Future With Fewer Challenges and More Megawatts Installed

13.07.2022

Projects such as the wind farm “Kovačica” with 104.5 megawatts installed and implemented by the company New Energy Solutions positively impact our country’s energy and environmental sector. Thanks to this, Serbia is approaching its plan to have 40 percent of its production in the energy mix by 2040 from RES.

The usage of solar and wind energy in Serbia’s energy mix today is only 3.5 percent. The only way for our country to be energy safe are further investments in RES. Therefore we have prepared the interview about investments and future wind farm projects with Miloš Perišić, Director of Engineering from New Energy Solutions.

EP: With the accomplishment of the wind farm “Kovačica” project, the largest investment in the mentioned municipality was realized. Would you highlight this as the most significant project in the first 10 years of the company’s operation?

Miloš Perišić: New Energy Solutions has been expanding in recent years. It is already one of the most important factors in the field of renewable sources in Serbia and the region. The expectations of the management and all employees in NES are high, so the realization of projects that will surpass even a project such as WPP “Kovačica” is planned, which is undoubtedly the most important project in the first 10 years of the company’s work. However, we are also sure that the projects ahead of us will surpass the success achieved by realizing that project.

In focus:

EP: Do you have data on the overall reduction of CO2 emissions and other benefits this project has brought?

Miloš Perišić: The average electricity production from the wind farm “Kovačica” is about 298,000 MWh. If we assume that this production reduces the share of electricity production obtained from the thermal power plant, we come to a reduction in CO2 emissions by about 250,000 tons per year. We are sure that the positive effect of the “Kovačica” wind farm project is also reflected in the increase in the income of the local community with which we have exceptional cooperation.

EP: New Energy Solutions is also working on developing the wind farm “Pupin” for the same Investor, the Israeli company Enlight. What can you tell us about this project? What stage is it currently in?

Miloš Perišić: Successful cooperation established with “Enlight”, a world-renowned company in the field of renewable sources, continues on the wind farm “Pupin” project. The fact that the company “Enlight” wishes to continue very successful cooperation through new projects is a great honor and recognition of our work. “Pupin” wind farm is a natural continuation of the “Kovačica” wind farm project. The installed capacity is 95.5 megawatts. A planning document was prepared and adopted, location conditions were provided, and a building permit was obtained. Activities are underway to provide appropriate permits for supporting infrastructure, which primarily refers to the connection to the transmission system, which is realized by the joint efforts of Elektromreža Srbije AD as the Investor of this part of the project and the company New Energy Solutions.

EP: Investors are announcing investments in green energy power plants with the capacity of a few hundred megawatts to even a few gigawatts. Do you think EMS is ready to connect new wind farms to the network? What is the current situation?

Miloš Perišić: According to publicly available information on the website of EMS AD, at the moment, there are requests for the connection of over 13 gigawatts from power plants that use renewable energy sources. If we take into account that about 390 megawatts of electricity from wind power plants are currently connected and that the total installed capacity of all power plants in Serbia is about 8 gigawatts, it is clear that EMS AD is currently unable to provide the capacity to cover all the existing requirements. However, the essential question is how much capacity of 13 gigawatts is realistic, what are the deadlines and whether all those power plants will be built. The joint-stock company Elektromreža Srbije has been working for a long time on the realization of a project that will enable the connection of power plants from renewable sources in a very serious and significant capacity. Also, I am sure that EMS AD will provide timely preconditions for connecting all power plants that will be built in the coming period.

Interviewed by: Milica Marković

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

Mutual Support of Serbia, Republika Srpska in Terms of Market Supply

12.07.2022

Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke at a working lunch with Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Radovan Viskovic about topics related to energy, supplying the market with food products, and specific joint projects with Republika Srpska.

Brnabic pointed out that energy supply is an issue of special interest, both for Serbia and for the region, and assessed that it is necessary to achieve a common, regional approach in order to ensure the necessary energy for the upcoming winter.

The Prime Minister stated that the Open Balkans initiative is a good platform for solving this issue in the interest of the entire region.

Viskovic pointed out that Republika Srpska is trying to secure all the necessary resources needed for the winter in light of the current situation on the world market.

Prime Minister Brnabic said that at the moment several vital projects are underway, on which Serbia and Republika Srpska are working together, the most important of which are in the field of energy and infrastructure.

The officials reached an agreement on further coordination in implementing these projects and mutual support in the matter of supplying the market with necessary products essential for citizens.

Source: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

June was “3rd warmest on record”

11.07.2022

sunce-klimatske-promene — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The globe just had the third warmest June on record, according to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, with widespread episodes of extreme heat. Antarctic sea ice was the lowest on record for the month of June.

The monthly report by Copernicus/ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts) is part of international network of climate monitoring activities by the WMO community which underpin WMO’s State of the Global Climate reports.

Global climate in June: 3rd warmest on record

The monthly mean temperature for Europe was the second highest on record. Southern parts of the continent from the Iberian Peninsula across France and into Italy most affected. Daily maximum temperatures in Spain, France, and Italy soared above 40°C and the extreme heat exacerbated the ongoing drought conditions in the Po river basin.

Numerous June temperature records were broken across France and Spain, with Biarritz, France, and San Sebastián, Spain, being two prime examples.

This heat also extended across North Africa, where Tunisia equalled its monthly temperature record. Also, at Banak in northern Norway, a daily maximum temperature of 32.5°C was recorded, which if confirmed, would be a new June record for the county in which it is situated.

Above-average temperatures were also found across Siberia and large parts of Asia, where heatwaves in central and northern China led to increased electricity demand. Temperatures of greater than 35°C were recorded for five days in a row in Tokyo, Japan, which is a record. In North America, high temperatures occurred in Texas, with Houston having its hottest June on record; San Antonio suffered from this extreme heat too. The Middle East also saw above-average temperatures.

Drought

In June 2022, a large part of Europe experienced lower-than-average precipitation, including over the UK, Ireland, Italy, much of the Iberian Peninsula and over a large region stretching from the northern Balkans across eastern Europe and over north-western Russia. In the Po Valley, in northern Italy, the continuing drought is affecting river transport, agriculture and energy management. Conversely, precipitation was higher than average over most of France, Iceland, regions of central Europe, western Russia, the southern Balkans and Turkey, according to the Copernicus Hydrological Bulletin.

Sea ice

Temperatures in June were much higher than average over large parts of Antarctica.

Antarctic sea ice extent reached 12.6 million km2 on average, 1.2 million km2 (9 per cent) below the 1991-2020 average for June. This is the lowest extent for June in the 44-year satellite data record and is marginally lower than the value for June 2019 (second-lowest), according to the Copernicus report.

It is noteworthy that 2019 and 2022 were separated by near-average June values in 2020 and 2022, highlighting the large interannual variability that has often characterized the Antarctic sea ice data record since 1979.

The monthly average Arctic sea ice extent in June 2022 reached 11.2 million km2, 0.3 million km2 (or 3 per cent) below the 1991-2020 average for June. This value ranks 12th lowest for June in the satellite record, which starts in 1979, and comes after a near-average extent in May 2022.

Source: WMO

EBRD Finances First-Ever Green Taxi Project

10.07.2022

More than 60 per cent of the nearly 900,000 residents of Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital and the country’s largest municipality will now be able to enjoy environmentally friendlier and safer taxi rides thanks to the introduction of electric taxis, a project supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The latest project under the EBRD Green Cities programme for Dushanbe will help reduce the environmental impact of the Sayohon taxi company, which operates the popular brand Rakhsh Taxi. A financial package of up to 4.5 million US dollars, mobilised by the EBRD and consisting of an EBRD loan and a grant from the Bank’s Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) programme supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will allow Sayohon to procure 100 electric vehicles and 30 charging stations as well as to create the necessary charging infrastructure.

Sayohon will not only expand its service but will also reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,240 tonnes per year. The replacement of dated internal combustion engines with electric ones will also allow Rakhsh Taxi to cut emissions of other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide hat can cause severe respiratory problems.

As part of the project, Sayohon will commit to developing and implementing inclusive employment practices. In particular, it will help increase the number of women employees to at least 20 per cent of the total workforce and launch a specialised training programme for 250 employees on the management of electric vehicles.

Funded by the EBRD and GEF, FINTECC is part of a global drive towards climate technology transfer for developing economies.

EBRD Green Cities is supporting the development and implementation of Dushanbe’s Green City Action Plan (GCAP), a crucial tool to help the city set out its sustainable development vision and strategic objectives, in addition to the actions and investments required to address high-priority environmental issues.

To date, the EBRD has invested 892 million euros through 152 projects in Tajikistan’s economy.

Source: EBRD

A New Declaration to Help Save our Oceans

09.07.2022

rukavica_okean — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Last week, world leaders adopted a landmark declaration at the United Nations’ Ocean Conference in Lisbon to scale up science-based and innovative actions and address the ocean emergency of habitat loss, ocean acidification and ecosystem degradation.

More than 150 countries gathered at the conference, co-hosted by the governments of Portugal and Kenya, agreed to take actions to strengthen, among other things, marine pollution, blue economies and marine protected areas.

Marine pollution

Marine pollution accounts for at least 85 percent of marine waste, and plastic litter is the chief pollutant. Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our ocean. If nothing is done about it, by 2040, the equivalent of 50 kg of plastic per meter of coastline worldwide is projected to flow into the ocean yearly.

The Lisbon declaration “Our ocean, our future, our responsibility”, called on governments to do more to prevent, reduce, and eliminate marine plastic litter – including single-use plastics and microplastics – by contributing to comprehensive life-cycle approaches, encouraging recycling and environmentally sound waste management.

The declaration welcomed the decision made at the fifth UN Environment Assembly held in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier this year to establish an intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. Member States gavelled a historic resolution to forge the agreement by 2024.

Blue economies

It is estimated that by the year 2030, the world’s coastal populations will contribute three trillion dollars to the global economy in sectors as diverse as fisheries, tourism, as well as emerging green and blue economies such as renewable energy and marine biotechnology. Blue economies will be even more crucial to countries across Africa and developing island nations.

The declaration recognized the importance of building sustainable, resilient and inclusive blue economies. This starts with acknowledging that the ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and our future as it provides countless services, including supplying oxygen, contributing to food security, creating countless jobs, and acting as a carbon sink.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Veronica Reverse)

The declaration further affirmed that the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and the advancement of nature-based solutions are critical to ensuring a sustainable, inclusive and environmentally-resilient recovery from COVID-19, which has disproportionately hit developing nations.

Marine protected areas

Marine Protected Areas offer one of the best options for maintaining and restoring the health of the ocean by protecting species and ecosystems, engaging stakeholders in the planning and fair sharing of benefits and ensuring the long-term sustainable use of natural resources and tourism incomes.

Research shows that strong governance, in accordance with national legislation and international law, has the potential to influence human behaviors and reduce human-induced impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems.

The declaration acknowledged the need to establish greater, better-managed Marine Protected Areas. It noted the voluntary commitments by more than 100 Member States to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of the global ocean within Marine Protected Areas and other area-based conservation measures by 2030.

Indigenous Peoples, data, women and girls

Participating countries also agreed to take actions to strengthen, among other things, data collection; recognition of the role indigenous people play in sharing innovation and best practices; and participation of women and girls in the ocean-based economy.

Now that the global effort to protect our ocean has a new beginning, as Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator of the Marine and Freshwater Branch at UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says, the work that lies ahead should be “driven by science, technology, innovation and finance.”

Source: UNEP

Wind Farm Crni Vrh Worth EUR 100 Million One Step Closer To Construction

07.07.2022

vetroparkovi — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Xin)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Appolinary Kalashnikova)

The wind farm Crni Vrh, which will be located on the tripoint between Zagubica, Bor and Majdanpek, is a step closer to construction. The carrier of the project, “CRNI VRH POWER” d.o.o. Zagubica, has filed the request for giving approval for the Study of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Project for the Construction of the Wind Farm “VE Crni Vrh” to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The wind farm will be built on cadaster parcels in the territory of the city of Bor, KO Zagubica and KO Laznica-Seliste in the territory of the municipality of Zagubica and KO Vlaole in the territory of the municipality of Majdanpek.

As announced earlier, the value of this local investment in the wind farm is estimated at around EUR 100 million. The installation of 32 wind generators – 11 in the territory of Bor, 4 in the territory of Majdanpek and 17 in the territory of Zagubica – is planned within the wind farm area.

In the past years, Bor has been interesting to investors in wind farms. At a recent session of the City Council of Bor, the draft decision on the preparation of the detailed regulation plan of the area of the wind farm Snaga Istoka, in the territory of the city, was adopted unanimously. As announced on the city’s website, the wind farm will spread along the stretch of Veliki Krs, Stol Mountain and Deli Jovan “with a power of 450 megawatt-hours”. The deadline for the preparation of the plan is one year.

Source: eKapija

Shell to Build Europe’s Largest Renewable Hydrogen Plant

07.07.2022

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Marc Rentschler)

Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil and gas company, plans to build Europe’s largest green hydrogen plant in Rotterdam, which will become operational in 2025, the energy giant announced on Wednesday (6 July).

According to a statement by Shell, the new hydrogen plant, Holland Hyrdogen I, will be able to produce up to 60,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day. The renewable power will come from an offshore wind farm in Hollandse Kust, also partly owned by Shell.

The hydrogen produced will supply Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam by replacing some grey hydrogen usage within the facilities.

“Holland Hydrogen I demonstrates how new energy solutions can work together to meet society’s need for cleaner energy. It is also another example of Shell’s own efforts and commitment to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050,” said Executive Vice President Emerging Energy Solutions at Shell, Anna Mascolo.

“Renewable hydrogen will play a pivotal role in the energy system of the future, and this project is an important step in helping hydrogen fulfil that potential,” she added.

The creation of Holland Hydrogen I marks a significant milestone for both the Netherlands and Shell in the hydrogen economy, the press release concludes.

Source: EURACTIV.com

The construction of the first bifacial and the largest solar power plant in Serbia begins

06.07.2022

Bifacial solar power plants are becoming an increasingly common choice for investors due to their ability to collect the sunlight that bounce off the substrate and produce electricity more efficiently than power plants with monofacial panels.

The company MT-Komex was entrusted with the construction of the first bifacial solar power plant in Serbia, which will also be the largest solar power plant in the country at the moment.

The power plant will be located on the Toyo Tires company’s property. The construction contract was signed between the deputy general manager of Toyo Tires, Kenichiro Takasago, and the director of the MT-Komex, Miloš Kostić.

“The global goal of Toyo Tires is to become carbon neutral, and investing in renewable energy sources is the best choice. This is the right moment for us to build a solar power plant in Serbia because the laws regarding renewable energy have changed so that we can acquire the status of a prosumer. On the other hand, we have a large area of land at our disposal,” said Takasago for Energy Portal.

He adds that the solar plant will cover 10 to 15 per cent of Toyo Tires’ annual electricity needs, proving that the tire industry consumes a lot of electricity and is therefore under tremendous pressure to decarbonize as soon as possible.

Takasago announces that tire production will begin at the end of July, while the complete production equipment and the solar power plant will be in operation by the end of the year.

“We are planning to have a ceremonial opening of our solar power plant, which will be visited by people from the Government, other countries, even from Japan. This will be a really significant event both for MT-Komex, who built it and for us,” says Takasago.

When it comes to choosing a contractor, Takasago notes that they were looking for a company that would be their partner and help them make decisions about the construction of the power plant, and they found it all in MT-Komex.

“We are extremely honored that such a serious company as Toyo Tires entrusted us with the construction of the largest solar power plant on the ground, which has the power of 8.4 MW, i.e. active connection power of 7.2 MW. Our company, with 13 years of experience in the development, design and construction of solar power plants, managed to win this job at the tender as the most serious bidder,” said MT-Komex director Miloš Kostić.

He adds that in addition to Toyo Tires, MT-Komex is building solar power plants both on roofs of production halls and on the ground.

“Our team consists of 30 engineers/experts for renewable energy sources and 50 installers/electric fitters specially trained for the construction of solar power plants with many years of experience,” says Kostić.

Solar panels on 8.2 hectares

Toyo Tires’ solar power plant will be located on the ground and will cover 8.2 hectares. The annual electricity production will amount to 10,148,927 kWh, which will save 8,119,141 kg of carbon dioxide annually.

MT-Komex decided to use a special construction that will allow bifacial solar panels to produce electricity 15 per cent more efficiently compared to classic, monofacial power plants.

The plan for this power plant is to acquire the status of buyer-producer, that is, to use green electricity for its own needs, while all excess will be handed over to the electricity distribution network.

The solar power plant construction will be completed by the end of this year when it will be put into operation.

Milena Maglovski

How to Create Favorable Environment for Investment and Innovation?

06.07.2022

More than 30 years ago, an international financial institution was established in the British capital, whose main goal was to support the transition from a centrally planned economy to an open market and democracy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This institution, whose name is European and capital mostly American, is still considered a major investor in the private and public sector in 38 countries in Europe and Asia.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development started the first program in our country through assistance to FR Yugoslavia in 2001. Francesco Corbo, Regional Head Energy Europe for Western Balkans and Croatia at EBRD, told us about the EBRD’s priorities today compared to those two decades ago and what has changed in the EBRD’s operations in this area.

EP: It has been announced that from the end of 2022, all EBRD activity will be aligned with one aim: to help countries meet their goals under the Paris Agreement. It sounds like a huge volume of work. What does this actually comprise?

Francesco Corbo: The EBRD Climate Ambition Resolution includes the commitment to align all Bank activities with the objectives of the Paris Agreement by 2022. The Bank is assessing its direct and indirect investments for Paris alignment using methodologies developed jointly with other MDBs. In a nutshell, a project must meet several conditions to be determined as Paris aligned: consistency with a long-term low-carbon development strategy, a low likelihood of carbon lock-in – to give assurance that the project does not enable an emissions-intensive asset to continue operating when economically viable lower-carbon options could replace it, physical climate risks have been identified and addressed, and the activities do not undermine climate resilience in the local context.

The EBRD has been supporting its COO efforts to develop their low-carbon and climate-resilient policy roadmaps at the economy-wide and sectoral levels. Additionally, we work with clients to help them assess climate risks and to integrate climate resilience considerations into their operations.

EP: Many cities have joined the EBRD programme Green Cities, Belgrade and Skoplje among them. What can you tell us about the support the cities are getting through this programme, and when do you expect the results to be visible to their citizens?

Francesco Corbo: EBRD Green Cities is an initiative which supports cities to identify and plan priority investments that can help them become more sustainable, resilient and, in general, improve the quality of the environment. Participating cities receive assistance from the EBRD in developing feasibility studies, following which they can consider which projects should be their priority investment in the future. The EBRD and donors provide financing for these investments, and there have been lots of developments in the region. For example, in Sarajevo, as part of this programme, we financed energy efficiency improvements in public buildings, new electric trolleybuses, upgrade of water and sewerage network etc. These are the projects where citizens can see obvious results with better services of public utility companies, improved quality of air etc.

In focus:

EP: The EBRD has a certain fund for investments in green energy transition projects. What does this portfolio include? Is it more energy efficiency or renewable energy sources inclined to?

Francesco Corbo: Green energy transition projects cannot happen without enabling policies. We work with all governments in the region to strengthen their energy sector policy frameworks and align them with relevant EU Directives. On renewables, we are working in Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia to introduce renewable auctions, helping policy-makers design and implement competitive bidding schemes that will aim to add up to more than 1GW of solar and wind capacity once implemented.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Dimitrije Milenković)

A key principle of EBRD support is that the framework needs to be replicable and scalable – therefore, the EBRD is not just supporting the first 100 MW project but laying the foundation for the first 1,000 or even 10,000 MW. Some results are beginning to come in as our first solar auction for 140MW in Albania, which yielded a price of below 25 EUR/MWh, with bids opened during the first wave of the pandemic in May 2020. This result sent a strong signal to other countries in the region, and the success was replicated when Albania concluded a follow-up solar PV auction in March last year.

And under the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme, REEP, we have delivered in total more than 75 policy products that promote energy efficiency markets. Most of these policies refer to improving energy performance in buildings. The building sector accounts for over 40 percent of total energy consumption in the Western Balkans, and renovating public and private buildings to meet minimum energy performance standards can make a very significant contribution to national decarbonisation goals. Such works also directly improve the living standards of citizens.

EP: The EBRD has invested more than EUR 6.6 billion across 286 projects in the country to date. Would you say it has been a success for one institutional investor so far, and please highlight some of the projects that could be considered the ones that have brought the most benefits?

Francesco Corbo: To date, the EBRD has invested over EUR 7.3 billion in Serbia in close to 300 projects since 2001. The impact of our investments is visible in a stronger banking sector and better access to finance for SMEs, in the stronger private sector and local corporates that we supported to become regional champions and brands, like MK Group or Bambi, Knjaz Miloš and Nektar, in hundreds of women-led businesses that we supported with finance and advisory. We also contributed to better roads and railway connectivity which we supported with our partners EU and WBIF, better wastewater infrastructure in Subotica and urban transport in Belgrade and Novi Sad, to name only a few examples. More recently, we support Serbia’s efforts to improve waste management infrastructure, which is a sector that has been neglected for years. We finance the construction of the new landfill in Vinča and waste-to-energy plant, as well as several regional landfills across the country. This will help build modern waste management infrastructure in the country and provide new services to citizens, encouraging them to sort and recycle household waste.

Interviewed by: Nevena Đukić

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES.

SEEGAS Sets Out Possible Measures to Mitigate Gas Supply Risks in Case of Russian Gas Disruption

05.07.2022

gas_pipeline_gasovod — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Quinten de Graaf)

The Energy Community held its fourth South-East European Gas (SEEGAS) Joint Steering Committee meeting in Vienna on 30 June and 1 July. Participants agreed that the risks of a Russian gas supply disruption in the region can only be addressed through further market integration and the harmonisation of market rules, as well as trading and post-trading structures on regional gas exchanges. The meeting focused on how to fast-track the integration of gas infrastructure and markets in central, southern and eastern Europe. In order to react to the ongoing gas crisis effectively, the meeting was joined by representatives from the European Commission, ACER, EBRD, USAID, ENTSOG, Europex and EFET.

An internal Energy Community risk assessment found that three Energy Community Contracting Parties – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and North Macedonia – might be highly exposed to disruptions because of reliance on limited infrastructure and insufficient financial resources to secure alternative natural gas supplies.

Participants agreed that the delay in signing interconnection agreements between Bulgaria – Turkey and Bulgaria – North Macedonia was one of the biggest regional challenges and the Bulgarian gas transmission system operator, Bulgartransgaz, welcomed proposed assistance from the EU to accelerate the process.

In this context, participants acknowledged the value of the SEEGAS project, which provides a much-needed platform for Energy Community and EU stakeholders to discuss critical issues including the importance of having in place interconnection agreements between EU Member States and Energy Community Contracting Parties, access to supplies and transmission capacity and removing regulatory bottlenecks. The Energy Community Secretariat will propose solutions on how these challenges could be overcome in a study to be published in September 2022.

The Ukrainian gas transmission operator GTSOU and the storage operator Ukrtransgaz also highlighted the importance of European companies working together with Ukraine to transit gas via this country and to store it in its facilities. Ukrtransgaz said over 1,000 domestic and non-resident clients had signed contracts to store gas in Ukraine in recent years and pointed out that many companies could use Ukrainian storage facilities to comply with EU-mandated targets for 2022.

The meeting took stock of plans by the EU to introduce a joint procurement platform and discussed the introduction of possible new measures including a gas price cap or destination clauses on volumes sourced via the joint procurement platform. Representatives of regional exchanges illustrated the impact of the recent price volatility and national government measures to stabilize markets on liquidity.

The SEEGAS Joint Steering Committee welcomed the decision of the EBRD to expand the Crisis Response Package currently supporting Ukraine and Moldova to neighboring countries.

Detailed information can be found in the conclusions of the meeting.

About SEEGAS: chaired by the Secretariat, SEEGAS is a well-established platform bringing together gas transmission system operators, gas exchanges and other stakeholders in the SEEGAS region to work together to support the creation of a competitive liquid gas market in accordance with the EU acquis, and ultimately benefit end-consumers through increased competition in gas trading.

Source: Energy Community

No Basis To Classify Lithium As Hazardous, Industry Groups Say

05.07.2022

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (andreas160578)

Electric vehicle battery material lithium should not be classified as a hazardous substance by the European Union because the scientific evidence on which the proposal is based is weak, seven industry groups said.

Lithium was added to the EU’s list of critical raw materials in 2020 because it is important for electric vehicles which are key to meeting targets for cutting carbon emissions.

The proposal by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which cited studies based on lithium containing medicines used over the long term as a treatment for mood disorders, wants to classify lithium salts as dangerous for human health.

“The analysis finds only a quite weak association” between lithium exposure and developmental effects, said Violaine Verougstraete, chemicals management director at Eurometaux, which represents the metal industry.

“For fertility, the opinion is based on selected studies with serious limitations, contradicted by more robust guideline studies which showed no effect of lithium exposure.”

EU member states are currently giving their views on the proposal to a committee which meets on July 5-6 to discuss chemicals including lithium that have been recommended for classification as dangerous.

A final decision is expected at the end of 2022 or beginning of 2023.

Classifying lithium as dangerous would have a major impact on Europe’s energy transition goals, the industry groups including Eurometaux and Recharge, the European industry association for rechargeable lithium batteries, said in a letter to the EU.

“Europe is at a critical period in its energy transition, needing to stimulate new investment into a full electric vehicle battery value chain,” the groups said.

“Europe is playing catch-up with China, which is already over a decade ahead, now controlling most global processing for lithium and other battery metals … Europe has a narrowing window of opportunity to attract the investments needed, and lithium is a central material to our success.”

Classifying lithium as hazardous will hamper investment in European refining and recycling capacity and give an advantage to companies in the electric vehicle battery supply chain outside the European Union, the letter said.

The proposal doesn’t ban lithium imports, but if legislated it will add to costs for processing companies from more stringent rules controlling processing, packaging and storage.

Source: EURACTIV

EU – New Zealand Trade Agreement: Unlocking sustainable economic growth

04.07.2022

kontejneri_za_transport — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Sebastian Herrmann)

The EU and New Zealand have today concluded negotiations for a Trade Agreement, which is set to open significant economic opportunities for companies and consumers on both sides. The deal also includes unprecedented sustainability commitments, including respect of the Paris Climate Agreement and core labour rights, which are enforceable through trade sanctions as a last resort.

Bilateral trade is expected to grow by up to 30 per cent thanks to this deal, with EU annual exports potentially growing by up to 4.5 billion euros. EU investment into New Zealand has a potential to grow by up to 80 per cent. The deal can cut some 140 million euros a year in duties for EU companies from the first year of application.

“New Zealand is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region. This trade agreement brings major opportunities for our companies, our farmers and our consumers, on both sides. It can help increase trade between us by 30 per cent. It includes unprecedented social and climate commitments. This new agreement between the European Union and New Zealand comes at an important geopolitical moment. Democracies – like ours – work together and deliver for people”, said European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.

New export opportunities for businesses big and small

The agreement will provide new opportunities for businesses by:

-Eliminating all tariffs on EU exports to New Zealand.

-Opening the New Zealand services market in key sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, maritime transport and delivery services.

-Ensuring non-discriminatory treatment to EU investors in New Zealand and vice versa.

-Improving access for EU companies to New Zealand government procurement contracts for goods, services, works and works concessions. The New Zealand procurement market is worth some 60 billion euros a year.

-Facilitating data flows, predictable and transparent rules for digital trade and a secure online environment for consumers.

-Preventing unjustified data localisation requirements and maintaining the high standards of personal data protection.

-Helping small businesses export more through a dedicated chapter on small and medium enterprises.

-Significantly reducing compliance requirement and procedures to allow for quicker flow of goods.

-Significant commitments by New Zealand to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, aligned with EU standards.

Source: European Commission

EBRD and EU to Support Transition to Solar Energy in North Macedonia

04.07.2022

Decarbonisation plans in North Macedonia are taking a big leap forward. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending EUR 25 million to ESM, the state-owned electricity company, to build a 30 MW photovoltaic (PV) project consisting of 10 MW on a portion of the exhausted coal mine of thermal power plant Oslomej, and 20 MW adjacent to the thermal power plant Bitola. The European Union (EU) is also supporting this development with a EUR 5 million grant funded through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

Andi Aranitasi, EBRD Head of North Macedonia, said: “This is a very important project for the country’s energy transition. It is a continuation of our previous work in backing the ambitious decarbonisation plans of North Macedonia by organising solar PV tenders and constructing the first-ever utility scale solar PV plant in the country. The project will help to address the need for energy security and sustainability in a competitive and affordable manner, through investments that will create high-quality jobs and new business ecosystems, while reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The new solar plants are an extension of the first 10 MW PV plant constructed on the exhausted coal mines in Oslomej and are evidence of ESM’s and the country’s decarbonisation pathway. Once operational, the new facilities will produce nearly 48 GWh of electricity a year – enough to power 10,000 homes and replace 44,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The project will also support ESM’s efforts to rehabilitate the mine sites that used to supply the thermal power plants with coal.

Ambassador David Geer, Head of the EU Delegation to North Macedonia said: “We are seeing concrete actions in materialising the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and in turning the Economic and Investment Plan into reality. The WBIF investment grant and the EBRD Loan, supporting the transformation of Oslomej and Bitola power plants from coal based to solar energy, represent a clear indication that the country is taking the right steps – moving to green energy, while implementing a socially just transition process. This investment was long overdue, and comes at the right time for North Macedonia, ensuring clean and secure energy supplies.”

The country, whose capital Skopje was recently named one of Europe’s most polluted cities, aims to source 38 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Especially during the current energy crises, this operation will be one of the first projects to simultaneously address key just transition elements by moving towards clean energy use and energy security, while also introducing retraining and reskilling programmes to safeguard livelihoods, support regional development and create new economic opportunities.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andreas Gücklhorn)

ESM, a public electricity generation utility owned by the government of North Macedonia, provides 90 percent of the country’s domestic electricity production – about 3,600 GWh from two thermal power plants and 1,250 GWh from eight hydropower plants. ESM also operates two combined heat and power facilities and the first wind farm in the country, producing about 100 GWh annually.

Furthermore, in favour of decarbonisation and meeting the country’s renewable energy target, in 2020 the EBRD provided technical assistance to support the regulatory and legal aspects of introducing renewable energy auctions in three renewable energy tenders for 162 MW combined solar PV capacity. These are the first tenders in the Western Balkan region to be developed with exposure to wholesale power prices, one on public and one on private land, while the third is a public-private partnership tender for 100 MW solar PV capacity on ESM’s former coal mine in Oslomej.

The EBRD Shareholder Special Fund (SSF) provided EUR 75,000 for environmental and social due diligence, and EUR 74,000 for the development of basic design and technical specifications for the plants. The EBRD will support ESM with a nationally accredited market-relevant curricula programme to define redeploying and retraining opportunities for a significant share of the affected local workforce, with an approximate budget of EUR 200,000 to be funded from an international donor and SSF under the Gender and Economic Inclusion TC Framework.

To date, the EBRD has invested EUR 2.3 billion in 161 projects in the economy of North Macedonia.

Source: EBRD

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