All posts tagged: Green Energy

Converting waste into African renewable energy through biomass gasification

Converting waste into African renewable energy through biomass gasification

Published by skeptic

REFFECT AFRICA integrates renewable energy solutions based on the biomass gasification technology to optimise the water-energy-food nexus. Through three demonstrator plants in Ghana, Morocco and South Africa, it transforms agricultural wastes into bioenergy, drinking water and biochar Demographically, Africa’s population is projected to experience massive growth, rising from approximately 1.2 billion in 2018 to over 4.4 billion by the year 2100. Currently, according to the International Energy Agency (2020), nearly 600 million people in Africa lack continuous and reliable access to electricity, particularly in rural areas of the sub-Saharan region. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa depends on agriculture for their livelihood (World Bank Open Data, 2024). Agriculture is a sector that generates a vast amount of agri-food waste, which, in most cases, remains unexploited, representing a valuable source for renewable energy generation and local employment. Fig. 1: Main approach of the REFFECT AFRICA project The REFFECT AFRICA project addresses the development and integration of renewable energy sources for African communities, both grid-connected and off-grid. With the goal of closing the water-energy-food …

UK to construct first floating offshore wind farm in Celtic Sea

UK to construct first floating offshore wind farm in Celtic Sea

Published by skeptic

Up to £64m government funding will back Port Talbot’s development as the first port in the Celtic Sea specifically developed to support floating offshore wind. The new port will help unlock at least 4.5 GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea – helping deliver clean, homegrown electricity, protect households from volatile fossil fuel markets and create up to 5,000 new jobs. The new initiative builds upon work by the UK Government to support the steel industry in Port Talbot and to allocate all £122m funding to training for Tata Steel workers and businesses to regenerate the town. The funding will enable Associated British Ports (ABP) to complete the essential design and engineering work needed to build one of the first floating offshore wind ports in the UK at Port Talbot. Why the Celtic Sea? The Celtic Sea offers some of the best conditions for floating offshore wind in Europe. Unlike traditional offshore wind farms, floating turbines are deployed in deeper waters, where they can harness stronger, more consistent wind speeds. This funding is …

Decarbonising multi-family buildings: The solutions are here

Decarbonising multi-family buildings: The solutions are here

Published by skeptic

Multi-family buildings that house half of all Europeans have more clean heating options than typically acknowledged. Thomas Nowak, EUSEW digital ambassador, discusses these options and why multi-family buildings must be the target of investment. Half of Europe is waiting Almost half of all EU citizens – roughly 200 million people – live in flats according to Eurostat, with the highest level in Spain and Latvia (around 65%). Most urban residents in central and eastern Europe live in multi-family buildings, which means large, prefabricated blocks from the 1950s to the 1980s featuring, in too many cases, minimal insulation, ageing district heating or central gas boilers, and energy bills that too often dominate household budgets. The scale of the challenge is clear. Buildings account for 40% of total EU energy consumption; about 80% of household energy goes to heating, cooling and hot water. Some 85% of the building stock pre-dates the year 2000, and three-quarters of it is classified as energy-poor. The annual renovation rate sits at barely 1%. At this pace, the essential contribution of a …

Protonic ceramic cells for high-temperature electrolysis at scale

Protonic ceramic cells for high-temperature electrolysis at scale

Published by skeptic

The PEPPER project is paving the way for the scale-up of next-generation steam electrolysis technology. As simple as a water splitting reaction can look, the production of green hydrogen by electrolysis remains an electro-intensive process. In this context, high-temperature steam electrolysis technologies appear as the most promising ones, because a significant share of the energy needed to split the water molecule is supplied in the form of heat rather than electricity. This makes high-temperature steam electrolysis especially advantageous when low-cost heat can be used to generate steam, for example by recovering waste heat from industrial processes. The dominance of solid oxide cell technology Today, the landscape for high-temperature technologies is dominated by solid oxide electrolysis technology, relying on the ability of certain oxides — often zirconia-based — to conduct oxygen ions at temperatures typically above 700°C. These transport properties in zirconia-based materials have been known for a long time: at the end of the 19th century, Walther Nernst made use of this feature to use zirconia as glowing rod in an early form of incandescent …

French scheme approved to produce low-carbon hydrogen

French scheme approved to produce low-carbon hydrogen

Published by skeptic

The European Commission has approved a French scheme to support the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in line with the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and the Clean Industrial Deal. France notified the Commission of plans to introduce a scheme to support the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen using new electrolysers to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions. It will also contribute to the objectives of the REPowerEU Plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the clean transition. Producing renewable and low-carbon hydrogen through electrolysis The scheme will support the construction of 1 GW of hydrogen electrolysis capacity and will be awarded through a competitive bidding process planned over three tender rounds. The first tender concerns 200 MW of electrolysis capacity with an estimated budget of €797 million. Low-carbon hydrogen produced under this scheme will be sold exclusively for direct industrial use, to limit hydrogen use to cases where no economically viable electrification alternative exists. Fulfilling France’s climate targets The scheme will contribute to France’s efforts to achieve 4.5 GW …

Trump should have listened to the pope about clean energy. The Iran war shows why.

Trump should have listened to the pope about clean energy. The Iran war shows why.

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — The U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran is now in its third week, and the consequences of the war for Americans are beginning to hit home. Not only have we lost servicemen and women, we have expended billions of dollars on weapons and logistical costs. And the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas travels, has reduced exports, raising gas prices and, indirectly, almost all prices. President Donald Trump’s energy policy has left the country unprepared for his war. At a time when the country desperately needs alternatives to oil and gas, his policies have left us naked to the storms of war. Pope Francis was a prophetic voice on behalf of peace and the environment, and Pope Leo XIV has taken up this mission. Diplomacy should always be preferred to war. And if Francis’ warnings about climate change had been heeded by Trump, our country would be better prepared for the current energy crisis. Even if you do not accept the popes’ moral …

Government to go “further and faster” for UK energy security

Government to go “further and faster” for UK energy security

Published by skeptic

UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has outlined measures to pursue national energy security as a result of events in the Middle East. An accelerated package of energy interventions to boost UK energy security includes plug-in solar, renewable investment, and nuclear power infrastructure. “Global events demonstrate there’s no time to waste in our drive for clean power, because there can be no energy security while we remain so dependent on fossil fuels,” stated Ed Miliband. “So today I’m announcing a series of initiatives to speed up our clean power mission: bringing forward the next renewables auction just months after our most successful ever, announcing that plug-in solar will be available for the first time in Britain and speeding up our Warm Homes Plan.” Why does the UK need energy security? In 2026, UK energy security has moved from a long-term policy goal to an immediate national priority. For the UK, it is the ability to ensure an uninterrupted, reliable, and affordable energy supply that is not at the mercy of global political shocks or volatile fossil-fuel …

Expectations from the EU Citizens Energy Package

Expectations from the EU Citizens Energy Package

Published by skeptic

Chris Vrettos, Senior Policy Advisor and Sara Tachelet, HR Director of REScoop, a EUSEW partner organisation, explore how the EU Citizens Energy Package will deliver community energy projects and promote clean power across the continent. Yesterday, the European Commission published its long-awaited Citizens Energy Package (CEP). The Package includes 1) a widely ambitious European goal for community energy projects (90GW by 2030), and 2) the commitment that the Commission will deliver much-needed guidance to Member States on creating regulatory frameworks and financing tools for energy communities. But, without being legally binding, will the Package live up to expectations? Connecting the legislative puzzle pieces There is a huge potential for citizen participation in the energy transition: 1 in 2 EU citizens could be producing their own energy by 2050, covering 45% of the EU’s energy demand. Crucially, these lofty goals translate into immediate, tangible benefits for EU citizens and businesses: participation in an energy community can result in yearly savings of up to €1100. Yet energy communities still struggle with the basics: an enabling regulatory framework, …

Energy app turns neighbours into local clean energy power players

Energy app turns neighbours into local clean energy power players

Published by skeptic

Anthony King explores how the AURORA energy app gives power back to local communities to manage their energy use. An energy app developed by EU-funded researchers is helping neighbours cut carbon emissions, earn modest returns, and boost the use of clean power in their own communities. A school in Madrid is now powered by solar panels on its roof thanks to investments from local residents. People could put in as little as €20, yet together they raised almost €150 000. The crowdfunding campaign for the Palomeras school was part of AURORA, an EU-funded initiative that uses a simple smartphone app to help citizens track their energy use and invest in local clean energy projects. Since the collaboration began in December 2021, several thousand people in Denmark, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the UK have downloaded the AURORA Energy Tracker app. It offers practical ways to reduce personal carbon footprints, such as joining community schemes to install solar panels. “We are giving power to the people,” said Ana Cristobal, a professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, who led the …

EU invests €103m in strategic environment and climate projects

EU invests €103m in strategic environment and climate projects

Published by skeptic

The European Commission is investing more than €103m in seven strategic projects across Europe through the LIFE programme. The environment and climate projects will help strengthen the EU’s prosperity, reinforce economic stability, food systems, and environmental ecosystems, and improve public health and quality of life across the continent. The selected projects are located in Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. Supporting and accelerating the implementation of EU environmental and climate policies, the projects are focused notably on climate and water resilience, nature restoration, circular economy and sustainable land use. These are expected to mobilise additional national public and private investment. 7 strategic projects awarded in 7 EU Member States Finland In Finland, ACWA LIFE aims to restore and protect streams, lakes, coastal waters, river basins and groundwater to secure water resources and ecosystem health. It will receive €16.5m from the EU. France The LIFE ADAPT EST in France will strengthen climate resilience in the Grand Est region by building expertise in climate, water governance, and infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events. …