Archive for category: Production and Sustainable Consumption News

Bioenergy has increased in popularity as a desirable form of energy over the past decade. Europe has been the leader in this innovation, driven predominantly through the use of wood waste from the United States.

However, sustainability and the high carbon footprint associated with the transportation of the material often long distances between source and energy plants, and the industry in general have been controversial.

Yet there are instances in which bioenergy can be a truly sustainable source of power, in a context where alternatives are simply not feasible.

The island nation of Indonesia is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Their deforestation footprint is significant, grouping them together with China and the United States as one of the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gases.

With more than 17,000 islands and a rapidly growing economy, energy security for the more developed islands, and electrification of the less developed islands has become a priority for the government under new President Widodo.

Under Widodo’s proposed energy reform, a government mandate of moving the country towards renewable forms of power, and in the context of an island nation, there are three main requirements which determine the suitability of any particular form of renewable energy: it must be distributed; it must be local; and it must be available on demand. Bioenergy meets all these requirements.

Indonesian entity Clean Power Indonesia (CPI) has signed an exclusive agreement to bring General Electric’s biogasification technology to the island of Bali. With an ever growing tourism industry, the island’s need for energy is on the rise.

But for bioenergy to be both renewable and environmentally positive, a secure and stable feedstock is required, and this feedstock must be produced to the benefit, rather than the detriment of the environment. The solution? Commercially grown and sustainably harvested bamboo.

US based EcoPlanet Bamboo Group has co-invested with CPI in the development of GE’s plant, and committed to convert degraded land in proximity to the bioenergy facilities into a permanent source of feedstock. Non invasive tropical clumping bamboo reaches maturity within seven years, and thereafter a portion of each plant can be harvested annually, providing a continuous supply of biomass without the need to replant, and maintaining a continuous canopy cover and ecosystem.

Grown on degraded land, and with minimal transportation requirements, this closed loop production system will provide a carbon neutral form of power to an island well known for its positive attitude towards green living.

And the added benefit? The restoration of degraded land into bamboo forests has been shown to regenerate water tables, securing more regular rainfall patterns and increasing the occurrence of streams, rivers and other water bodies.

EcoPlanet Bamboo Group has already proven the concept of sustainability with regards to the commercial production of bamboo feedstock. The company’s plantations in Central America are triple certified with Forest Stewardship Council for their sustainable management, Verified Carbon Standard for their climate change benefits, and gold level Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards for their quantified positive impact on both the environment and surrounding populations.

If the model is successful, its potential to be replicated across the Indonesian archipelago and provide an alternative to the use of diesel generators is immense.

Source: http://www.clickgreen.com/

The World Bank’s IFC is providing $2 billion for sustainable energy project globally

To underline the dramatic increases in power consumption among developing countries, Vietnam posted a four-fold increase in just a decade to 2008 according to World Bank data and now faces significant power shortage issues. Construction is among the most energy-intensive industries, accounting for 36 per cent of the nation’s total annual energy consumption. Therefore, the sector’s improved energy efficiency is vital to helping energy saving in Vietnam. International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is helping the country tap this huge potential by developing energy efficient, green buildings. To achieve this, it is supporting the Ministry of Construction to enhance the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Code for Buildings, which has been revised to become more technically and economically feasible to implement. The Code is expected to save 15 per cent of energy consumption on every floor square metre.

“Financing energy efficiency and green buildings is not only vital for a sustainable future, but also a smart business approach,” said IFC’s Asia head of Climate Finance William Trant Beloe.

“This is a sustainable development trend and banks that develop this financial product will have an opportunity to access a new market with less risk, while promoting themselves as banks with high levels of social responsibility with green financing programs,” he told a “Energy Efficient Buildings and Green Buildings Financing” workshop, co-organised by IFC and the Vietnam Banking Association in Hanoi, on December 9, 2014.

IFC’s Sustainable Energy Financing (SEF) programme has provided $2 billion in funding for sustainable energy projects globally through financial institutions In Vietnam, Techcombank and Vietinbank have committed $63 million for energy efficiency projects. These projects together have saved 259,512 megawatt hours and avoided GHG emissions by 130,377 tonnes of CO2 annually. It is expected to have other banks to join the programme.

IFC has also developed the EDGE Resources Efficiency Building Certification system, a tool to enable developers to save energy, water and resources in construction materials production, thus reducing GHG emissions. This tool is designed for emerging markets to develop different technical solutions for higher energy efficiency with respective estimated investment costs and savings for developers to choose the appropriate “green” levels for their projects.

Trant Beloe said IFC provides long-term credit lines to local banks that banks use to lend green building developers. IFC supports the design of appropriate financial products for each of its partner banks and technical assistance to partner banks to develop sustainable energy financing products encompassing energy efficiency, cleaner production in industries and energy efficient green buildings. This advisory programme includes capacity building for banks in sustainable energy financing and supports partner banks to participate in developing a sustainable energy finance market in Vietnam including green building finance. With EDGE, bank staff can also perform loan valuations for green homes more efficiently and have a better definition of green buildings as an “asset class”.

IFC is also active in training bank staff in energy efficient or green building financing as well as heightening developers and home buyer awareness of green financing options, providing an e-tool for green buildings and organizing workshops and forums to highlight energy efficiency opportunities to consolidate and fully tap the green building market’s rich potential in Vietnam.

Source vir.com.vn

Germany has offered a loan worth 200 million euros for Vietnam’s energy sector during a recent visit by Dr. Friedrich Kitschelt, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, to Vietnam.

Dr. Friedrich Kitschelt, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, poses for a group picture in his visit to Lilama 2 vocational school in the southern province of Dong Nai during his visit to Vietnam from November 28- December 3, 2014. (Photo courtesy of the The German Embassy in Hanoi).

Dr. Kitschelt’s working trip, which lasted from November 28 to December 3, focused on the three following areas: vocational training, energy and environment.

During the visit, the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany granted the preferential loan package aimed at modernizing the network transmission and distribution of electricity in medium and small cities in Vietnam.

“Efficient energy use is the focus area in green growth strategy of Vietnam. We believe that improved power grids applying new technologies will reduce energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions during transmission, while ensuring the supply of electricity at low cost,” said Dr. Kitschelt.

“Thereby, Germany has contributed significantly to securing supplies as well as regional economic development and environmental protection for Vietnam,” he added.

During the six-day visit, State Secretary Kitschelt also witnessed the signing of a loan agreement worth 100 million euros with the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam for the improvement of the power grids in the capital city of Hanoi.

In addition, State Secretary Kitschelt also joined high-level talks with the Minister of Planning and Investment and the Vice Minister of Finance about policies to promote the private sector, as well as the framework conditions for economic development in Vietnam in the future in accordance with the National Strategy for Green Growth.

State Secretary Kitschelt also visited a Germany – Vietnam vocational training project and lauded the close cooperation between vocational training centers and German Bosch Group.

“During the vocational training, young students participating in the enterprise will accumulate experiences and best practices. As a result not only the participants, but also the businesses that invest in the training process will benefit from the training process, because after graduation they can start work right away,” said the German State Secretary.

During the high-level talks, the German State Secretary also proposed that the government of Vietnam create conditions for local enterprises to adapt this training model.

Source: tuoitrenews.vn