Green-Hydrogen Hopes Ride on Wind --- Siemens Gamesa's turbine project will help give shape to the emerging clean-fuel market

 

 "Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, in cooperation with its controlling shareholder, Siemens Energy, will create wind turbines that produce hydrogen. They have an onshore demonstration facility in Denmark and offshore projects in the works. Siemens Gamesa published a white paper on Wednesday outlining how its wind-to-hydrogen solution could help reduce costs.

Green hydrogen is a crucial ingredient in policies to cut carbon emissions to the net-zero benchmark by 2050. It has the capacity to decarbonize difficult-to-electrify sectors, such as steel production, while providing long-term storage for renewable energy and making it transportable, similar to oil and gas today.

The big hurdle is green hydrogen -- formed by splitting water in a renewable-powered electrolyzer -- currently costs many times more than the so-called gray variety, made from fossil fuels, and even blue, which is gray with its emissions captured. The promise of cost parity would attract not just buyers of gray hydrogen but industrial users of fossil fuels. These need a high level of visibility over future costs to convert their facilities.

Siemens Gamesa expects to produce green hydrogen at a cost in line with gray hydrogen by 2030 onshore and 2035 offshore. Producing hydrogen near the power source avoids costs and power losses associated with transmission cables. Instead, hydrogen travels down pipelines which are about one-10th the cost of power distribution and more scalable.

The technology will enable the development of remote, windy sites which are inaccessible because of the expensive grid connections they would require, says Poul Skjaerbaek, head of innovation and products at Siemens Gamesa.

Another way to connect the pieces is by building a hub with a big electrolyzer and storage facility near an industrial cluster. This cuts transmission and distribution costs, while providing green hydrogen at a site with existing and potential customers. A handful of such hubs are planned around Europe.

Much else is needed to reach cost parity. Clean power is the biggest cost in green hydrogen production. There is good progress here, given the massive build-out of renewable generation. "I think everyone should be extremely bullish on the price of renewable energy to fall faster than anyone expects," says Ben Gallagher of energy-consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.

Another puzzle piece is the industrialization of electrolyzers. Four big factories were announced in Europe this year. Specialist producer NEL recently said some of its facilities aim to produce green hydrogen for $1.50 a kilogram by 2025 -- about the same cost as gray. A network to transport, store and distribute the gas safely is also required. A consortium of European infrastructure companies have planned a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network.

The number of jigsaw pieces that need to come together for green hydrogen to live up to its promise requires coordination. That explains why it is largely a policy-driven market: Government strategies, targets and incentives have built momentum. But innovative projects at companies like Siemens-Gamesa are needed to realize the potential. A picture of a low-carbon energy market is just starting to emerge." [1]

Lithuania has many difficult-to-decarbonize sectors, such as fertilizers' production. Russia and Belarus have a lot of opens spaces suitable to produce hydrogen using wind.  

1. Green-Hydrogen Hopes Ride on Wind --- Siemens Gamesa's turbine project will help give shape to the emerging clean-fuel market
Toplensky, Rochelle. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]11 June 2021: B.10.

Globalizacijos galas: Europa planuoja naudoti anglies dioksido kiekį importuojamų prekių mokesčiams

 "ES pasiūlymas atvertų naują frontą, kovojant su klimato kaita ir nustatant pirmuosius pasaulyje anglies kiekio apribojimus prekyboje. 

27 valstybių blokas teigia, kad nori sustabdyti teršiančias pramonės įmones nuo ketinimų perkelti gamybą už Europos ribų, kad būtų išvengta bloko išmetamų teršalų apribojimų, bet atvežti gatavus gaminius atgal į Europos rinką. Pasiūlyme taip pat būtų panaudota ES ekonominė parama, siekiant pateikti galingą signalą šalims, esančioms už bloko ribų, pradėti reguliuoti anglies dvideginio išmetimą. 

Remiantis teisės aktu, kurį peržiūrėjo „The Wall Street Journal“, ES pasiūlymas reikalautų, kad Europos importuotojai pirktų sertifikatus, kurie apimtų jų importo anglies kiekį tam tikruose sektoriuose. Iš pradžių taisyklės būtų taikomos keturioms labai teršiančioms pramonės šakoms: plienui, aliuminiui, cementui ir trąšoms, sakoma projekte. Laikui bėgant būtų įtrauktos ir kitos pramonės šakos. Projekte sakoma, kad taisyklės galėtų įsigalioti pereinamuoju laikotarpiu, prasidedančiu jau 2023 m., ir visiškai galioti 2025 m., Nors pareigūnai teigia, kad galutiniame pasiūlyme šios datos gali pasikeisti. 

Pasiūlymu būtų įsteigta nauja agentūra, kuri vykdytų taisykles ir patvirtintų privačias įmones, kurias importuotojai turėtų samdyti, kad apskaičiuotų anglies kiekį užsienyje gaminamose prekėse. Prekių, kurioms taikomas mokestis - vadinamasis anglies dioksido pasienio koregavimo mechanizmas, importuotojams, remiantis pasiūlymo projektu, reikės leidimo. Pareigūnai teigia, kad teisės aktai sukurs naują naują rinką įmonėms, turinčioms patirties apskaičiuoti vadinamąjį anglies kiekį importe. Europos Komisija, ES vykdomoji valdžia, rengia teisės aktus, kuriuos tada turi patvirtinti bloko nacionalinės vyriausybės ir Europos Parlamentas. Ši idėja jau turi plačią politinę paramą visame bloke: ES valstybės narės jai pritarė pernai viršūnių susitikime, o Parlamentas tai padarė šiais metais ". [1]

1. World News: Europe Plans to Use Carbon Levels in Tax On Imported Goods
Dalton, Matthew. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]11 June 2021: A.16.

The end of globalization: Europe plans to use carbon dioxide to tax imported goods

"The EU proposal would open up a new front in the fight against climate change by setting the world's first limits on carbon in traded goods. The 27-nation bloc says it wants to stop polluting industries from shifting production outside Europe to avoid the bloc's emissions limits and then exporting back into the EU. The proposal would also use the EU's economic heft to send a powerful signal for countries outside the bloc to start regulating carbon emissions.

The EU proposal would require European importers to buy certificates that would cover the carbon content of their imports in certain sectors, according to a draft of the legislation reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. At first, the rules would apply to four heavily polluting industries: steel, aluminum, cement and fertilizer, the draft says. Other industries would be included over time. The draft says the rules could come into effect during a transitional period starting as early as 2023 and be fully in force in 2025, though officials say those dates could change in the final proposal.

The proposal would establish a new agency to enforce the rules and certify private companies that importers would need to hire to calculate the carbon content of goods produced overseas. Importers of goods covered by the levy -- called a carbon border adjustment mechanism -- would need to be authorized by the new agency, according to the draft proposal. Officials say the legislation would create a big new market for firms with the expertise to calculate the so-called carbon content of imports.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, is drafting the legislation, which must then be approved by the bloc's national governments and the European Parliament.

The idea already has broad political support across the bloc: EU member states endorsed it at a summit last year and the Parliament did so this year." [1]

1. World News: Europe Plans to Use Carbon Levels in Tax On Imported Goods
Dalton, Matthew. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]11 June 2021: A.16.
 

Geriausias būdas užšaldyti kiaušinių baltymus

 Tiems iš mūsų, kuriems reikia daugiau baltymų be cholesterolio, idealiai tinka kiaušinių baltymai. 

 „Puikios naujienos: kiaušinių baltymai nepaprastai gerai užšąla. Taigi, jei kepate su kiaušinių tryniais, baltymų likučius išsaugokite šaldiklyje. Štai kaip. Paprasčiausiai perkelkite baltymus į uždaromą šaldymo maišelį, užklijuokite etiketes  ar užrašykite ir užšaldykite."

The Best Way to Freeze Egg Whites

 For those of us who need more cholesterol-free protein, egg whites are ideal.

“Great news: Egg whites freeze remarkably well. So if you're baking with egg yolks, save those leftover whites in the freezer. Here's how. Simply transfer the whites to a resealable freezer bag, label/date it and freeze it flat.”

 

Maintenance of lawn mowers and lawn tractors

 "Maintenance of petrol lawn mowers and lawn tractors requires the most attention and costs - you need to buy petrol, take care of the oil level, change spark plugs and air filters. Choosing a cordless mower means less work - just remember to charge the battery. It is recommended to have two of the batteries - this way you can work continuously. Well, robots require the least attention, because it is enough for them to change the cutting knife once a season, ”says Žygimantas Jonaitis, a representative of Mocevičius' company Ginalas. Ž. Jonaitis urges to keep in mind that regardless of the lawn care technique chosen, it is necessary to remove grass residues from the blades of the cutting devices - this ensures a much cleaner cut and quieter operation of the device."

Vejapjovių ir vejos traktorių priežiūra

„Benzininių vejapjovių ir vejos traktorių priežiūra reikalauja daugiausiai dėmesio ir išlaidų – reikia pirkti benziną, rūpintis alyvos kiekiu, keisti žvakes ir oro filtrus. Pasirinkus akumuliatorinę vejapjovę, darbo mažiau – tereikia nepamiršti įkrauti akumuliatoriaus. Rekomenduojama jų turėti du – taip galima dirbti nepertraukiamai. Na, o mažiausiai dėmesio reikalauja robotai, nes jiems užtenka kartą per sezoną pakeisti pjovimo peilį“, – pasakoja Mocevičiaus firmos „Ginalas“ atstovas Žygimantas Jonaitis. Ž. Jonaitis ragina nepamiršti, kad nepriklausomai nuo to, kokia vejos priežiūros technika pasirenkama, nuo pjovimo prietaisų peilių būtina nuvalyti žolės likučius – taip užtikrinamas kur kas švaresnis pjūvis ir tylesnis įrenginio veikimas."