financing program to assist EETC in getting the project funded and moving forward in a timely fashion.

Source: cleantechnica.com

France Commits €20 Billion To Energy Transition Plan, Including €7 Billion In Renewables By 2022

28.09.2017

paris-843229__340 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

France has launched what it is calling its ‘Great Investment Plan 2018-22’ which will include €20 billion for its energy transition plan, made up of €9 billion for energy efficiency measures, €7 billion for renewables, and €4 billion to expedite the switch to electric vehicles.

Reuters is reporting that the French government published a €57 billion investment plan on Monday that it intends to run from 2018 to 2022, presented by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Included in this larger investment plan is €20 billion for the country’s energy transition.

Included in this is €9 billion to fund a thermal insulation program that will focus on the country’s low-income housing and government buildings. Buildings account for 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the new program will look to renovate 75,000 dwellings per year, or 375,000 over the five-year term.

“The number of badly insulated low-income housing and social housing will be divided by two, and a quarter of government buildings will be renovated in line with environmental norms,” the Government said in a statement.

A further €7 billion has been committed to invest into renewable energy, aiming to boost the country’s renewable energy industry by 70% over the next five years.

The remaining €4 billion will be focused on catalyzing a national transition to electric vehicles. France is aiming to not only speed up the transition to electric vehicles, however, and will also look to revamp its road and railway network, boost local transport networks, and help low-income households exchange older vehicles for more environmentally friendly models. Specifically, the French government is aiming to retire 10 million old vehicles.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Global Carbon Emissions Stood Still in 2016, Offering Climate Hope

28.09.2017

Global emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide remained static in 2016, a welcome sign that the world is making at least some progress in the battle against global warming by halting the long-term rising trend.

All of the world’s biggest emitting nations, except India, saw falling or static carbon emissions due to less coal burning and increasing renewable energy, according to data published on Thursday by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (NEAA). However other mainly developing nations, including Indonesia, still have rising rates of CO2 emissions.

Stalled global emissions still means huge amounts of CO2 are being added to the atmosphere every year – more than 35bn tonnes in 2016 – driving up global temperatures and increasing the risk of damaging, extreme weather. Furthermore, other heat-trapping greenhouse gases, mainly methane from cattle and leaks from oil and gas exploration, are still rising and went up by one per cent in 2016.

“These results are a welcome indication that we are nearing the peak in global annual emissions of greenhouse gases,” said climate economist Prof Lord Nicholas Stern at the London School of Economics and president of the British Academy.

“To realise the goals of the Paris agreement and hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2C, we must reach peak emissions as soon as possible and then achieve a rapid decline soon afterwards,” Stern said. “These results from the Dutch government show that there is a real opportunity to get on track.”

Jos Olivier, the chief researcher for the NEAA report, sounded a note of caution: “There is no guarantee that CO2 emissions will from now on be flat or descending.” He said, for example, a rise in gas prices could see more coal burning resume in the US.

The flat CO2 emissions in 2016 follow similar near-standstills in 2014 and 2015. This lack of growth is unprecedented in a time when the global economy is growing. As the number of years of flat emissions grows, scientists are more confident a peak has been reached, rather than a temporary halt. In July 2016, senior economists said China’s huge coal burning had peaked, marking a historic turning point in efforts to tame climate change.

Stern said many of the big emitting nations had achieved significant reductions in 2016: “However, all countries have to accelerate their emissions reductions if the Paris goals are to be met.” He said this could also drive development in poorer nations: “We can now see clearly that the transition to a low-carbon economy is at the heart of the story of poverty reduction and of the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

The new Dutch report shows CO2 emissions from China, the world’s biggest emitter, fell 0.3 per cent in 2016. US CO2 emissions fell 2.0per cent and Russia’s by 2.1 per cent, with the EU flat, although UK emissions tumbled by 6.4 per cent, as coal burning plunged.

Of the top five emitters, only India’s CO2 emissions rose, by 4.7 per cent. Significant increases were also seen in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Turkey and Ukraine.

However, over a quarter of the warming effect seen by the world comes from non-CO2 greenhouse gases, with methane by far the most significant. Cattle belch the gas and are responsible for 23 per cent of global methane emissions, and this source rose by 0.4 per cent in 2016. Scientists have warned that the growing global appetite for meat, especially beef, cannot continue if climate change is to be kept under 2C.

Another quarter of methane emissions come from fossil fuel production and leaks in gas distribution pipes. Since 2000, emissions from coal and gas production have grown by more than 65.

Carbon emissions from forest destruction and other land use changes were not included in the main analysis as they are more difficult to estimate and vary strongly from year to year.

Source: businessgreen.com

Wetherspoons Bans Plastic Straws

28.09.2017

JD Wetherspoons has announced it will stop using plastic straws across its 900 pubs in the UK and Ireland by the end of this year, in a bid to curb plastic pollution.

Instead it will switch to biodegradeable paper straws, with staff at the pub chain reducing the use of plastic straws during the transition, the firm said earlier this week. Wetherspoons believes the decision will stop 70 million plastic straws being used every year.

Plastic straws take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Billions end up in landfill or the world’s oceans each year, often causing serious damage to the health of seabirds and other marine animals.

“These changes are part of an overall commitment from the company to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste produced,” chief executive John Hutson said. “We believe that Wetherspoon pub-goers will welcome this.”

It follows a similar move from rival bar chain All Bar One, which promised earlier this year to ban plastic straws at all its UK bars, a pledge it said would avoid the use of 4.7 million plastic straws a year.

Meanwhile, governments across the UK are stepping up action against plastic waste.

Scotland has recently announced plans to trial a bottle deposit scheme to cut plastic bottle waste, while the UK government said it will ban the use of microbeads – tiny plastic balls – in cosmetic products.

Source: businessgreen.com

Going Dutch: Lightsource Continues International Push with Netherlands Launch

28.09.2017

Lightsource Renewable Energy has spotted an “exciting new growth opportunity” in the Dutch solar market, the company announced this week, as it unveiled the latest phase of its international expanion plans.

A new Netherlands-based team will now set about developing large-scale solar projects across the country, including floating solar projects, in an effort to help Holland meet its 2020 renewable energy targets, Lightsource said.

Under EU goals, the Netherlands has to supply 14 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 – a target Lightsource CEO Nick Boyle said represented a great opportunity for the firm.

“The Dutch solar market is an exciting new growth opportunity for Lightsource,” he said in a statement. “With our extensive expertise, Lightsource is ideally placed to assist in the delivery of this target. Our financing and track-record, alongside our experienced local Dutch management team who will lead the business, puts us in the perfect position.”

It follows Lightsource’s expansion earlier this year into North America and Asia, where the solar developer is pursuing large scale solar and storage opportunities.

In related news, the UK’s leading solar trade body, the Solar Trade Association (STA), is on the hunt for a new chief executive, it announced this week.

Current CEO Paul Barwell announced plans to step down earlier this summer, and recruiters Igloo3 are now leading the search for his successor.

Barwell admitted his decision to leave the STA was a hard one, but said he plans to remain within the industry with plans to pursue some “commercial interests” in the market.

“It has been a real privilege to support the growth of a unique and special technology that is so vital for a prosperous future,” he added.

Source: businessgreen.com

Wales Sets Renewables Target to Make Country World-Leader in Clean Energy

28.09.2017

wind-turbin-vetroturbina — Photo illustration: Pixabay

The Welsh government this week announced ambitious new clean energy targets that would make the country one of the world’s leading renewables hubs.

Cabinet Secretary Lesley Griffiths announced Wales should aim to source 70 per cent of its power from renewables by 2030, building on progress that has seen renewables generation treble since 2010, to account for 32 per cent of the country’s power last year.

“Wales must be able to compete in global low carbon markets, particularly now we face a future outside the EU,” she told the Welsh Assembly. “The ability to meet our needs from clean energy is the foundation for a prosperous low carbon economy.”

In addition to the 70 per cent goal for renewables’ share of the power mix, she also announced a target for one GW of renewable electricity capacity in Wales to be locally owned by 2030 and for all new projects to have an element of local ownership by 2020.

“I believe these are stretching but realistic targets which will help us to decarbonise our energy system, reduce long-term costs and deliver greater benefits to Wales,” she said.

Griffiths said the Welsh government would continue to support the roll out of renewables, citing the decision to make around €100m of EU Structural Funds available for investment in marine energy.

However, she also stepped up calls for the Westminster government to remove barriers to investment in new clean energy capacity, including new onshore wind farms and solar projects.

“The rapid changes of UK government policy have decimated large parts of the renewable sector in Wales and developments potentially valuable to Wales have been stopped in their tracks by UK Ministers,” she said. “The bulk of UK government renewables investment is now going to offshore wind projects outside Wales. This investment is paid for by Welsh bill payers, amongst others.

“There is a need for the bulk of energy supply to come from the most affordable technologies, if the costs are to be found from energy bills. These technologies therefore need a route to market if we are to meet our ambitious targets and deliver the most benefit to Welsh bill payers. That is why I have called repeatedly on UK government to stop the ideological exclusion of onshore wind and solar from the Contracts for Difference process.”

The Conservative manifesto raised the prospect of onshore wind development being permitted in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but the government is yet to provide any further details.

Industry insiders are hoping for clarification on the government’s upcoming clean energy plans in the imminent Clean Growth Strategy.

Source: businessgreen.com

Vietnam To Launch Solar Power Auctions

27.09.2017

The World Bank and the Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) have joined hands to implement a pilot auction program for solar projects.

According to a local media report, the program is aimed at accelerating the development of registered projects, while simultaneously attracting new capital investment in the emerging solar sector of Vietnam.

This plan was announced by Tran Hong Ky, energy expert of the World Bank, at the inception workshop themed “National Assessment of the Development Potential of Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Projects in Vietnam until 2020 with a Vision to 2030,” organized recently in Hanoi.

The workshop was jointly implemented by the Power and Renewable Energy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

According to the plan, the Vietnamese government will issue set capacities and interested developers can bid with complete project plans along with feed-in tariff. The winner offering the lowest price will be awarded the project. It is presently unclear how much solar capacity will be made available for the investors under this program.

Vietnam has attracted the interest of foreign companies to invest in the solar sector after the launch of the country’s feed-in-tariff program in June of this year, which offers a new 20-year FIT rate of VND2,086 per kWh (not including value added tax), equivalent to 9.35¢/kWh to support the development of utility-scale PV projects.

Companies in Vietnam are slowly warming up to renewable energy technologies. Last year, a company proposed to set up 100 megawatts of solar PV in the Quang Tri province. Canada’s CMX Renewable Energy announced plans to invest $150 million to set up a solar power project in the province of Ninh Thuan.

Renewable energy majors, including JA Solar and GE, had also announced plans to set up base in the south-east Asian country.

JA Solar Holdings announced plans to set up its largest overseas solar modules manufacturing factory in Vietnam. The factory will be spread across 88 hectares at Quang Chau industrial zone. The company is expected to invest $1 billion to set up the factory. GE signed an agreement with the government of Vietnam for the development of 1 gigawatt of wind energy capacity.

This solar power auction program will likely play a huge role in Vietnam’s attempt to achieve its renewable energy targets.

According to the current national plan, the government plans to increase hydropower capacity from 17,000 MW at present to 21,600 MW by 2020 and 27,800 MW by 2030. Wind energy capacity is envisaged to be increased from current 140 MW to 800 MW by 2020 and 6,000 MW by 2030. The government has set a target to increase installed solar power capacity from current 850 MW to 4,000 MW by the end of this decade and 12,000 MW by the end of next.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Scatec Solar Plans 500 Megawatts Of Solar In Iran

27.09.2017

Norway’s renewable energy giant, Scatec Solar, is in discussion with Iranian authorities to build its first solar power plant in Iran.

According to Reuters, Scatec Solar aims to set up 120 megawatts of solar power in Iran with an ambitious plan of increasing it further to 500 megawatts in a phased manner.

The initial project is currently under discussion and expected to entail an investment of about $120 million per 100 megawatts installed capacity, told Scatec Solar CEO, Raymond Carlsen.

Iran’s solar energy installed capacity is still at a very nascent stage and stands at 53 megawatts, however, several international firms have signed contracts to build an additional 932 megawatts of capacity. Investment in renewable energy sector is booming in Iran after international sanctions against the Islamic Republic lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal.

Earlier this year, Iran’s biggest solar plant was commissioned in the eastern province of Kerman in six months with capacity of 20 megawatts. It was financed with $27 million by the Swiss company Durion AG, while project construction was supervised by a German company, Adore.

Also, another 30 megawatt solar project in North Khorasan province is currently under construction, being developed jointly by Swiss Ecofinance Company and Italian partners.

Currently, Iran relies heavily on fossil fuels and has just 360 megawatts of installed renewable power plants. The country’s total installed power capacity is 77,000 megawatts. In order to diversify its power mix, Iran aims to have more than 5000 megawatts of renewable energy facilities by 2022, which would include 4,500 megawatts of wind power and 500 megawatts of solar power according to the Renewable Energy Organisation of Iran.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Australia Needs 75% Renewable Electricity By 2030 To Meet Paris Commitments

27.09.2017

A new major report has concluded that Australia needs between 66% and 75% renewable energy for electricity generation by 2030 in order to meet its Paris Climate Agreement commitments, or face delaying a necessary transition and increasing the eventual cost to the national economy.

The primary conclusion from the first major report from The Australia Institute’s newly-formed Climate & Energy Program, Meeting our Paris Commitment, is that the country must increase its share of renewable energy electricity generation to between 66% and 75% by 2030 in order to meet its emissions targets and in order to avoid transferring the major burden of emissions reductions onto other sectors.

Australia’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement is to reduce carbon emissions by 26–28% below 2005 levels by 2030. Considering that Australia’s energy sector accounts for 35% of the country’s emissions, this means that it will have a huge part to play in reducing those emissions.

However, part of the national discussion is whether the energy sector should reduce its own emissions by 26–28%, or whether the energy sector should account for a larger part of the abatement task, therefore preventing other industries having to take on an unnecessarily weightier burden.

The Australian Institute’s analysis of government-commissioned modeling found that, in order for Australia to meet its Paris commitments, the country faces a choice: Adopt a least-cost path, involving a transition to between 66–75% renewable energy by 2030; or Further delay the transformation of the electricity sector, which will increase the cost to the economy as a whole and push a greater proportion of the emission reduction task onto other sectors, such as agriculture, transport and manufacturing.

“This analysis of the economic modelling demonstrates meeting these targets for the electricity sector with a policy like the clean energy target is likely to require 66–75% of electricity to be supplied by renewables,” Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Ben Oquist said. “If Australia adopts a weak clean energy target which does not provide a strong signal for renewables, we risk turning Australia’s moderate Paris targets into an extremely expensive task.

“While there are emissions reductions that can be made in all sectors of the economy, electricity generation is an area where the technology to make major emissions cuts is cheaper, and is here now.

“The Government has been consistent in its commitments to Australia’s international emissions targets. It remains to be seen if we choose to meet those Paris commitments the easy way, or the hard way.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Enel Commissions Largest Solar Project In South America

27.09.2017

Italian developer Enel’s subsidiary Enel Green Power Brasil Participações (EGPB) announced the operation of two solar power plants located in Brazil with an aggregate capacity of 546 megawatts.

The two solar plants include the 254 megawatt Ituverava and the 292 megawatt Nova Olinda solar parks. According to Enel, they are currently the biggest solar parks in South America. Both the plants will be operated under a 20-year long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Brazilian Chamber of Commercialization of Electric Energy.

The 254 megawatt (MW) Ituverava plant is located in Bahia state’s Tabocas do Brejo Velho municipality. The plant comprises of 850,000 PV panels with an expected annual output of over 550 gigawatt-hours, which will be enough to meet the electricity requirement of more than 268,000 Brazilian households each year.

The 292 MW Nova Olinda plant is located in Ribeira do Piaui municipality. The plant is comprised of 930,000 modules which are expected to generate more than 600 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, or enough for the consumption of 300,000 local homes.

The company stated that it has invested about $400 million for the 254 megawatt Ituverava solar plant. This solar plant was financed by Enel’s own resources, Bank of China and Santander, backed by China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). The second plant, the 292 megawatt Nova Olinda was constructed with a budget of $300 million. The financing was provided by Enel’s own resources and assistance from local lender Banco do Nordeste (BNB).

Enel currently has 2,276 megawatts of operational renewables capacity in Brazil comprising of 670 megawatts of wind and 716 megawatts of solar projects and an additional 275 megawatts capacity is under construction.

The projects commissioned by Enel in Brazil will be surpassed as the largest in South America in a few months as the Italian company’s Mexican subsidiary commissions the Villanueva solar power complex. The solar power complex will include two projects –- the 427 megawatt Villanueva 1 and 327 megawatt Villanueva 3. The projects are scheduled to be commissioned in the second half of 2018. An estimated 1,700 GWh electricity would be generated from the park every year, or enough to meet the power consumption of more than 1.3 million households. The projects will also offset more than 780,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Enel Green Power will invest $650 million on these projects.

Enel Green Power Peru will likely commission a 160 megawatt solar power project in Peru in few months as well. This will add to another 160 megawatts of solar projects that Enel currently operates in Chile.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Can Go 100% Renewable By 2050 & Avoid Western Emissions Issues

27.09.2017

New research has concluded that India can transition and function on a fully 100% renewable energy system by 2050 and bypass the traditional western reliance upon linking increasing living standards with heavy emissions from electricity generation.

For those who have been following the renewable energy industry and its attendant news cycles you may remember that the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in Finland has been sporadically releasing the results of a long-running research program which evaluates the potential of a country or region’s ability to transition to a 100% renewable electricity system. So far LUT has presented a case for a 100% Russia & Central Asia by 2030; a 100% South America by 2030; a 100% Iran & Middle East by 2030; and its biggest accomplishment, a successful model of a 100% renewable energy planetary system.

The Lappeenranta University of Technology has published its latest effort this week, concluding that India can function entirely on a 100% renewable electricity system by 2050.

An important secondary outcome from LUT’s research concerning India is the conclusion that developing countries that have an abundance of renewable energy resources are in a position to bypass the traditional and historical Western method of increasing living standards while relying on fossil fuel-heavy energy generation sources, which for so long saw increased prosperity matched with increased emissions. Rather, India — and other developing nations — is in a position to skip straight to an emissions-free future.

“The possibility that a country like India could move to a fully renewable electricity system within three decades and do it more economically than the current system, shows that the developing countries can skip the emission intensive phase in their economic development,” said Principal Scientist Pasi Vainikka. “It is a competitive advantage to not to take the road of the developed world.”

The specific 100% renewable electricity system designed for India by LUT is heavily reliant upon solar energy and batteries — solar deemed by LOT as “the most economical electricity source” for the country, and batteries satisfying the need for electricity at night (read: sans Sun). Further, LUT’s modeling took into account the regular monsoon season that impacts the country and which would naturally reduce the amount of solar power for some regions. To make up for this, India’s modeled 100% renewable electricity system includes increased wind and hydro sources, as well as reliance upon solar from unaffected regions.

According to LUT’s research, the predicted renewable electricity system is cheaper than India’s current coal-reliant electricity system. Specifically, the cost of electricity would be 3640 Indian rupees (€52/$61) per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2050 (taking account only for the power sector). However, LUT’s research also covers for seawater desalination and synthetic natural gas, at which point the cost of electricity drops to 3220 Indian rupees (€46/$54) per MWh. Currently, India’s existing cost of electricity sits at €57/$67 per MWh.

The total investment necessary for India to achieve LUT’s specific 100% renewable electricity future would be around €3,380/$3982 billion (spread across the next 30 years).

“Given India’s burgeoning electricity demand and the persistent supply demand gap along with the summer shortages and outages, solar PV prosumers will have a crucial role in enabling the country’s transition to a fully sustainable energy system,” explained Professor Christian Breyer.

As we have seen play out elsewhere, however, the transition to a 100% renewable electricity system would yield secondary benefits such as helping the country meet its climate change targets, as well as improving health conditions which in turn reduces the burden of sick people on the country.

“Not to mention benefits from reduced health costs or even substantial reduction of pre-mature deaths due improved air quality,” says researcher Ashish Gulagi.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Siemens Gamesa Awarded First Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In India

27.09.2017

Siemens Gamesa has been awarded the contract to build its first hybrid wind-solar project, a 28 megawatt solar facility connected to an existing 50 megawatt wind farm in India.

Siemens Gamesa, the resulting company from the merger of Spanish wind energy giant Gamesa and the Siemens Wind division, announced on Tuesday that it had received its first ever hybrid contract, which the company claims “evidences its determination to explore business opportunities that add value for its customers.”

The project will see Gamesa handle the design, engineering, and commissioning of the new 28.8 megawatt (MW) solar plant — including the supply of photovoltaic inverters made by Gamesa Electric — and its hybridization with an existing 50 MW wind farm, which is likely to be the 50 MW wind farm Gamesa was awarded the contract for a year ago in Bijapur, in the state of Karnataka.

Siemens Gamesa was light on information in this week’s press release, but the company did state that the existing 50 MW wind farm it will be working with is in the state of Karnataka and is “equipped with the Siemens Gamesa turbines.” This matches up with a September 22 2016 announcement by then-independent Gamesa that it had been awarded a contract by ReNew Power to construct a 50 MW wind farm located in Bijapur, in the state of Karnataka.

The new hybridization project is expected to be up and running by the end of this year.

“This is a very important milestone for our company,” said Ramesh Kymal, CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s Onshore business in India. “We are truly proud to be rolling out this new hybrid solution — namely the optimal combination of solar and wind power technology — on a commercial scale. With a market potential of around 15 GW in India, our customers are increasingly interested in this type of integrated renewable system.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Reports: France to Invest €20bn in Clean Energy Transition Plan

26.09.2017

Emmanuel Macron’s government has this week provided further details on its plan to establish France as a green economic leader, unveiling proposals to invest €20bn in a range of clean technologies.

The proposals were yesterday presented by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as a key part of the government’s new €57bn investment plan for the period from 2018 to 2022.

Reuters reported the plan would see €9bn earmarked for energy efficiency programmes, €7bn dedicated to renewables projects, and a further €4bn provided to support the roll out of ultra low emission vehicles.

The largest tranche of funding will be targeted directly at improving the thermal efficiency of low income households and enhancing the energy efficiency of public sector buildings.

The programme will provide a major boost for insulation and energy efficiency firms, with an estimated 375,000 buildings expected to be upgraded over the next five years.

The investment in renewables is intended to support Macron’s stated goal to ensure the sector grows 70 per cent over the next five years.

Meanwhile, some of the clean transport funding is expected to be used to fund a scrappage scheme designed to phase out older petrol and diesel vehicles.

Reuters reported that the wider investment plan will also include support for low carbon infrastructure, including rail upgrades.

The proposals will fuel hopes Macron could make good on his pledge to strengthen France’s national climate action plan under the Paris Agreement in an attempt to encourage more countries to do likewise.

Source: businessgreen.com

Zero Waste Scotland Publishes Carbon Report as Recycling Rate Climbs

26.09.2017

Plastika, otpad, đubre, reciklaža — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Scotland’s national household recycling rate reached 45.5% in 2016, with one council, East Renfrewshire, becoming the first Scottish council to break through the 60% mark, according to figures published today.

The news comes on the same day that Zero Waste Scotland published a report on how recycling helps fight climate change. The organization, which is funded to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s circular economy strategy and the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, welcomed the announcement.

“It’s encouraging that Scotland’s recycling rate continues to grow and especially good to see some councils getting up to and even breaking the 60% mark, which is a fantastic achievement,” said Zero Waste Scotland Chief Executive, Iain Gulland.

“Overall we’d like to see more action being taken, especially in areas where recycling performance has slowed or fallen back. It’s vital that councils continue to invest in high-quality recycling services, including educating local residents, if we are to reach national targets. At times of stretched budgets, it makes little sense to pay millions of pounds to landfill materials which could have been recycled.”

Carbon Report

Zero Waste Scotland’s Carbon Metric report adds further detail to Scotland’s recycling progress, showing how much carbon emissions we save by reducing waste and increasing recycling.

Key findings of the report, which covers the years 2014-15, include:

• The carbon impacts of Scotland’s waste have fallen every year between 2011 and 2015, and 26% overall, thanks to increased recycling, and reduced use of landfill.

• Household waste accounts for less than 25% of all Scottish waste. However, in 2015, Household waste accounted for 57% of the total carbon impacts of Scotland’s waste, 9% more than it did in 2011.

• The five most carbon-intensive waste materials make up just 6% of Scotland’s waste by weight, but nearly a third of associated carbon impacts.

• Food waste is the most carbon-intensive waste material, generating 15% of carbon impacts in 2014, and 17% in 2015.

• Textile waste is also high-impact, accounting for just 0.2% of waste, but 4% of waste impacts in 2014, and 0.3% of waste, but 5% of waste impacts in 2015

Iain Gulland added: “Our ground-breaking carbon metric shows that recycling continues to have an important part to play in the fight against climate change. If Scottish households recycled just 10% more of their waste, we would save over 148 thousand tonnes of CO2e, the equivalent of over 22,000 flights around the world.”

“This should be a tonic to those who do all they can to reduce and recycle waste and it should encourage others to do strive to do more. Reducing or recycling food waste and re-using our old clothes and textiles are actions that have a big environmental benefit. It’s important during national Recycle Week that we all take the chance to see what more we can do.”

Source: waste-management-world.com

US Industry Fears Tariff Ruling Could Double Price of Solar Power

26.09.2017

The US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is warning the price of solar technologies could double if President Trump approves proposals to impose new import tariffs on Chinese solar panels.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) opened the door for potential new tariffs late last week with a ruling that cheap imports have harmed US manufacturers. The commission will consider potential remedies over the next few months to aid US manufacturers with the final decision on what steps to take expected to be made by the President ahead of a January deadline.

The decision represents a victory for solar manufacturers Suniva and SolarWorld Americas, which brought the case to the ITC after running in to financial difficulties that they blamed on low cost overseas competition, primarily from China.

However, many firms within the wider solar industry were quick to condemn the move, arguing it could significantly increase the cost of solar technologies.

“The ITC’s decision is disappointing for nearly 9,000 US solar companies and the 260,000 Americans they employ,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in a statement. “Analysts say Suniva’s remedy proposal will double the price of solar, destroy two-thirds of demand, erode billions of dollars in investment and unnecessarily force 88,000 Americans to lose their jobs in 2018,” she added.

According to news agency Bloomberg, Suniva is reportedly calling for import duties of 40 cents a watt for solar cells, as well as a floor price of 78 cents a watt for panels, which currently average about 32 cents worldwide.

Juergen Stein, CEO and president of SolarWorld Americas, said the decision was an “important step toward securing relief from a surge of imports that has idled and shuttered dozens of factories, leaving thousands of workers without jobs”.

“In the remedy phase of the process, we will strive to help fashion a remedy that will put the US industry as a whole back on a growth path,” he added. “We will continue to invite the SEIA and our industry partners to work on good solutions for the entire industry. It is time for the industry to come together to strengthen American solar manufacturing for the long term.”

However, in a sign of the tensions the case is likely to enflame, Ross Hopper said the SEIA expected to be “front and centre” in the ITC remedy process.

“As the remedy phase moves forward, I am determined to reach a conclusion that will protect the solar industry, our workers and the American public from what amounts to a shakedown by these two companies,” she said. “An improper remedy will devastate the burgeoning American solar economy and ultimately harm America’s manufacturers and 36,000 people currently engaged in solar manufacturing that don’t make cells and panels.”

However, concerns are mounting across the industry that a White House that has expressed support for protectionist policies and hostility towards clean technologies could now use the ruling to effectively hamper the development of solar projects.

Project pipelines are also likely to be hit in the short term as developers respond to the uncertainty over future pricing levels.

Bloomberg reported that the “serious injury” complaint used in the case – which only requires US firms to prove their business has been damaged, not that foreign firms have broken any rules – had fallen out of favour in recent decades as sitting President’s typically rejected requests for new trade barriers.

However, the fear across the solar development sector is that President Trump has been handed a mechanism for introducing new protectionist policies.

Source: businessgreen.com

JAN LUNDIN: Substantial Level of Economic Development is the Key to Greater Ecomobility

26.09.2017

The Kingdom of Sweden has built up a great reputation in the world as a country that pays considerable attention to the preservation of the environment. Innovative and quality solutions for environmental protection are constantly emerging throughout this Scandinavian country and the Swedish government is trying through a series of investments, shares of technology and examples of good practice, to support the developing countries in their endeavor to improve the quality of life. The Kingdom of Sweden donates to Serbia as much as 11 million euros annually, out of which 4 million are invested in the field of environmental protection.

Considering the fact that Sweden has made significant progress in the traffic electrification, we wanted to find out more about the results of the applied methods from Jan Lundin, the Ambassador of Sweden in Serbia.

EP: In Serbia and around the world, Sweden serves as an example of the country with extremely developed ecological awareness. Is the knowledge about the importance of preserving and protecting the environment part of tradition and culture in your country? How is that consciousness being developed?

Jan Lundin: I would not like to guess, but it is a fact that the Swedes got used to living in harmony with nature. We have a lot of forests, a large number of lakes and in general we are rich in water, and we do like to spend time in nature. When it comes to this, I think Sweden does not differ much from Serbia, because there are also many nature lovers here. There is ongoing campaign “Do not litter, you have no excuse!” in Serbian media, and it reminds me of similar activities taking place in Sweden at the beginning 1970’s that drew great attention to the problem of waste management. However, the media campaign is one thing. Although there is no doubt it contributes to raising awareness that people shouldn’t leave trash around, but the level of infrastructure development is completely different thing. If the infrastructure hasn’t been developed, then the campaign doesn’t make any sense. The truth is there are no simple solutions, but the combination of raising awareness activities and good organization provides the proper result.

EP: Among other things, Scandinavian countries are well-known for the everyday use of a bicycle as a means of transport. How come the bike is so popular across Sweden?

Jan Lundin: The Swedes have always been riding bikes. For thirty years, my grandfather used to cover 20 km by bike every day, going to work, and as much on his way back, and he was not the only one. Perhaps one of the reasons for the popularity of bikes in cities and villages across Sweden is actually the fact that our settlements are rather far-flung.

If you visit Serbian village, especially in Vojvodina, you will see that people mainly live in the center, while the farms
are in the surrounding area. On the contrary, houses in Swedish villages are widely distributed with each household situated in the middle of individual property, so the bike was necessary and usual means of transportation until late winter. Back then it was believed that riding a bike is undoubtedly better and healthier habit. Thanks to this attitude, bicycles are still in mass use today throughout the country, even in Stockholm which has developed infrastructure. I am very glad about the progress in the development of bicycle infrastructure that Belgrade has been gradually making, although the local hilliness is surely an aggravating factor.

EP: Do Swedish automobile manufacturers make electromobiles? How is the purchase of an electric vehicle encouraged?

Jan Lundin: There have been attempts to produce electric cars in Sweden, as well as in Norway, but none of the factories prevailed on the market. I suppose it is hard to make money today on electromobiles and only big producers can accomplish that. Even Tesla couldn’t make significant profit for more than ten years since it was founded. We are still waiting for the real breakthrough of electric vehicles, although sales of these cars are growing, primarily in Norway, and to some extent in Sweden. Of the total number of cars in Sweden, currently 3.4 percent are electric-driven and this percentage is constantly increasing. For purchase of an electric vehicle, the states gives a subsidy of about 40,000 Swedish crowns, which is just over 4,000 euros. Although there are incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, people are reluctant to buy them because they are still very expensive and have no sufficient range to match up to cars on petrol or diesel. In addition, another factor that can affect the efficiency of batteries is Swedish low temperature.

EP: Norway is also a very cold country, and despite of that, it is still an absolute leader in Europe when it comes to the share of electric cars in relation to the total number of vehicles. How do you explain the success of Norwegians in setting up the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles in such a short time?

Jan Lundin: Norway is somewhat warmer than Sweden, however it is also extremely cold in the north of this country. There are also subsidies in Norway for buying electric vehicles, but I don’t know if they are bigger than those we grant. One should not ignore the fact that in Norway gross national income is about 75,000 euros a year, and in Sweden about 50,000. None of these two countries is poor, but Norway is still considerably richer. A good economic situation is an indispensable condition for the purchase of Tesla, whose models cost about 100 thousand euros.

EP: During 2014 several Swedish companies successfully performed the tests for electric ferries. Are they nowadays in use in public transport along the Channel and Lake Stockholm?

Jan Lundin: It was a pilot project, started partly because of the undeniable advantages of electric maritime transport such are: silence, zero emissions of greenhouse gases, clean air and a quiet ride. Eco-friendly ferries can help us have cleaner cities and water, healthier marine ecosystems, satisfied travelers and lower prices. Several manufacturers were selected, whose ships had a capacity of 70 to 100 passengers and the ability to reduce emissions. This contributed to the reduction of operating costs by 30%. The project was supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and it has been successfully implemented, and now there are plans to gradually increase the number of ferry lines for the transportation of passengers.

EP: Last year Sweden announced the construction of an electric highway – are you familiar with the progress of this project?

Jan Lundin: It is in an experimental phase, which means that only one section which is 2 km long was built in northern Sweden, between Gävle and Sandviken. It is planned that the pilot project lasts for two years, with subsequent aftermath based on the obtained results. The project derived from long-standing cooperation between the Swedish government and the domestic manufacturer of the Scania truck and the German company Siemens. Trucks with batteries that are in use today can’t cover great distances, so on Scania trucks, which are however hybrid vehicles on biodiesel, trolleys are built in and they serve as direct connection to the grid. In Sweden, however, buses and trucks are massively using biodiesel. This is merely one of a great number of pioneering enterprises in our country that gives an opportunity to test different technological solutions. There is an idea to built the distribution network, like rails, into asphalt.

EP: Swedish public companies have recently started the projects of replacing conventional vehicles with electric models, and now this type of vehicle is used by the police. What is the situation with other public services and urban transport?

Jan Lundin: Electric vehicles are in use in a large number of municipalities in Sweden. Our goal is to completely stop using fossil fuels by 2030, and up to this moment we are on the right track. The Swedish police is currently testing electric cars for city driving. A significant share in the total number of electric cars (3.4 percent of the total number of vehicles) are precisely these vehicles used by public services, probably because they have more resources than individuals for their purchase. It’s a shame that we don’t have trolleys – it’s simple technology, old, but functional.

It would be good for trolleys and trams to stay on the rails in your country, but the power they use should not come from fossil fuels. In the long run, coal-related plans have to be changed. Hydroelectric plants like Djerdap don’t pose a problem, nor does solar technology. It has always made me wonder why these sources are not used to a greater extent. Nevertheless, the good news is that Serbia has several solar power plants and furthermore, there are plans to build more plants on solar energy.

A Short Biography of Jan Lundin, the Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia and Montenegro : Lundin got a master degree in law from the University of Stockholm in 1996. Previously he graduated from the University of Uppsala, in the Department of Slavic Languages, Eastern European Studies and Economics. Alongside with his native Swedish, he speaks ten languages fluently, including Serbian, English, German, Russian, French and Italian. Jan Lundin is the Ambassador of Sweden in Serbia since 28 July 2016 which is his third diplomatic mission in our country. Before coming to this position, he was Director General of Permanent International Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).

Interview by: Nevena Đukić

The interview with the Swedish Ambassador, Jan Lundin, was originally published in the eighth issue of the Energy Portal Bulletin, named EKO-MOBILITY.

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