CROATIAN ENERGY MIX – RENEWABLE SOURCES EXCEED NON-RENEWABLES AND NPP KRSKO

28.02.2024

windmills_vetrenjače_wind_park_vetropark — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (American Public Power Association)

The relevant January data showed that renewable energy sources in Croatia were the dominant source of electricity production compared to non-renewable ones.

As usual, hydropower plants had the biggest share in renewable energy – over 42 percent in January – while other non-renewable sources together participated with over 22 percent, thus surpassing both non-renewable sources (over 19 percent) and Krško nuclear power plant, in which Croatia, as a co-owner, generates about 15 percent of electricity, according to data from OIE Croatia.

Renewable energy sources produced more electricity than thermal power plants (58GWh more) and the Croatian segment of the NPP Krško (133GWh more) and thus took second place in the January energy mix. This was especially owing to wind farms, which exceeded the electricity production from nuclear reactors.

Two days in January show fluctuations from the usual electricity consumption and production.

On January 7th, 97 percent of the total energy generation came from all renewable sources, with hydropower plants responsible for 53 percent of electricity and other RES for 44 percent. Conversely, on January 31st, hydropower plants share was over 34 percent and other RES 7.2 percent, which was the lowest share of RES in the energy mix.

In terms of non-renewable energy sources, gas is still the most dominant fuel. In the last few years, the burning topic in Croatia was the plan to increase the capacity of the LNG terminal on the island of Krk. Natural gas is considered a transition fuel on the way to green transition, because it emits much less harmful gases compared to other fossil fuels, and the additional gasification module enables greater energy security. The plan is to add a new module for converting gas from liquid to gaseous state thus generating a larger quantity of gas for processing – up to 250,000 cubic meters per hour, with an annual delivery twice biggers than before, i.e. between 6.0 and 6. 1 million cubic metres – the official website of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia says.

All in all, the January data indicate that wind energy accomplished the best results so far and the total energy production from wind farms in January 2024 was 294GWh, hydroelectric power plant 741GWh, NPP Krško 260GWh and non-renewable sources 335GWh.

Energy portal

LOW-CARBON ECONOMY IS A LONG-TERM ENERGY POLICY PRIORITY

28.02.2024

Štrbske-pleso_Visoke-Tatre — Photo: Shutterstock

Over 40 per cent of the territory of a small country in the heart of Europe – the Slovak Republic, with a population of 5.5 million – is covered by forests. Slovakia is the seventh most forested country in the European Union judging by size. The country has impressive mountain landscapes with many different natural attractions like the Tatra Mountains, the Danube, high mountain peaks which alternate with deep valleys, vast forests interspersed with meadows and pastures and fast streams flowing into calm rivers. The nature here has a very diverse flora and fauna, which is determined by the geographical location. In a conversation with H.E. Fedor Rosocha, the ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Serbia, we learned how this country faces challenges related to environmental protection and climate change, how much energy they produce from renewable energy sources (RES), how they are reducing their carbon footprint and preserving biodiversity, development of electric cars and what kind of support they provide to Serbia regarding environmental protection.

Q: Rapid technological changes and the energy crisis have created uncertainties when it comes to environmental protection and the fight against climate change. How does Slovakia face these new challenges and what are the most important strategies that the country has implemented to face the latest developments in environmental protection?

A: Environmental problems increasingly affect the economy, employment and the quality of life of our population. Furthermore, just like anywhere in the world, Slovakia is visibly affected by climate change, which will manifest in the form of environmental, economic and health problems in the future. The biggest environmental challenges in Slovakia relate to waste management, air quality and protection of habitats and species, mainly in forest, meadow and wetland ecosystems. The strategic document Envirostrategy 2030 defines our vision until 2030 while taking into account possible and desired future developments. It also identifies basic system problems, defines goals, proposes measures to improve the current situation and contains basic indicators of results that will enable the verification of achieved results. The goal is to achieve a better quality of the environment and a sustainable circular economy, based on the consistent protection of environmental components and the use of as few non-renewable natural resources and hazardous substances as possible, which will improve the population’s health.

IN FOCUS:

Q: How much does Slovakia annually invest in environmental protection and which resources and funds do you use to regulate this area?

A: The share of total environmental protection costs in our GDP is approximately 1.5 per cent. We established the Environmental Fund, via which the state actively supports financial investments in environmental protection based on sustainable development principles. The Fund is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment and primarily provides subsidies to municipalities, e.g. for the construction of wastewater treatment plants, sewage or water supply systems or projects that address climate change. One of the ongoing projects is the utilization of bio-waste. In the period from 2007 to 2020, the Environmental Fund spent 723 million euros, which is 9 per cent of Slovakia’s total expenditures in this area. More than 40 per cent of the support was spent on the construction and modernization of the water supply infrastructure.

Q: How far along are you in implementing your plans for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and what are your further plans in that direction? How much energy do you produce from renewable energy sources annually?

A: Slovakia is one of the leaders in reducing the carbon footprint in the EU. Between 1990 and 2021, we almost halved greenhouse gas emissions. This was achieved in part due to the closure of many industrial enterprises that were major polluters and also due to an increase in energy efficiency in the economy and the implementation of stricter national legislation. Establishing a competitive low-carbon economy is a long-term priority of Slovakia’s energy policy. The key to achieving a low-carbon economy is the optimal use of RES, nuclear energy, decarbonized gases and innovative technologies that will contribute to the efficient use of energy sources. In 2021, Slovakia’s share of RES in the overall energy mix was 17.4 per cent. Electricity production from renewable sources amounted to 7,241GWh. Hydropower plants had the largest share (62.9 per cent), followed by wood with an 18.3 per cent share. Solar photovoltaic systems had a 9.3 per cent share and biogas 6.7 per cent. The share of waste energy utilization was 2.8 per cent. Geothermal energy is another suitable option for increasing the share of RES in the overall energy mix. Also, several geothermal power plants are currently being developed.

Q: The Danube is one of the biggest rivers that run through Slovakia and one of the country’s main symbols. How much do you invest in the Danube’s preservation and protection? How did you regulate the construction of mini hydropower plants (MHE) in the context of long-term environmental consequences?

A: The Danube is an important international river that connects many nations and creates a unique natural heritage with a range of water-dependent organisms. It supplies quality water to Žitný Ostrov, our largest underground drinking water reservoir. The Danube is one of the most valuable and endangered natural heritages in Europe. That is why it is extremely important to pay attention to the protection and restoration of the Danube’s nature and the preservation of its biodiversity, while at the same time, using the Danube economically, in accordance with European strategies. Small hydropower plants are relatively simple, technically undemanding energy structures. However, they are also associated with serious environmental and socio-economic impacts, which directly depend on the location and type of hydropower plant. Of course, the goal is to use the hydropower potential of watercourses with minimal negative impact on aquatic organisms and water-dependent ecosystems. Currently, the utilized hydropower potential of Slovakia is at 57.5 per cent.

Interviewed by: Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

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

NORTH AFRICA’S RENEWABLE POTENTIAL AND STRATEGIC LOCATION REINFORCE ITS ROLE IN ENERGY TRANSITION

27.02.2024

africa-afrika — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

North Africa – Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan – faces significant challenges due to climate change, which increasingly disrupts the region’s economies that rely on agriculture, fishery and tourism. Climate mitigation efforts, including renewable energy deployment is therefore crucial for the region’s climate resilience, while further developing their economies. Fortunately, the region is endowed with immense renewables potential, especially solar and wind power, making it a prime candidate for a renewables-based energy transition.

As the African continent’s largest energy market, the region – apart from Sudan – is characterised by notable socio-economic development, industrialisation and access to modern energy. These characteristics, combined with its vast renewables potential, could enable North Africa to lead at the forefront of the global energy transition.

North Africa’s business case for renewables is strong; costs of solar and wind technologies have come down significantly. As a result, North Africa leads the African continent in new utility-scale wind and solar deployment, and is home to almost half of Africa’s total installed wind power generation capacity, as well as a fifth of its grid-based solar power generation capacity.

North Africa is also well-positioned to be a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen. With high renewables potential that can be tapped at low costs, and geographical proximity to Europe where demand for renewables-based or green hydrogen is rising, many North African countries have entered into agreements with other countries and private companies to explore pilot projects for green hydrogen production and exportation.

Investments in the region need to increase, however. Apart from 2017 when investments peaked at USD 5.7 billion, investments have remained below the USD 3 billion mark, falling to USD 2.4 billion in 2021. Investments also need to be more equitably distributed. So far, most of the investments are concentrated in Morocco and Egypt.

Contrary to the global trend in the period of 2013-2020 which shows private sector financing as the primary source of funding for renewables development, North Africa sees public finance play a far more important role. Multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, export credit agencies, guarantee funds and private reinsurance have provided direct funding, risk mitigation support and technical assistance, to help build a regular pipeline of future renewable energy projects in the region.

And renewables investment yields substantial job creation benefits, surpassing fossil fuels by two to five times per dollar invested. With its sizable and educated workforce, North Africa has an opportunity to benefit from the job creation potential, driven by appropriate labour market and education policies including technical and vocational training programmes. While competitive auctions are becoming the primary instrument to drive investments in renewables, in the future, add-on policies such as net metering and feed-in-tariffs could further drive investments, leading the region closer to its socio-economic goals, including the Agenda 2030.

Source: IRENA

DO WE SUFFICIENTLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN ACHIEVING CLIMATE GOALS?

27.02.2024

eko — Photo-illustration: Freepik (freepik)

The exploitation of various natural materials and their further use in economic production has a great impact on the generation of greenhouse gas emissions. The circular economy has been promoted worldwide as a solution to the reduction of these emissions. Despite this effort, the circular economy is still underrepresented in national climate policies and measures, according to a new briefing by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Data collated by the International Resource Panel indicate that the extraction and processing of natural materials such as fossil fuels, biomass, metals and non-metallic minerals account for nearly half of global greenhouse emissions.

The term circular economy usually implies reusing resources that should have ended up as waste. However, it goes beyond that and it encompasses the entire value chain – from sustainable design and efficient production, through to sustainable consumption, longer and better use of products and finally using waste as a resource.

Awareness of the importance of the circular economy is still not sufficiently developed and the concept is not always properly understood. As stated in the briefing, there is a lack of adequate inclusion of climate benefits arising from the inclusion of a circular economy in policies and reporting on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The reason for this is a gap between the strict sectoral reporting structure that adheres to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and the cross-cutting nature of the circular economy. More precisely, this means that the circular economy goes beyond the boundaries of traditional sectors and extends through different stages of the product life cycle. It doesn’t apply to only one part of the chain but includes the entire process – from production to recycling.

We can use, for instance, glass waste to illustrate the benefits of the circular economy. The report would most likely take into account only the data on how many emissions were reduced by the fact that this waste did not end up in a landfill. However, the circular economy plays an even more significant role in the production process of a new glass product. Thanks to the use of glass waste, instead of newly sourced raw materials, significant amounts of energy are saved. The problem is that such benefits from the application of the circular economy are more difficult to accurately determine in the production process itself, which is why they are often not included in the said reports.

EEA data show that the importance of the circular economy in its full capacity is still not sufficiently understood. Namely, in 2023, 148 circular-economy-related activities were reported, of which about 60 per cent pertained to waste. A much smaller number covered all stages of the circular economy, i.e. utilizing its full potential.

The briefing offered six step-by-step explanations for including the circular economy in climate change mitigation reports and policy-making. This ought to improve the understanding and develop awareness of the importance of its implementation.

The first step involves the gathering of circular economy and climate change experts. Awareness of the connection between these two areas should be increased and a strong, transparent and coordinated national system should be set up for future reports. The second step is using certain models to identify key circular economy measures that have the potential to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The third step could be explained as achieving synergy between waste reduction measures and circular economy policies in climate change mitigation reports. The last three steps concern the analysis of whether additional legislative proposals are needed, followed by monitoring the progress of adopted policies and finally continuing to further develop the previous five steps.

Energy portal

Melting of the cryosphere cryosphere – changes and consequences

26.02.2024

led — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Tetiana Grypachevska)

The cryosphere is the area of our planet where water freezes into snow or ice. The cryosphere is divided into snow, ice, glaciers, ice shelves or icebergs, sea ice and permafrost. Some of them freeze and thaw seasonally, while other areas have been frozen for thousands of years and are classified as permafrost. Data compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) show that 70 per cent of fresh water on Earth is in the form of snow or ice and that about 10 per cent of the planet’s surface is covered by glaciers or ice sheets. The melting of such surfaces can lead to important changes such as the loss of habitats for various plant and animal species, either by the disappearance of ice areas or by the rise of sea levels, which would flood coastal areas as a result. Furthermore, changes in the salinity of seas and oceans and ocean currents should also be noted. Humankind is the villain here as it has caused climate change and global warming.

The special report on the ocean, cryosphere and changing climate, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), shows how important the preservation of such areas is and how the aforementioned environmental problems affect their disappearance, thus jeopardizing the living world.

The communities that inhabit coastal areas, small islands, polar regions and high mountains are particularly exposed to changes that occur in the cryosphere and thus in the oceans. The available data show that the low-lying coastal area is inhabited by about 680 million people, while predictions are that by 2050, this number will increase to more than one billion. When it comes to high mountain areas, available data indicate about 670 million people, while predictions show that it will increase to about 800 million by 2050.

What changes have been observed and what consequences do they bring?

In the last few decades, under the influence of global warming, there has been a widespread reduction of the cryosphere, which includes mass loss of ice sheets and glaciers, reduction of snow cover and the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice, while permafrost temperature has been growing. For instance, between 2006 and 2015, the Greenland ice sheet lost mass at a rate of about 270 gigatonnes per year, while the Antarctic ice sheet lost about 155 gigatonnes per year.

Regarding the world’s oceans, since 1993, the warming rate has more than doubled. Estimates show that the rate of global mean sea level rise from 2006 to 2015 was about 2.5 times higher than that from 1901 to 1990. If the Antarctic ice sheet melts completely, it will lead to a rise in sea level by 58 meters. Depending on different scenarios, which include the impact of global warming emissions, the global mean sea level is predicted to rise between 0.43 and 0.84 meters by 2100 compared to the period between 1986 and 2005.

Such changes have a direct impact on the functioning of the ecosystem. With the melting of ice surfaces, many plant and animal species lose their habitats, which is why they die out or move to other habitats, causing a shift in the food chain. Phytoplankton blooms occur earlier in the year, indicating changes in sea ice and nutrient availability. The report’s data also show that almost 50 per cent of coastal wetlands have been lost in the last 100 years, which is a result of sea level rise and global warming. All the previously mentioned changes have a negative impact on food and water security, especially in the areas that are most threatened by these changes. As a final example of dangerous consequences, one could cite an increased risk of disease. The melting of glaciers and permafrost releases various microorganisms and mercury, which continue to circulate in the environment through water, soil and food.

Previous years were record-breaking in terms of temperature and January 2024 continued the trend because it was the warmest month in the recorded. An additional problem is the fact that, for example, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet.

Katarina Vuinac

STATE OF EMERGENCY, RESTRICTIONS AND EMPTY TANKS DUE TO DROUGHT

26.02.2024

Mediteran_more — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Dimitris Panagiotaras)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sébastien Goldberg)

In recent years, the world has witnessed some of the most severe droughts ever, affecting different continents and millions of people.

In 2021, Madagascar experienced one of the worst droughts in its history, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis, while in the summer of 2022, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia experienced severe droughts that caused food and water shortages. Many livestock died, agriculture and crops were destroyed and the number of people who were affected by the food crisis exceeded 20 million. It did not rain until the middle of the year in the mentioned parts of East Africa and according to the information at the time, it did not rain in the north of Kenya for over two years.

Amazonia, the United States, Canada, Argentina and Paraguay were also hit, with the droughts in the latter two countries negatively affecting hydropower and agricultural production.

The Mediterranean and southern Europe are other critical points, where the temperature is rising faster than average. North Africa, Italy, Spain and Greece are suffering from a lack of rainfall, so last summer Greece had several weeks of raging forest fires, while certain areas in Spain declared a state of emergency. If we consider that rainfall has been below average for three years now and that temperatures are rising, the problem becomes much more obvious.

The Drought in the Mediterranean – January 2024 report, published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Drought Observatory (EDO), looks in detail at the impact of droughts on these regions.

Prolonged droughts, caused by a combination of above-average temperatures, hot spells and a lack of rainfall, have caused severe conditions in the Mediterranean region, including parts of Italy, Spain, Malta, as well as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The report also points to seasonal forecasts predicting a warmer spring, which could further worsen the situation.

This January, a state of emergency was declared in Catalonia, accompanied by stricter restrictions on water use, after water supplies fell below 16 per cent. In the same context, the water reservoirs in the Algarve, in the south of Portugal, reached their lowest levels, which necessitated restrictions on water consumption, according to the European Commission’s website.

Photo-illustration: Freepik (kdekiara
kdekiara)

The situation was equally alarming in Italy, where reservoirs in Sicily recorded below-normal levels, which again led to the rationalization of water consumption to ensure that basic needs were met.

Estimates showed that Sardinia’s water reservoirs were at less than half their capacity in December 2023.

Morocco has experienced six consecutive years of drought, which has led to drastically low water levels in its reservoirs. In response to the crisis, the Moroccan government banned the use of water for washing streets, and irrigating public parks and certain agricultural areas.

As we wrote earlier, last summer the average temperature of the planet was the hottest on record – above 17 degrees Celsius.

There is a pressing need to adapt strategies for water management and sectors that depend on freshwater, such as agriculture and drinking water production, as well as to invest in drought early warning systems, increase the efficiency of water use and switch to more drought- resistant crop varieties.

Energy portal

RECYCLING PACKAGING AT LIDL: DONATE OR REDUCE THE BILL

25.02.2024

Dobro-se-reciklažom-vraća_Foto — Photo: Lidl

Until now, as part of Lidl’s pilot project, Recycling – because one good turn deserves another, in Novi Sad and Niš, consumers have had the opportunity to donate 5 dinars to the Be Humane foundation for every returned Lidl PET and ALU packaging, and from now on they can also provide a voucher that reduces their bills in the amount of 5 dinars for each returned packaging. In addition, two more new recycling machines were installed in stores in Belgrade.

As part of the expansion of Lidl’s ecological and humanitarian project, in addition to consumers in Novi Sad and Niš, from the end of September, Belgrade residents can also recycle at Vidikovac at Kneza Višeslava Street 61V and in Borča, at Bratstva i Jedinstva 2D.

The project, Recycling – because one good turn deserves another, has not yet been applied to all stores in Serbia. Still, the pilot phase in which the project is located has shown experience and solutions from Germany and other European Union countries can greatly contribute to a faster and more efficient introduction of the circular economy model to the Serbian market.

IN FOCUS:

How to use recycling machines?

Using the devices, which consumers will notice at the entrance to one of the five stores where they are installed, is very simple — it is necessary to insert into them PET packaging with a volume of 0.2 to 0.3 liters or cans of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages purchased in Lidl stores, one by one.

When all the packaging has been inserted, you need to click on the button on the screen and choose whether you want to download the voucher or donate. For the packaging to be accepted, besides having a visible barcode, it is necessary to be empty and without damage. Packaging made of cardboard, glass, milk and non-aluminum cans will not be accepted.

The Project: Recycling – because one good turn deserves another was created intending to test citizens’ readiness for today’s environmental challenges and grew out of Lidl’s global strategy REset Plastic, which seeks to involve and educate consumers through various initiatives.

Lidl

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY

SOLARISE PRECISELY CALCULATES THE NUMBER OF PANELS NEEDED FOR ONE ROOF

24.02.2024

aerial-view-private-house-with-solar-panels-roof — Photo-illustration: Freepik (wirestock)

Clean forms of energy are a topic that has been often discussed lately which is why it seems to us that we are sufficiently familiar with it. Yet if we were to decide to install solar panels on the roof of our home, the first question we would need to answer would be how many panels we would need.

A team of final-year undergraduates and young software engineers, Uroš Poček, Tamara Ilić, Tina Mihajlović and Milica Sladaković, devised a way to simplify at least one segment of this procedure. Their story begins in November last year when RE:HACK was organized by Science & Technology Park in Novi Sad and GIZ.

This hackathon required a solution and a simple business model for the use of solar energy in households to be found in 48 hours, which none of them had encountered before. That’s when the idea for the development of the SolaRise startup began to simmer. The third place they won at the hackathon and the mentoring support they received for further work prompted Uroš, Tamara, Tina and Milica to develop their own business models for product launch. Although this proved to be the most difficult part of the job, no obstacle was insurmountable, they say in a good team spirit fashion.

IN FOCUS:

What is the SolaRise software?

As Tamara explains, their software performs measurements and generates an offer for the installation of solar panels on people’s properties in just three clicks of a mouse. The client needs to enter the address where they plan to install the panel and everything else is done by this team of young people thanks to their artificial intelligence (AI) model which they developed using satellite images of locations in Serbia and several other European countries. Based on a satellite image of the location that is entered, their software recognizes the facility and accurately measures the area, offering information on how many panels are needed to cover the average electricity needs of the household.

The complete analysis, calculations and offer are generated in about 15 seconds, which includes information about the price of panel installation, the amount of energy produced, the return on the investment, etc. The whole process, including entering data and the address, lasts about 60 seconds. Although there are similar ideas in the market, this one stands out for its speed and simplicity, advanced AI model and competitive price.

Companies that install solar panels have recognized the benefits of cooperating with the Solarise startup. If they decide to provide access to this software through their website, they will make their services more qualitative and competitive. In this way, potential clients will be able to check whether the installation of the panels is worthwhile for them and whether they want to consider it more seriously, while the company will be able to do the initial planning faster and more efficiently, and then dedicate its full time and services to those people who really want to become their clients.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Chameleon Facade – The Fight Against Climate Change

23.02.2024

Global warming has prompted researchers around the world to find innovative solutions to make buildings conserve energy as efficiently as possible. One of the solutions is the brightest white paint, which reflects the Sun’s rays more successfully than any other colour. This technique is also used in modes of transport, such as aeroplanes. While the idea is great for the increasingly hot summer days, it is not so great for colder days. One thing is certain – whitewashing the buildings seasonally, i.e. painting them white in summer and black in winter, would certainly not contribute to the fight against climate change.

As nature offers us solutions for almost all the problems we face, this is no exception. Scientists from the University of Chicago found inspiration for their invention in a very interesting animal – the chameleon.

They invented a material that changes its infrared colour depending on the air temperature, which regulates the heat it absorbs or emits back into the atmosphere. Namely, during hot days, this material can emit up to 92 per cent of the infrared heat it contains. On the other hand, in the colder period of the year, it can emit only 7 per cent of this heat, to retain the rest and help the building maintain heat.

Scientists explain how the material works. The layer has two conformations. The first is solid copper and the second would be best understood if it were described as an aqueous solution. With the use of a very small amount of electricity, these two conformations interchange from one to the other. In the case of solid copper, heat is retained, while this aqueous solution emits heat back into the atmosphere.

The scientists presented the effectiveness of their solution through a concrete example of an ordinary building in America. It takes less than 0.2 per cent of the building’s total electricity consumption would be needed to change between the two conformations. It is important to note that when such a change occurs, no electricity is needed to maintain the current state for a further period. The advantage that this material brings is a possible saving of over 8 per cent of annual energy consumption for the building’s so-called HVAC system, that is, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

In terms of the colour of the building front, scientists say that almost any colour could be used, because in the aqueous state – which is transparent – any colour behind it can be applied without interference.

Although more time is needed for the idea to be fully developed and to ensure its wide application, the University researchers are very hopeful. Until its application takes root in our region, using all the possibilities available to us to make our homes or offices more energy efficient will be a step forward towards a safer future.

Katarina Vuinac

Rise in used heavy-duty vehicles a major contributor to pollution, prompting calls for more stringent regulations

23.02.2024

saobraćaj , mobilnost — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Vlad Vasnetsov)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Rodrigo Abreu)

While heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) exports represent a modest 3.6 per cent of the global automotive trade’s total value, their associated CO2 emissions have surged by over 30 per cent since 2000, with trucks contributing 80 per cent to this increase. Moreover, HDVs participate substantially to environmental pollution, accounting for over 40 per cent of on-road nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, over 60 per cent of on-road particulate matter (PM 2.5), and more than 20 per cent of black carbon emissions, as revealed in the latest report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The report Used Heavy Duty Vehicles and the Environment – A Global Overview of Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and Regulation report, jointly launched by the UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), provides a first global overview by the UN of the scale and regulation of used HDVs and their contribution to global air pollution, road accidents, fuel consumption and climate emissions. The report recommends ways to reduce the harmful aspects of used HDVs on people’s health and the climate.

According to the study, HDVs are projected to considerably continue to grow with increasing economic activities and the need to move people and goods. This is based on past trends where global sales of trucks and buses doubled in 15 years (2000-2015).

Many developing countries rely on used heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) imports to grow their fleet. While this promotes more affordable means to increasing mobility needs in these countries, the report finds that regulation and enforcement on the quality of used HDVs imported are either low or non-existent. Further amplifying their impacts, especially in the case of old, polluting, and unsafe used HDVs.

To date no country has minimum requirements for exporting used HDVs. The report finds regulations in over half of used HDV importing countries to be ‘weak’ or ‘very weak’ and enforcement to be inadequate. For example, while 25 African countries have adopted standards on used HDVs towards air pollution control, climate mitigation and improved road safety, only four have fully implemented these. Worldwide, only two countries have included used vehicles in their national climate action plans (NDCs).

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Sajjad Ahmadi)

Rob de Jong, head of UNEP’s Sustainable Mobility Unit, said: “Trucks and buses contribute to economic growth just about anywhere in the world, but ambitious regulations are needed to curb their emissions causing major environment and health impacts. Introduction of cleaner bus technologies can be a major driver for the global revolution to low and, ultimately, zero emissions transport.”

The report emphasizes that it is a shared responsibility of importing and exporting countries to ensure cleaner and safer used vehicles are on the roads of developing countries. It shows the need for regional cooperation for introducing and enforcing minimum standards, such as emission standards and age limits, raising public awareness, and more research, for both environment and road safety benefits. For example, by adopting Euro VI equivalent vehicle emission standards and cleaner fuels, as much as 700 thousand premature deaths can be avoided by 2030.

Currently 97 per cent of all newly registered trucks and 73 per cent of buses in the EU run on diesel. Better regulations on used HDVs can also lead to a leapfrog and greater uptake of advanced technologies in developing countries, including electric buses and trucks.

The report represents a first effort of quantifying and qualifying used heavy-duty vehicle flows, based on export data from Japan, the European Union, and Republic of Korea – altogether representing about 60 per cent of the total new and used HDV export market – to 146 predominantly low- and middle- income countries. The report has limitations, most notably discrepancies in statistics, as well as lacking publicly available data from the USA, which does not separate exports of new and used vehicles, and China, an emerging exporter.

Source: UNEP

MT-KOMEX IS BUILDING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR THE FIRST TIME

22.02.2024

solar — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Michael_Pointner)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Fortsch)

In early February, the MT-KOMEX Company started the construction of a photovoltaic power plant in Sisak-Moslavina County in Croatia. For the first time, the company is engaged in EU territory, thus continuing to expand its operations and gain more experience beyond Serbia’s borders.

The project is implemented in the city of Novska. MT-KOMEX is building a rooftop solar power plant with a total power of 280 kW AC and 340,625 kWp, for Thermo Stone d.o.o. Novska.

The plan is for the construction to be completed by the end of the current month or by the beginning of March at the latest.

In terms of equipment, the roof panels will be positioned in the southwest and northeast direction, with a slope that closely follows the roof’s slope. The company opted for Luxor Solar 545 Wp as the panel manufacturer and is using inverters from Fronius and a TR sheet structure for pitched roofs made by K2 Systems.

The electricity produced by this solar power plant will be used exclusively for local needs and will not be forwarded to the national power grid.

Considering that this is the first time that MT-KOMEX is working in the EU, it is interesting to note what differences and challenges they faced, although they are not drastically different to the usual working conditions that the company is accustomed to.

The works are carried out based on the Electric Power Installations Main Project, as well as the obtained Electric Power Permit (EPP), provided by the Croatian Electric Power Company (HEP). The company has to strictly adhere to the requirements and conditions stated in the EPP. The project also implies conducting certain studies, one of which is the Power Grid Impact Study.

The procedure for building a power plant is very similar to that in Serbia. To begin with, HEP very much resembles the Serbian power provider, EPS, and it has similar design and connection requirements (the so-called UPP), with a slight difference in the aforementioned studies that need to be drafted.

Essentially, both documents – EPP and UPP – are necessary when it comes to planning, designing and implementing infrastructure projects, as well as for issuing certain permits such as connecting the facility to the power grid. The goals of the two documents’ goals coincide, while the biggest difference actually lies in the terminology.

When simpler projects are implemented without a building permit, the project participants need to adhere to the relevant Rulebook, based on which supervision is not required, nor is reporting the execution work or keeping a construction site diary, which is very similar to the relevant rules in Serbia. As for the project which MT-KOMEX is currently implementing, the engineers in charge of this task have registered the works and keep a construction site diary according to their standards, given that in Croatia, the diary is kept exclusively through the eGrađanin website, which requires inputting a building permit number, which is another difference. One of the key challenges is actually exporting the required equipment, for which export customs clearance from Serbia and import customs clearance for Croatia must be carried out.

All in all, MT-KOMEX has added another town, this time in Croatia, to its reference list, in which it will produce green kilowatts and which will enhance the work experience of the company’s engineers.

Energy portal

Air quality: Council and Parliament strike deal to strengthen standards in the EU

21.02.2024

vazduh — Photo-illustration: Freepik (rawpixel.com)

Photo-illustration: Freepik (frimufilms)

The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal to set EU air quality standards to be attained with the aim of achieving a zero-pollution objective, thus contributing to a toxic-free environment in the EU by 2050.

It also seeks to bring EU air quality standards in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

Strengthening air quality standards

With the new rules, the co-legislators agreed to set out enhanced EU air quality standards for 2030 in the form of limit and target values that are closer to the WHO guidelines and that will be regularly reviewed. The revised directive covers a host of air-polluting substances, including fine particles and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), benzo(a)pyrene, arsenic, lead and nickel, among others, and establishes specific standards for each one of them. For instance, the annual limit values for the pollutants with the highest documented impact on human health, PM2.5 and NO2, would be reduced from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³ and from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³ respectively.

The provisional agreement provides member states with the possibility to request, by 31 January 2029 and for specific reasons and under strict conditions, a postponement of the deadline for attaining the air quality limit values:

until no later than 1 January 2040 for areas where compliance with the directive by the deadline would prove unachievable due to specific climatic and orographic conditions or where the necessary reductions can only be achieved with significant impact on existing domestic heating systems
until no later than 1 January 2035 (with possibility to extend it by two more years) if projections show that the limit values cannot be achieved by the attainment deadline.

To request these postponements, member states will have to include air quality projections in their air quality roadmaps (to be established by 2028) demonstrating that the exceedance will be kept as short as possible and that the limit value will be met by the end of the postponement period at the latest. During the period of postponement, member states will also have to regularly update their roadmaps and report on their implementation.

Air quality roadmaps, plans and short-term action plans

In cases where a limit or target value is exceeded or there is a concrete risk of exceeding the alert or information thresholds for certain pollutants, the text requires member states to establish:

an air quality roadmap ahead of the deadline if between 2026 and 2029 the level of pollutants exceeds the limit or target value to be attained by 2030
air quality plans for areas where the levels of pollutants exceed the limit and target values set out in the directive after the deadline
short-term action plans setting out emergency measures (e.g. restricting the circulation of vehicles, suspending construction works, etc.) to reduce the immediate risk to human health in areas where the alert thresholds will be exceeded

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Maruf_Rahman)

The co-legislators agreed to include softer requirements for establishing air quality and short-term action plans in cases where the potential to reduce certain pollutant concentrations is severely limited due to local geographical and meteorological conditions. When it comes to ozone, in cases where there is no significant potential to reduce ozone concentrations at local or regional level, the co-legislators agreed to exempt member states from establishing air quality plans, on the condition that they provide the Commission and the public with a detailed justification for such exemption.

Review clause

The provisionally agreed text calls on the European Commission to review the air quality standards by 2030 and every five years thereafter, in order to assess options for alignment with the recent WHO guidelines and the latest scientific evidence. In its review, the Commission should also assess other provisions of the directive, including those on postponement of the attainment deadlines and on transboundary pollution.

Based on its review, the Commission should then put forward proposals to revise air quality standards, include other pollutants and/or propose further action to be taken at EU level.

Access to justice and right to compensation

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Daniel Moqvist)

The proposed directive sets out provisions to ensure access to justice for those who have a sufficient interest and want to challenge its implementation, including public health and environmental NGOs. Any administrative or judicial review procedure should be fair, timely and not prohibitively expensive, and practical information on this procedure should be made publicly available.

Under the new rules, member states would have to ensure that citizens are entitled to claim and obtain compensation where damage to their health has occurred as a result of an intentional or negligent violation of the national rules transposing certain provisions of the directive.

The text as amended by the co-legislators also clarifies and expands the requirements for member states to establish effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for those who infringe the measures adopted to implement the directive. As applicable, they will have to take into account the severity and duration of the infringement, whether it is recurrent, and the individuals and environment affected by it, as well as the real or estimated economic benefits derived from the infringement.

Source: European Council

DEFORESTATION CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASED MERCURY POLLUTION – AFFORESTATION REDUCES IT

19.02.2024

priroda — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Lightscape)

temperatura — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (Gadini)

The danger of possible contact with mercury is something we have been familiar with since childhood when using old-fashioned thermometers. However, mercury is much more present in our living environment and its toxic effects go beyond the danger of being in direct contact with it. Moreover, mercury is widely distributed in the environment, but the problem arises the moment it is released and this is something that human activities contribute to significantly. Mercury becomes particularly toxic when it reaches the aquatic environment, but its release into the atmosphere in excessive amounts is also considered to be of grave concern for the health of people and other living creatures. Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as one of the 10 chemicals that pose the biggest threat to health.

A new study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) indicates that about 200 tonnes of mercury emissions each year are the result of global deforestation. If the current deforestation trend continues, researchers estimate that net mercury emissions will continue to rise.

Research has also shown that the Amazon rainforest has a significant role as a repository of mercury, with a 30 per cent share. By reducing deforestation, this type of pollution could be significantly reduced. Also, the research highlighted the possibility of reducing mercury in the environment if reforestation efforts are increased. Namely, forests can absorb mercury and increased afforestation would reduce its presence in the atmosphere. However, this method must not remain the only solution to mercury pollution.

How does deforestation contribute to mercury emissions?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Lucian Dachman)

Tree leaves play a key role in absorbing mercury from the atmosphere, in a similar way they do with carbon dioxide. However, unlike carbon dioxide which is important to plants in their biological function, mercury is detrimental. It stays inside the leaf until it falls off and thus ends up on the ground. After that, the mercury is absorbed into the soil, where it remains trapped.

The re-release of mercury from the soil is greatly influenced by the sun’s rays, which is precisely the essence of the MIT research. MIT explains that the leaves of trees in dense rainforests prevent the penetration of sunlight and when deforestation occurs, the density of the crowns decreases, which allows sunlight to reach the ground and thus accelerates the process of releasing mercury from the soil.

Making an interesting comparison, deforestation is likened to a country. In this imagined form, deforestation would be the second largest emitting country after China, which emits about 500 tonnes of mercury per year.

Not all parts of the world emit the same quantity of mercury. Tropical forest areas emit more mercury, as a result of burning down forests to prepare them for agricultural activities.

How can mercury emissions be further reduced?

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Eduardo Jaeger)

One of the main causes of the release of mercury into the atmosphere is the burning of coal, given that mercury is found in coal. This is another reason why the transition to alternative ways of producing electricity and heat is encouraged.

Also, mercury mining can be reduced if the existing mercury is recycled and reused. Even if mercury is not mined directly, it is done indirectly through gold mines.

As a heavy metal, it is found in various objects in everyday use such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, certain types of batteries, thermometers, certain types of electronic waste and others, which is why it is important to dispose of it safely.

The European Union expressed particular concern over the fact that when mercury is released into the environment, it enters the food chain, especially fish. Due to the health hazards, i.e. possible damage to the brain, lungs, kidneys and immune system, the European Union has invested significant efforts into developing laws to limit its use. For example, the use of batteries, thermometers, barometers and blood pressure measuring devices containing mercury is prohibited. Also, it is prohibited in most switches and relays found in electronic equipment. Last year, the European Commission adopted a Delegated Regulation translating the Minamata Convention on Mercury into EU law, which introduced a ban on the production, import and export of an additional eight products containing mercury.

Katarina Vuinac

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