Electricity demand for e-vehicles will grow rapidly

22.12.2023

električni auto , punjač — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Fousert)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (CHUTTERSNAP)

Munich (dpa) – In Europe, electricity consumption for electric cars and trucks will probably reach 355 terawatt hours per year by 2040, from the current 16 terawatt hours, according to the results of a study.

In relation to the total amount of electricity currently produced in the European Union, this is an increase in demand of 13 percent, the consulting company PwC announced on Thursday.

PwC made the calculations together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research.

It is expected that by 2040, all newly registered cars and trucks in the European Union will be electric – powered by batteries, hydrogen or fuel cells. Until then, it is assumed that 70 percent of cars and 65 percent of trucks will still run on gasoline or diesel.

“So it will be a long time before we see predominantly electric vehicles in operation and they displace the internal combustion engine,” said PwC expert Philipp Rose.

However, since older vehicles are used less than new ones, CO2 emissions directly on the road are likely to be halved by 2040.

Source: DPA

EU economy emissions in 2022: down 22 percent since 2008

21.12.2023

emisije , zagađenje — Photo-illustration: Freepik (frimufilms)

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Emiel Molenaar)

In 2022, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by economic activities of EU resident units stood at 3.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂-eq), indicating a 22 percent decrease compared with 2008.

The activities with the highest GHG emissions in 2022 were the manufacturing industry and the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning, both with 745 million tonnes of CO₂-eq, representing 21 percent of total greenhouse gases emitted. These were followed by households (718 million tonnes of CO₂-eq; 20 percent), which are emitters of greenhouse gases related to transportation, heating and other purposes.

Looking back, between 2008 (the first available year of data) and 2022, the largest relative decrease in GHG emissions was recorded in mining and quarrying (-40 percent), followed by the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning (-37 percent) and manufacturing (-28 percent).

These are estimates for the EU economy according to the air emissions accounts, which show the environmental impact of the whole economy, including international transport. Emitters are broken down by economic activity according to the classification NACE Rev. 2, as well as households, the same as in national accounts.

Source: Eurostat

Halting biodiversity loss: EU outlines achievements one year after adoption of global plan for nature and people

20.12.2023

mountain-planina-šuma-drveće — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mathew Schwartz)

Yesterday marked one year since 196 countries agreed the Kunming–Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) as an action plan to protect, restore, sustainably use, manage and finance ecosystems. Full implementation of both the GBF and the Paris Agreement will result in a truly sustainable economy and help to achieve the sustainable development goals. One year on, the EU has made progress in implementing the deal but more needs to be done ahead of COP16 in October 2024.

Building on the European Green Deal and its strategies, the EU is on track in the implementation of the GBF. The EU has proposed and adopted many new laws this year including:

A law on deforestation-free products to ensure European consumption does not cause deforestation in other parts of the world, that will apply at the end of 2024.
A provisional agreement on a nature restoration law to restore Europe’s degraded ecosystems. Once adopted and applied in the EU Member States, the law will be key to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and increasing Europe’s preparedness and resilience to the effects of climate change. The law will help the EU and its Member States meet the restoration target they committed to under the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Strengthened monitoring and measuring: a proposal for a soil monitoring law to protect and restore soils and ensure that they are used sustainably, and a proposal for a monitoring framework for resilient European forests to plug existing gaps in the information on European forests and create a comprehensive forest knowledge base.
New rules for companies to respect environment in global value chains: a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence will oblige companies to identify and prevent, end or mitigate adverse impacts of their activities on human rights and on the environment, for example pollution and biodiversity.

In addition, the EU along with its Member States continues to mobilise resources to support the implementation of the agreement. The EU and its Member States are the main provider of international biodiversity funding and he Commission already announced a doubling of its international biodiversity financing to seven billion euros for the 2021-2027 period. The European sustainable financing initiative will help to direct finance to support investments in biodiversity. The new EU budget provides for 10 percent to be used for biodiversity-relevant activities as of 2026.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Luca Bravo)

In addition, this year saw the signature of the Treaty of the High Seas, enabling large-scale marine protected areas in the high seas, facilitating the achievement of the GBF target to effectively conserve and manage 30 percent of land and sea by 2030. The EU has committed to support the High Seas Treaty’s ratification and early implementation through the EU Global Ocean Programme of 40 million euros and is at the moment working towards its own speedy ratification.

The EU also continues to maximise synergies between climate and biodiversity action, especially by making sure nature-based solutions inform the implementation of both the GBF and the Paris Agreement. The Commission is funding and providing technical support to at least 74 projects on nature-based solutions, with a total contribution of EUR 654 million. The involvement of cities, municipalities and a wide variety of stakeholders, in agriculture, finance and insurance, navigation and water management is facilitating the consideration of nature-based solutions across all sectors of the economy.

The Commission is working with UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre to set up a Global Knowledge Support Service for Biodiversity, in particular to support Parties in the monitoring of implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. As part of the new biodiversity knowledge governance framework, the Commission has put in place a comprehensive indicator-based monitoring mechanism – EU Biodiversity dashboard and action tracker. The tool will be used for tracking EU and MS progress on global targets, facilitating the exchanges needed to fill some common knowledge gaps in the most cost-efficient way.

Finally, the EU will continue working with partners, including as part of the Team Europe Initiative on deforestation-free supply chains launched at COP28, NaturAfrica and the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (
Fabian Quintero)

Further actions needed

The CAP Strategic Plans have the potential to contribute to halting and reversing biodiversity loss, however the scale of biodiversity-related needs calls for greater coverage of more promising schemes. Major challenges also remain in terms of the status of farmland biodiversity. Effective implementation pf GBF requires the active engagement of all government, all society and all economy, mobilisation of resources from all sources and will need continued effort and leadership. The EU is currently analysing whether anything needs to be added or strengthened to effectively implement the GBF and is working together with other Parties and stakeholders to enable the full and swift implementation of GBF at global level.

Next steps

As agreed at CBD COP15, the EU will communicate its targets to the CBD ahead of CBD COP16 early in 2024, including an assessment of whether EU existing goals and targets are aligned with the GBF. All Parties are expected to do the same. This should allow to assess at COP16 whether the sum of all national targets suffice for achieving the global goals and targets.

At CBD COP16, governments and stakeholders should demonstrate significant progress on all fronts, announcing strategies and action plans, as well as proving progress on resource mobilization, capacity building, access and benefit-sharing and monitoring.

Source: European Commission

SOLAR ENERGY —SECURE SUPPLY

20.12.2023

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (
Mariana Proença)

Serbia, like the whole of Europe, is working intensively to become energy independent and wants to achieve this with the help of renewable energy sources (RES). To meet the set goals, it is necessary to increase the share of RES to about 40 per cent in the overall energy consumption by 2030. For these reasons, the state passed the Law on the Use of RES in 2021, which was revised this year.

Serbia’s solar potential is greater than Northern Europe’s, which means that if we consider Germany, the leader in producing electricity from photovoltaic systems, our country has 30-40 per cent more solar potential.

The adoption of the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the energy crisis in which we found ourselves encouraged citizens and industry to ensure a safe and stable supply by installing solar power plants. As in any business, trusted partners with many years of experience are key to a safe and successful business.

MT-KOMEX, which celebrates 30 years of business this year, is a pioneer in constructing solar power plants in Serbia. Over many years of work, they have built and delivered equipment for more than 180 solar power plants on the ground and on roofs, with a total installed power of more than 60 MW.

IN FOCUS:

The hard workers of this company, 130 engineers and installers, oversee introducing new areas of business on the domestic market, and the company’s employees regularly attend specially prepared trainings and have all the necessary certificates.

The quality and dedication of the company are best evidenced by the fact that during the unprecedented storm that hit Serbia in July, not a single solar power plant built by MT-KOMEX was damaged.

The company’s leaders saw that they could help develop projects in the field of renewable energy sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is why, in April of this year, the decision was made to open the company MT-KOMEX BiH.

The company’s professional team is ready to always provide clients with full support in all project phases, from the development stage to the preparation of documentation for technical acceptance and obtaining a use permit, on a turnkey basis.

Prepared by: Milica Radičević

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ELECTROMOBILITY

Member States set IFAD on track to largest replenishment ever to tackle poverty, hunger and the climate crisis

19.12.2023

watering-poljporivreda-hrana — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zoe Schaeffer)

At a time when climate change and conflict are fuelling greater food insecurity in many developing countries, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) received record-breaking pledges in support of its largest replenishment ever, putting the organization on track to positively impact the lives of millions of rural people across the globe.

Many of the pledges were made during a fourth replenishment session hosted in Paris over the last two days by Angola and France.

To date 48 Member States have pledged USD 1.076 billion to replenish its core resources. Ten countries have increased by more than 50 per cent from their previous contribution, and 31 countries have committed to their highest contribution ever, marking a record level of financing achieved for IFAD’s 2025-2027 programme of work.

“This is a clear sign of the confidence Member States have in IFAD, and the importance they place on our ability to deliver results and impact through targeted investments that transform agriculture, rural economies and food systems,” said Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, following the pledging session in Paris. “They understand that investing in rural people and small-scale producers, who produce one third of the world’s food and up to 70 per cent of the food in low and middle-income countries, is the only path to a food secure future.”

IFAD launched its 13th replenishment in February 2023, calling for increased investments in small-scale farmers and rural people across developing countries. IFAD’s resources are replenished every three years by Member States. The consultation culminated in a pledging session in Paris. Fundraising will then continue during 2024. Typically, over 100 countries contribute to IFAD’s replenishments, making it the most widely supported of all the major IFI replenishments.

“I am humbled by the positive momentum from today’s session and confident that IFAD’s ambitious call to mobilize USD 2 billion in new funding to support a USD 10 billion programme of work and impacting over 100 million rural people will be achieved in the coming months,” said Lario.

IFAD’s Member States have demonstrated their record-breaking support and IFAD’s pivotal role in revitalizing the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals through investing in rural people.

“We rely on IFAD to ensure the resilience we seek to build, taking into account climate change and all other factors that hinder our development,” said Carmen do Sacramento Neto, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Angola, at the opening of the session. “There has been an improvement in the living conditions of rural and fishing populations where the IFAD project [was implemented] and it has had a significant impact. We announce that Angola will maintain its contribution and increase it in the coming years as a clear sign of our commitment.”

“Developing countries don’t need external support, but agricultural and food independence. This is where IFAD must play a key role in reversing the trend. IFAD is a decisive player. It enables the development of the most vulnerable countries, and above all it supports what is at the heart of our ambition: structural transformations in agriculture,” said Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, France, at the high-level session. “You can count on our commitment, and you can count on our determination to make a lasting difference.”

“By stepping up for IFAD13, the global community has a priceless opportunity to turn the tide on poverty and hunger. Rural people are the best investment we can make in a sustainable future, and IFAD, no surprise, is best placed to make this happen,” said Sabrina Elba, IFAD Goodwill Ambassador addressing Member States at the pledging session.

Collaborating with Member States, IFAD invests in rural development and across food systems to help small-scale farmers produce more food and in greater variety, access markets, apply new technologies and adapt to climate change. IFAD ensures that Member State contributions reach those who need it the most, with 45 per cent in total concessional financing going to low-income countries and at least 30 per cent of core resources dedicated to fragile situations.

IFAD’s work achieves measurable impact. Between 2019 – 2021, IFAD’s investments improved the incomes of 77.4 million rural people, while 62 million rural people increased their production, and 64 million rural people improved their access to markets, enabling them to sell their production. In addition, IFAD helped 38 million people bolster their resilience, as measured by their ability to recover from climatic and non-climatic shocks, thanks to improved agricultural practices, access to technical assistance and credit, as well as the diversification of their income sources.

“Today, IFAD Member States have collectively sent a bold message to the world on the strategic importance to invest in rural populations, to ensure food security, to end rural poverty and to act on climate adaptation, building a more stable world for us all,” said President Lario.

IFAD’s unique ability to leverage contributions across the 100 countries it works in, turns every dollar of core contributions into up to six dollars of investment on the ground. Building on its AA+ credit rating, IFAD has been able to mobilize further funds through private borrowing and connecting with global capital markets, the first UN specialized agency to do so.

IFAD seeks to step up its engagement with the private sector. The Fund maintains its strong commitments related to gender equality and women’s empowerment, indigenous peoples, youth, and nutrition as the main axis guiding its work with the most disenfranchised and vulnerable people in rural areas, where 80 per cent of extreme poverty is concentrated.

Source: IFAD

HOW TO PROPERLY MANAGE ENERGY CONSUMPTION

17.12.2023

Andrey Metelev unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andrey Metelev)

The fifteenth consecutive international conference IEEE PES PowerTech Belgrade 2023, held in Belgrade in late June, gathered around 600 participants—academic lecturers, well-known researchers in the field of power engineering, managers, and leaders of research activities in corporations, professors and young people and students from close to 50 countries. This was the largest conference organized in the last 30 years by the Power & Energy Society, the power engineering section of the American Association of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) outside the United States, in cooperation with local organizers, which this year took place in cooperation with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade. IEEE PES PowerTech is considered one of the most important global meetings in Europe’s energy segment. IEEE PES PowerTech Belgrade 2023 is the largest and most significant international power engineering conference ever held in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The main topics of the conference included power supply security, changes in the power system caused by the increased connection of renewable energy sources (RES) to power grids, the need to boost the system’s resistance to major climate changes, the transition to a power system that will not emit harmful greenhouse gases, the integration of electric cars and the management of energy consumption, that is, how to get small and large consumers to plan their consumption with the view of reducing energy use. Over 400 scientific and professional papers were presented at the conference. In an interview for our magazine, Professor Jovica Milanović, Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Manchester in Great Britain, foreign member of the Serbian Academy of Engineering Sciences and honorary co-chairman of the conference, pointed out that the greatest benefit of the meeting in Belgrade for our country was that Europe and the world could see that Belgrade is still mindful of power engineering and that the results accomplished by our teachers, researchers, engineers and students in this field deserve in every way the greater involvement of our universities and research institutions in international research and projects funded by EU and other international organizations.

IN FOCUS:

Q. How would you rate the conference?

A. This kind of conference has never been held on the ex-Yugoslavia territory, neither in size nor importance. It is one of the most important professional meetings in the field of energy in the world, which is not industrially oriented. My foreign colleagues and I were surprised by the quality of the participants. PES has around 40,000 members worldwide. The highest global professional recognition in electrical engineering and electronics is to be a Fellow IEEE, roughly translated as a regular member of the IEEE. Fellow IEEE comprise 0.1 per cent of the total number of IEEE members. At this conference, out of the total number of participants (about 600), there were more than 26 researchers with the Fellow IEEE title, which is more than four per cent, that is, 40 times more top experts compared to the number of conference participants, than there are in the entire association. It is an unusually large number of experts gathered in one place.

Q. How can consumers adjust their energy consumption?

A. If we could reduce the consumption of electricity and reach an agreement with the consumers that they should not turn on the devices at the same time during the day but that different groups of consumers do so at different times during the day and night, then there would be no need, to put it simply, for all fossil fuel power plants work at the same time, which, in turn, would reduce the emission of harmful gases. Great research is being done in the world and our country on optimally coordinating and motivating consumers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by adjusting their consumption to periods of the day when there are the best conditions for energy to be produced from renewable sources. If during the day, for example, the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing and have a lot of solar power plants and wind power plants, the produced electricity does not contribute to environmental pollution, and if at that moment, people turn on their electrical devices to use the produced energy, this energy will not be dispersed. But, if we don’t have such power plants, but rather fossil fuel ones, which pollute the environment much more, reducing consumption would require less electricity production and thus a reduction in the emission of harmful greenhouse gases from these power plants.

Q. What to do with energy when there is no consumption?

A. In addition to producing energy from the sun and wind, at the confe rence, we also discussed what to do with energy if there is no consumption. If we generate electricity using solar plants or wind farms when there is enough sun and wind and all consumers turn on electrical appliances when this energy is available, it will be largely consumed. The rest of the available energy will be lost if we cannot store it. To prevent this from happening, we need to build and optimally distribute a sufficient number of energy storages (accumulation sources), i.e. batteries and/or storage lakes for hydroelectric power plants, so that on the one hand, these energy storages can be filled when there is an excess of energy produced by RES and that this stored energy, on the other hand, could be used instead of the one produced from conventional power plants that pollute the environment more, when there is no production of energy from RES. The coordination of production and consumption was one of the main topics of discussion related to the management of consumption and energy storage. The other topic was how to make batteries efficient and large enough and where to place them so that this renewable energy is stored and then returned to the system when there is enough of it.

Interviewed by: Mirjana Vujadinović Tomevski

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ELECTROMOBILITY

ABB and Gravitricity to collaborate on energy storage systems using end-of-life mine shafts and hoist technology

16.12.2023

ABB_provides_complete_mine_hoist_systems_to_customers_worldwide._Image_ABB — Photo: ABB

ABB has signed an agreement with UK-based gravity energy storage firm Gravitricity to explore how hoist expertise and technologies can accelerate the development and implementation of gravity energy storage systems in former mines.

Gravitricity has developed GraviStore, an innovative gravity energy storage system that raises and lowers heavy weights in underground shafts – to offer some of the best characteristics of lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro storage. Future GraviStores will store more than 20MWh, providing long-duration storage and rapid power delivery to network-constrained users and operators, distribution networks and major power users.

Unlike batteries, the Gravitricity system can operate for decades without any reduction in performance. Gravitricity has already proven the system with a scale demonstrator and is exploring the potential to deploy their groundbreaking technology in decommissioned mines worldwide.

As a market leader for mine hoists with a large installed base of more than 1,000 hoist solutions worldwide, ABB will collaborate by providing research and development, product development and engineering teams specializing in the design, engineering and operations of mine hoists and mechanical, electrical and control technologies for hoisting.

“As the world generates more electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, there is a growing need for technologies which can capture and store energy during periods of low demand and release it rapidly when required,” said Martin Wright, Gravitricity’s co-founder and Executive Chairman. “Our GraviStore underground gravity energy storage uses the force of gravity to offer some of the best characteristics of lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro storage – at low cost, and without the need for any rare earth metals.

“We are already seeing significant interest from mine operators in Europe, India and Australia and this partnership with ABB – with decades of electrification and mine hoist system expertise – will help us accelerate our ambitious commercialization plans. I am delighted we are working in tandem.”

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement is an important step in ABB’s ambition to further develop its lifecycle service business by collaborating with companies providing adjacent and value-adding technologies.

“ABB has 130 years of history with mine hoists, since we first electrified one in Sweden in the 1890s, but this collaboration with Gravitricity shows how we can continue to diversify and adapt our technologies,” said Charles Bennett, Global Service Manager, Business Line Hoisting, ABB Process Industries. “We are eager to progress with our collaboration and explore the possibilities as we become part of the next generation of renewable energy storage systems and make use of mine shafts that are no longer in service.”

Gravitricity will bring specialist expertise in grid compliance and control systems and the teams will work together on feasibility studies to understand the application of existing hoisting technology in gravity energy stores. ABB will also offer mining industry consultation and work to identify suitable sites and shafts for the deployment of GraviStore.

The decommissioning of mine shafts is a costly and time-consuming process for mining companies. By repurposing disused mine shafts for energy storage, mine shafts can fill a productive function for up to 50 years beyond their original lifetime, and can mitigate decommissioning costs, while simultaneously creating new job opportunities and contributing to the green energy transition.

ABB is a leader in developing world-class hoisting solutions. As a supplier of complete mine hoist systems, customers can benefit from low lifecycle cost, high reliability and system availability, short project execution time, and a single source of supply for complete systems, including service and spare parts.

Source: ABB

Global coal demand expected to decline in coming years

15.12.2023

ugalj - coal — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Bence Balla-Schottner)

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Dominik Vanyi)

After reaching an all-time high this year, global coal demand is expected to decline to 2026, according to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) annual coal market report – the first time that the report has predicted a drop in global coal consumption over its forecast period.

Coal 2023 sees global demand for coal rising by 1.4 percent in 2023, surpassing 8.5 billion tonnes for the first time. The global increase masks stark differences among regions. Consumption is on course to decline sharply in most advanced economies in 2023, including record drops in the European Union and United States of around 20 percent each. Demand in emerging and developing economies, meanwhile, remains very strong, increasing by 8 percent in India and by 5 percent in China in 2023 due to rising demand for electricity and weak hydropower output.

However, the report expects global coal demand to fall by 2.3 percent by 2026 compared with 2023 levels, even in the absence of governments announcing and implementing stronger clean energy and climate policies. This decline is set to be driven by the major expansion of renewable energy capacity coming online in the three years to 2026.

More than half of this global renewable capacity expansion is set to occur in China, which currently accounts for over half of the world’s demand for coal. As a result, Chinese coal demand is expected to fall in 2024 and plateau through 2026. That said, the outlook for coal in China will be significantly affected in the coming years by the pace of clean energy deployment, weather conditions, and structural shifts in the Chinese economy.

The projected decline in global demand for coal – which is currently the largest energy source for electricity generation, steelmaking and cement production, but also the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activity – could mark a historic turning point. However, global consumption is forecast to remain well over 8 billion tonnes through 2026, according to the market report. To drive down emissions at a rate consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the use of unabated coal would need to fall significantly faster.

‘’We have seen declines in global coal demand a few times, but they were brief and caused by extraordinary events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union or the Covid-19 crisis. This time appears different, as the decline is more structural, driven by the formidable and sustained expansion of clean energy technologies,” said Keisuke Sadamori, IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security. “A turning point for coal is clearly on the horizon – though the pace at which renewables expand in key Asian economies will dictate what happens next, and much greater efforts are needed to meet international climate targets.”

The report finds that the shift in coal demand and production to Asia is accelerating. This year, China, India and Southeast Asia are set to account for three-quarters of global consumption, up from only about one-quarter in 1990. Consumption in Southeast Asia is expected to exceed for the first time that of the United States and that of the European Union in 2023. Through 2026, India and Southeast Asia are the only regions where coal consumption is poised to grow significantly. In advanced economies, the expansion of renewables amid weak electricity demand growth is set to continue driving the structural decline of coal consumption.

Meanwhile, China, India and Indonesia – the three largest coal producers globally – are expected to break output records in 2023, pushing global production to a new high in 2023. These three countries now account for more than 70 percent of the world’s coal production.

Global coal trade is expected to contract as demand declines in the years ahead. However, trade will reach a new high in 2023, driven by strong growth in Asia. Chinese imports are on track to reach 450 million tonnes, which is more than 100 million tonnes above the previous global record set by the country in 2013, while Indonesia’s exports in 2023 will be close to 500 million tonnes – also a global record.

Source: IEA

CHARGE&GO CONTINUES TO BUILD A NETWORK OF CHARGER

13.12.2023

Driving an electric car is becoming an increasingly popular choice, especially among people living in cities. However, electric vehicles require a good network of chargers for longer journeys so drivers can prepare and organize their journeys in advance. If there is a widespread charging infrastructure strategically located along highways and in cities—EV drivers will have less trouble.

In Serbia, a country that is increasingly following the development of green technology and renewable energy sources, there was a growth in tourism at the beginning of the summer. According to the latest data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, in June, there was an increase in the number of tourists by 4.7 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year. Also, in the first five months of the current year, 1.4 million foreigners visited the country, representing an increase of 16.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2022. There is certainly a certain number of e-car drivers among the tourists, further emphasizing the need to develop good infrastructure. They need to be instilled with enough confidence that they can easily fill up their vehicles in any part of Serbia. Therefore, we see the indirect importance that a good network of chargers can have in areas that we might not initially think of, such as, in this case, tourism.

IN FOCUS:

The company Charge&GO, dedicated to the vision of sustainable transport, continues to expand its network of chargers. A 240 kW electric charger is installed at the OMV—Metro filling station in Zemun. This charger, which was produced by Siemens, will be able to connect two electric vehicles that need fast charging simultaneously because it has two CCS sockets. If a certain premium model of an electric car, such as the Porsche Taycan, is connected to the charger of this power, charging at full power, within half an hour to an hour, the car will have a range of over 800 kilometers, which is an extraordinary calculation.

The infrastructure is already in place, the charger is ready to use and will be online in a few days.

Charge&GO continuously works on its mission, and among the last projects was the installation of chargers at the OMV filling station in Borska Street in Banjica. Its power is 120 kW, and it is also a Siemens model with two CCS connections. On the other hand, the company is waiting for the EPS’s approval to put the installed ABB charger into operation, with a power of 50 kW, within the OMV filling station on Ada Ciganlija. In this case, it will be possible to charge vehicles with European and Japanese connectors quickly. Apart from the chargers located on the territory of Belgrade, a 120 kW charger, a model produced by Siemens and which will soon be put into operation, is installed at the OMV filling station in Zaječar.

With the help of the first digital platform, finding available chargers and organizing trips certainly become simpler. Charge&GO enabled drivers to make a payment in one place, in addition to viewing the charger map. Users also have electric chargers available across the continent, given the partner network they are part of. After registration with the application, certain benefits can be obtained.

With electric cars and the infrastructure being developed by the company, drivers could reduce their expenses without sacrificing vehicle performance. Electromobility is an important topic for ecology, tourism, and traffic, as well as for individuals and countries. Expanding the network is an opportunity to participate in creating a world where roads are not only a means of connecting places but also the people, ideas and values that shape our future. Charge&GO can be proud of its contribution to this dynamic time of change and everything it does to make traveling by electric vehicles economical and tireless.

Prepared by: Milica Vučković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ELECTROMOBILITY

An energy-efficient home for a three-generation family in Serbia

12.12.2023

windpark_vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Michael Fortsch)

From a conventional Serbian dwelling to a model of modern energy efficiency – the Đukanović family from Serbia have transformed their home by reducing their energy consumption and taming their growing energy costs.

Thanks to an investment in energy-efficient technologies through the European Bank for Reconstruct and Development’s (EBRD) Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF), they will enjoy a more comfortable and affordable home. At the same time, they will reduce their carbon footprint, which is at its highest in winter.

Miloš Đukanović shares his family home in Belgrade with his wife, children and parents. Last year, the family embarked on a journey to modernise their house and improve its energy efficiency. The 250 m2 house previously relied on a wood burner and, later, a pellet stove for heating. However, the need to enhance the family’s comfort during Serbia’s chilly winters and to find sustainable energy solutions prompted the Đukanovićs to switch to innovative green technologies.

Milos secured a loan totalling 31,000 euros from ProCredit Bank, one of the GEFF partner banks in Serbia, which on-lends funds to residential borrowers for investments in residential energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions.

The family invested in a heat pump, a photovoltaic system, energy-efficient windows and underfloor heating.

Although such home improvements can reduce energy use and long-term costs significantly, the initial financial outlay can be high. To help homeowners invest in green solutions, GEFF provides technical assistance and grants, supported by its donors.

Upon successful completion of the investment, the Đukanovićs received a grant incentive of 5,800 euros, funded by the European Union (EU).

It was not a quick journey, but definitely a worthwhile one. It took them a year to complete all the work, during which time their home underwent a remarkable transformation.

The expected benefits include a substantial reduction in energy consumption and a corresponding decrease in CO2 emissions of 3.6 tonnes per year. These reductions, coupled with significant savings on energy costs, mean the family will be able to recoup their investment within seven years.

“With the electricity sourced from the photovoltaic system, I anticipate a 50 per cent reduction in our non-heating electricity consumption,” Miloš says. “In addition, the new heating system promises further savings this winter. It means enhanced comfort and, above all, substantial financial relief. The decision to embrace green technologies has not only transformed our home, but also our quality of life.”

Beyond the financial aspects, the shift to green technologies has brought myriad advantages. Not only does the family enjoy a cosier home environment, but their reduced heating expenses have freed up additional funds. Furthermore, the market value of their property has surged, rendering their residence more appealing to prospective buyers or tenants.

The EBRD GEFF in the Western Balkans is co-funded by the EU through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, Austria, Japan and Switzerland through the High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA).

The HIPCA, launched by the EBRD and partner governments at the Glasgow COP26 climate conference in 2021, is supported by Austria, Canada, Finland, South Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and the United Kingdom.

Source: EBRD

HOW TO DEVELOP ELECTROMOBILITY FASTER

10.12.2023

michael-fortsch-joiwHqPUv-o-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (michael-fortsch)

Photo: : Courtesy of Vladimir Momčilović

Numerous factors influence the importance and representation of electric vehicles at the local and state level. In the first place, global trends are important, or let’s colloquially call it fashion. This has been dominant in the past, for instance, in the development strategies of smart technological solutions, i.e. smart mobile phones. Thus, due to a wrong assessment and a strategic decision not to implement touch screens, the Finnish Nokia, once the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer, disappeared from the global market. But fashion is dominant even today in the sustainable short-range urban individual mobility segment, the so-called micro-mobility. No one could have guessed that electric scooters would flood cities worldwide in the number they have, except perhaps their manufacturers.

The reason for this growth is primarily due to their affordable price. However, the possibility of their unhindered use in cities was also affected by affirmative measures to increase the accessibility of city facilities, primarily intended for citizens with reduced mobility (disabled, elderly, mothers with prams), considering that these are transport means which with their 50 plus kilograms are not at all easy to carry in the hands upstairs and the like.

On the other hand, we have the measures of the so-called traffic calming through the redistribution of street space from passenger cars to different modes of movement, reducing their speed and relegating their dominant role in local environments to increase the safety of children, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable categories of road users in cities.

At the time of their expansion, the unpreparedness of all relevant state administration bodies and local governments in cities worldwide was evident because the regulations and rules necessary for their safe use were not in place. Evidence that this development has surprised state administration and local government bodies worldwide comes from the heterogeneity in their approach to solving this pressing problem. While some completely prohibit their use, others wander around looking for ways to integrate them with other forms of movement in cities safely. Therefore, to increase the representation and more significant role of electric vehicles, they must become modern transport means of the future in users’ minds, as opposed to outdated conventional passenger cars.

As an excellent example from the previous successful practices in cities and countries that have advanced far in the use of electric vehicles, below are recommendations on how to be successful in implementing this relatively new environmental concept, for which several key factors are crucial, plus the challenges and various obstacles that are still not overcome.

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Factors, challenges and obstacles

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (kumpan-electric)

The first factor is the clear and unequivocal determination of state administration and local governments for electric, i.e. environmentally friendly and sustainable operation of means of transport in road and city traffic. For example, when purchasing new buses for public city and suburban transport or new vehicles for rubbish collection, the decisive (dominant) criteria should be the environmental one (quieter operation and so-called zero emissions) instead of the economic one (lower price). It is manifested through continuously transparently applying green or environmentally friendly procurement criteria for all utility vehicles. In this case, the priority must be the general public interest and the well-being of the population, i.e. the purchase of exclusively electric and/or other fully environmentally friendly vehicles as opposed to the purchase of a larger number of cheaper, environmentally unacceptable vehicles. Public procurement of all government vehicles, especially utility vehicles, must be green.

Visibility is another factor. All electric vehicles should be clearly marked with the message that the state and local government bodies care for the population’s health and quality of life. It is not only marketing but also the promotion of this determination, which in the long run, raises the population’s awareness about the importance of purchasing exclusively environmentally friendly vehicles (for their individual use). When the population’s awareness matures, every individual will be ashamed to irresponsibly buy a passenger vehicle that is not environmentally friendly and powered by conventional fossil fuels, which, although cheaper, are still dangerous to health and harmful to the environment. Therefore, if something is demanded from the population, at least as much must be given to them.

The third indispensable success factor is comprehensive support. There are two segments here – the first is affordable and sufficiently widespread top-quality infrastructure for the electricity supply, i.e. chargers for electric vehicles and the other is state subsidies for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (andrew-roberts)

Serbia promptly started the installation of public charging stations on its motorways as part of its commitment and strategic determination on the road to EU membership. However, motorway support is not enough. An extensive network of fast and semi-fast chargers with sufficient power, to begin with, must be established near tourist destinations, cultural & historical sites, and sports & recreational facilities until it is so widespread that it is available in every populated place with a certain number of inhabitants.

A measure stipulating one charging place for every 10,000 inhabitants could be adopted. This would mean that to start with, Serbia will have to have 600 semi-fast and fast chargers in public parking lots in attractive locations. Support can also come from the private sector, especially since this is a commercial activity, where competition and the creation of the infrastructure for the electricity supply with a higher capacity, shorter charging time and the like must be ensured. In addition, the management of the charger system and efficient charging for the energy used.

There is an ongoing problem both here and abroad with the capacity of the power system for a complete transition to electric drive vehicles, but also with the imperative of obtaining environmentally clean electricity from renewable sources, which is an issue that many countries have been actively dealing with for the past few years. There are also a certain number of current problems in our system, such as the impossibility of billing for consumed electricity (which, according to the regulation, can only be done by a person authorized to distribute electricity), which forces current providers to charge for this service in line with the duration of the charger’s use, i.e. parking, using applications that only support payment cards of Serbian banks which prevents foreign users from using the charger, billing via a mobile phone operator which requires that you have the Serbian phone number and others.

To avoid demotivation, electric vehicle users should be given the most flexible and universal payment method, analogous to the current functioning of fuel supply stations. However, this part will certainly develop spontaneously under the developing market demand and improve at the request of users, so it is still not realistic to expect that to happen until there is a greater share of electric vehicles in the overall number of vehicles in Serbia.

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ELECTROMOBILITY

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