SKE is building Europe’s largest logistics center for power storage solutions and photovoltaic products in Austria

26.07.2023

SKE is one of the leading companies in the European solar market. From Upper Austria, the photovoltaic specialist supplies 16 countries in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe with smart solar products. SKE is growing rapidly and is building Europe’s largest warehouse and logistics center for power storage solutions and photovoltaic products at the new location in Sankt Florian near Linz. By mid-2025, more than 450 jobs will be created here on 30,000 square meters of storage, logistics and office space, including the SKE Solar Academy, in which participants will become competent solar contacts, from the planning to the installation of solar solutions.

“SKE is leading the way in the transformation from fossil energy production to solar energy generation,” says Stefan Eder, founder and CEO of SKE.

The new SKE headquarters is a showcase project for commercial infrastructure in terms of operational technology and sustainability. The plus energy standard of the building makes operation completely energy self-sufficient. This is ensured by a photovoltaic system with an output of 2.4 megawatt and a 2 megawatt hour electricity storage solution. Photovoltaics is the central technology of the energy transition. Highly efficient, safe and reliable solar solutions are the basis for solar energy to become a primary energy source.

SKE covers the PV application areas of residential, commercial, industrial and solar power plants with the latest solar solutions. Solar plants make their operators independent of galloping electricity prices. Moreover, they are profitable and always a smart investment.

SKE and Huawei – Value Added Partnership

SKE is Huawei Value Added Partner. From Austria, SKE currently supplies 16 countries in Europe with smart solar products from Huawei. Founded in 2008, SKE is one of the leading companies in the European solar market.

Huawei, a leading global provider of solar technology, information and communication technology infrastructure and smart devices, employs around 200,000 people and is active in over 170 countries. Huawei FusionSolar solutions ensure highly efficient, safe and reliable solar power plants.

Global partnership as the interaction of technological, social and economic factors of both companies, SKE and Huawei, drives sustainable, solar energy generation. With the help of digital technologies, energy generation and energy consumption are becoming even more intelligent, safer and more efficient.

SKE in Austria and Europe

SKE takes over all sales, service and support activities in Austria and the SKE countries for Huawei FusionSolar. The PV specialist supports customers acroos Europe in sales, logistics, training, certification and technical support for all Huawei photovoltaic products.

SKE Technical Support & After Sales supports SKE customers and partners internationally and in the local language on all technical questions about the Huawei product portfolio and complex photovoltaic system solutions. This ensures rapid support for customers and partners in planning and commissioning Huawei products, troubleshooting and analysis of faults through to uncomplicated warranty processing.

SKE Roadshow – on tour throughout Europe

SKE’s roadshow trucks are on the road throughout Europe all year round. On site, at wholesalers and installers, SKE presents the Huawei FusionSolar portfolio. The Huawei FusionSolar products are within reach of the participants and the SKE experts are available for all questions.

PV Applications Residential, Commercial & Industrial and Utility Scale

Photovoltaics is the central technology of the energy transition. It sustainably supplies people with cheap solar power instead of expensive grid power. As a Huawei Value Added Partner and Huawei Service Partner, SKE offers Huawei FusionSolar solutions for residential, commercial & industrial and utility scale applications. Huawei FusionSolar Residential is the intelligent and sustainable photovoltaic technology for solar energy generation in all private living areas – in single-family houses, apartment buildings and multi-party residential buildings. Efficient and calculable work in commercial and industrial infrastructures is supported by the solutions from Huawei FusionSolar in the Commercial & Industrial range. Products for large-scale photovoltaic systems can be found in the Huawei FusionSolar Utility Scale performance range.

Source: SKE

Launching Serbian Continuous Intraday Market

26.07.2023

struja koridor žice wires electric — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Fre Sonneveld)

Foto: Bulb photo created by dashu83 – www.freepik.com

On July 25, 2023, at 10:00, SEEPEX successfully launched the Serbian continuous intraday electricity market!

Sixteen out of the twenty registered participants in the SEEPEX intraday market actively took part on the first trading day, representing participants from Serbia, the region, and the European Union. On the first trading day seven transactions are closed, and the daily reference base price, which is the average weighted price of all closed transactions, reached a value of 99,53 EUR/MWh.

The first registered transaction on the Serbian continuous intraday market was concluded exactly at 10:09:10, for a 1 MW contract with physical delivery in the 21-22 hour.
The go-live of the SEEPEX Continuous Intraday Market marks the first significant and concrete result of the synergy created within the ADEX Group, and continuation of providing top-notch services to market participants in line with the best European practices in trading and clearing solutions. It also represents a significant step towards completing the market framework and establishing a single regional solution for electricity trading in Central and Southeast Europe, one of the primary goals of the newly formed and growing ADEX infrastructure, being the progress eagerly awaited by all stakeholders in the electricity market.

Dubravka Đedović, Minister of Mining and Energy in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, said on this occasion: “By establishing an efficient intraday market, in addition to the day-ahead market, Serbia was the first in the region to offer investors in renewable energy sources a completely full market framework, necessary for optimal market positioning and risk control regarding the forecasts and balancing. This was also one of the most significant goals of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, which we achieved by amending the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources – i.e. greater responsibility of investors for balancing the system and providing energy storage in case of bad forecasts. We need to protect the electricity system and ensure a stable supply of citizens and the economy, but with regulations that are also stimulating for investors, because in addition to public investments, we also need private investments in order to achieve strategic goals in the field of renewable energy sources, i.e. 45 percent of produced electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. With the recently launched auctions for the allocation of market premiums for RES, and with the launch of the intraday electricity market, most of the prerequisites have been met“.

SLOVENIAN AND SERBIAN TSOS ALONG WITH EPEX SPOT TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST REGIONAL POWER EXCHANGE FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

Jelena Matejić, EMS General Manager and President of the Supervisory Board of the ADEX Group, emphasized: “With the successful go-live of the Serbian continuous intraday market, we have practically completed the process of establishing a liberalized electricity market in the Republic of Serbia, which is one of the most important factors for the safe and reliable operation of the entire power system. EMS will continue to work actively and devotedly with SEEPEX and European partners, offering ADEX as an efficient model for all future collaborations between transmission system operators and electricity market operators, aiming to connect the Serbian organized market with the single European market as the next major goal.”

“SEEPEX, this time in collaboration with partners from the ADEX Group, continues to push boundaries and provide the highest European standards in the power exchange business infrastructure. At the same time, this is an important additional boost for the electricity market in Southeast Europe since SEEPEX is the first organized market in the region to complete all aspects of an organized market, including the Serbian futures market, established a couple of years ago in collaboration with EEX AG,” stated Miloš Mladenović, Managing Director of SEEPEX, and a member of the ADEX Group Management Board.

Source: EMS AD

The transformative power of shared knowledge: Energetik energija unforgettable live technical training event in Belgrade

25.07.2023

Riccardo energetik presentation — Photo: Energetik energija

In collaboration with SolarEdge, Energetik energija d.o.o. organized a truly remarkable live educational training event in the beautiful city of Belgrade on July 6, 2023.

”We were amazed by the overwhelming number of enthusiastic attendees and their active participation. It was a truly fantastic experience for all involved, and the positive feedback has already sparked a surge of interest from numerous individuals and organizations, eagerly seeking more of these invaluable training opportunities in the future.”

As part of our unwavering commitment to serving our customers and providing them with the best possible experience, we have developed new tools that will significantly enhance their workflow. These cutting-edge tools, known as the “Storage Guide and Storage Map,” are specifically designed to simplify and streamline our customers’ work, making their jobs easier and quicker. Within these comprehensive resources, users can discover a wealth of valuable information, including handy table sheets comparing various batteries and inverters from different brands. This invaluable resource ensures that our customers can confidently select the most compatible and synergistic components for their projects, enabling them to maximize efficiency and achieve optimal results. We did the research for them and now we are sharing the knowledge.

One of the key driving forces behind the resounding success of the educational meeting was the remarkable number of participants. At Energetik energija d.o.o., we firmly believe in the transformative power of shared knowledge. We recognize that by engaging and involving a greater number of individuals in the field of photovoltaics, we can collectively contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future. This shared responsibility extends beyond the present generation and encompasses our duty to think ahead and nurture the understanding and adoption of renewable energy among future generations. It is through the combined efforts of each individual that we can pave the way for a brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable planet which will be so nice to live on.

Furthermore, in our great passion for customers and their success, we have established a dedicated technical department within Energetik energija d.o.o. Teamed of highly skilled experts in installation, project management, troubleshooting, and solution finding, this specialized team stands ready to provide comprehensive support and guidance to our valued customers. Whether it is navigating the complexities of installation, managing projects efficiently, overcoming bureaucratic challenges, or addressing post-sales concerns, our technical department is fully equipped to accompany our customers throughout their entire journey, ensuring that they receive the best possible assistance every step of the way.

Our customers can always write to our email address support@energetik.si and our dedicated support team will provide effective solutions to any questions or challenges that may arise. It is our firm belief that exceptional customer service is a cornerstone of success and we spare no effort in ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of support and attention.

Our motivation to make the future great and promote and advance the adoption of solar energy is only pushed by the fact that every event that we hold has an increasingly bigger audience, with more new questions posed and more new connections created.

The huge success of the live educational training event in Belgrade is simple proof of our looking forward to hosting future training sessions, providing our expertise, and sharing our passion with an even broader audience. Together, through collaboration and collective action, we can create a greener world, powered by clean and renewable energy sources. Energetik energija d.o.o. remains committed to driving the photovoltaic industry forward and we cordially invite everyone to join us on this extraordinary journey toward a sustainable future.

The upcoming Energetik energija d.o.o. educational training event with the producers will be held in Ljubljana, at the beginning of September and we will soon announce the topic and producers. To stay up the date we would like to invite everyone to subscribe to our newsletter which we send out every Tuesday and which contains our weekly news about educational training events, new tools etc.

Source: Energetik energija

Why restoring nature is good for farmers, fisheries and food security

25.07.2023

tea-ljudi-hrana-poljoprivreda — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Zoe Schaeffer)

Humanity depends on ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands and rivers, to survive. They provide clean water, house animals, like bees, that are essential to food production, and play a key role in combating the climate crisis.

But around the world, landscapes are degrading at an alarming rate, which along with pushing one million species towards extinction is taking a mounting economic toll, including on the farming sector.

In Europe, for instance, soil erosion affects 12 million hectares of land – about seven per cent of all farmland – and costs farmers 1.25 billion euros annually in lost productivity, according to European Union data.

“Unsustainable land-use practices from the way we build cities to the way we grow food is harming not just the planet and our livelihoods but our ability to feed eight billion people,” said Natalia Alekseeva, UNEP Coordinator for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. “Ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions have proven to bring countless benefits to communities and societies around the world,” she added.

Globally, there is growing momentum to revive natural spaces, both on land and below water, that have been marred by human development, a process known as ecosystem restoration.

Experts say that along with protecting nature, this can help farmers boost their yields and bolster global food security. It is estimated that every dollar invested in land restoration and sustainable land management can yield up to 30 US dollar in economic benefits, including increased crop yields, improved water availability and reduced land degradation.

Similar benefits hold true for fisheries. Two-thirds of ocean ecosystems are degraded or modified and one-third of marine fish populations are fished unsustainably. However, restoring mangrove forests along coastal areas, where young fish breed, could add 60 trillion edible fish to coastal waters every year.

Here’s a closer look at three ways humanity can restore landscapes and supercharge food production.

Revive the soil

Roughly 80 per cent of global arable land is impacted by at least one form of degradation, such as aridity, vegetation decline, soil salinization and loss of soil carbon. Soil erosion alone affects about one-fifth of farmlands worldwide and is estimated to have increased by 2.5 per cent between 2001 and 2012, primarily due to deforestation and cropland expansion.

Land degradation already negatively impacts 3.2 billion people – that’s 40 per cent of the world’s population. And it is projected that land degradation could reduce global food productivity by 12 per cent, causing food prices to soar by up to 30 per cent by 2040.

Restoring soil fertility and structure can be done in several ways, including rotating crops, applying organic matter, and practicing minimal or zero tillage farming.

A prime example of this kind of work comes from Africa, where along the semi-arid margins of the Sahara Desert, 11 countries are building what has become known as the Great Green Wall, a continent wide ribbon of vegetation. In many places, the barrier is helping to hold back the desert, which states are hopeful will help bolster food security, counter poverty and promote peace.

Bring back the buzz

Bees are one of the best pollinators in the world, making them vital for global food production. Of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees. But pollinators are under threat. The continued decline of bee populations would have disastrous impacts on global agriculture and food security.

According to a UNEP report, some 20,000 flowering plant species upon which many bee species depend for food could be lost over the coming decades without greater conservation efforts. However, if done in harmony with nature, agriculture – one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss – can be pollinator friendly, which ultimately helps bees and farmers alike.

To make agriculture bee friendly, farmers can eliminate bee-harming pesticides, plant native plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the bloom season, and build nesting sites to ensure that bees thrive.

Diversify crops

The world has over 50,000 edible plants. However, just three of them, rice, maize, and wheat, provide over 50 per cent of the world’s food energy intake.

Over-reliance on a few crop varieties can make global agricultural systems vulnerable to pests, diseases, climate change and exacerbate soil degradation and water scarcity that will ultimately result in greater food insecurity.

However, by adopting more sustainable agriculture and growing and eating more diverse vegetables, fruits and crops will not only help revive biodiversity, it will also help adapt to climate change, increase resilience and offer more healthy diets.

Source: UNEP

A BOUILLON CUBE THAT SAVES THE PLANET

24.07.2023

anna-bratiychuk-kg--Z0hpIwU-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Anna Bratiychuk)

The popular saying that the world belongs to the young is often heard, but it seems that we do not understand its meaning as we should. We should correct our wrong decisions before leaving it to the young generations to make new solutions. Because we often fail to do this, children repeatedly remind us by offering us lessons as reading material to learn from. The Hospitality and Tourism High School students in Niš, who founded NiFood, offered us a lesson and an innovative, healthy, and ecologically significant product to the market. We talked about it with Milica Todorović, the marketing manager of this company.

After visiting several school offices and other facilities, they noticed that a large amount of food was being wasted. Through a more detailed study, they concluded that in Serbia, as many as 770,000 tons of food end up as waste per year. Guided by the desire to participate in the fight against the waste of this resource, they researched which foods most often end up as waste and how they could, at least partially, prevent it.

IN FOCUS:

“From the point of view of ecology, the problem of throwing away food and food ending up in a landfill is reflected in the fact that by rotting, due to the absence of special processing, food becomes biowaste that emits, among other things, methane. Carbon dioxide is often talked about as a significant environmental problem, and it is forgotten that methane emissions have a much stronger negative impact than CO2,” says Milica Todorović.

In this company, through diligent work, they came up with the common idea to contribute by producing soup cubes that preserve the environment. This product is unique due to its natural composition, since among the ingredients are pumpkin and carrot trope, root and whole vegetables of celery, parsnip, onion, and parsley, as well as spices, pepper and bay leaf. It goes without saying that it does not contain artificial colors, flavor and aroma enhancers, emulsifiers, and glutamate.

“The bouillon cube is suitable for all ages, for people with cardiovascular diseases, diabetics, vegans, as well as babies because it contains vitamins A, C and B that are obtained from the tropical pumpkin,” says Milica.

The product is not yet on sale because the students are working on improving its qualities to extend its shelf life. However, they are already planning to expand the range when the opportunity arises.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

“RES Serbia 2023” conference will be held on September 14th in Vrdnik – Focus on the first auctions for wind and solar and new RES projects

13.07.2023

RES Serbia 2023_Media release_Visual — Photo: OIE Srbija

After the extremely successful conferences held in 2021 and 2022, we are pleased to inform you that the “RES Serbia 2023” conference will be held on September 14th at the Vrdnička Kula ethno complex on Fruška Gora Mountain.

Participation in the conference, which has already become a traditional national and regional gathering of the most important participants in the green energy industry, was confirmed by the highest officials of the Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia, EMS, EBRD, companies Masdar, Enlight, Elicio, Nordex, European associations WindEurope and SolarPower Europe, representatives of leading financial institutions, as well as other representatives of the renewable energy sector.

The registration link, as well as more information on participation fees, can be found here.

As the “RES Serbia 2023” conference is being organized exactly one month after the first auctions for wind and solar, this will be an exceptional opportunity to analyze the conditions and results of the auctions, as well as potential market solutions for RES projects that will be implemented beyond auction incentives. They will also discuss financing conditions, problems in the supply chain of equipment for wind farms, and large increases in equipment, transport, and logistics prices. The full-day conference will consist of an opening ceremony and five panel discussions.

The ethno complex Vrdnička Kula is located in Vrdnik, on Fruška Gora Mountain, 78.3 km from Belgrade (60 km from Nikola Tesla Airport), at Staza zdravlja 34, Vrdnik, Serbia. Conference participants have accommodation at special prices.

Within the promotional period that lasts until August 1st, 2023, the registration fee is 200 euros plus VAT, for payments until August 1st, 2023.

The price of registration fees for payments from August 1st, 2023, until the day of the conference is 300 euros plus VAT.

A limited number of discounted prices are available for conference participants at the hotels Vrdnička Kula, Fruške Terme and Aqua Premier Spa.

Members of the Association of RES Serbia have a 20 percent discount on the price of registration fees.

For more information, you can contact office@oie.rs

Source: OIE Srbija

This is the state of nuclear power around the world, according to an expert

13.07.2023

nuclear-power-plant-g6fff23910_1920 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay (distelAPPArath)

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (distelAPPArath)

In the realm of energy production, few topics evoke as much debate as nuclear power. Its ability to generate vast amounts of clean electricity is counterbalanced by concerns over safety and nuclear waste.

And that debate is far from over. As some countries embark on multi-year commitments to include nuclear energy as part of their overall energy mix, others are reducing or closing down plants altogether.

But the global energy transition is a vital step in human history, and nuclear power holds the potential to offer almost inexhaustible sources of clean and sustainable energy.

Here, Maciej Kolaczkowski, Manager of the Advanced Energy Solutions Industry at the World Economic Forum, explains the state of nuclear power around the world.

Nuclear power capacity is growing

Nuclear energy made up around 10 percent of global electricity generation in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It was the second-largest source of low-emissions electricity overall and generated more electricity than all the wind and solar PV generation put together.

But nuclear capacity growth has not been straightforward, explains Kolaczkowski.

“Capacity additions peaked in the 1980s at 230GW, driven mainly by new plants in Europe and North America. But new construction slowed sharply to just 25GW in the 1990s, in the wake of the major nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986.

“The 2000s saw around 46GW of capacity additions, while the 2010s had 56GW. But growth is now accelerating, and 2021 had 10 construction starts, instead of the more typical four or five.”

As of May 2023, around 440 nuclear reactors were operating in 33 countries with a capacity of 390GWe, according to the World Nuclear Association, while a further 60 power reactors are being constructed in 15 countries including China, India and Russia.

Even with all the capacity growth, nuclear energy’s contribution to global power generation is expected to be about 8.5 percent in 2050, slightly under today’s levels as other clean energy sources also grow.

Safety challenges and perceptions are slowing capacity growth

Nuclear energy projects are on the rise again. Still, growth is stalling in advanced countries – the result of high costs of new projects, long construction times, unfavourable market and policy conditions and, in some countries, a lack of public confidence in nuclear power itself.

Overall, nuclear energy remains the safest energy source, along with wind and solar. But perception is vastly different from reality, and this perception could be slowing capacity growth in some countries that are reducing their reliance on nuclear power, says Kolaczkowski.

“The public perception of nuclear energy tends to be shaped by dramatic events like Chernobyl in Ukraine. The disaster claimed 4,000 lives – including from radiation-induced diseases and 31 directly. But in the case of the Fukushima accident, there have been no deaths reported so far as an effect of the event directly or due to nuclear radiation.”

Another safety challenge with nuclear power plants is the fuel, which needs to be stored indefinitely, often in underground facilities, as it requires thousands of years to reduce its radioactivity. But Kolaczkowski sees an exciting development over the coming decade in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which use the waste fuel from existing plants, closing the fuel cycle.

They only have around a third of traditional nuclear power plant capacity, but cost less to build, in less time, and generate less harmful waste.

SMRs are designed to be safer and less exposed to dangers like natural disasters or meltdowns than traditional large-scale reactors, and can also be safely turned off and restarted, unlike conventional plants.

Ageing nuclear plants and differing worldviews on policy

In addition to the recent slowing of investment from advanced economies, Kolaczkowski also points to the number of nuclear power plants set to retire in the coming years as a challenge for nuclear development. Existing plants are closing either because they have reached the end of their operating licences, or because of policy-driven phase-outs or economic reasons. Still, some plants are having their lifespan extended.

Most nuclear plants have a 25-40 year lifespan, according to the World Nuclear Association, but after engineering assessments, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted over 85 renewals, adding around 20 years to the overall lifespan of plants.

Overall, more reactors will come online than close, and ultimately, it is up to individual countries to choose how to shape their energy futures, Kolaczkowski says.

“With policy support and tight cost controls, today’s energy crisis could lead to a revival for nuclear energy. But I am technology agnostic, and think that every country and company will make decisions in their own context. Overall, future energy systems will not be based on any one energy source or technology – a key conclusion of the Forum’s Fostering Effective Energy Transition report. We will see exponential growth of many advanced energy solutions like clean hydrogen and clean fuels, energy storage, demand management and solutions to manage our carbon footprint.

“The World Economic Forum helps by supporting systemic thinking about available solutions. So, it is not really about one or the other technology or energy source, but rather for different solutions to work together in a holistic way. How can we leverage advanced, modern solutions at scale while integrating them into the existing system?”

Source: World Economic Forum

Why it’s time to say goodbye to the polluting recycling model

11.07.2023

Trash on sand beach showing environmental pollution problem — Foto-ilustracija: Plastic ocean photo created by jcomp - www.freepik.com

Every year, 10 million tons of plastic packaging reach the oceans, which is equivalent to 23,000 Boeing 747 planes landing in the seas and oceans – more than 60 per day, according to a study conducted by the WWF.

Brazil, according to data from the World Bank, is the fourth largest producer of plastic waste in the world, with 11.3 million tons, behind only the United States, China and India. Of this total, more than 10.3 million tons were collected (91 percent), but only 145 thousand tons (1.28 percent) are effectively recycled, that is, reprocessed in the production chain as a secondary product. This is one of the lowest rates in the survey and well below the global plastic recycling average, which is nine percent.

In the end, 7.7 million tons of plastic end up in landfills. And another 2.4 million tons are discarded irregularly, without any kind of treatment, in open-air dumps.

Plastic pollution affects the quality of air, soil and water supply systems. The burning or incineration of plastic can release toxic gases, halogens and nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which are extremely harmful to human health. Outdoor disposal also pollutes aquifers, water bodies and reservoirs, causing increased respiratory problems, heart disease and nervous system damage in exposed persons.

The problem with recycling plastics

If 91 percent of plastics are collected, mainly by municipal governments, why is only 1.28 percent of them actually recycled?

For plastic waste to be effectively recycled and transformed into a new product, it must first be decontaminated, that is, completely clean. For a long time, around the world that meant decontamination through washing with water. However, for many contaminated plastics, which have a high power of contaminating the environment, this solution is not suitable because it does not efficiently remove the contaminant from the plastic, and still uses thousands of litres of water, and generates effluents and various types of waste, with high environmental risk. Plastic thus loses quality, application and economic value, reducing value throughout the recycling chain, especially for collectors and cooperatives.

Around the world, 35 billion plastic bottles are discarded every year, containing one billion litres of residual oil. In Brazil alone, one billion of plastic packaging of lubricating oil, containing two million litres of residual oil, are discarded annually. And amazingly, one litre of oil is capable of contaminating one million litres of water.

A practical example: imagine that you get your hands dirty with lubricating oil. Water won’t be enough to get rid of the oil, so you use detergent to remove a little more. However, your hands will still be dirty and the water you used will be contaminated with oil. The detergent you used will also be mixed with the oil, which turns into a dangerous residue. This is what happens in decontamination and recycling with water, only in large proportions, increasing the environmental risk.

Recycling without water – the Brazilian solution

With that in mind, at Eco Panplas, we have developed a technological solution that decontaminates and recycles these packages in an ecological way: without using water and without generating waste. We have developed an ecological degreaser that separates the packaging from the contaminant, maintaining the characteristics of both. This recovers the degreaser for new use and the contaminant for sale.

This technology was developed in Brazil over six years. It is an automated production line, with high capacity, made up of patented equipment and processes. In this way, all residual oil is recovered and recycled, becoming a by-product and eliminating the environmental risk.

The process also generates an excellent quality recycled plastic raw material, which allows the manufacture of new packaging with 100 percent recycled material that’s up to 10 percent cheaper than existing prices, thus creating a true .

From the 10 million pieces of lubricant oil packaging produced at our production plant in Hortolândia City, São Paulo State, 500 tons of recycled plastic were recovered, which were then sold to make new oil packaging; 17,000 litres of recovered oil was sold for recycling and the production of new lubricating oil, thus generating impactful socio-environmental benefits: 17 billion litres of water preserved, 530 tons of contaminated plastic out of landfills, 800 tons less greenhouse gas emissions and 75 percent energy savings.

Our work was recognized through 32 national and international awards, such as the IDB, Femsa, the UN Global Compact, Energy Globe and B corps; we have also won international challenges and programmes that confirmed our technique can work in other countries.

Our plan now is to expand our offering in Brazil through higher-capacity production and through a technology licensing system that we also hope to make available internationally.

It is no use for governments and companies to collect plastic waste if it is not then being recycled through an efficient and ecological process that does not generate even more pollution. Only when we have solved this problem that we will we be able to increase recycling rates and, at the same time, generate impactful socio-environmental benefits.

Source: World Economic Forum

2023 Strategic Foresight Report: sustainability and wellbeing at the heart of Europe’s Open Strategic Autonomy

10.07.2023

ESG , održivost , održivi razvoj — Photo-illustration: Freepik (jcomp)

Today, the European Commission presented the 2023 Strategic Foresight Report, which analyses how to put ‘sustainability and people’s wellbeing at the heart of Europe’s Open Strategic Autonomy’ and suggests ten concrete actions to achieve this aim.

The EU is engaged in a profound and ambitious transition to achieve climate neutrality and sustainability in the next few decades. This sustainability transition will be key to strengthen the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy, ensure its long-term competitiveness, uphold its social market economy model and consolidate its global leadership in the new net-zero economy. To succeed, the EU will need to address several challenges and make choices that will affect our societies and economies at an unprecedented pace and scale.

The 2023 report provides an overview of the challenges we face and proposes ten areas for action to achieve a successful transition. To equip policymakers with economic indicators which also consider wellbeing, it proposes to adjust Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to take account of different factors such as health and the environment.

This approach will bolster the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy and global standing in its pursuit of a resilient net-zero economy.

Overcoming key social and economic challenges

As it goes through the sustainability transition – which encompasses both economic and social sustainability – the EU is facing several challenges. For example:

Evolving geopolitical shifts are shaping public opinion and how governments across the globe act, challenging international cooperation on global issues, such as climate change or the energy transition.
The need for a new economic model, focused on the wellbeing of people and nature, decoupling economic growth from resource use and shifting to more sustainable production and consumption. Up to 75 percent of Eurozone businesses are highly dependent on natural resources. Economic, social and environmental sustainability are inextricably linked.
Growing demand for adequate skills for a sustainable future. The availability of workers equipped with appropriate technical and soft skills will be crucial for the EU’s competitiveness: 85 percent of EU firms today lack staff with the competences needed to navigate the green and digital transitions.
The sustainability transition requires unprecedented investments. Achieving it will depend on securing sufficient funding both from the public and private sectors.

Ten areas for action

Today’s report identifies ten areas where our policy response is needed to ensure that the sustainability transition remains focused on the wellbeing of people and society:

Ensure a new European social contract with renewed welfare policies and a focus on high-quality social services.
Deepen the Single Market to champion a resilient net-zero economy, with a focus on Open Strategic Autonomy and economic security.
Boost the EU’s offer on the global stage to strengthen cooperation with key partners.
Support shifts in production and consumption towards sustainability, targeting regulation and fostering balanced lifestyles.
Move towards a ‘Europe of investments’ through public action to catalyse financial flows for the transitions.
Make public budgets fit for sustainability through an efficient tax framework and public spending.
Further shift policy and economic indicators towards sustainable and inclusive wellbeing, including by adjusting GDP for different factors.
Ensure that all Europeans can contribute to the transition by increasing labour market participation and focusing on future skills.
Strengthen democracy with generational fairness at the heart of policymaking to reinforce the support for the transitions.
Complement civil protection with ‘civil prevention’ by reinforcing the EU’s toolbox on preparedness and response.

Next steps

The Foresight Report 2023 will be presented to EU Member States at the General Affairs Council of 10 July. Together with work conducted on foresight by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Commission’s report is also expected to inform the discussion of Leaders at the informal European Council in Granada in October 2023.

In November 2023, the Commission will co-organise, together with the European Parliament, the annual European Strategy and Political Analysis System (ESPAS) conference. It will be an opportunity to test and discuss key findings of the 2024 report on interinstitutional global trends jointly prepared by EU institutions, and reflect on the way ahead.

Source: European Commission

THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN FOR COOPERATION AND LEARNING IN THE PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY

09.07.2023

solar, obnovljivi izvori — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (mrganso)

Energetik energija, the leading distributor of solar components, recently held a very successful meeting dedicated to business and cooperation in Belgrade. The meeting provided valuable insights and fostered new partnerships with current and potential clients.

The gathering was attended by various industry experts and stakeholders, who participated in informative and productive discussions on the latest developments in the energy sector. The meeting served as a platform for Energetik energija to showcase its expertise in this area and highlight its commitment to delivering innovative solutions to clients.

IN FOCUS:

“The educational meeting was a long-awaited event that showcased the latest advances in photovoltaic technology. We achieved remarkable success, bringing together a diverse group of participants, including installers, builders, company engineers and potential clients from different regions. The meeting is designed to provide new solutions for photovoltaic systems and highlight the benefits of incorporating 2023 GUIDE TO BATTERY SYSTEMS into their operations. The guide is undoubtedly the most important tool created for each participant, a comprehensive resource that presents the latest technologies in the rapidly changing photovoltaic environment. It is a valuable tool for installers, builders, and company engineers, providing practical information on designing and installing PV systems that meet their customers’ needs and presenting various storage solutions. This gives attendees a holistic view of the options available and how they can be incorporated into their projects,” said Riccardo Frisinghelli, CEO of Energetik energija.

Integrating energy storage solutions into PV systems has been one of the most significant developments in the PV industry in recent years; the 2023 GUIDE TO BATTERY SYSTEMS is a key tool to help installers, engineers, and companies stay abreast of the latest developments in energy storage technology. The guide is designed to be accessible to everyone and at all levels of expertise. It provides practical information on designing and installing energy storage systems that meet customer needs while ensuring that PV systems are reliable, efficient, and cost-effective. In addition, the guide is a valuable resource for companies looking to expand their business into the energy storage market.

The guide has been translated into Serbian and is available only to subscribers of the www.energetik.si newsletter. Subscription is available for all photovoltaic professionals. To sign up, simply write 2023 GUIDE TO BATTERY SYSTEMS in the message box, and you’ll receive your copy of the guide shortly.

Source: Energetik energija

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN PLANNING AND ECOLOGY

08.07.2023

tram-7524963_1920 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay (fotos1992)

Apart from the conventional challenge of making cities a better place to live, urban development today must also respond to the challenges created by climate change by adapting the physical space to heat waves, droughts, floods, and other increasingly frequent manifestations of these changes. At the same time, urban planning should actively contribute to reducing human impact on the climate by providing efficient and sustainable housing models. Nevertheless, the pressure of capital on urban development is getting stronger, and in the war with profit, green space almost always loses. We talked about the problems of urban planning in Belgrade and possible solutions with Marko Aksentijević, Programme Coordinator from the Ministry of Space.

“The concept of the 2024 General Spatial Plan of Belgrade proclaims a healthy city, revitalization, and preservation of the urban core, increasing energy efficiency, resilience, and decentralization as its goals. To make this decentralization principle operative, the plan envisages the relocation of sports fields, colleges, and hospitals, to reactivate these “attractive and marketable locations”. Instead of more social and green infrastructure, we get more concrete and bigger crowds,” Marko explains.

The problem also lies in the fact that the plan fails to consider the demographic study, although it is an integral part of the plan, which unequivocally predicts a population decrease. Instead, it has been projected that the city will gain additional 100,000 inhabitants and therein lies the answer to the question of how to make city development more sustainable – by planning in accordance with the real needs of people, not capital. According to the preliminary data from last year’s census, 136,336 new apartments were built in the last 11 years, while the number of households increased by only 46,414.

“In Belgrade, at the same time, there is a large overpopulation of apartments and a large number of empty apartments. This is not a characteristic of a city that operationalizes its resources well, and it is certainly not the direction in which it should continue,” says Marko Aksentijević.

IN FOCUS:

Illegal construction

Illegal construction used to be tolerated in the past because it was mainly family houses, the construction of which solved the housing problem of many families who immigrated due to the wars in Yugoslavia that were illegally built.

“In the last 15 years, entire buildings have been built illegally because certain property developers are tolerated, as they always find it more profitable to subsequently legalize the building than to build it in line with regulations and with all permits obtained. Thus, the developer generates faster and bigger profit and the future tenants and the city administration are left with the hassle of utility infrastructure. In the parts of the city where this is most pronounced, the spatial plans show post-festum what has been built and what needs to be upgraded accordingly regarding utility infrastructure rather than planning new development. Such a situation makes any planned city development impossible,” explains Marko.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Nikola Aleksic)

It also inevitably causes a problem with the traffic infrastructure. The widening of streets congested at rush hour and which often have only one lane in each direction often requires the expropriation and demolition of not only individual houses but also entire buildings that have sprung up in the last few decades.

“The city is planning to drill a tunnel stretching from the Faculty of Economics to Despot Stefan Boulevard, and that is perhaps the most vivid example of where we have space left for constructing infrastructure; that is underground. However, if we look at the plans for the subway, we don’t have many reasons for optimism,” Marko adds.

Speaking about traffic, he says that the subway construction could cause fewer traffic jams. On the other hand, the subway’s performance will depend a lot on the location of its lines.

”The current plan for the first line envisages that it will stretch from Makiš via Belgrade Waterfront to Mirijevo; that is, it connects large housing construction projects that most have yet to take place instead of connecting those parts of the city where people already live and which they actually frequent, such as are the Clinical Center and the Railway Station, and traffic jams are frequent. One part of the public, led by the Faculty of Civil Engineering, believes the route should go from Zemun to Kralj Aleksandar Boulevard. The city government has announced that the subway lines are subject to change, which is a good signal, but it is probably also a sign that we will have to wait for a long time to have a subway,” Aksentijević points out.

According to current forecasts, the average speed of cars moving through the city is expected to decrease from 31.6 km/h, as it was in 2015, to 16 km/h in 2033. Due to constant motorization, city traffic will slow down twice more in the next 18 years. For the forecasts to be proven wrong, the city authorities need to enable and stimulate alternatives to private cars – from public transport to walking. One of the solutions is cycling. However, there must be an adequate spatial infrastructure to promote cycling.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

ABB and Microsoft collaborate to bring generative AI to industrial applications

07.07.2023

Expanding on their long-standing partnership, ABB will collaborate with Microsoft on the integration of Azure OpenAI Service into the ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI suite. The companies will work together on the implementation of generative AI technology to help industrial customers unlock insights hidden in operational data. Improved data collection and remediation will enable significant gains in efficiency and productivity, asset reliability, operational safety, lower energy consumption, and reduced environmental impact.

ABB will integrate generative AI through Azure OpenAI Service including large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 into the Genix platform and applications, enabling functionality such as code, image, and text generation. Once launched, the new application – Genix Copilot – will enhance user experience by offering intuitive functionality and by streamlining the flow of contextualized data across processes and operations. This will provide industry executives, functional specialists, and shop floor engineers with real-time actionable insights for better decision-making and increased productivity. Such insights have the potential to extend asset lifespan by up to 20 percent and minimize unplanned downtime by up to 60 percent.

In addition, the solution will have the capability to help customers achieve their sustainability and energy transition objectives by providing advanced monitoring and optimization insights into the industrial greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage.

Genix Copilot will also enable capturing an operators’ knowledge and facilitating collaborative decision-making across various roles, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding data and knowledge within the enterprise.

Photo: ABB (Genix Copilot user interface)

ABB Ability™ Genix is a comprehensive, modular industrial IoT, analytics and AI platform that embeds industry-specific domain knowledge to drive business outcomes and ensures the protection of customers’ existing investments. Businesses running Genix have seen up to 40 percent cost savings in operations and maintenance, up to 30 percent improvement in production efficiency, and up to 25 percent improvements in energy and emission optimization. The addition of generative AI capabilities to Genix are expected to further increase these benefits.

“This is an important step in ABB and Microsoft’s strategic partnership which will accelerate the digital transformation of the industrial sector,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, Global Chief Digital Officer, ABB Process Automation. “We believe Genix Copilot will help industrial customers achieve their combined objectives of sustainability, operational excellence and enhanced asset performance. Extending the generative AI capabilities across ABB’s industrial digital solutions will usher customers into a new era of AI enabling billions of better decisions.”

Photo: ABB (ABB enables customers to realize the benefits of digitalization through six industry value pillars)

“We believe organizations that will be best positioned for long-term success are those that modernize and scale their data platforms,” said Ralph Haupter, President, EMEA at Microsoft. “Applying advanced digital capabilities such as Azure OpenAI Service will strengthen ABB’s Genix to effectively manage the contextualized data while also helping drive the digital transformation critical for growth and lasting change.”

Genix unlocks the power of data by automating contextual integration of operations (OT), information (IT), and engineering (ET) data across the enterprise and applies Industrial AI to bring advanced analytics and optimization. It can seamlessly scale from asset to plant to an enterprise. The platform can be deployed across cloud, hybrid, edge or on-premises. Genix is secure by design and uses Microsoft Azure for integrated cloud connectivity and services.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com

Important notice about forward-looking information

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “plans,” “is likely”, “intends” or similar expressions. However, there are many risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information and statements made in this press release and which could affect our ability to achieve any or all of our stated targets. Although ABB Ltd believes that its expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statement are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved.

Source: ABB

GREEN KILOWATTS FOR SECURE SUPPLY

06.07.2023

Environmental responsibility has become a guiding idea for companies whose developed awareness allows them to see the bigger picture of their business. And it extends beyond the boundaries of the quality of the products or services and the company’s profit. The inclusion of renewable energy sources in business is an indicator of responsible behavior towards the current energy crisis in the world, the needs of one’s country, but also the environment through the preservation of non-renewable energy sources, the use of which impairs the health of the planet.

The STOP SHOP company, as one of the leading brands of the IMMOFINANZ company, which is the largest operator of retail parks in Central and Eastern Europe, has recognized the importance of caring for the environment, including environmental responsibility through the use of solar energy as the guiding principle of its business. The design was entrusted to the CEEFOR company, and as a pilot project in the retail park 2 in Požarevac, on the roof of the STOP SHOP facility, a solar power plant with a power of 989.74 kWp was built. The power plant includes 2,414 monocrystalline solar panels of the brand Luxor Solar LX410M/182-108+, with a power of 410 Wp.

AC distribution cabinets are an indispensable part. It was decided to use the Fronius monitoring system and smart meters, necessary additional equipment that allows the solar power plant to be maximally efficient.

The CEEFOR company pays special attention to always using only the best and highest quality products on the market. So, for this solar power plant, they chose inverters produced by Fronius, which are known to be among the highest quality on the market. Forty-six inverters of different power are installed on the roof of this retail park. The roof surface of this building required the installation of a D-Dome construction manufactured by K2 Systems. The annual production of the power plant is expected to be 1,140 MWh, while the carbon dioxide savings will reach about 530,000 kg.

IN FOCUS:

This entire project was entrusted to Bojan Jovanović, a young electrical engineer who is part of the CEEFOR company team. Thanks to his previous involvement in similar projects, all the obstacles he encountered during the development of the solution for this solar power plant were quickly and easily removed, and the client was offered the best solution.

“Designing the solar power plant at the STOP SHOP facility in Požarevac was very interesting for me as an engineer. The facility has over 25 measuring points at low voltage and one common measurement at medium voltage. In order to simplify the procedure, we decided to make one power plant that will be connected to medium voltage. The specific thing is that we had to evenly distribute all the energy obtained from the solar power plant to each measuring point. We did this by distributing the electricity obtained from the solar power plant as a percentage in proportion to the consumption of each measuring point. My colleagues and I believe this is the best solution for this kind of facility,” said Bojan.

Apart from Požarevac, work is currently underway on designing 13 more power plants on the roofs of STOP SHOP facilities throughout Serbia. Most of the buildings will be equipped with power plants of similar power as in Požarevac, while two locations will have higher power. At all locations where solar power plants will be installed, Luxor Solar brand solar panels with individual panel power of 545, the latest generation, are planned. Also, a D-Dome-type structure manufactured by K2 Systems will be installed on all other buildings. The total power of all power plants will be able to cover, on average, between 60 and 70 per cent of the electricity used.

“In the coming period, we plan to install photovoltaic plants in all our facilities and ensure that STOP SHOP retail parks produce green energy, all in cooperation with the CEEFOR company. Sustainability is an essential part of our corporate strategy, and accordingly, we will continue to expand our services towards a clean and sustainable future,” says Maja Marić, regional operations manager and leader of the Belgrade office within CPI Property Group.

The Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development (CEEFOR) has been successfully operating for more than a decade in the field of developing sustainable projects and energy efficiency in the Balkan region. It offers its clients consulting and design services in renewable energy sources. The company’s professional team is ready to answer all client requests and questions.

Prepared by: Katarina Vuinac

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

INTELLIGENT ELECTRIFICATION FOR THE INDUSTRY

05.07.2023

AdobeStockGridSystem234658970_original — Photo: Siemens

We spoke with Miroslav Ristić, from the company Smart Infrastructure, at Siemens Serbia, about the ways of supporting the industry in reducing emissions and decarbonization and the possibilities for greater sustainability within the work processes.

“Industrial companies, as well as the rest of the economy, have years behind them that were marked by the covid 19 pandemic. Some companies are in a better position than others due to the location where they operate or the sector in which they are located. Regardless of how they overcame the previous period, there is now an opportunity to shape the post-pandemic recovery in a greener way, especially because this year of uncertainty has exposed an additional problem that affects us all – climate change,” Ristić said.

Significant and mutually coordinated measures are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also applies to the industrial sector, especially the process and manufacturing industry, which consumes a lot of energy.

Miroslav Ristić pointed out that adequate processes are crucial in this sector because industry represents a third of the total energy consumption. And not only that. While sectors such as power generation, agriculture and households have started to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, industry has so far seen little progress compared to how much can be done.

IN FOCUS:

“We have identified three levers that will drive emissions reduction and decarbonization in the industry. The first is the introduction of greater flexibility in the use of energy, for example, by using storage solutions and virtual power plants. Second, we need to digitize operational processes, which will allow us to use energy efficiently. This can be achieved using IoT devices, sensors, and software. Third, we need intelligent electrification in all driving processes,” says Ristić.

Of the three levers mentioned, the third one has the greatest potential for decarbonization and can greatly profit from the first two. With electrification, two aspects should be considered: the supply of energy to the industrial site, for example, the possible use of renewable energy from wind farms, solar plants, and hydroelectric plants without CO2 emissions, as well as energy management at the site itself, for example in the form of software demand management.

Emission-free processes

Miroslav Ristić says that electrification has a large potential impact on decarbonization. It allows clean electricity from renewable sources to drive processes that previously used high-emission technologies, such as diesel generators. The process, which until this moment has led to high emissions of harmful gases, can be carried out entirely without emissions if renewable energy is used for the drive.

There are numerous opportunities for on-site energy management, as electrification opens the door to digitization and more intelligent electrification. In this way, numerous possibilities are opened for energy efficiency, operational resistance, and plant optimization.

Making electrification “smart” means introducing IoT sensors and platforms to collect massive amounts of data. Data is accumulated and analyzed using algorithms and software to help plant operators identify opportunities to increase efficiency in the plant’s energy system and overall operations.

Our interlocutor points out that this, among other things, leads to optimized production and low energy consumption. At the same time, it is possible to recognize early situations that can negatively affect the system’s efficiency, such as machine downtime.

Digitization enables the creation of a digital twin of the factory’s energy system.

In combination with industrial automation, designers can thus test numerous operational scenarios. The purpose of testing is the optimal coordination of systems and services. It contributes to lower error rates and also lower design, construction, and maintenance costs.

Examples from practice show what opportunities are available to industrial companies.

“A large number of industrial companies have used our solutions. The number of satisfied users is increasing daily, and new opportunities for cooperation are opening up. As one example, I would single out cooperation with the MIND Kragujevac industrial complex, where our advanced solutions and sophisticated equipment are installed in all distribution substations, enabling reliable electricity supply and monitoring and analysis of all system parameters,” says Ristić.

Source: Siemens

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

COP28 President-Designate calls for holistic ecosystem to drive climate action during London Climate Action week

04.07.2023

Connecting policy, technology, finance, and people is essential to keep 1.5C within reach.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, meets with His Majesty King Charles III, UK Government ministers, industry leaders across tech and finance, and university students during London Climate Action Week 2023.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber renews his call for world leaders to start delivering on climate finance reform and accelerate technology development ahead of COP28.
“We must stop talking and start delivering. Climate finance is nowhere near available enough, accessible enough and affordable enough – especially for countries in the Global South”.
“Money isn’t flowing to the places that need it most. Less than two per cent of the 1.5 trillion dollar of clean tech finance was invested in vulnerable and low-income countries across the Global South”.
“We must create an active partnership between the largest producers of energy, the biggest industrial consumers, technology companies, entrepreneurs, the finance community, investors, governments and civil society”.
“It is time to do things differently because we can’t afford to rely on business as usual”.
“Working together, we will narrow the gap to 2030, deliver a just transition, and mobilize all stakeholders in a new way”.
“We will bring everyone the table in a more inclusive process than ever before and institutionalize accountability globally, and within the COP process”.

During London Climate Action Week 2023, COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, traveled to London to collaborate with British stakeholders to develop holistic ecosystems that connect policy, technology, finance, and people. During his visit, he collaborated with the UK Government on polices which enable greater climate investments, he galvanized investors to fund climate technology, and he consulted with youth climate advocates to help shape the COP28 agenda.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (NIcholas Doherty)

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber met with a wide range of key stakeholders during a visit to London this week, including H.M King Charles III, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP, and Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, the Rt Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, as well as business leaders, university students and young climate advocates.

The COP28 President-Designate attended a roundtable on climate solutions joined by H.M King Charles III and attended by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London; Rt Hon. Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero; the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; and the CEOs of HSBC, AstraZeneca, OVO Energy, and Gridserve.

During London Climate Action Week, Dr. Al Jaber said, “If we are going to cut emissions by 43 percent in the next seven years, we need a holistic ecosystem that connects policy, technology, finance and people. We need supportive policies to stimulate adoption of clean energies and incentivize decarbonization. We obviously need to apply the latest technologies rapidly and at scale. That will require finance and lots of capital across the world, and particularly in emerging and developing economies. And a critical success factor is people. We need capacity building, and skills development to train young people for the jobs of the future. Because we must deliver climate action and socio-economic opportunity at the same time.”

“This is a moment of clarity that we must face with total honesty – we need a major course correction, and we need it now. Our goal must be to stop talking and start delivering”.

During his visit, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, also held meetings with UK Government Ministers from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss key initiatives and areas for collaboration ahead of COP28.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber also visited Octopus Energy and its founding CEO, Greg Jackson, in their London headquarters. They discussed the latest technologies that support the rollout of renewable energy and storage solutions, improve energy efficiency, and help in the race to net zero.

Masdar, the UAE’s world-leading renewable energy company that Dr. Sultan al-Jaber chairs, has committed to invest one billion pound in British battery storage, following its acquisition of Arlington Energy. Masdar has partnered with Octopus Energy to license its groundbreaking technology platform, Kraken, to manage its battery portfolio at low cost and with maximum efficiency. The platform aims to manage 100,000 devices and 6GW of energy capacity by the end of 2023. This will help bring more renewables onto the grid quicker and drive down prices.

During one of his visit highlights, Dr. Al Jaber attended a roundtable with university students and young climate advocates. Hosted by H.E Shamma Al Mazrui, COP28 Youth Climate Champion, the consultation sought views from young people to shape the agenda at COP28, including how the President-Designate can help to ensure that the process and outcomes can be more inclusive and equitable.

Addressing the youth consultation, the COP28 President-Designate said “your generation is critical, because you will inherit some of the greatest challenges of climate change and will also provide many of the solutions. Your perspectives must be heard. And you must be empowered to make a difference. We need pioneers like yourselves – who are impatient set new benchmarks.”

He also restated his commitment to making COP28 the most inclusive COP ever, by providing “opportunities for youth who have never been included in the process and that come from countries which have seen climate disasters firsthand” through initiatives like the Youth Climate Delegates Program.

In his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the need for the voices of young people to be included at COP28 and stated his commitment to called on young people to “bring your passion, your focus and your courage to meet the challenge”, reflecting that “it is time to do things differently because we can’t afford to rely on business as usual”.

COP28 UAE:

COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

Youth Climate Delegate Program

Through the International Youth Delegates Program we will support 100 youth to join us from small island developing states, least developed countries and indigenous communities from around the world.
Further information on the Youth Climate Delegates can be found on the COP28 website

Masdar UK investment

Dr. Sultan al-Jaber was the founding CEO of Masdar, the UAE’s leading renewable energy company, and still serves as its chairman. COP28 Classification: Internal
In October 2022, Masdar acquired Arlington Energy, a UK-based battery energy storage system developer.
Masdar has committed to invest one billion pound in UK battery storage.
In May 2022, Masdar and Octopus Energy Group signed an agreement to use Octopus’ groundbreaking technology platform, Kraken, to manage its battery storage portfolio in the UK.

Source: UAE Embassy in Belgrade

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION IN LINE WITH PRIORITIES AND STANDARDS

04.07.2023

When discussing environmental security, we should first highlight the problem of different attitudes towards it. Previously, there were two understandings in the study of environmental safety. According to the first, people cannot influence the climate, and the argumentation was based on the works of our prominent scientist Milutin Milanković. According to another understanding in circulation since the 1980s, people have significantly impacted the climate. Both understandings are correct because Milutin Milanković died in the 1960s when people still didn’t cause substantial negative effects on many environmental factors.

Another problem relates to adopting international agreements and laws regulating environmental protection, environmental safety and sustainable development in our country. Following the United Nations Agenda 21 (1992), we adopted the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, the National Strategy on Sustainable Development, the National Millennium Goals of Sustainable Development and several other regulations. Based on this, many Local Environmental Action Plans – LEAPs were adopted too, such as LEAPs for the City of Niš (2001), the City of Belgrade and the City of Smederevo (2005), and later for many other cities and municipalities. Belgrade municipalities such as Zemun, Savski Venac, and others all have LEAPs. However, the issue with the implementation of many documents remains. Based on the United Nations 2030 Agenda (2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to water, it is estimated that 75 per cent of people in our country have access to healthy drinking water, while about 21 per cent of people use clean energy. Furthermore, under the 2015 Paris Agreement, United Nations member states committed to reducing greenhouse gases to curb the growth of average global temperatures to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Based on this agreement, each country has Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Serbia needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to around 10 per cent by 2030, compared to emissions in 1990.

IN FOCUS:

The third and main problem is defining priorities, especially in our country. Are our priorities protecting water resources, air, biodiversity, reforestation and education? Environmental safety is a long-term process that begins at home, with education at all levels, socialization and dissemination of information, more people reporting environmental crimes, and more people being indicted for them. Students study environmental protection at our higher learning institutions and in elementary and high schools in Serbia. The University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Sciences has several courses related to environmental security and policies, and we have also organized events such as sustainable development weeks. For instance, students of the University of Gothenburg, the University of Michigan, and others study ecological methodology, ecological assessments, and the like. Recently, I took part in the United Nations Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI), which aims to implement sustainable development, with an emphasis on quality education and lifelong learning. Some countries have defined afforestation as priorities. As of 2019, Italy has planted around 300,000 trees and reforested 30,000 hectares of land. Pakistan plans to plant 10 billion trees, and so far, they have planted one-third of that number. Ten years ago, the Wall of Trees project was launched in over 20 African countries, spanning over 8,000 kilometres. Around 15 per cent of this project has been implemented to date.

We face many climate change consequences because we have not defined environmental safety priorities in Serbia. Furthermore, we have air and water pollution, problems with waste disposal and wastewater processing, outdated industrial facilities and thermal power plants that have not been renovated, and more. New industrial plants being built on agricultural land should also be considered, such as the tire production plant in Zrenjanin that is being built near Carska Bara, despite Zrenjanin having an adequate industrial zone. According to estimates by the European Environmental Agency (EEA), one in eight deaths in Europe is related to environmental pollution, mostly air, noise or poor water quality. The population in the Balkans is most at risk, especially in Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is estimated that in Serbia, 6,000 people die each year due to air pollution alone, of which there are about 2,000 cases in Belgrade alone. Also, environmental safety in our country can be jeopardized by the installation of derivation mini-hydroelectric plants and the opening of new mines while disregarding the ISO 14000 environmental standards, for instance, in Loznica and other populated places, which are known as fruit growing and generally agricultural areas.

Vera Arežina

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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