SolarEdge – Solution for the safety of PV systems at fuel deposit

25.03.2024

440kw_Alkion Terminal_Vado Ligure_Italy_installed by All Energy & Architecture (2) — Photo: SolarEdge

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Asia Chang Yr)

Renewable energy sources are developing daily. With the increasing use of solar energy, the responsibility for securing these systems also increases, considering that most activities take place under high voltage, which is why you need to be especially alert when it comes to fires. Precisely because of this, locations such as industrial plants and warehouses of various materials, chemicals, fuel, and the like must make safety a priority.

Recently, the company All Energy & Architecture turned to SolarEdge for these very reasons to install a photovoltaic system with the best equipment at its fuel storage facility in Italy – the Alkion terminal. On that occasion, a 440 kW system with 16 SolarEdge (SE27.6K) three-phase inverters and 785 SolarEdge (P600) power optimizers was recommended.

This project requires the placement of high voltage in addition to a large amount of flammable fuel, so these photovoltaic systems must have the highest level of safety. Therefore, SolarEdge is the right choice for associates because its systems have two built-in features: SafeDC and arc fault detection.

Two special features

SafeDC is designed to protect installers and maintenance personnel from electrocution by reducing DC voltage to a touch-safe 1V per module when AC power is off.

Arc fault detection concerns the interruption of the photovoltaic system’s operation if an electric arc occurs. Considering that electric arcs can easily lead to fires, this detection system is necessary for photovoltaic systems installed near flammable materials. The All Energy & Architecture company claims that this system enables their work to be carried out in complete peace.

As the PV industry expands, stricter safety standards and regulations are becoming more commonplace. That’s why, in addition to SafeDC and arc fault detection and interruption, SolarEdge has yet another product designed to protect firefighters. Called the SolarEdge Firefighter Gateway, this product provides automatic system shutdown and real-time voltage reading, which is useful in emergencies.

Differences between traditional and SolarEdge technology

The SolarEdge system, as we have stated, has advanced safety features from the very beginning, while traditional systems, although efficient when it comes to energy conversion, still require additional improvement in safety standards.

The SolarEdge system takes care of the safety of employees, the environment and, finally, the equipment itself thanks to the aforementioned SafeDC function, which is active at all times. In particular, if there is a need to turn off the system manually or when it automatically turns off, the voltage drops very low – one volt per module. Low voltage is not dangerous to people if contact occurs, which means that electric shock will be avoided. In addition, SolarEdge inverters have the ability to detect problems such as arcing – a major cause of fires in electrical systems. When they detect such a fault, they shut down to prevent any damage, according to a specific safety standard known as UL1699B.

In traditional inverter systems, if a shutdown occurs, it does not mean that all parts are safe to touch because high voltage may still be present in the wires to which the panels are connected. Special equipment is often needed, which requires additional financial resources, for a traditional system to meet the standard provided by the SolarEdge system.

Although safety is number one, SolarEdge technology has another good side: the possibility of energy savings worth up to 79,500 euros per year and annual energy yields of up to 560,000 kWh, ensuring the offered performances precisely.

Milica Vučković

SLOVENIA – FORMATION OF CONSORTIUM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM FROM LOW-CARBON SOURCES

24.03.2024

hidrogen — Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

Eighteen Slovenian companies, organizations and municipalities have signed a consortium agreement stipulating the formation of a consortium that will deal with the development of a hydrogen ecosystem from low-carbon sources.

Various criteria show that this is the strongest consortium ever founded in this country in terms of competence.

The official website of the municipality of Ajdovščina, which is part of the consortium, states that the Slovenian-Japanese Business Council, the Engineering Academy of Slovenia and ELES are forming a consortium of stakeholders to expedite the wider use of hydrogen as a sustainable fuel of the future. The consortium gathers more than 6,500 experts from electrical engineering, transportation, environment, oil and gas industry, automotive industry, mechanical engineering and other branches.

Some of the consortium’s main goals are setting up the first hydrogen production facilities, testing technologies for the storage, transfer and distribution of hydrogen, using hydrogen in industrial processes, using hydrogen in the production of heat or electricity and logistics and public transport.

The consortium will initially determine a set of potential projects that can be implemented in an appropriately coordinated manner in a technological partnership, which will lay the foundation of an integrated low-carbon hydrogen ecosystem in Slovenia.

This intersectoral integration is also supported by the government ministries in Slovenia, namely the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

Energy portal

FUNDAMENTAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES TO A FASTER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

24.03.2024

claudel-rheault-ZVbv1akA-l4-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (claudel-rheault)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (arteum-ro)

Sustainable business is a relatively new, very sensitive and changing topic. Different companies throughout the supply chain and in different fields have different views of what is sustainable for them and what is not. In Serbia, sustainable business is sometimes accepted as a fad, while other companies sincerely believe in it. In general, sustainability is an integral part of the company’s culture, guiding it in decision-making and long-term investments to create lasting value.

Business strategies are based on the basic principles of creating and sharing value with various stakeholders – consumers, customers, communities, employees and shareholders- which determines how the company will be run. Their commitments regarding business sustainability arise from the connection with various issues that are important to them, as well as strategic priorities.

The strategic goals of sustainability include mitigating negative impacts on the environment, promoting health and contributing to the development of the local community. Sustainable development meets the needs of the current population and does not jeopardize meeting the needs of future generations. Sustainability implies that we consume only a few resources and save them for future generations; that is, we do not exploit the resources that are quite expendable to the maximum.

According to a recent study on ESG (Environmental/Social/Governance) principles, which includes various domestic, foreign, smaller and larger companies in Serbia and the region, the surveyed companies think differently about investments in sustainable development and implementing ESG principles. Some companies need to be more mature to understand how much these principles will be valued in the future. Large, developed companies take it seriously and write ESG annual reports. In contrast, smaller ones think that if they put more modern light bulbs on their business premises, they will save a significant amount of energy, and that’s all they invest in sustainability.

IN FOCUS:

A small share of RES in the total energy consumption

Changes are taking place worldwide, and different sustainable business concepts orient and focus on other sources. This is especially true for energy. We can either rely on what we thought was sustainable development before the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, or we can redefine the goals of sustainable development and business because they will still be implemented more slowly due to the restructuring of the world.

The best examples of sustainable development are found in the energy sector. Still, unfortunately, the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and the share that RES have in total consumption in Serbia are inadequate and need to be improved. This is one of the development tasks in the coming period. There is still a dominant, traditional philosophy about coal-fired power plants, and we keep that resource at the planned rate.

The developed countries of the European Union have a more significant share of RES, but in general, I am not optimistic about the deadlines set even in those countries. Let’s take Germany, for example, where RES’s share in gross electricity consumption will reach 80 per cent by 2030. This requires changes in thinking and living, using energy and resources, and investing in sustainable development instead of boosting a consumer mentality.

Renewable energy sources have many advantages. However, we should remember that the global economy has achieved exceptional growth thanks to fossil fuels and that RES cannot replace them quickly. However, steady growth is only possible if the economy relies on limited resources.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (roger-starnes)

The level of awareness among company owners, including those in real estate, in Serbia could be a lot higher. It all hinges on the company’s power. If the company’s financial strength is excellent, the investments in sustainable development are also more significant. Companies that understand that marketing is an investment, not an expense, look at sustainable business principles similarly and accordingly need an investment budget. On the other hand, smaller domestic companies do not invest enough in sustainable business. Some of them have launched engaging campaigns focusing on sustainable business. However, if comprehensive research was carried out, I am not sure what it would show; that is how much business owners understand and earnestly believe in sustainable development.

In the production segment, manufacturers will always try to create a production line that will save energy and thus cut production costs. From a long-term perspective, Serbia has a relatively low price of electricity, which is one of the reasons why we have attracted large-scale investments and appeal to investors in doing business with us. For large European manufacturers, the price of electricity, which in Serbia is the lowest in Europe, can bring significant savings. The low electricity price is a factor that investors definitely consider; on the other hand, it is a limiting factor for RES development. The energy sector requires long-term planning for making changes, and it takes a lot of time to accomplish results. Industry uses the energy that is most profitable for it. Suppose the electricity price is low in Serbia compared to the EU. In that case, it is unlikely that they will switch to using RES because industrialists are enormous consumers, and it is simply not worth it to them now. Sustainability in business depends on how much traditional business costs in total.

Dr Slobodan Aćimović

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Launching the Wind Energy Initiative

23.03.2024

2148907404 — Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (NIcholas Doherty)

The annual onshore and offshore wind event organized by WindEurope brought together over 10,000 participants and features dozens of conference sessions, hundreds of speakers and over 500 exhibitors from the field. Held in the Spanish city of Bilbao, the event saw the signing of the Spanish Wind Charter which aims to identify activities to expedite the expansion of wind energy in this country, as well as to maximize its social and economic benefits. It determined six directions of action for the development of the wind energy sector and specified the tools for implementing these directions, according to the WindEurope website.

Greater visibility and robustness in wind energy planning, as well as improved wind energy auction design, are the first two courses of action. The third is better coordination between wind energy companies, which entails better predictability and promotion of long-term agreements. The fourth direction includes monitoring international trade practices in order to eliminate unfair competition and finally, thus boosting the wind energy production capacity in Spain.

Global business sustainability assessment platform EcoVadis, WindEurope and five leading organizations in the wind energy industry have announced the launch of the Wind Energy Initiative, which goal is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices by fostering strong cooperation between trading partners, as well as facilitating a more positive influence in their value chains.

The Initiative’s strategic goals include increasing the wind industry’s contribution to global efforts in the fight against climate change by prioritizing reduced carbon emissions. There is also the continued promotion of the welfare and fair treatment of all individuals involved in the wind energy supply chain. The third strategic goal implies promoting the preservation of biodiversity for the sake of ecosystem protection in terms of the negative impact of activities related to the wind energy sector. Finally, significant membership growth should be encouraged too.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Omkar Jadhav)

To achieve these goals, the Initiative will apply the EcoVadis sustainability assessment methodology, as a voluntary standard for evaluating its suppliers, and will also support suppliers on their path to sustainability by providing a clear strategy for improving performance regarding ESG criteria.

In terms of investments in wind energy in Europe, they doubled last year compared to 2022. In 2023, Europe approved significantly more permits for new onshore wind farms than in previous years, largely due to European Union rules on permits for renewable energy sources.

As stated on the WindEurope website, estimates show that the European Union will install an average of 29GW per year in the period from 2024 to 2030, which will bring the installed capacity in the European Union to 393GW by 2030.

The timely expansion of European onshore and offshore power grids remains the biggest challenge to the accelerated development of wind energy.

Energy portal

WORLD WATER DAY – WATER FOR PEACE

22.03.2024

reka, šuma, priroda — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jon Flobrant)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ezra Jeffrey-Comeau)

World Water Day is marked every March 22 and this year’s theme is “Water for Peace”. More specifically, the theme aims to highlight the key role of transborder water cooperation in fostering peace and sustainable development.

Data show that transborder waters account for 60 percent of the world’s total freshwater. Fostering the development of such cooperation is important because of the 153 countries that share transborder waters, only 24 have cooperation agreements.

In celebration of World Water Day, events are taking place worldwide, with the central event to be held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, with live online transmission – available here. The UN Report on the development of water in 2024 titled “Water for Prosperity and Peace” will be presented at the event. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall status, use and management of the world’s freshwater resources. It aims to provide tools for decision-makers so they can better formulate and implement sustainable policies.

As with other basic natural resources that are essential to the living world, pollution, scarcity or poor access to water can cause unrest in the world. Various environmental problems, such as pollution, climate change and global warming, as well as the growth of the world’s population further exacerbate the aforementioned problems, which is why urgent joint action is needed.

According to relevant reports, over two billion people do not have access to safe water.

Next year, on World Water Day, the plan is to focus on glaciers. The 2023 theme of World Water Day was „Accelerating Change”, while the year before the focus was groundwater. The day dedicated to water has been officially celebrated since 1993 by the United Nations and the first theme, marked in 1994, was “Water Resources is Everybody’s Business”.

Energy portal

By Marking Trees, Montenegro Prevents the Illegal Cutting of Forests

22.03.2024

priroda , šuma — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Appolinary Kalashnikova)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mika Korhonen)

With innovative equipment for digitizing the monitoring of forest areas, Montenegro will prevent illegal logging.

The Near Field Communication (NFC) is a technology that enables communication between devices located close to each other and has a wide application. In Montenegro, the NFC technology is used to mark and track trees, in order to improve the management of protected areas, according to the Government of Montenegro’s official website.

All trees will be marked with a tag and will be given a unique ID that will contain all the necessary information such as the type of tree, its age, girth, photos and more.

The Montenegrin Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Sustainable Development and Development of the North of Montenegro and the National Parks of Montenegro public company signed an agreement stipulating the purchase of this equipment, worth over 50,000 euros.

This decision is made under the auspices of the Integrating Biodiversity into Sectoral Policies and Practices and Improving the Protection of Key Areas of Biodiversity in Montenegro project.

The project also stipulates the purchase of pheromone traps that ought to solve the problem of the overpopulation of bark beetles in the Prokletije National Park, which is a consequence of climate change. In 2023, the beetles caused the drying out of numerous trees, which is why the decision was made to catch these insects.

Pheromone traps are devices used to attract and trap harmful insects, thus preserving crops and other plants. They use artificially produced pheromones, i.e. chemical scents that insects use in nature to communicate with each other.

On March 22nd to 23rd, the Montenegrin National Parks Days event will take place in Montenegro, organized by the National Parks of Montenegro public company, to disseminate information about the natural attractions of the protected areas in this country, but also to educate the youngest population about the importance of such areas.

Energy portal

HOME BEEKEEPING – VALIDATING THE IMPORTANCE OF BEES

21.03.2024

wirestock Freepik — Photo-illustration: Freepik (wirestock)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Meggyn Pomerleau)

By now, everybody knows how important bees are for the survival of humanity and biodiversity, but in practice, it seems that that is not the case. Although, initially, I thought of skipping the part about their importance, I think it would be beneficial to write about it again.

It has been estimated that bees participate in total pollination with about 80 per cent. Although hand pollination techniques have been developed for some plants, with wind also playing a role in pollination of some species such as cereals, these tiny animals do it much more efficiently. They are of particular importance when it comes to fruit pollination. For example, bees participate in the total pollination of the cherry tree by about 90 per cent. More precise data show that they pollinate crops that provide about 90 per cent of humanity’s food.

Although there is a variety of opinions about the benefits of alternative medicine, it seems that the majority of people who are not proponents of it still believe in bee products. Honey, for instance, has fantastic benefits for immunity and great nutritional values and it can even be used to treat some serious medical problems. There is a special branch of medicine, apitherapy, which uses honey and other bee products in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. These products include propolis, pollen, royal jelly, bee’s wax and bee’s venom. Although the latter is labelled poison, this product has numerous therapeutic effects. Perhaps the biggest application is in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and diseases such as asthma, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Bee products also have a positive effect on mitigating health problems related to chemotherapy, as well as on the treatment of breast cancer.

I came across information that the creator of the term bee venom therapy was Bodog Felix Beck, an American doctor specializing in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatoid conditions using bee venom. He wrote the book titled “Bee Venom Therapy: Bee Venom, Its Nature and Its Effect on Arthritic and Rheumatoid Conditions” in 1935. Moreover, some data show that even the ancient Egyptians used bees for food as well as for medicinal purposes over 4,000 years ago.

There is a lot of information about the benefits that these insects provide us and this knowledge makes it possible to raise bees even on our home turf. The so-called Beeamond system collects bee products indoors, such as honey, pollen and propolis, but also provides other services such as air inhalation or bee venom therapy. Bee lovers can observe the entire process of how these wonderful creatures work because the hives are made of transparent material – glass. The whole system is made in such a way that it is safe for people, i.e. bees cannot enter the room, but also bees can freely leave their hive which is made of organic glass.

There are three types of such hives available, depending on the person’s needs and experience. There is a decorative and production model, which is affordable to anyone, but also a professional model which you need previous experience to use. The latter model allows you to extract products from it but also provides the aforementioned api-inhalation service, i.e. inhaling air from the hive, which is very healthy and strengthens immunity.

I have not found information on what experts think about this cultivation method, whether it is good for bees or if it puts them in jeopardy. However, what I wanted to point out is the growing awareness of people about the importance of bees for human health. As I wrote at the beginning, I believe that the awareness of the problem of their extinction is also growing, but practice still shows that there are not enough actions to solve the problem. Some estimates say that if bees disappeared from our planet, humanity could survive for only four years. I don’t know how accurate these estimates and I really hope we never find out, both for the sake of our species and other living beings. Alternative pollination solutions are also being created, such as robot bees, but it is certainly the last option we would want to experience. This is why we should opt for planting more flowers, the abolition of pesticides and supporting the life of bees.

Katarina Vuinac

GERMANY: A FUSION POWER PLANT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT?

21.03.2024

nuclear_power_plant_nuklearna_elektrana — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jakob Madsen)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Halgatewood Com)

Germany recognizes the need for renewable energy and has launched an ambitious plan called Fusion 2040 – Research on the Way to a Fusion Power Plant which goal is to finance and develop the technology for building the first national fusion power plant by 2040.

Germany has ambitious goals when it comes to green energy and environmental challenges and since nuclear power plants are no longer allowed in the country, different solutions are being sought. Fusion energy, which mimics the processes that take place in the heart of the Sun, allows the production of huge amounts of energy by fusing atomic nuclei, contrary to the process used by today’s fission-based nuclear power plants.

The initiative is supported by institutional funding and aims to improve the technologies, components and materials necessary for the operation of a fusion power plant by the early 2030s, followed by the design and further development of such a plant, World Nuclear News reports.

Fusion energy is the opposite of fission, which is prevalent in nuclear technologies. While fission involves splitting heavy atomic nuclei, such as uranium, which produces dangerous radioactive waste, fusion fuses light atomic nuclei together, producing energy with minimal radioactive waste and without the risk of nuclear meltdown, thus making it safer.

Germany committed itself 13 years ago to the gradual abolition of fission-based nuclear energy. Given this decision, switching to fusion energy is a logical step in the search for sustainable energy solutions.

Energy portal

WHAT ARE THE BRITISH ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS MOST CONCERNED ABOUT?

20.03.2024

punjač automobil — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (CHUTTERSNAP)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Fousert)

Research has been published recently on the obstacles that drivers face when switching to electric vehicles, a topic addressed by Transport & Environment UK.

Key issues identified in the UK, which can probably be found in many other countries, include an insufficient number of public chargers, the high initial price of electric vehicles, higher electricity bills, concerns about battery life and replacement and longer charging times compared to classic fuel-operated cars.

Details of the survey published by Transport & Environment UK reveal specific concerns among the drivers surveyed – 16 per cent consider the lack of charging points as part of public infrastructure to be a major problem, with a further 20 per cent expressing concerns about the same issue, thus making this the No. 1 concern. Expensive start-up costs are the main obstacle for 13 per cent of people and a concern for 17 per cent. High electricity bills are the main problem for 11 per cent of research participants, while 17 per cent consider them a concern. Battery life and the need to replace them is currently a concern of 9 per cent of surveyed drivers, with an additional 19 per cent concerned about the same problem, although they don’t see it as their primary concern. Finally, 9 per cent of respondents consider charging time a major problem, while 23 per cent express concern regarding this issue.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Humphrey Muleba)

These are mostly the most common problems that drivers consider when buying a car, hence they proposed several measures that could alleviate the said problems. As many as 40 per cent believe that an 8-year warranty would make the purchase easier, while 39 per cent believe that providing guarantees that electric charging is 50 per cent cheaper than consumption of petrol per kilometre would significantly sway drivers toward electric vehicles, as would free installation of home chargers.

However, many drivers are unaware that some of these incentives are already available, although additional measures such as lower charging prices and equal regional development of EV infrastructure are also being called for.

According to the media sources, the number of electric vehicles on the road in Great Britain is growing significantly. This year, the number of fully electric cars exceeded 1,000,000, while an additional 620,000 were hybrid-powered. 2023 saw an 18 per cent year-on-year increase, with electric and hybrid vehicles accounting for nearly a quarter of all new car sales in January. The data also indicate that additional measures could further empower drivers to choose electric vehicles.

Energy portal

PADEJ GETS A SOLAR POWER PLANT WITH INSTALLED POWER OF 3 MWP

20.03.2024

In the North Banat settlement of Padej, constructing the Panawiss solar power plant with an installed capacity of 3 MWp is underway. Works on the construction of the solar power plant are in full swing. The area of five hectares is almost covered with structures and solar panels, and according to plans, the power plant will be completely completed by the end of the year. The investor of the project is Panawiss plus, while the execution of the works is entrusted to the company MT-KOMEX.

A total of 5,400 monofacial panels from the German manufacturer Luxor Solar will be used to construct this solar power plant, while the latest generation ECO LINE HALF CELL M144/500 W panel model has been chosen. Regarding the structure on which the solar panels are installed, the Turkish manufacturer Kirac Metal model was chosen. The company’s expert team used Fronius Tauro – ECO-100-3-P, 100 kW inverters for the Panawiss plus solar power plant. The transformation of electricity from a voltage of 0.4 kV to a voltage of 20 kV will be carried out by a transformer with a power of 2,500 kVA. According to calculations, the Panawiss plus solar power plant will produce 3,700 MW annually. All produced electricity will be placed in the electrical distribution system.

IN FOCUS:

Pioneers in the construction of solar power plants

The construction of the solar power plant was entrusted by the investor Panawiss Plus to a company with many years of experience in the construction of these power plants. This year, MT-KOMEX is celebrating 30 years since the company’s establishment, and during that time they have realized numerous successful projects. Their portfolio testifies to success; so far, they have built and delivered equipment for more than 200 solar power plants on the ground and on roofs, with a total installed power of more than 100 MW.

The company consists of a professional team of trustworthy people who are always ready to provide full support to clients in all project phases. Engineers employed by the company regularly attend professional seminars and special training and have all the necessary certificates. They have a lot of experience in project development, and their work includes everything – from the development stage to the preparation of documentation for technical acceptance and obtaining a use permit on a turnkey basis.

The company MT-KOMEX believes that solar energy will greatly contribute to the fulfilment of the strategic goal of the Republic of Serbia that by the year 2040, 40 per cent of electricity will come from renewable sources.

As a socially responsible company, MT-KOMEX works every day to promote renewable energy sources and projects in this area, paying special attention to environmental protection.

Saving carbon dioxide, one hectare of forest absorbs eight kilograms of carbon dioxide per hour. If it is taken into account that plants carry out photosynthesis for an average of 12 hours during the day, this means that they absorb 96 kilograms per day.

Seen annually, one hectare of forest absorbs about 35,000 kilograms; in 20 years, it is about 700 tons. The power plant will reduce emissions by 3,000 tons annually, or 60,000 tons in 20 years.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

ELECTRIFICATION OF RAIL TRAFFIC – HOW MUCH OF IT IS IMPLEMENTED AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

19.03.2024

voz — Photo-illustration: Freepik (rorozoa)

The railway is considered a more environmentally friendly transport mode regarding emissions. However, to meet the climate change targets, additional efforts have to be invested to make this kind of transport even more sustainable.

In this sense, a much wider electrification of railways is needed, i.e. equipping the railways with electrical power systems that allow trains to use electricity instead of traditional fuels such as coal and diesel. Electric trains are powered by power lines placed above the tracks or by a third rail located along the track.

Data published by Eurostat show that electrified railway lines have increased by around 30 per cent compared to 1990. More precisely, in 2022, the length of such railways in the EU countries was 115,000 kilometres, an increase of 88,000 kilometres in 2021.

If we consider that the total length of railways in 2022 was 202,000 kilometres, the share of electrified railways was over 55 per cent. The 2021 data show that Switzerland takes first place in the extent of railway electrification as almost all of its railroads are electric. Luxembourg was second and Belgium third.

Electrification is a key way of modernizing the railway network in terms of environmental protection.

As reported by the media, other countries around the world are striving for the same goal, so for instance, India has set itself the goal of fully electrifying its heavy-duty railroads by 2025. We should also mention China, with a significant number of railways becoming electric.

Besides environmental benefits, railway speed can be improved in this way too. Although the focus here is on reducing air pollution, we should also mention noise pollution, which is particularly harmful to animals. Namely, the tracks often pass through nature and wild areas, and electrification would reduce the noise and vibrations produced by trains.

Katarina Vuinac

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