IEA: Global natural gas demand set to decline slightly in 2022

15.04.2022

appliance-gas — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay (PublicDomainPictures)

The world’s demand for natural gas is set to decline slightly in 2022. as a result of higher prices and market disruptions caused by war in Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest quarterly update.

The expected small contraction in global gas demand compares with the IEA’s earlier forecast of one per cent growth in the previous quarterly update published in January. The downward revision to the forecast amounts to 50 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of about half of last year’s US liquefied natural gas exports. Global natural gas consumption grew by 4.5 per cent in 2021.

War in Ukraine has added further pressure and uncertainty to an already tight natural gas market, especially in Europe. While there are no legal restrictions on importing Russian natural gas to the European Union at this point, the war has pushed EU governments to seek to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports as quickly as possible. The IEA published a 10-Point Plan on 3 March outlining a suite of measures to reduce the volume of Russian gas imports into Europe by over a third within a year while remaining consistent with the EU’s climate ambitions.

Energy Security: Commission Hosts First Meeting of EU Energy Purchase Platform to Secure Supply…
SEEGAS Addresses Vulnerabilities to Gas Disruptions in South-East Europe
Joint Event Highlights Latest Actions to Tackle Methane Emissions in the Gas Sector

Spot gas prices have soared to record highs as Europe’s push for more diversified natural gas supply has intensified demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes, with some being diverted away from Asia. Average spot LNG prices in Asia during the 2021-22 heating season were more than four times their five-year average. In Europe, spot LNG prices were five times their five-year average, in spite of a mild winter.

The prices were also boosted by Russia’s moves, even before war in Ukraine, to drastically reduce short-term gas sales to Europe, which had left European storage levels 17 per cent below their five-year average at the start of the European heating season.

Source: IEA

Record Heat Sends Sea Ice Into Retreat, Worrying Scientists

15.04.2022

antarctica-led — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Roxanne Desgagnes)

The recent collapse of a 1,100km2 ice shelf in Antarctica came at a time of record high temperatures and is a symptom of a planet in a climate crisis, experts say.

The Conger ice shelf, which cleaved away from the eastern side of Antarctica in March, is the latest victim of rising temperatures at the Earth’s poles. Experts say as the polar regions warm, more ice is likely to melt, potentially pushing up sea levels and inundating coastal communities.

“The current concentration of greenhouse gasses is higher than at any time in human history. It’s a very worrying signal,” said Pascal Peduzzi, Director of the Global Resource Information Database (GRID) – Geneva. GRID-Geneva is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and the University of Geneva.

The temperature at Vostok Weather Station in the central part of Antarctica in March normally averages -53°C. But between March 16 and March 20, around the time the ice shelf is believed to have collapsed, the temperature was on average 35°C warmer, hitting a balmy-for-Antarctica -18°C on March 17. The heat wave is part of a warming trend being recorded globally.

Satellite imagery, which dates back five decades, shows sea ice at both poles is in retreat. On February 21, 2022, Antarctic sea ice, which has until recently been stable, reached its minimum since measurements began in 1979.

The situation is much more dramatic at the opposite side of the planet. Forty years ago sea ice in the Arctic was typically three to four meters thick. Today, it is around 1.5 metres, according to a recent UNEP report, the Foresight Brief. Thinner ice and more open water lead to increased absorption of sunlight and increased melting in summer. Since 1979 around 50 percent of summer sea ice coverage has been lost.

“There has been a significant sea ice loss, especially in the last 20 years,” said Tore Furevik, a Director at the Nansen Environment and Remote Sensing Centre and a co-author of the Foresights Brief. “Sea ice loss indicates a climate that is getting warmer and warmer and is not in balance. The only way to stop this trend is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.”

Melting sea ice leads to changes in the marine ecosystem, ocean circulation and weather events. In both the Arctic and Antarctica, warmer ocean water contributes to the melting of ice sheets. While Arctic melting doesn’t lead to a significant rise in sea levels, as the ice is already in the water, melting of Greenland or Antarctic ice will as it sits on land.

Key to curbing melting sea ice and ice sheets is mitigating climate change and keeping temperature rises in line with the Paris Agreement. As part of the pact, Member States committed to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, and preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. If the world meets its current climate-related pledges, the planet will still warm by at least 2.7°C, warns UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report by the end of the century, while the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report indicates that the median global warming will be 3.2°C by 2100.

“We need to take the climate crisis more seriously,” said Peduzzi, “We have less than eight years to cut our emissions by half. This is not going to happen without a major reconfiguration of all the main sectors.”

UNEP has proposed what it calls a Six-Sector Solution to the climate crisis. It focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a half-dozen industries: energy, industry, agriculture and food, forests and land use, transport, buildings and cities. The report outlines how these six sectors can deliver more than 30Gt of emissions reductions and help to keep temperature rise in line with the Paris Agreement.

The United Nations has also released the ActNow campaign, which guides people on the individual choices they can make to limit global warming and reduce climate change.

In March 2022, UNEP launched an updated version of its data, information and knowledge platform called the World Environment Situation Room. There is a dedicated module on climate change, which includes daily updated graphs on the extent of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. The webpage also highlights temperature anomalies and has a vast amount of data explaining and monitoring climate change.

This month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “that we are on a fast track to climate disaster.”

Peduzzi finds there is apathy around climate change as often people don’t realize the massive impact that each degree of warming can have on the planet. He said: “At 1.5°C, sea level rise is contained to 48 cm. At 3°C, sea level would rise by seven metres and marine ecosystems may collapse. At 4°C experts don’t see how adaptation would be possible.”

Source: UNEP

Energy and Climate Committee Discusses Way Forward for 2030 Targets

14.04.2022

solar-solarna-elektrana — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andreas Gucklhorn)

The 8th Energy and Climate Committee met on 12 April in Vienna, in the presence of the EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson. The meeting provided an opportunity for Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Energy Community Contracting Parties to discuss the process for setting 2030 energy and climate targets. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlović, received the Committee’s endorsement as co-chair, joining in this role previously appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna.

In her remarks, Commissioner Simson underlined the importance that the European Union places on working closely with the Energy Community in order to tackle shared energy challenges. “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has highlighted our common vulnerabilities when it comes to security of supply and underlined the need to reduce the dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Ultimately, the best remedy is the clean energy transition, which will not only make our energy systems greener, but also more autonomous. The adoption of ambitious 2030 energy and climate targets is important for putting the Energy Community members on this path.”

In the first session, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, Ministers underlined that the Energy and Climate Committee should play an important role in advancing the process of target negotiations. The Informal Ministerial Council in early July is expected to take stock of the outcome of negotiations that have reached a final stage among the Parties. The Ministerial Council at the end of 2022 is foreseen to adopt the decision on the targets.

During the second part of the meeting, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlović, participants exchanged views on measures to address high energy prices. The ministers reflected on ways to act in a coordinated way and demonstrate solidarity both among Contracting Parties but also with EU Member States. The discussions addressed a number of EU measures for security of supply to be possibly extended to Energy Community Contracting Parties.

Source: Energy Community

The Green Shade of Black Gold

13.04.2022

When we mention NIS, the first thing that comes to mind for most consumers is the production and sale of fuel. However, over the past decade, the domestic oil industry has also been involved in the energy transition.

Namely, in 2012, NIS defined a strategy of growing from an oil company into an energy holding company within which the expansion of the company’s activities in the field of electricity generation began. What did that entail? Certainly, a stronger orientation towards more environmentally friendly projects and more rational use of energy.

This already happened in 2013. when NIS started its cogeneration program – specifically, mini power plants with a total maximum power of 14 MW were built at eight locations in Serbia. In these power plants, in which the company has invested over 20 million euros, thermal energy and electricity are produced from gas, which, due to its lower quality, used to be flared:

“More efficient use of gas resources has contributed to higher energy efficiency with a significant environmental impact. The produced energy is used for the needs of the company, and a part is placed on the free market”, NIS states, noting that the realization of this project enabled the company to enter electricity trading operations, first in Serbia and then on the regional market.

In focus:

From oil to electricity

In addition to cogeneration, NIS is in the process of completion of the most important investment in the segment of electricity generation, which is the TE-TO Pančevo power plant that is being built by the company together with the Russian Gazprom Energoholding. The value of the project is about 180 million euros, while the installed capacity of the plant is up to 200 MW.

As a key player in the domestic market of petroleum products, NIS, following modern energy trends, also introduced the possibility of charging electrically powered cars at its petrol stations:

“Our petrol stations are part of the charge&Go network of electric chargers. Drivers of electric cars can charge them at some of our highway GAZPROM petrol stations – Velika Plana-right, Stari Banovci, Novi Sad 16 and Sokolići 1, which is also the first petrol station on Miloš Veliki Highway. In addition, this service will soon be provided at the latest NIS facility, Zmaj 1 in Belgrade, as well as at the Krnješevci petrol station, on the Belgrade-Zagreb highway”, it is said by NIS.

Higher quantities of cleaner gas

As early as 2016, NIS put into operation the amine gas treatment plant at Elemir, which enabled a significant improvement in the quality of domestic natural gas, as well as an increase in the volume of its production. What is more, the operation of this plant, in which NIS has invested more than EUR 30 million, has significant environmental effects, because the processing method completely prevents carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, thus reducing the “greenhouse” effect.

The Elemir plant is the first HiPACT (High Pressure Acidgas Capture Technology) plant in Europe, and this technology is considered one of the most efficient in the world among the existing methods in the gas treatment process.

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

Clean air saves lives!

13.04.2022

Air pollution increases the risk of pneumonia. This is one of the leading causes of death among children under five years.

By signing the #GreenAgenda, WB countries will have access to non-refundable grants that the EU committed for measures to reduce air pollution.

The countries of the region need to adopt concrete and immediate policies to reduce air pollution, including a gradual phase-out of coal, the introduction of carbon tax and the use of renewable energy sources.

WB needs to act now for clean air!

Act now, join the #BalkansUnitedForCleanAir regional campaign!

European Fund for the Balkans AirCare – Air Quality App Eko forum Zenica RERI BOŠ Policy Lab Ekološki Pokret Ozon sbunker truAktiv Environmental and Territorial Management Institute.

Source: Balkans United For Clean Air

Renewables Take Lion’s Share of Global Power Additions in 2021

12.04.2022

solar_power_plant_solarna_elektrana — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Priscilla Du Preez)

Renewable energy continued to expand steadily and well above the long-term trend, with share in total capacity expansion reaching a new record of 81 percent last year.

New data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that renewable energy continued to grow and gain momentum despite global uncertainties. By the end of 2021, global renewable generation capacity amounted to 3 064 Gigawatt (GW), increasing the stock of renewable power by 9.1 percent.

Although hydropower accounted for the largest share of the global total renewable generation capacity with 1 230 GW, IRENA’s Renewable Capacity Statistics 2022 shows that solar and wind continued to dominate new generating capacity. Together, both technologies contributed 88 percent to the share of all new renewable capacity in 2021. Solar capacity led with a 19 percent increase, followed by wind energy, which increased its generating capacity by 13 percent.

“This continued progress is another testament of renewable energy’s resilience. Its strong performance last year represents more opportunities for countries to reap renewables’ multiple socio-economic benefits. However, despite the encouraging global trend, our new World Energy Transitions Outlook shows that the energy transition is far from being fast or widespread enough to avert the dire consequences of climate change,” says IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera.

“Our current energy crisis also adds to the evidence that the world can no longer rely on fossil fuels to meet its energy demand. Money directed to fossil fuel power plants yields unrewarding results, both for the survival of a nation and the planet. Renewable power should become the norm across the globe. We must mobilise the political will to accelerate the 1.5°C pathway.”

To achieve climate goals, renewables must grow at a faster pace than energy demand. However, many countries have not reached this point yet, despite significantly increasing the use of renewables for electricity generation.

Sixty percent of the new capacity in 2021 was added in Asia, resulting in a total of 1.46 Terawatt (TW) of renewable capacity by 2021. China was the biggest contributor, adding 121 GW to the continent’s new capacity. Europe and North America—led by the USA—took second and third places respectively, with the former adding 39 GW, and the latter 38 GW. Renewable energy capacity grew by 3.9 percent in Africa and 3.3 percent in Central America and the Caribbean. Despite representing steady growth, the pace in both regions is much slower than the global average, indicating the need for stronger international cooperation to optimise electricity markets and drive massive investments in those regions.

Source: IRENA

Clearing Landmines on the Road to Sustainable Development

12.04.2022

1_C4dC3F9cGj79Ix6bzE4i2Q — Photo: UNDP Cambodia

When peace returned to Cambodia after decades of war, people uprooted by the conflict went back to their villages and farms. Moeurng Phan was among them. By 1993, her village of Veal Vong in the north-west of the country had begun to welcome back its former residents.

“Life was very difficult,” said Moeurng Phan. She worked with her nephew on their farm despite the risks: the village was surrounded by 17 minefields with a combined size of over 121 football fields. “We had to reclaim our land, or we would have nothing,” she said.

Her nephew hit an anti-tank mine while driving a tractor and was killed. “I could do nothing for him. I was deeply shocked. I couldn’t eat for weeks,” she said. Forty-nine people have been killed or injured by unexploded mines in the small village.

With support from UNDP, the government, the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre began to clear the contaminated land. “We started clearing mines in 2004,” said Noum Chhayroum of the Mine Action Planning Unit in Veal Vong. “We found 398 landmines, 32 anti-tank mines and 229 other explosives.”

Free from landmines

The last contaminated field in Veal Vong was cleared in 2019. “There has been a big change in the last few years,” said Morn’Mon, Deputy Village Chief. “Many people now have tractors. There are drying facilities for corn. There is animal farming. We can market our produce.”

UNDP began its work on mine action in Cambodia 30 years ago. Through partnership and the joint effort of the government, the national authority, armed forces, and mine action operators, 2,300 square kilometres of land have been cleared, 4 million unexploded ordnances destroyed and 7.5 million people in the country have benefited.

“Anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war have caused widespread fear and suffering to individuals, families and communities, significantly impacting the nation’s development prospects,” said Alissar Chaker, UNDP Resident Representative for Cambodia.

Read the full story HERE.

Source: UNDP

100-percent Green Power: BMW Group to use Sustainably Produced Aluminium Wheels From 2024

11.04.2022

The BMW Group is stepping up its activities in the field of sustainability and will use cast aluminium wheels produced with 100-percent green power for its BMW and MINI brands from 2024 onwards. For the BMW Group, this is another step towards its goal of creating the most sustainable supply chain in the automotive industry. The transition applies, in particular, to the energy-intensive electrolysis used in producing aluminium and to the wheel-casting process. To this end, corresponding agreements have been reached with all BMW Group wheel suppliers.

Up until now, wheels have accounted for about five percent of supply chain CO2 emissions. Transitioning to more sustainable production that relies on green power will reduce these emissions by more than half. The BMW Group procures about 10 million light-alloy wheels per year; 95 percent of these are made from cast aluminium.

CO2 savings of up to 500,000 tonnes per year

Through independent audits, the BMW Group can ensure conscious and sustainable use of aluminium by its contracted producers, saving up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. “Green power is one of the biggest levers for reducing CO2 emissions in our supply chain. We have already signed more than 400 contracts with our suppliers, including suppliers of wheels and aluminium, requiring them to use green power,” says Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network.

Aluminium has good recycling properties, making it easier to melt down old wheels as part of the circular economy. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive electrolysis to produce the primary raw material. At the same time, the secondary raw material must also meet the BMW Group’s premium requirements for quality, design, safety and mechanical properties.

MINI pioneers use of sustainable light-alloy cast wheels

MINI will become a pioneer in this field in 2023, when it will begin using light-alloy cast wheels made from 70-percent secondary aluminium in the new generation of the MINI Countryman. The combination of 100-percent green power for production and 70-percent secondary raw material content can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent, compared to conventional manufacturing processes.

Certification by Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)

The BMW Group has been actively involved for many years in international initiatives focused on standardising raw material extraction. These include the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), an international non-profit organisation supported by environmental and industrial associations, NGOs, aluminium producers and processing companies. The BMW Group welcomes the fact that many of its aluminium wheel suppliers have already joined ASI and are making an important contribution to creating an environmentally and socially responsible aluminium value chain in this way.

ASI already certified the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut in December 2019 for its sustainable use of aluminium, confirming that it handles aluminium consciously and responsibly.

Systematic implementation of sustainability goals

Transitioning to 100-percent green power for production of cast aluminium wheels is another step towards reducing CO2 emissions in the BMW Group supplier network. The aim is to reduce emissions throughout the supply chain by 20 percent from 2019 levels by 2030. Systematically increasing the percentage of secondary aluminium through this process makes a further contribution to sustainability, in line with the principles of the circular economy the BMW Group aspires to.

Since 2021, the BMW Group has sourced aluminium from the United Arab Emirates manufactured exclusively using electricity obtained from solar power. The aluminium produced in Dubai is processed in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut, where it is used to manufacture body and drive train components. The 43,000 tonnes of solar aluminium sourced in this way supply almost half the annual requirements of the Landshut light metal foundry.

Source: BMW Group

Energy Security: Commission Hosts First Meeting of EU Energy Purchase Platform to Secure Supply of Gas, LNG and Hydrogen

11.04.2022

factory-gas-ulje-industrija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In order to secure the EU’s energy supply at affordable prices in the current geopolitical context and to phase out dependency on Russian gas, the European Commission has established with the Member States an EU Platform for the common purchase of gas, LNG and hydrogen.

As agreed by the Heads of State and Government in the European Council on 25 March, it will be a voluntary coordination mechanism, bringing together the Commission and the Member States, supporting the purchase of gas and hydrogen for the Union, by making optimal use of the collective political and market weight of the EU.

The Platform will help ensuring security of supply, in particular for the refilling of gas storage facilities in time for next winter, in line with the Commission’s proposal presented on 23 March. It will also see to an optimal use of existing gas infrastructure. In addition, it will enhance long-term cooperation with key supply partners, extending also to hydrogen and renewables, possibly through Memoranda of Understanding.

“It is abundantly clear that the European Union is too dependent on Russia for our energy needs. The answer lies in renewable energy and, in the more immediate term, diversification of supply. Through the EU Energy Purchase Platform Member States can now work together on purchasing gas from other suppliers and developing an international market for hydrogen, to the benefit of all countries. For the EU, replacing gas imports from Russia will help to end our over-dependence and provide much needed room to manoeuvre”, said Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.

The EU Energy platform will ensure cooperation in areas where it is more effective to act in a coordinated way at EU level rather than at national level. These areas include:

Demand pooling: The Platform will work with Member State representatives to maximise leverage to attract reliable supplies from global markets and at stable prices that reflect the predictability and the size of the common EU market. This will allow moving, when appropriate, towards joint purchases.
Efficient use of EU gas infrastructure: the Platform will coordinate actions to maximise Liquefied Natural Gas imports absorption, comply with gas storage obligations and ensure security of gas supply. It will also help identifying additional infrastructure needs, suitable to cater for future hydrogen use.
International outreach: Considering the need to secure significant volumes of non-Russian gas already in 2022 and the global market tightness, the EU Energy Purchase Platform will also coordinate and reinforce EU’s international outreach to gas partners and markets. This will include the main LNG exporting and importing countries with a view to define and agree on potential arrangements for diversification, including towards hydrogen. This work will take account of partners’ supply capacities, long-term contracts and existing as well as planned interconnections and storage infrastructure in the EU. The recently announced EU–US Joint Statement on European Energy Security is a guiding example.

Source: European Commission

Six Things to Know About Forests and Your Health

10.04.2022

forest-šuma-priroda — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Forests are indispensable to human health: Their protection, management, and restoration support disease regulation, nutrition, and more. But what exactly is the science behind forests and human health? And why is the connection so essential?

Through extensive investigation, WWF uncovered ample evidence that forests provide, prevent, and heal. Public health and forests are entwined—at the local, regional, and global scale.

In the new report The Vitality of Forests, WWF examined five categories of interactions between forests and human health: noncommunicable diseases, environmental exposure (pollution), food and nutrition, physical hazards, and infectious diseases. With climate change exacerbating many of these categories, the report also highlights the important role forests play in the resilience of human health to climate change.

1. Forests reduce risks associated with some major noncommunicable diseases.

Each year, 41 million people die from noncommunicable diseases. These are noninfectious diseases that cannot be transmitted between people and include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental health issues. Noncommunicable diseases are the fastest-growing and largest health burden globally, and 77 per cent of deaths from noncommunicable diseases are in low- and middle-income countries. Exposure to forests may reduce some of the factors that elevate the risks of noncommunicable diseases, and human stress hormones—such as cortisol, progesterone, and adrenaline—respond significantly when a person spends time in a forest.

2. Forests clean air and water and reduce the risks of infectious and noncommunicable diseases.

In 2015, air pollution (ambient and household) accounted for 6.5 million deaths, with noncommunicable diseases accounting for most of the disease burden. By filtering pollutants from air and water, forests help reduce the threats of pollution-related infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases, including diarrheal disease, cancers, and respiratory diseases.

Conserving or restoring upstream tree cover is critical for the health and well-being of children around the globe. Diarrheal disease is the second-leading cause of death and the leading cause of malnutrition in children aged under five years worldwide. Research demonstrates that upstream tree cover is associated with a lower prevalence of diarrheal disease (linked to water pollution) in children downstream. A 30 per cent increase in upstream tree cover is linked to a 4 per cent reduction in the probability of diarrheal disease—similar to the effects of an improved sanitation facility.

3. Forests positively impact nutrition and food security.

Forests can offer a nutritional safety net. Each year, 3.1 million children worldwide die from undernutrition while those that survive with poor nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life often suffer lifelong health, social, and financial challenges. Children with adequate nutrition will have improved cognitive and physical development as well as lower risk of morbidity and mortality.

4. Forests can protect people from the impacts of disasters.

Between 1996 and 2015, 1.3 million deaths were directly attributed to disasters or hazards such as wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat. As the planet faces a rise in extreme heat—affecting 1.7 billion people between 1983 and 2016—the cooling potential of forests is essential in battling the direct risk of heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke but also the impact that excessive heat has on exacerbating respiratory and chronic cardiovascular conditions.

5. Forests mediate the emergence and spread of zoonotic infectious diseases and are our first line of defense against new infectious diseases.

Nearly one in three outbreaks of new and emerging diseases are linked to land-use change, including deforestation. Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death in low-income countries and the leading cause of death of children aged under five years globally. For Ebola, the relative importance of forest loss was found to be greater than 60 per cent independent of other factors.

Intact forest landscapes allow animals the habitat they require to maintain distinct populations and limit the ability of infectious diseases to spread among and between species. Forest loss and degradation concentrates animal populations, which has led to the emergence of novel infectious diseases that can have dramatic impacts on people and society.

6. Forests help mitigate climate change and its adverse health effects.

Importantly, the role climate change plays in human health is woven throughout this report. We know that our exposure to physical hazards like heat and more severe storms and floods will increase and the habitat of common vectors of infectious diseases like mosquitoes and ticks will expand. We also know the nutritional content of staple foods will decrease as CO2 in our atmosphere increases. And we know that people are more vulnerable to climate change if their health is already compromised. For each of these impacts, forests represent an indispensable solution to mitigating and adapting to climate change while also supporting the health and well-being of people.

Source: WWF

Only Together we Can Contribute to a Sustainable Future

08.04.2022

klm-flyresponsibly-keyvisual-632351 (3) — Foto: KLM

Travel is an integral part of modern life, and today the question is no longer whether it should become more environmentally sustainable, but only how to do it.

Air France – KLM has been setting sustainable business as its corporate goal for many years. Numerous projects such as fleet modernization, disposable plastic disposal, recycling, carbon offset programs, and sustainable aviation fuel development aim to reduce the carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

For 16 years in a row, Air France – KLM has been the aviation industry leader in the field of sustainable business according to the Dow Jones index. But now the group is going a step further – working on the development and regular use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF is one of the key factors in the ecological transition of aviation, more precisely in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

What is SAF and why is it so important

Sustainable aviation fuel is a jet fuel made exclusively from renewable sources, such as used edible oil, wood residues or synthetic kerosene. It can replace ordinary fossil fuel or be added to it without any engine modifications and additional costs. SAF differs from ordinary bio-fuel because the principle of sustainability is applied in the production itself, which means that its production does not lead to deforestation or reduction of food production. Currently, SAF is the most important factor in the fight for more sustainable aviation industry because its use can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 75 per cent!

In focus:

Start of regular use of sustainable aviation fuel

Air France – KLM (Air France, KLM, Transavia) airlines began using SAF on all their flights from France and the Netherlands in early 2022 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For now, between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel is added to ordinary fuel on these flights. This pioneering step is the crown of decades of work on the implementation of SAF in the aviation industry.

Back in 2009, KLM was the first airline to introduce biofuel on its flights, and since 2011 both KLM and Air France have started using sustainable fuel on their commercial flights. In February 2021, KLM conducted the world’s first commercial flight using synthetic kerosene produced based on carbon dioxide, water and renewable solar and wind energy. In May 2021, Air France made the first long-haul flight between Paris and Montreal using SAF produced in France, while in October of the same year, on a flight between Paris and Nice, as much as 30 per cent of SAF was in the fuel mixture used by Air France. According to the current technological conditions, a maximum of 50 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel can be used on flights.

Challenges

To date, the use of sustainable aviation fuel on commercial airline flights has been less than 0.1 per cent. The sustainable aviation fuel industry is still in its infancy period and, therefore, faces many challenges.

The first is insufficient production – simply, there are still not enough factories that produce this type of fuel, so it is presently not possible to immediately introduce a larger amount of SAF into consumption. The problem connected with lower production is a higher price of SAF fuel – currently the production of SAF is four times more expensive than fossil kerosene.

In terms of money, a ticket for a flight that uses 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel will cost between 1 and 12 euros more, depending on the length of the flight and the class in which the passenger is flying. The aviation industry hopes that the development of the production and use of SAF will lead to its reduction in price.

Only together can we make a big step towards a sustainable future

So far, Air France – KLM has offered passengers the opportunity to compensate for their carbon footprint through various programs (for example, money raised by the KLM CO2ZERO initiative was used to afforest our planet, and over a thousand hectares of rainforest have been planted in Panama).

From January 13, 2022, passengers can also buy additional sustainable aviation fuel and thus directly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to individuals, companies can also contribute to the energy transition of aviation through Air France – KLM Corporate SAF program. To achieve a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, different industries and companies must work together because only in this way can demand be stimulated, and thus the production and availability of SAF. Investing in the Corporate SAF program provides companies with the opportunity to actively initiate the transition from conventional fossil fuels to SAF and thus reduce the environmental footprint of their business flights.

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

Slovenian and Serbian TSOs Along with EPEX SPOT to Establish the First Regional Power Exchange for Central and South-Eastern Europe

08.04.2022

electricity-struja — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

ELES, EMS, and EPEX SPOT announce their joint commitment to establish the first regional power exchange for Central and South-Eastern Europe. The newly founded Alpine-Adriatic Danube Power Exchange – ADEX – will offer harmonized one-stop-shop spot power trading services in Slovenia and Serbia, with the ambition to also extend business and services to other countries in the Central and South-Eastern European (CSEE) region. ADEX shares will be owned equally by ELES, EMS and EPEX SPOT.

The agreement between the companies foresees a merger between BSP Southpool and SEEPEX. EPEX SPOT, the Transmission System Operators (TSOs), ELES and EMS will act as founding shareholders of the newly established power exchange ADEX, with the company’s headquarters in Ljubljana and main permanent offices in Ljubljana and Belgrade.

“We upgrade the trading culture in our region by providing the highest trading standards, advanced technical solutions, excellent exchange services, transparency, and innovation.,” says Aleksander Mervar, CEO of ELES System Operator and the President of ELES Group.

“This extraordinary achievement will boost regional electricity market development and provide an open-minded and sustainable role model for other CSEE countries to join this advanced business infrastructure,” says Jelena Matejić, EMS General Manager.

The short-term milestones of ADEX will also be to deliver a new harmonized intraday market in Serbia and to couple the key Serbian Day-ahead market with the pan-European Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC).

“ADEX will offer best-in-class trading and clearing solutions to the CESE community and help build liquidity in these extraordinary times. We expect to accelerate the much-needed implementation of Market Coupling in this region to complete the European integration of spot markets,” says Ralph Danielski, CEO of EPEX SPOT.

The completion of this merger will be subject to all applicable regulatory approvals and legal requirements.

Anže Predovnik, CEO of BSP Southpool, emphasises: “The business environment in the region is changing substantially, and the cooperation with SEEPEX and EPEX is the first step to adapting and preparing for further challenges at the PX level. ADEX is a new chapter for the BSP based on a solid and trusting partnership among all partners. This is the main prerequisite for our success, and all interested in our future development are welcome to take part in this journey”.

Miloš Mladenović, CEO of SEEPEX, adds: “SEEPEX was an avant-garde pan-European success story in the SEE region from the beginning, and this innovative ADEX context will additionally boost our front-runner position in the future also”.

Photo: EMS AD

In addition, ELES, EMS and EPEX SPOT are in advanced talks with MAVIR, the Hungarian TSO.

“We are working closely with our partners for HUPX, the Hungarian Power Exchange, to join ADEX shortly,” explains András Biczók, CEO of Mavir.

The initiative remains open for all additional partners who would like to join ADEX to drive forward the integration of spot power markets in Central and South-Eastern Europe.

-ENDS

BSP Southpool operates a physical day-ahead market and intraday market with market coupling services in Slovenia and local and cross-border clearing and settlement services. In 2021, its 34 members traded 10 TWh with an annual clearing turnover of 1,2 billion EUR. For more information, please visit www.bsp-southpool.com.

ELES is Slovenia’s power transmission system operator and operates a network of 400 kV, 220 kV, and 110 kV transmission lines with a total length of 2,955 km. Geographically on the crossroads between western, eastern, and southern Europe, ELES manages the foundation of transit flows and secures reliable transmission and distribution in several neighbouring countries. For more information, please visit www.eles.si.

Joint Stock Company Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) is a transmission system operator in the Republic of Serbia whose duty is to ensure secure and reliable electricity transmission, efficiently operate the transmission system, and secure optimal and sustainable development. EMS operates a network of 400 kV, 220 kV, and 110 kV transmission lines with nearly 10,000 km and manages eight cross-zonal capacities with the TSOs entirely in line with the ENTSO-E rules and practices. For more information, please visit www.ems.rs.

The European Power Exchange EPEX SPOT SE and its affiliates operate physical short-term electricity markets in 13 countries: Central Western Europe, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Nordics, and Poland. As part of EEX Group, a group of companies serving international commodity markets, EPEX SPOT is committed to creating a pan-European power market. Over 300 members trade electricity on EPEX SPOT. 49 percent of its equity is held by HGRT, a holding of transmission system operators. For more information, please visit www.epexspot.com.

SEEPEX a.d. Beograd (SEEPEX) is a licensed Market operator in Serbia established as a joint-stock company in a strategic partnership between EMS and EPEX SPOT. In 2021, 24 members from 13 European countries traded 3,2 TWh on an organised day-ahead market, with all transactions cleared by the European Commodity Clearing AG. For more information, please visit www.seepex-spot.com.

Source: epexspot

EBRD and Donor-Funded Solar Plant Starts Operating in North Macedonia

07.04.2022

photovoltaic-system-solarni-paneli — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The first large-scale solar plant in North Macedonia ‒ financed with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) ‒ has been connected to the power grid and is producing clean electricity.

The 10MW solar plant, built on the site of the spent Oslomej lignite coal mine, was constructed by JSC Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM), the country’s state-owned electricity company. This is the company’s first solar plant in North Macedonia, developed with a view to diversifying energy sources and supporting decarbonisation. It is expected to produce nearly 15 GWh of electricity and displace 12,177 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The EBRD supported this investment with a EUR 5.9 million loan, while bilateral donors to the WBIF provided an additional EUR 1.6 million investment grant. The total project costs were EUR 8.7 million.

Andi Aranitasi, EBRD Head of North Macedonia, said: “The new solar plant will help the country, which faces severe air pollution from coal, to reduce its reliance on aging coal-fired infrastructure. It will also generate cheap electricity in times of very high market prices. We are proud of this achievement and are eager to continue our work with the authorities to promote further decarbonisation in North Macedonia.”

The new solar plant has a tenth of the capacity of the old coal-fired plant, so the EBRD is working with ESM on investing in additional solar power plants. The Bank also approved financing for an extension of the plant in Oslomej and the construction of a new plant in Bitola for a combined total capacity of 30MW. The European Union (EU) is also supporting this investment with a EUR 5.1 million investment grant.

Julian Vassallo, Deputy Head of EU Delegation, said: “The transition of North Macedonia from a coal dependant country starts today, by making a step towards the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, in line with the European Green Deal. This first phase of investing in 10MW solar photo-voltaic in Oslomej is a pioneer investment in renewables. Using solar power to create clean energy brings tangible benefits to the lives of citizens by reducing air pollution, while strengthening the energy security of the country. “

In addition to providing financing, the Bank is working with the authorities of North Macedonia to address the implications for inequality of the energy transition and to identify opportunities for economic diversification in the area, including for redeployment and reskilling. The EBRD will help the country to conduct a “just transition” diagnostic and an inclusive policy dialogue. The “just transition” project is expected to have a significant demonstration effect for the wider Western Balkans region, which faces similar challenges and requires a green, inclusive and just energy-sector transition.

In addition to the bilateral donors to the WBIF, Italy supported the investment by financing the project’s technical feasibility assessment.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) supports socio-economic development and EU accession across the Western Balkans by providing finance and technical assistance for strategic investments. It is a joint initiative of the EU, financial institutions, bilateral donors and the governments of the Western Balkans. The largest individual cumulative pledges to date have been made by Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The Oslomej 1 photovoltaic power plant is one of the 21 flagship projects in the Western Balkan region, selected for EU financing in 2022 through the WBIF. The project has been identified as part of Flagship 4 – Renewable energy in the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021-2027.

The EBRD is a major institutional investor in North Macedonia. To date, it has invested more than EUR 2.2 billion in 159 projects across the country. Supporting green energy is a priority for the Bank, as it addresses one of the country’s most pressing challenges.

Source: EBRD

WindEurope 2022 in Bilbao: helping Europe deliver energy security

07.04.2022

energija_vetra_vetropark — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The WindEurope annual event begins today in Bilbao. His Majesty the King of Spain will open it with the President of the Basque Government, Ministers from around Europe and top officials from the EU Commission.

Over 8,000 people are taking part. The focus is energy security. Europe wants more wind energy more quickly than before to help it wean itself off Russian gas. How we deliver that is the focus of the Bilbao event.

WindEurope 2022 is the annual conference and exhibition of the European wind energy industry. Over 8,000 people will be taking part with 330 companies from across the wind value chain exhibiting. Ministers and policymakers from around Europe will speak in the conference along with industry leaders, investors, technology experts and NGOs.

Europe needs to increase its energy security

The event comes at a decisive time for European energy. The war in Ukraine has upended the European energy system. Europe has decided to end Russian energy imports by 2030 at the latest and to accelerate the deployment of renewables alongside that to improve its energy security. The EU’s “REPowerEU” agenda wants wind energy to grow from 190 GW today to 480 GW by 2030.

REPowerEU also highlights the crucial importance of simplifying the processes for getting permits for renewables projects. The complexity of permitting rules and procedures is the main bottleneck today to the expansion of wind energy. REPowerEU says renewables permitting is a matter of “overriding public interest”. It also asks national Governments to identify “go to” areas for new renewables.

These measures are essential. Today Europe is only building half the new wind farms it needs to build to reach its 40 per cent renewables target by 2030, let alone the higher wind volumes now envisaged in REPowerEU. This in turn is undermining the competitiveness of Europe’s wind energy industry, which is struggling also with high commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks.

At the same time Europe needs to accelerate the electrification of its energy system. Only 25 per cent of the energy we consume in Europe today is electricity. Most of the rest of fossil fuels. The EU wants 75 per cent electricity in our energy by 2050 – and to accelerate now the shift to electric vehicles, heat pumps and the electrification of industrial processes.

WindEurope 2022 will cover all these issues. Plus the need to expand grid connections, improve market design and to attract and train the workforce the wind industry needs. And the opportunities: how wind can help electrify the energy system, benefit communities, regenerate deprived areas and preserve nature.

Ministers from Spain, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Lithuania are taking part. Together with the Director-General for Energy in the European Commission and other leading EU officials.

“WindEurope 2022 in Bilbao comes at a decisive moment for Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended the energy system. Europe is pursuing a new energy policy: less dependence on imported fossil fuels; and an accelerated transition to renewables. In Bilbao we will focus on how to deliver this: tackling the barriers that need to be overcome e.g. around permitting, but also highlighting the opportunities, notably for jobs and communities”, says Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO.

Source: Wind Europe

Terra 360 – ABB Brings the World’s Fastest Charger to Serbia

06.04.2022

ABB Terra 360 Keyvisual commercial fleet render NEW-min — Foto: ABB

In the metropolises worldwide, the electrification of both private and public transport has gained serious momentum. Electric vehicles, buses, and a constantly increasing number of trucks will become an everyday thing on the Serbian streets in the not-so-distant future. General awareness of the benefits of this type of transport – the fact that these vehicles do not locally emit harmful gases and are cheaper to maintain than vehicles with internal combustion engines is peaking up.

Many countries are working intensively to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles providing various types of support. Serbia is making progress in this segment and has been subsidizing the purchase of these vehicles for the third year in a row. Of course, the increasingly rapid development of electromobility necessarily follows the development of the charger network, which is an absolute must for electric cars to be equal participants in everyday traffic. ABB is a global leader in the production of electric chargers, with the largest installed base of stations for fast charging of electric vehicles worldwide.

Mr Dejan Dešić, Transportation & Infrastructure Segment Manager at ABB, was our host kind to share a variety of information about the fastest charger in the world, Terra 360, electric chargers, electric formula, and plans for the future.

In focus:

EP: How fast is the development pace of electric charger production technology?

Dejan Dešić: ABB has made a giant leap forward in the production of electric chargers, which is also shown by our timeline. It all started in 2010 when ABB introduced its first TERA 50 KW charger, at a time when the first charging connector standard, CHAdeMO, was established. The first cars were produced that could be charged with fast chargers back then. Then, in 2012, the CCS standard was established, which is still the most common today because it can transmit large powers, more precisely – twice as much as the CHAdeMO standard. All ABB chargers can use dual-standard connectors. In 2012-2013. ABB equipped motorways in the Netherlands and Estonia with TERA 51 and TERA 53 chargers, both 50 KW. After 2014, intensive development of the charger network began in the USA, Asia, and Europe, where the entire ABB offer has been implemented.

A piece of particularly interesting news from the ABB’s world came in 2017 when 150 or 350 kW chargers were launched, and both chargers were modular and expandable. It specifically means that by adding one power supply cabinet, one can increase the charger’s power to 350 KW. With the development of chargers, we simultaneously monitor the development of energy needs of electric buses and trucks, and ABB works on creating a portfolio of chargers for both types of vehicles. Electric buses are widely present on the roads, and fast high-power chargers are available at charging stations. On the other hand, some chargers are placed inside bus depots, where vehicles are charged during the night, so those do not need to be high power.

The latest series of 50 KW chargers came in 2018. Their main feature is the possibility of charging the car at a much higher voltage (up to 920 V), which is the voltage needed to charge the most advanced premium models containing a high-power battery. In 2019, ABB launched a compact 24 kW fast charger, which can be easily installed on the wall. The series of slow chargers was launched in 2020, which means that ABB has completed the portfolio of its products, and it can be said that at this moment, it represents the most comprehensive offer on the global market. Thirty thousand fast chargers and hundreds of thousands of slow chargers have been sold (and that number is increasing every day), proves ABB as the absolute leader on the global market.

EP: Ending 2021, ABB launched the fastest charger globally, the Terra 360. What can you tell us about it? Where can we find it presently and what are the plans, and the installation dynamics around the world? When can we expect it in Serbia?

Dejan Dešić: ABB’s fastest charger Terra 360, which was introduced at the end of 2021, will soon be promoted in Serbia. Its sales in Serbia will begin in the second half of the year. The first Terra 360 charger was installed and commissioned in Norway. Even though Norway is an oil-rich country, it is making the fastest progress in electrifying its road network and fleet. This, currently the fastest and most powerful charger in the world, allows you to charge the battery to cover 100 km in three minutes of charging.

It is designed so that it can charge four cars at the same time, which is a great advantage for both the charger operators and the users. The algorithm is set, if one car is charged, to deliver 360 kW of power, which at the moment can be received by premium cars only. Should two, three or four vehicles charge simultaneously, the charger can automatically redirect power to 180 or 90 kW (2 cars to 180 kW, three to 120 kW, four to 90 kW or one to 360 kW). There are different cable length options, which can be either liquid-cooled or air-cooled, which is necessary due to the large power transmitted.

EP: Project documentation for all smart buildings must include electric chargers. What is the situation in Serbia in this respect?

Dejan Dešić: All modern buildings must meet project requirements that cover the installation of slow chargers to obtain certificates related to energy and environmental efficiency. More specifically, the projects that are being built now envisage EV chargers in at least five or ten parking spaces. We are witnessing, and it needs to be pointed out, that the installations are designed only for the number of chargers envisaged by the project documentation. Still, in a few years’ time, most tenants will drive electric cars that need a place with an electric charger, but the installations will need to be redone so that everyone can plug in and charge the battery of their EV.

We already have a case where the tenants of a residential complex immediately after moving in realized that a small number of parking spaces had a charger. They demanded that everyone be allowed to install an electric charger. This, of course, meant changes to the project, including the works on the grid and the new power substation. That is why I appeal to the designers to anticipate what will be taken for granted in a few years. ABB chargers can be seen in public places, at car dealerships who are obliged to have EV chargers on their property, and at gas stations. Public company Roads of Serbia have already installed our chargers. Courier services are slowly switching to this type of transport and have chargers within their infrastructure. ABB chargers may be seen installed in shopping malls new residential and commercial buildings and are widely available to all customers.

Interviewed by: Milica Radičević

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

1...939495...407 Page 94 of 407

More:

More:

More:

More:

In focus:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

In focus:

More:

More:

More:

In focus:

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2025 June

Events for 30 June

Events for 1 July

Events for 2 July

Events for 3 July

Events for 4 July

Events for 5 July

Events for 6 July

Events for 7 July

Events for 8 July

Events for 9 July

Events for 10 July

Events for 11 July

Events for 12 July

Events for 13 July

Events for 14 July

Events for 15 July

Events for 16 July

Events for 17 July

Events for 18 July

Events for 19 July

Events for 20 July

Events for 21 July

Events for 22 July

Events for 23 July

Events for 24 July

Events for 25 July

Events for 26 July

Events for 27 July

Events for 28 July

Events for 29 July

Events for 30 July

WRITE US