21-Year-Old’s Miracle Ocean-Cleaning Tech Ready To Get Its Feet Wet

09.06.2016

plastic-bottles — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

It could eventually remove more than 150 million pounds of trash from the Pacific Ocean.

It’s time to see if this activist’s plan to clean the ocean can really hold water.

Boyan Slat, a 21-year-old who gained worldwide recognition two years ago for his ambitious plan to rid the oceans of plastics, is one step closer to making his idea a reality. His foundation just raised the 1.5 million euros they needed to test their technology in real-life conditions, which will take place in the North Sea this summer.

Slat is founder and president of the Ocean Cleanup, a foundation dedicated to developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. For the past three years, he’s been working on creating a massive underwater barrier that would collect and remove trash from the Pacific ocean.

The idea works like this: The V-shaped underwater wall would corral trash passing through into one concentrated area, to then be more easily removed and recycled.

If Slat’s technology is successfully implemented, it could remove almost half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — or 154 million pounds of trash, according to the organization’s estimates — in just 10 years. Current efforts would take up to 79,000 years to do the same, according to Slat.

The technology would go a long way to help the planet, as at this stage, without any reforms, the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

But before placing a 60-mile barrier in the Pacific ocean, they need to test it on a smaller scale — which is where the North Sea test this summer comes in.

If zou want to read an exclusive interview with Slat visit The Huffington Post’s site.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Arctic Could Become Ice-Free

08.06.2016

Professor Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University predicts we could see ‘an area of less than one million square kilometres for September of this year’.

The Arctic is on track to be free of sea ice this year or next for the first time in more than 100,000 years, a leading scientist has claimed.

Provisional satellite data produced by the US National Snow & Ice Data Centre shows there were just over 11.1 million square kilometres of sea ice on 1 June this year, compared to the average for the last 30 years of nearly 12.7 million square kilometres.

This difference – more than 1.5 million square kilometres – is about the same size as about six United Kingdoms.

Professor Peter Wadhams, head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at Cambridge University, told The Independent that the latest figures largely bore out a controversial prediction he made four years ago.

“My prediction remains that the Arctic ice may well disappear, that is, have an area of less than one million square kilometres for September of this year,” he said.

“Even if the ice doesn’t completely disappear, it is very likely that this will be a record low year. I’m convinced it will be less than 3.4 million square kilometres [the current record low].

“I think there’s a reasonable chance it could get down to a million this year and if it doesn’t do it this year, it will do it next year.

“Ice free means the central part of the Arctic and the North Pole is ice free.”

Most of the remaining ice within the Arctic Circle would be trapped among the myriad of islands along Canada’s north coast.

The last time the Arctic was clear of ice is believed to be about 100,000 to 120,000 years ago.

The rapid warming of the polar region has been linked with extreme weather events such as “bomb cyclones”, flooding in the UK and out-of-season tornadoes in the United States.

And the sea ice off the north coast of Russia, which normally insulates the water below to keep it cool, is no longer present for much of the year, allowing the sea to get significantly warmer than before.

Scientists have monitored greenhouse gas methane – once frozen on the sea bed – bubbling up to the surface at an alarming rate.

According to one study published in the journal Nature by Professor Wadhams and others, this could produce an average rise in global temperature of 0.6 degrees Celsius in just five years.

“That would be a very, very serious upward jerk to global warming,” Professor Wadhams said, saying the prospect was “frightening”.

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Adidas Creates Running Shoe Made with Recycled Ocean Plastic Debris

08.06.2016

To celebrate World Oceans Day, adidas and Parley for the Oceans have announced the release of a limited number of the iconic running shoe showcased at last year’s Parley Talks ‘Oceans. Climate. Life.’ hosted by the President of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York.

People around the world are being given until the end of July 2016 to enter a creative Instagram contest to earn one of the 50 available pairs.

Zinedine Zidane who is supporting the movement said:
“This is an inspiring partnership between adidas and Parley. What adidas and Parley is doing, by turning waste into a running shoe, shows that even waste that is harming the planet can be used to create something special.”

The shoe upper is made from Parley Ocean Plastic®, which is collected in coastal areas in the Maldives, as well as illegal deep-sea gillnets retrieved by Parley for the Oceans’ partner organisation Sea Shepherd. The shoe has been created with adidas’ most innovative production method: adidas Tailored Fibre Technology, a revolutionary manufacturing technique that enables unique footwear designs to be tailored to the individual needs of any athlete.

As of June 8, World Oceans Day, people will be able to earn a pair by taking part in an Instagram contest. People will be asked to create a video and show how they pledge to avoid single use plastic items and support Parley’s Ocean Plastic Program. The competition will close on July 31, 2016. The full rules of the game as well as the countries where the competition will be run will be disclosed on adidas and Parley’s social channels.

“This adidas x Parley running shoe is already iconic,” said Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands. “It’s a shoe for game changers. We can’t wait to hear the stories of those who stand up, suggest creative solutions, take action and want to join us on our journey to clean up the oceans.”

Source: news.adidas.com

UK Should ‘Shut down all Coal Power Plants Two Years before 2025 Pledge’

07.06.2016

The UK should close all its coal-fired power stations two years earlier than the government’s pledge of 2025, according to green Conservatives including former energy minister Lord Greg Barker.

The move would not cause the lights to go out, would cut both carbon emissions and air pollution and would boost cleaner energy projects, according to a report from Bright Blue, a thinktank of Tory modernisers.

The report also concludes that if the troubled Hinkley C nuclear plant is cancelled it could be replaced by renewable energy.

Overall, the report found that encouraging renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage and electricity interconnectors to other countries would benefit energy bills and security of supply, as well as tackling climate change.

Energy secretary Amber Rudd pledged in November to phase out unabated coal burning by 2025, a move that was widely praised. But the government has also cut solar power subsidies, blocked onshore wind farms, cut support for energy efficiency and cancelled a £1bn carbon capture and storage project.

“Thanks to a Conservative government, the UK is now committed to taking dirty, polluting coal out of our energy mix completely,” said Barker. “So we should take maximum advantage of this bold move. The government should give investors [building greener energy projects] even greater certainty and with that, put UK plc firmly at the forefront of the global drive for clean and smart energy technologies.”

The new report includes analysis by Aurora Energy Research of how closing coal plants early might affect the nation’s security of supply. This included a “high stress” scenario in which the expansion of renewables is slow, Hinkley C is cancelled and coal power stations close early.

“Despite what some exaggerated claims suggest, a coal phase out even under a ‘high stress’ scenario, will not result in the lights going out,” said Ben Caldecott, author of the report and associate fellow of Bright Blue. “Our analysis shows the significant benefits for pollution and system security of further encouraging renewables, interconnection, storage, demand side response and energy efficiency.”

The report said there is “plenty of time” under each scenario to commission any new gas power stations needed to keep the lights on.

A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate change said: “The government is absolutely committed to phasing out power production from unabated coal and we are the first country to set an end date for doing so. We will consult on how we plan to do this in the coming months.”

The report said: “The UK should [take] the lead in promoting coal phase-out internationally. The UK has significant technical and moral leadership it can deploy to encourage other countries to agree to a coordinated phased approach for closing down coal-fired power stations. The world’s climate future really does hinge on what other countries do with their coal fleets.”

On Hinkley, the report said: “The future of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station appears to be highly uncertain. Should the project not materialise, renewables can easily fill the capacity gap in the late 2020s. This should be ‘Plan B’.” It noted the fast build time and rapidly falling cost of renewable energy and said: “The ability of these technologies to deliver this capacity is already impressive and will be even more so in the mid to late 2020s.”

Source: www.theguardian.co.uk

Chile Has So Much Solar Energy It’s Giving It Away for Free

07.06.2016

Chile’s solar industry has expanded so quickly that it’s giving electricity away for free.

Spot prices reached zero in parts of the country on 113 days through April, a number that’s on track to beat last year’s total of 192 days, according to Chile’s central grid operator. While that may be good for consumers, it’s bad news for companies that own power plants struggling to generate revenue and developers seeking financing for new facilities.

Chile’s increasing energy demand, pushed by booming mining production and economic growth, has helped spur development of 29 solar farms supplying the central grid, with another 15 planned. Further north, in the heart of the mining district, even more have been built. Now, economic growth is slowing as copper output stagnates amid a global glut, energy prices are slumping and those power plants are oversupplying regions that lack transmission lines to distribute the electricity elsewhere.

“Investors are losing money,” said Rafael Mateo, chief executive officer of Acciona SA’s energy unit, which is investing $343 million in a 247-megawatt project in the region that will be one of Latin America’s largest. “Growth was disordered. You can’t have so many developers in the same place.”

A key issue is that Chile has two main power networks, the central grid and the northern grid, which aren’t connected to each other. There are also areas within the grids that lack adequate transmission capacity.

That means one region can have too much power, driving down prices because the surplus can’t be delivered to other parts of the country, according to Carlos Barria, former chief of the government’s renewable-energy division and a professor at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, in Santiago.

“Michelle Bachelet’s government has set the energy sector as a priority,” said Carlos Finat, president of the country’s renewable association, known as Acera. “But planning has been focused in the short term when it is necessary to have long term plans to solve these type of issues.”

Inadequate Infrastructure

The government is working to address this issue, with plans to build a 3,000-kilometer(1,865-mile) transmission line to link the the two grids by 2017. It’s also developing a 753-kilometer line to address congestion on the northern parts of the central grid, the region where power surpluses are driving prices to zero.

“Chile has at least seven or eight points in the transmission lines that are collapsed and blocked, and we have an enormous challenge to bypass the choke points,” Energy Minister Maximo Pacheco said in an interview in Santiago. “When you embark on a path of growth and development like the one we’ve had, you obviously can see issues arising.”

Solar capacity on Chile’s central power grid, known as SIC, has more than quadrupled to 770 megawatts since 2013. Much of that comes from the grid’s northern sections, the Atacama region that’s home to the copper industry. Total installed capacity increased 5 percent in the past year, with half coming from solar farms, according to the grid operator, Cdecsic. SIC supplies power to the regions where 90 percent of the country’s residential demand is located.

The country is expected to install almost 1.4 gigawatts of solar power this year, up from 371 megawatts in 2015, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Norway Becomes First Country in the World to Commit to Zero Deforestation

07.06.2016

Norway has become the first country in the world to commit to zero deforestation.

The Norwegian parliament pledged the government’s public procurement policy will become deforestation-free after a committee of MPs recommended imposing regulations to ensure the state did “not contribute to deforestation of the rainforest”.

Norway funds forest conservation projects worldwide and also supports human rights programmes for forest communities.

Nils Hermann Ranum, the head of Policy and Campaign at Rainforest Foundation Norway, said in a statement: “This is an important victory in the fight to protect the rainforest. Over the last few years, a number of companies have committed to cease the procurement of goods that can be linked to destruction of the rainforest.

“Until now, this has not been matched by similar commitments from governments. Thus, it is highly positive that the Norwegian state is now following suit and making the same demands when it comes to public procurements”.

The Rainforest Foundation Norway has campaigned for years to secure a zero deforestation commitment from the Norwegian government.

The MPs’ committee also called for the government to protect biodiversity by developing a separate policy and through investments made by Norges Bank Investment Management.

In 2014 Norway made a joint declaration with Germany and the UK at a UN climate summit in New York, pledging to “promote national commitments that encourage deforestation-free supply chains, including through public procurement policies to sustainably source commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef and timber”.

The production of beef, palm oil, soy and wood products in seven countries with high deforestation rates was responsible for 40 per cent of total tropical deforestation and 44 per cent of associated carbon emissions between 2000 and 2011, according to Climate Action.

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Dubai to Build World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant

07.06.2016

Dubai will soon be home to the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant.

The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has announced the second phase of a massive solar project located in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. According to a press release, the park is the largest single-site project to generate electricity from solar energy in the world, based on an independent power producer model.

The 13-megawatt first phase of the project has been operational since October 2013 and the 200-megawatt second phase will be operational by April 2017. The facility will ultimately produce 1,000 megawatts by 2020 and 5,000 megawatts by 2030, which will provide power for 800,000 homes. The solar park will help reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, the release said.

The project easily trounces the capacity of the world’s current record-holder, the Noor-Ouarzazate plant in Morocco which will have a 580-megawatt capacity by 2018.

DEWA has already received five bids from international companies for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park’s 800-megawatt third phase, with the lowest bid at USD 2.99 cents per kilowatt, a record-low price for solar power.

The ambitious project is part of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to provide 7 percent of the emirate’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 percent by 2030 and 75 percent by 2050, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, DEWA CEO and managing director, said in a statement.

The project is called a “concentrated solar plant” because it consists of a large number of movable mirrors, or heliostats, that can follow the sun’s path and harness sunlight to melt salt. The molten salt stores energy and can be used to power a steam turbine, allowing for energy production even when the sun isn’t shining.

“An important advantage of [concentrated solar power] is that thermal heat, which is used to produce electricity, can be stored easily, which makes it possible to produce electricity after sunset,” Al Tayer said. “The plant will have several thousand heliostats located around a tower that receives the radiation reflected by the heliostats which follow the sun’s movement. The heat-transfer fluid is then used to power the steam turbine to generate electricity.

“The project will use thermal storage for 8-12 hours daily, taking into account technical and economic factors. This will contribute to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of production and meet the requirements of the electricity grid. This in turn, will provide sustainable world-class energy supply for everyone in terms of availability and reliability, and support the sustainable development of the emirate. It will contribute to making Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.”

Al Tayer said that DEWA is working to diversify Dubai’s energy mix to include 61 percent from natural gas, 25 percent from solar energy, 7 percent from coal and 7 percent from nuclear power by 2030. The reliance on clean energy sources will be increased incrementally to touch 75 percent by 2050, he added.

Source: www.ecowatch.com

Photo: DEWA

The Green Week’s Fifth Day – Investing for Future Generations

06.06.2016

Friday looked at investing for future generations to ensure prosperity and well-being in the long term. Participants across Europe explored what actions can be taken today to ensure sustainable development and growth in the years to come.
Vienna in Austria was the setting for the final large-scale event of Green Week – a high-level conference bringing together policymakers, including Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and young people to examine how to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to life. In parallel, a debate on the implications for businesses and the labour market of the transition to a more circular economy took place in Brussels.

Green Week has brought EU citizens – from young people and business leaders to policy experts and EU officials – and other people throughout the world together to discuss the opportunities and challenges of investing for a greener future. The ideas, debates and questions posed throughout Green Week will serve as input for the European Commission’s work on green finance. The Week demonstrated that finance will be a key element of a successful transition to a circular and low-carbon economy, and that environmental issues impact every one of us.

For more information visit site.

Norway to ‘Completely Ban all Petrol Powered Cars by 2025’

06.06.2016

Zagađenje, Auspuh, Automobil — Photo: Pixabay

Norway will ban the sale of all fossil fuel-based cars in the next decade, continuing its trend towards becoming one of the most ecologically progressive countries on the planet, according to reports.

Politicians from both sides of the political spectrum have reportedly reached some concrete conclusions about 100 per cent of Norwegian cars running on green energy by 2025.

According to Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv, “FRP will remove all gasoline cars”, a headline which makes reference to the populist right-wing Framstegspartiet, or Progress Party.

Yet there is some denial from other right-wing representatives that the move has been confirmed.

If passed, it would be particularly significant because a large proportion of Norway’s funds rely on the country’s petroleum industry.

KPA Unicon and Koskisen Oy have signed an operations and maintenance contract

06.06.2016

The aim of the contract is cooperation which allows Koskisen Oy to focus on their core business, and to support the achievement of profit targets and the customer’s production targets as well as efficient and well-directed operations and maintenance activities. As per the contract, a part of Koskisen’s employees will be transferred with their current employment conditions to KPA Unicon.

The multiannual service contract includes operations and maintenance services at the biomass steam boiler plant and biomass power plant. The contract aims at cost-efficiency as well as resource ensuring and continuity. KPA Unicon is responsible for the development of operations and technologies of boiler plants, which help to ensure availability as well as additional capacity and higher level of efficiency.

“We have had experience of KPA Unicon’s expertise for a number of years while they have been responsible for the annual maintenance of our boiler plants. By this contract, we are looking not only for cost reduction but also for the development of operations and skilled resources to ensure the boiler plant’s capacity in the future. KPA Unicon with its technology know-how is able to ensure that we get the best output from our boiler plants”, says Markku Koskinen, Managing Director of Koskisen Oy.

“KPA Unicon, being a leader in the technological sector and an expert in boiler plant operations, is able by using own resources to ensure the customer of more efficient use of their investments. This is KPA’s core and we make a big effort to further develop it”, says KPA Unicon’s Sales Manager Timo Valkeinen.

“We guarantee our clients peace of mind, and we are willing to share the risk with them, for example by ensuring a certain availability and efficiency”, says Jukka Pennanen, Director of KPA Unicon Service Oy.

Koskisen Oy

Koskisen Oy is over a hundred year old family business in wood processing. Over decades, Koskisen Oy have evolved into an international wood industry expert. The company operates in sawmilling, plywood, chipboard and construction industries. In 2015, the company’s turnover was EUR 247 million and it has 1057 employees.

KPA Unicon

KPA Unicon is a Finnish energy technology provider specialized in boiler plant and power plant projects and life cycle services. The company offers a whole range of services during the plant’s entire life cycle from operating services to maintenance of plants, spare part supply and modernization. KPA Unicon’s solutions utilize biomass fuels as well as fossil fuels in a sustainable way. The company employs 180 energy industry professionals. KPA Unicon’s headquarters are located in Pieksämäki and Kiuruvesi in Finland. The company’s turnover exceeded 50 million euros 2015.

Source: KPA Unicon

Go Wild for Life on World Environment Day

06.06.2016

Each year on 5th June the UN invites you to celebrate the biggest day for positive environmental action by taking part in World Environment Day (WED).

This year the theme is Go Wild for Life, a call to action against the illegal trade in wildlife products. The killing and smuggling of endangered species not only threatens global biodiversity, but it undermines economies, fuels organised crime and feeds corruption.

The campaign is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Go Wild for Life encourages you to celebrate threatened species and take your own action to safeguard them for future generations; from the species outside your front door to those on the edge of extinction across the globe.

“Whoever you are, and wherever you live, show zero-tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife in word and deed, and make a difference.” UNEP 2016

Collectively we can change our habits and behaviour and by raising awareness we push governments and international bodies to introduce and enforce tougher penalties and laws on those still willing to break them.

This year’s host country is Angola. With a natural environment boasting forests, grasslands and pristine coastlines, Angola’s wildlife includes some of the most diverse species in the world. The Giant Sable Antelope is a critically endangered species found only in Angola and listed as critically endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature. As such, it is fitting that Angola takes the lead for WED 2016 as the government has set a tough agenda for reducing poaching and other wildlife crimes that threaten its rich natural heritage.

Source: www.greeningtheblue.org

Australia’s Momentum Continues to Build Toward Renewable Energy Target

06.06.2016

Australia’s Clean Energy Council insists momentum continues to build for the country’s renewable energy sector as it progresses toward its 2020 Renewable Energy Target.

According to a new analysis of the progress of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, published this week by the Clean Energy Council, momentum is building for the country’s renewable energy sector. Major projects under construction and legislation revising the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (RET) in mid-2015 have created strong momentum and confidence across the sector.

“About 450 MW of projects have been committed in the past three months alone, helping to provide some much-needed momentum for the sector,” added Kane Thornton, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive. “The flow on benefits of these projects in terms of investment and jobs into rural Australian communities is significant.”

Australia is currently sitting at just above the halfway mark towards its legislated RET target. In 2015, 15,200 GWh of renewable energy was generated above the pre-1997 baseline levels established as part of the legislation. To achieve the 2020 target of 33,000 GWh, another 18,000 GWh of renewable energy generation is required, equating to around 6 GW of new generation capacity, resulting in around $10 billion in new investment and thousands of jobs across the country.

“In order to meet the 2020 target, approximately 6000 MW of new capacity will need to be installed,” said Mr Thornton. “The good news is that about 10,600 MW of projects already have planning approval and a further 6600 MW were being progressed towards approval.”

The Clean Energy Council published its Clean Energy Australia Report 2016 report late last month, its annual update on the country’s renewable energy sector. In it, 2015 is described as a “challenging year for the renewable energy sector,” but nevertheless “the year ended with much optimism.”

“Even though hydro power was down, largely as a result of the historically low rainfall in Tasmania, the proportion of Australia’s electricity provided by renewable energy increased in 2015 due to a good boost from wind and solar power,” said Mr Thornton on the release of the report. “Renewables delivered 14.6% of our electricity, enough to light up the equivalent of approximately 6.7 million average homes.”

Looking forward, the CEC’s Progress and Status of the Renewable Energy Target analysis is quick to praise the supposed momentum the industry has recently garnered — including a somewhat misleading belief that “a new Prime Minister that is more supportive of renewable energy” when really all Australia currently has is a Prime Minister who is not as vitriolically anti-renewable energy. The authors of the report also note that the current “level and pace of investment will need to increase substantially in 2016 and 2017 in order for liable parties to deliver on the 2020 legislated target and obligation.”

“There is no question that 2016 will be a big year for the renewable energy industry,” added Mr Thornton. “At the end of 2015 we were just under halfway towards the delivery of the RET, with 15,200 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable energy generation of the 33,000 GWh required to meet it.”

Source: www.cleantechnica.com

Photo: www.engineersaustralia.org.au

Never Give Up

02.06.2016

RENEXPO® Water Management will be held from 06th to 08th June 2016 in Holiday Inn Hotel, in Belgrade. Therefore, we interviewed Mrs Myriam Fridman Dobrota, who has been preparing with REECO team numerous trade fairs this year. Speaking of water management, we want to remind our readers that this management is a set of measures and activities aimed at the maintenance and improvement of the water regime, ensuring the required quantities of water, ensuring required quality of water for different purposes etc. This management takes care of water pollution protection and protection against harmful effects of water. Main activities are implemented through the Serbian Governmental institutions, institutions of the autonomous province, bodies of local self-government and public water management company. Specifically, water management is based upon the principle set out in Article 25 of the Water Act. All activities are directed and specified by strategies and plans. Here is what Mrs Fridman Dobrota told us about RENEXPO and upcoming event.

EP: The topics of flood protection, water management and etc, will be discussed during the fair dedicated to water management. What would you highlight or announce?

M.Dobrota: The decision to start with conferences explains it all. We want to introduce the status of the region after the floods in 2014 and again at the beginning of this year. Everybody knows that due to climate changes we must react now. Therefore we will introduce the national and international experts in Risk Disaster Management, Drinking Water, the pipe systems, Waste Water and consequences as well as Biodiversity for Land/Soil and Forest Management. At the same time showing best practice and meeting the municipalities to assist in realizing the demands and needs and connect the potential with potential investors.

EP: REECO operates in Serbia, Romania, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria. Tell us how do you manage to organize all that events in the region within a year? What do you consider to be your biggest challenge and what would be unexpected benefit or acknowledgement which you obtained operating in the region?

M.Dobrota: Operating as a foreign organization/company in the Western Balkans is not the easiest task. Although language barriers have been overcome and the network, that we have built, is outstanding, we are still dealing with some obstacles in the region. The Western Balkans has been in hands of mainly monopolists and when markets started opening up and competition joined the business field, the reaction had to be calculated. My personal philosophies in business are never give up and keep smiling in spite of everything. Nothing comes easy and the interesting parts of business are challenges. While leading a company you must be convinced that what you do is right and that the best concept will win the race.

The preparation of each trade fair is so much more then renting a venue and inviting exhibitors. Our customers, that have appreciated RENEXPO since 1997 in Europe know how much effort is involved concerning our events in the Western Balkans. When we started in 2013 in Serbia the international energy industry was very sceptic when we suggested them new market opportunities.

REECO does market research, collects the public and private projects, communicates with investors, defines the program based on capacities and potentials and gathers the regional experts to meet the international industry. It is equally important, that we communicate outstanding regional experts and technologies via our European network, so it is at all times a 2-way-street. The most important service we provide for the country is the translation of Business-Culture, because this is what creates hesitation most. Following our company claim: “We build bridges and open doors” actually describes it best.

Competence is the base of success and of course the readiness to work hard, because every event is different and must be adjusted to present situation, legislation and status. We want to be an active partner in the development of the region and this is the reason why we have decided to introduce a Congress on the Topic of Water Management. At the beginning of 2015 we started to structure the advisory board and in several meetings we defined together with the main participants in those fields to put a program together, that will give all international and regional participants a complete overview on Flood Protection/Prevention, Waste Water Treatment, Drinking Water, Wells and Pipes, Biodiversity, Management of Resources accompanied with side programs, such as successful participation in tenders. We are often asked who is financing our operation. The answer is easy and short: Nobody! We are a private Ltd and we are neither financially supported nor enjoy any other incentives. So to say: we earn our income ourselves.

EP: REECO organizes the biggest trade fairs and conferences in the field of RES and EE, connects institutions and companies, but it is only one of the activities that you do. What else does REECO deal with?

M.Dobrota: Apart from our international platforms for Energy, Environment and Water Management experts, we assist in finding cooperation partners for our international customers, introduce engineers and arrange interview sessions, organize key account events, such as conferences, investor round tables etc. Those are outside the RENEXPO events and assist the industry as well as institutions and ministries to realize the events without involving additional manpower. But also during RENEXPO we organize side programs such as the Climate Change Dialogue in 2015 in Sarajevo, IPA programs, conferences for EU funded programs etc. Additionally, we are always keen to have interesting add-ons, such as the traveling exhibition ENERGIEWENDE that had its EUROPEAN Premiere at RENEXPO® Western Balkans and will be shown also at the upcoming Congress RENEXPO® Water Management.

EP: What is your experience in Serbia, which of the areas are avant-garde, which are the most advanced, most profitable? What would be the future potential of this business in your opinion?

M.Dobrota: Since this question is addressed to me personally I will answer it from my perspective. For me Serbia is one of the countries with most potential for future business. I have been living in Serbia since 2004 and have therefore seen a lot of changes. The needs that Serbia has, go hand in hand with the readiness of foreign investors. We are in daily communication with the investing industry and the interest to establish business in the Western Balkans is mainly addressed to Serbia. Nothing happens overnight and reforming laws and adapting to EU standards takes time, but it will happen.

Speaking about the adaptation it answers the questions almost itself. Serbia has the potential for a great business future due to investments in Renewables, Infrastructure and Environment. As soon legislation is brought into place, all positive side effects such as employment will give the overall economy a big push.

Interview by: Vesna Vukajlović

Report Shows that Renewable Energy Smashes Global Records in 2015

02.06.2016

An upsurge in new wind, solar and hydro plants and capacity saw renewable energy smash global records last year, according to a report on new supply.

Some 147 Gigawatts of renewable electricity came online in 2015 – the largest annual increase ever and as much as Africa’s entire power generating capacity.

Clean energy investment increased to $286bn (£198bn), with solar energy accounting for 56% of the total and wind power for 38%.

Overall, more than twice as much money was spent on renewables than on coal and gas-fired power generation ($130bn in 2015), the REN21 global status report found.

Christine Lins, REN21’s chief, said: “What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies. For every dollar spent boosting renewables, nearly four dollars were spent to maintain our dependence on fossil fuels.”

For the first time, emerging economies outspent richer nations in the green energy race, with China accounting for a third of the global total. Jamaica, Honduras, Uruguay and Mauritania were among the highest investors, relative to their GDP.

African and Latin American countries also set some of the world’s most ambitious targets for clean energy deployment last year, the report says.

But the renewables revolution stuttered in many developed countries, with the significant exception of the US. In Europe, investment plummeted by 21% after the withdrawal of policy supports, such as clean energy subsidies and binding targets.

Despite this, renewables still provide 44% of the EU’s electricity capacity, and 15% of its final energy consumption.

Jean-François Fauconnier of Climate Action Network Europe said the report should be a “wake up call” to the European commission, spurring increased 2030 renewable goals in a review later this year. “The EU is at risk of missing the ongoing energy revolution and lagging behind other leading economies for decades,” he said.

The UK saw a 25% rise in renewable energy investments last year, the paper finds. But figures for the first quarter of 2016 suggest this may not survive cuts to solar subsidies and a slowdown in onshore wind planning approvals.

Industry reactions to the REN21 paper were buoyant, with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) hailing news that 173 countries now have renewable energy targets.

Steve Sawyer, GWEC’s secretary general said: “A record 63.5 GW of wind power was installed worldwide in 2015, demonstrating the maturity of the sector; and showing how renewables are supplying competitive, reliable and clean energy to fuel economic growth and cut CO2 emissions.”

Around the world, 8.1million people are now employed in the clean energy industry – excluding hydropower – 3.5 million of them in China. In the US, more people now work in the solar industry than in oil and gas extraction.

While employment in the clean energy sector grew by 6% in 2015, jobs in the oil industry contracted by 18%, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

But the fast-maturing renewables sector still has to overcome storage limitations, and the world’s dependence on infrastructure systems geared towards fossil fuels.

Arthouros Zervos, the chair of REN21 said: “The renewables train is barreling down the tracks, but it is running on 20th-century infrastructure – a system based on outdated thinking where conventional baseload is generated by fossil fuels and nuclear power.”

A build-out of decentralised and community-based generation was urgently needed to accelerate the clean energy transition, he said.

Source: www.theguardian.com

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