MINEX Forum

Website: Europe.com

  • Cyprus mining company chairman issues raw material warning

    Cyprus mining company chairman issues raw material warning

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – cyprus-mail.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcyprus-mail.com%2F2023%2F05%2F19%2Fcyprus-mining-company-chairman-issues-raw-material-warning%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]Europe’s growing dependence on imported critical raw materials (CRMs) should be viewed as a major concern, according to recent comments by Mark Rachovides, chairman of Cyprus mining company Venus Minerals and president emeritus of international association Euromines.

    Rachovides has argued that the European Union (EU) must address this issue urgently to secure the competitiveness and prosperity of its industries, particularly within the context of the European Green Deal and the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).

    “Raw materials start all industrial value chains, and the EU itself was born from the European Coal and Steel Community,” he said.

    “More recently, however, it has lost sight of this fundamental truth and has sleepwalked into ever-heavier import dependence for many CRMs,” he added.

    Rachovides emphasised that the EU’s dependency on CRMs is concentrated in a small number of third countries. China supplies rare earth elements and magnesium, while the Democratic Republic of Congo provides cobalt and Turkey supplies boron.

    Such heavy import reliance, he argued, leaves European industries vulnerable to supply disruptions and undermines their competitiveness.

    The EU has previously experienced the consequences of overdependence, notably during the Ukraine war.

    Rachovides asserted that the EU must not repeat past mistakes and acknowledges the need to support domestic upstream industries to ensure the stability and growth of downstream industries.

    Additionally, he noted that as the world transitions towards renewable energy and digitalisation, the demand for CRMs continues to surge.

    “While technology is lagging behind in innovation in terms of substitution, energy efficiency, and recycling, this will improve,” Rachovides said.

    “It is hardly surprising then that the United States and other countries have deployed massive financial resources in support of policies to secure their own needs for CRMs,” he added.

    In contrast, Rachovides explained, the EU has been slow to respond, putting its competitiveness and prosperity at risk.

    “For the first time, European industry is becoming vocal, alarmed by the risk of long-term supply disruptions while Europe’s own extraction, processing, and recycling companies require huge investment to address that,” he said, stressing that “decades of political neglect must now be undone”.

    “Questions of public acceptance have certainly delayed the development of too many projects, as there has not been sufficient political will to reshape public opinion,” he added.

    What is more, Rachovides stressed that “levering our strengths in technology and innovation can help achieve that, but this must be part of a whole set of coherent policies”.

    Moreover, Rachovides pointed out that upon recognising the urgency of addressing CRM dependencies, the EU introduced the European Green Deal as a comprehensive policy initiative to make Europe climate neutral.

    As part of this deal, the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) was announced in September 2022 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    The CRMA aims to identify strategic projects along the entire supply chain, from extraction to recycling, and establish strategic reserves where supply risks are highest.

    Furthermore, the act will prioritise CRMs based on economic importance, supply concentration, strategic applications, and forecasted supply gaps.

    It will also designate materials crucial to Green Deal-related technologies and ensure funding from private and public resources for strategic projects.

    Rachovides acknowledged that public acceptance has been a major obstacle in the development of many CRM projects. However, leveraging technology, innovation, and coherent policies can help reshape public opinion and address these challenges.

    The EU Principles for Sustainable Raw Materials, developed by the Commission, EU countries, and stakeholders, aim to define best practices in the mining and processing of mineral raw materials, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    “Raw material value chains, like geology, rarely conform to national boundaries,” Rachovides stated.

    “Markets are often complex, and failures have demonstrated their potential for devastating effects on numerous occasions,” he added.

    “Accordingly, the CRMA is perhaps the best example of why an EU-wide policy approach of collective action is essential in ensuring that Europe is not left behind in the global race to source, deploy, and benefit from CRMs,” the Venus Minerals chairman concluded.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • Aluminium: the overlooked component of the Critical Raw Materials Act?

    Aluminium: the overlooked component of the Critical Raw Materials Act?

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – euractiv.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euractiv.com%2Fsection%2Feconomy-jobs%2Fopinion%2Faluminium-the-overlooked-component-of-the-critical-raw-materials-act%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]The long-awaited proposal for a Critical Raw Materials Act was published by the European Commission in March, initiating discussions on an overdue industrial agenda focusing on the raw materials industry in response to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Will this Act deliver the much-needed solutions that the aluminium industry, and many others, have been eagerly waiting for? To answer the question, it’s important to contextualise the situation.

    Giulia Forgnone is Senior Public Affairs Manager at European Aluminium.

    In the past years, Europe’s dependence on third countries for raw material production and processing has grown significantly, often at the expense of overlooking the sustainability of imported products for short-term economic gain. On top of that, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the surge in skyrocketing energy prices have further aggravated the situation, particularly for energy-intensive industries like aluminium. However, aluminium is one of those raw materials industries that European cannot afford to lose, as it plays a vital role in various energy generation, transmission, and storage technologies, being a key element for the EU’s green transition. Studies show that such a transition alone will result in a 30% rise in demand for aluminium by 2040, primarily driven by the growth in electric vehicles, solar power, and electricity networks.

    On top of that, aluminium is key for the circular economy, being a material that can be recycled over and over again with no downgrading of its quality and, when “Made in Europe”, has a carbon footprint that is three times lower than the global average. Substituting EU production capacity of aluminium with high-carbon footprint manufacturing from non-European countries is not only a huge loss and a distinct case of carbon leakage but also a contradiction with the objectives of the European Green Deal.

    During a recent event organised by European Aluminium and Eurometaux, Maive Rute, Deputy Director General of DG Grow, also emphasised the need for domestic production of raw materials, such as aluminium, stressing the importance of minimising environmental impact compared to other regions across the globe.

    European Aluminium has been advocating for a long-term and forward-looking raw materials strategy with a strong value chain focus for a long time. This strategy should aim at safeguarding Europe’s strategic independence while concurrently advancing its decarbonisation efforts. In this regard, the CRM Act presents a great opportunity to establish a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials in Europe, but the exclusion of aluminium from the list of strategic materials was a mistake. Not only is it undeniable that aluminium is strategic for the twin transition, but it is also clear that completely outsourcing its production to third countries will create future supply risks that could jeopardise the objectives of the Green Deal and create new dependencies that are not needed, especially in the currently unstable geopolitical scenario.

    Now that the ball is in the Parliament and Council’s court, we call on co-legislators to reinstate aluminium to its rightful place on the strategic raw materials list and ensure that the dual challenge of reindustrialisation and decarbonisation in Europe swiftly transforms into a tangible opportunity.

    Although the timeline is tight, we believe that through collaborative efforts between industry representatives and policymakers, we can successfully achieve this goal. Should this be the case, there is no doubt that the CRM Act could genuinely serve as the long-awaited solution we have all been hoping for.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • Lawmaker mulls scrapping EU’s draft raw material domestic production targets

    Lawmaker mulls scrapping EU’s draft raw material domestic production targets

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – euractiv.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euractiv.com%2Fsection%2Feconomy-jobs%2Fnews%2Feu-lawmaker-mulls-scrapping-eu-key-raw-material-domestic-production-targets%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]

    The German lawmaker responsible for the Critical Raw Materials Act in the European Parliament, Nicola Beer, said she will scrutinise the necessity for targets on mining, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials in Europe.

    While not legally binding, the benchmarks for domestic production capacities are one of the cornerstones of the Critical Raw Materials Act presented by the European Commission on 16 March.

    While Beer did not scrap the benchmarks in her draft report published last week due to time constraints, she said one of the big points of the upcoming discussion will be whether the targets should be scrapped altogether.

    “We need to do some more mental gymnastics to see whether the 65% mark could be enough to make us independent [in order] to replace the other 10, 15 and 40%,” she told journalists on Wednesday.

    “That’s where both my conversations and the discussions inside or outside of the House are ongoing,” added the MEP from Germany’s liberal FDP party.

    According to the Commission’s proposal, at least 10% of Europe’s annual consumption of strategic raw materials should come from domestic mining capacity by 2030, with targets going up to 15% for recycling and 40% for processing.

    At most, 65% of the Union’s annual consumption of any strategic raw material should originate from a single country by 2030, Brussels suggested.

    China clause

    While the other three targets aim at supporting a European industry for raw materials extraction, processing and recycling, the 65% benchmark only mandates a diversification of imports. 

    This is specifically directed at Beijing, which currently holds a quasi-monopoly on some critical raw materials. The EU, for instance, currently imports 93% of its magnesium and 86% of its rare earth metals from China.

    Often dubbed the ‘China Clause’, the proposed benchmark does not distinguish between supplier countries for the time being.

    “You have to look at who you are dependent on,” said Hildegard Bentele, another German lawmaker who is speaker on the Critical Raw Materials Act for the Parliament’s centre-right European People’s Party (EPP).

    “If you are 80% or 90% dependent on the USA, Australia or Canada, I would classify that as less dramatic than on other states that are not reliable,” she told reporters.

    At the same time, Bentele also wants to adjust some of the benchmarks. For instance, the aim to have 40% of processing in Europe would run counter to the EU’s ambition of building a more diverse range of partnerships abroad. 

    “The 40% processing in the EU would then contradict that we actually want to do that with our partners,” the centre-right MEP said. 

    Tough timeline

    The timeline is also a challenge. Beer aims to hold a vote on the Critical Raw Materials Act in Parliament by the summer to finalise negotiations with EU member states before the end of the year.

    “We want to have completed the main work by the summer break to ensure that we can complete the negotiations with the Commission and the Council by Christmas,” Beer said.

    Beer’s push for urgency also has to do with her nomination as head of the European Investment Bank. Her party head and finance minister in the German liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, nominated her as Vice-President of the Bank in April. 

    Beer is thus under pressure to finish negotiations on the Critical Raw Materials Act before she heads off to the EIB next year, as otherwise, a new rapporteur would have to be appointed while talks are still ongoing. 

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  • Green industry law haunted by old conflicts over nuclear & EU financing

    Green industry law haunted by old conflicts over nuclear & EU financing

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – euractiv.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euractiv.com%2Fsection%2Feconomy-jobs%2Fnews%2Fgreen-industry-law-haunted-by-old-conflicts-over-nuclear-financing%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]The European Commission’s proposal for a Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) received broad support from EU ministers in charge of competitiveness on Monday (22 May), but unresolved conflicts on nuclear power and EU-level financing could make the upcoming negotiations difficult.

    The draft law, which was presented in March by the European Commission and now has to be negotiated within the European Parliament and between EU countries, aims for Europe to produce 40% of the ‘clean tech’ needed for the green transition by itself.

    The technologies considered of strategic importance are solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other energy storage, heat pumps and geothermal energy, electrolysers and fuel cells, biogas technologies, carbon capture and storage, as well as electric grids.

    This comes as concerns have grown in recent months that the building of new production capacities for such technologies could take place in other parts of the world, where large subsidy schemes incentivise business, such as in the US or China.

    Nevertheless, the Commission does not want the law to be understood as being opposed to the scale-up of such production sites across the world.

    “In fighting climate change, there will be enough clean industries for everyone,” Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager told EU ministers on Monday. “The US, India, Europe, the African continent, China – there need to be clean industries everywhere,” she said.

    With the proposal, the Commission wants to see an “acceleration” of the build-up of clean tech production sites in Europe, in the hope that easier and faster permitting procedures will make Europe an attractive location.

    EU’s Net-Zero Industry Act aims to bring home clean tech production

    The European Commission tabled its net-zero industry act on Thursday (16 March), setting a goal for the EU to domestically produce at least 40% of the technology it needs to achieve its climate and energy targets by 2030.

    Nuclear in or out?

    During the discussion, several ministers voiced their support to also include nuclear power in the scope of the proposal, among them France, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Czechia, all of which are members of a “nuclear alliance” founded by France, ministers of which met in Paris last week.

    Meanwhile, Germany, Luxembourg and Austria spoke out against the inclusion of nuclear.

    So far, nuclear energy is mentioned in the text, but not as a “strategic net-zero technology”, meaning that it will not be subject to the 40% domestic production target.

    After the debate of member states, Vestager said that it will “not be easy to manage” the different views.

    “The sectors that are in the Net Zero Industry Act, they are chosen because of the risk of relocation,” Vestager said, adding that she expected a debate “about what is the purpose of the proposal in order for it not to be just basically any industry that can add a lot – or maybe not so much – to our fight against climate change”.

    Von der Leyen: Nuclear not ‘strategic’ for EU decarbonisation

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined limits to EU backing for nuclear power under the bloc’s Net-Zero Industry Act, which seeks to support home-made production of clean technologies like batteries and solar panels.

    National administrations might be overburdened

    At its core, the legislative proposal aims at making it easier to build production sites, for instance by obliging member states to establish single points of contact for all permits required to build a factory and setting deadlines on how long permitting procedures can take in maximum.

    However, this might overburden some member states, Lithuanian Deputy Economy Minister Ieva Valeskaite said, calling for “a certain level of flexibility in the implementation process”.

    Similarly, Irish Employment Minister Dara Calleary called the proposal “challenging”, pointing to the country’s “common law” system.

    “The proposed deadlines for permitting would be extremely difficult to deliver, and we strongly support revision of the proposal to allow for greater flexibility to reflect that,” Calleary said.

    Financing still unclear

    Moreover, the proposal does not yet include any subsidy scheme additional to what has already been implemented.

    Instead, it only sets up a new working group, called “Net-Zero Europe Platform”, to “discuss and advise” on existing financing options, such as through the European Investment Bank or national subsidy schemes.

    The latter was also made easier as the Commission has temporarily relaxed state-aid rules which normally strictly limit the amount of subsidies that can be granted by EU countries.

    This was criticised by several member states, with Poland’s representative Kamila Król urging that “member states should be treated equally”.

    “New Instruments cannot lead to deepened differences between them,” she warned, adding that “financing relying on the TCTF [Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework] is not a good solution”.

    Vestager, for her part, stressed that work on a “European Sovereignty Fund” was still ongoing, which would be “a mechanism to address some of the structural investment needs”.
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  • Digital Future of Copper

    Digital Future of Copper

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – KGHM ” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kghm.com%2Fen%2Fnews-and-press-releases%2Fdigital-future-of-copper-kghm-is-launching-a-new-educational-program-for-students-among-others-from-the-copper-belt|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]

    Digitalization, cybersecurity, development of modern technologies – KGHM is launching a new educational program for high school students from the Copper Belt and the Lubuskie Province titled “Digital Future of Copper.” In the beginning, the 8 units will participate in the project. The project will be coordinated by the Central Information Processing Center (COPI), a division of KGHM.

    The goal of the program prepared by the COPI team is to ensure the development of high school students in professions where digital competence is essential. The IT industry has recently emerged as a leader in terms of both employer needs and attractive wages.

    “KGHM is offering students a program that will, among other things, increase our influence on the shaping of the local market for IT professionals. In a company like KGHM, the use of digital technologies is already an everyday occurrence. We want to encourage young people to explore that world with us. The project participants will have the opportunity to visit the company’s divisions and participate in internships or placements,” said Tomasz Zdzikot, the CEO of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. The CEO of KGHM added that he hoped, of course, that future graduates of the schools participating in the program would join the company’s workforce in the future.

    Adam Bugajczuk, the deputy general director of COPI, stresses that the program is beneficial to everyone. “We allow the students to acquire specialized professional competencies and to combine theory with practice. They have an opportunity to test their skills in real conditions,” said Adam Bugajczuk.

    The “Digital Future of Copper” program is intended for students of secondary schools – technical schools with classes with an IT profile and high schools with science profiles – who are potential future IT students. The intent to cooperate with KGHM has already been declared by 8 schools, which corresponds to approx. 250 students.

    In addition to specialists from COPI, the program will also be supported by the staff and students of the Wroclaw University of Technology and the Tadeusz Kosciuszko Land Forces Academy in Wrocław. Classes and lectures, scientific conferences, and seminars with experts will be scheduled for the students.

    KGHM has been implementing the “Competent in the Mining and Metallurgy Branch” program since 2018. Nine schools from the Copper Belt are participating in the project carried out with the patronage of the company. The participating students have the opportunity to attend classes conducted by KGHM specialists and to receive scholarships for top academic performance. KGHM is also providing specialized equipment to educational facilities. The objective is to prepare graduates of technical and vocational schools for employment at KGHM.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • IFC’s Green Investment in Poland to Boost Manufacturing in the Electromobility Value Chain and Reduce GHG Emissions

    IFC’s Green Investment in Poland to Boost Manufacturing in the Electromobility Value Chain and Reduce GHG Emissions

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – World Crunch” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fworldcrunch.com%2Fbusiness-finance%2Flithium-mines-in-europe%23toggle-gdpr|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]Warsaw, Poland/Seoul, Republic of Korea, May 25, 2023— To help build a robust electric vehicle (EV) value chain in Europe while generating hundreds of jobs in Poland, IFC is partnering with SK Hi-Tech Battery Materials Poland sp. z o.o. (SK Poland), a leading player in the global EV value chain and a subsidiary of Korea’s SK IE Technology Co., Ltd (SK IET).

    As part of the partnership, IFC is arranging a $300 million green financing package to SK Poland, Europe’s first and largest lithium-ion battery separators (LiBS) producer. LiBS is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in EVs. The financing package comprises a $200 million loan provided by IFC, along with an additional $30 million from Bank Pekao S.A., $20 million from Intesa Sanpaolo (IMI CIB Division)  and $50 million from PKO Bank Polski S.A. IFC’s financing adheres to a green financing framework and meets the criteria of a green loan as per the Loan Market Association’s Green Loan Principles.

    IFC’s loan package will fund the final two phases of SK Poland’s four-phase $1.7 billion investment program. The investment program will support the construction and expansion of SK Poland’s LiBS production facility in Poland, with the aim of meeting the surging demand for EV batteries in Europe. The facility is expected to fulfill at least 40 percent of the EU’s LiBS demand by 2025, accounting for roughly 70 percent of the anticipated total capacity in the European Union (EU).

    With Poland emerging as a manufacturing hub for EV batteries in Europe, IFC’s investment will contribute to the green transition in the transportation sector and the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, the development of a more diversified and resilient EV value chain and the development of Poland’s leadership in electromobility-related manufacturing.

    “SKIET has been anticipating its customers’ needs by strategically building and expanding our separator factories in Korea, China and Poland,” said Kim Cheol-jung, CEO of SKIET. “Through this landmark green loan from IFC, we will help consolidate the establishment of a global EV supply system and contribute to Poland’s green transition.”

    Located in Dąbrowa Gόrnicza in Silesia, a region of Poland historically dependent on coal mining activities, the production facility will provide opportunities for job creation outside the mining industry, as the country progressively phases-out of coal in the next three decades.

    “Electromobility is essential for achieving a green transition. We believe that this investment will support the development of a more diversified and resilient European electric vehicle (EV) value chain by enabling the production of a critical component in EV battery cells in Poland,” said Alfonso Garcia Mora, Vice President for Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean at IFC. “This project will help enhance manufacturing capabilities in Poland and upgrade the skill set of the country’s workforce.”

    “The transition to net zero offers an unprecedented investment opportunity. IFC research shows that the demand for electric vehicle batteries in the EU alone will increase from 30 GWh currently to 1,300 GWh by 2035. Our impactful partnership with SK IET will help address this rapidly growing demand by building a more resilient regional electric vehicle value chain,” said Riccardo Puliti, IFC’s Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific, at a signing ceremony in Seoul. “We are keen to work with Korean innovators like SKIET to transfer technological know-how and scale up climate actions in emerging markets.”

    Over the past decade, IFC has provided financing for projects worth over $7 billion involving Korean companies and banks as sponsors and partners.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • Adriatic Metals gears up for Bosnia-Herzegovina mine opening

    Adriatic Metals gears up for Bosnia-Herzegovina mine opening

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – mining.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mining.com%2Fadriatic-metals-gears-up-for-bosnia-herzegovina-mine-opening%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]A former silver mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina that sat abandoned through the years of civil strife that hit the region from the early 1990s is almost ready to resume operations.

    Despite challenges brought by the global pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a harsher than expected winter, Adriatic Metals Plc’s (ASX: ADT) (LON: ADT1) Vares project is now more than 70% completed and ready to kick off production in November this year.

    Its chief executive officer, Paul Cronin, says the original idea was to resume operations at the old open pit, which has 7 million tonnes of resources still in it. Studies conducted later showed high levels of harmful elements, particularly mercury, so Adriatic Metals chose not to go that route.

    Instead, the junior invested in exploration and pinpointed what is now its flagship silver-zinc asset, which has been awarded the status of “project of special importance” by the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

    Adriatic Metals has invested time and resources to build relationships with the community, including a human resources strategy that focuses on teaching students in the last high school years science and other mining-related disciplines to later recruit them and train them on site.

    The miner, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s biggest foreign investor, has secured offtake agreements for 82% of Vares’ production for the first two years with Trafigura, Glencore, Boliden and Transamine.

    Adriatic, which went from the exploration to construction phase in less than five years, also has the Raska zinc–silver asset in neighbouring Serbia.

    Despite that the project is in the very early stages of exploration, the company has already opened a community centre at the town close to the development where people can ask questions and talk about what the project potentially would look like.

    Cronin highlights the high level of engagement they have secured so far. “I think locals recognize their iPhones didn’t come from an orchard. They are seeing the need for mining. The key is to do it in a sustainable way and benefiting the local communities,” he said.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • EU’s top 10 emitters are all coal plants — and 7 of them are repeat offenders

    EU’s top 10 emitters are all coal plants — and 7 of them are repeat offenders

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – DownToEarth” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.downtoearth.org.in%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feu-s-top-10-emitters-are-all-coal-plants-and-7-of-them-are-repeat-offenders-89509|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]The ten largest emitters in the European Union Emissions Trading System in 2022 were all coal plants, with Germany and Poland dominating the list, an analysis of recorded emissions has found. However, the long-term trend of coal power emissions shows a decline, with values in 2022 40 per cent lower than a decade ago.

    Coal power emissions rose 6 per cent compared to 2021, but remained below 2019 levels, according to a report titled Repeat offenders: coal power plants top the EU emitters list released May 23, 2023 by global energy think tank Ember. EU ETS is a ‘cap and trade’ scheme which takes stock of greenhouse gas pollution.

    Read more: Just transition: Digital literacy can help youth dependant on coal sector move into other fields, finds IIT study

    The top 10 emitters are responsible for almost a quarter of all power sector emissions in the EU-ETS. Just three companies — Rheinisch-Westfalische Elektrizitatswerk (RGE), Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) and Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH) — account for 30 per cent of power sector emissions.

    Top 10 emitters in EU ETS — All coal plants

    Source: EU ETS, Ember

    Poland and Germany pumped out 13 per cent of the EU’s total emissions together, the report further said. 

    Europe’s power sector emissions have declined over the last decade as countries moved towards phasing out coal, with a limited increase during the previous two years as the continent faced an ongoing energy crisis and sky-high gas costs.

    However, the transition is not fast enough. 

    Countries and coal-powered emissions (million tonnes CO2 equivalent)

    Source: EU ETS, Ember

    “Coal plants are the repeat offenders of the EU’s dirty list,” says Ember’s analyst Harriet Fox in a statement. “The faster Europe can get off coal power the better.”

    Read more: CAQM’s focus on captive thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR a welcome step, but challenges ahead

    A few countries and companies are responsible for the lion’s share of Europe’s power sector emissions, she added.

    Seven of the coal plants have been among the top 10 highest emitting power stations every year for the last decade, with PGE’s Bełchatow in Poland topping the list since the EU ETS scheme began in 2005.

    RWE’s Neurath coal plant in Germany is in second place, followed by the Boxberg plant — also based in Germany but run by Czech Republic-based EPH.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • Critical Raw Materials: Renew Europe Sets Out Its Priorities For Secure, Diversified, Affordable And Sustainable Supplies

    Critical Raw Materials: Renew Europe Sets Out Its Priorities For Secure, Diversified, Affordable And Sustainable Supplies

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – renew europe” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reneweuropegroup.eu%2Fnews%2F2023-05-22%2Fcritical-raw-materials-renew-europe-sets-out-its-priorities-for-secure-diversified-affordable-and-sustainable-supplies|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]Critical raw materials are the lifeblood of our transition to a digital and green economy. They are indispensable for a wide set of strategic industries such as renewable energies, the technology sector, space, security and defence, and are present in elements of our daily lives such as smartphones and electric cars. At today´s meeting of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), Renew Europe MEP Nicola Beer, rapporteur for the file and Vice-President of the European Parliament, set out the starting point for a European critical raw materials strategy to reduce our strategic dependencies and to strengthen the EU’s open strategic sovereignty in an increasingly volatile world economy.

    As a staunch supporter of European industry and the twin green and digital transitions, Renew Europe advocates for addressing supply risks by strengthening and diversifying value chains with strategic trade alliances based on mutual benefits, where unilateral dependencies on third countries are left behind. It is also essential to boost investment in innovation and research to accompany the development of sustainable alternative materials and production methods on European soil and furthermore to foster refining and recycling capacities. Finally, the bureaucratic burden on companies should be lifted, by reduced reporting, facilitating easier access to finance and shorter approval procedures for strategic critical raw materials projects.

    MEP Nicola Beer (FDP, Germany), Vice-President of the European Parliament and Rapporteur on the Critical Raw Materials Act, declared:

    “With the EP’s draft report on the Critical Raw Materials, Europe’s sovereignty is no longer on shaky ground but on a solid foundation. The proposal accelerates towards European security of supply, with a research and innovation offensive for alternative materials and production methods along the entire value chain. It boosts companies, especially European SMEs – not through avalanches of subsidies, but by accelerating and simplifying approval processes, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and introducing risk guarantees. With targeted economic incentives for production and recycling in Europe as well as the expansion of strategic partnerships with third countries on an equal footing, the proposal paves the way for Europe’s course towards open, economic and geopolitical sovereignty”.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

  • Polish expert calls for partnership with China for e-mobility

    Polish expert calls for partnership with China for e-mobility

    [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – MNA China International” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fworldcrunch.com%2Fbusiness-finance%2Flithium-mines-in-europe%23toggle-gdpr|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]A Polish expert said that he would see China, which accounts for 77 percent of global battery cells production output, as a partner than a competitor for Poland in this field.

    Poland had overtaken the United States with the world’s second-largest lithium-ion battery production capacity, behind only China, according to a report published last month by the Polish Alternative Fuels Association (PSPA).

    “I think the European and Polish e-mobility value chain is pursuing partnerships in all areas. So wherever there is a technological partnership, a partnership that leads to zero emission transport, then it’s definitely on the table,” said Aleksander Rajch, a board member of the PSPA told Xinhua in a recent interview.

    Rajch said that he attributes China’s success in the automotive battery industry to its big internal market, technological competitiveness, and access to resources.

    “China holds huge access and deposits of lithium and other critical raw materials. So China’s self-sustaining. It has a huge market, a huge potential,” he said. “The Chinese lithium-ion battery companies are coming to Europe, so the innovation is coming to Europe as well.”

    Rajch, also the external affairs director of PSPA, Poland’s largest NGO promoting e-mobility, said that in addition to good economic conditions and low cost to start businesses, Poland also has a “skilled workforce and proximity to the largest automotive market in the European Union (EU) — the German market.”

    Poland produces e-buses, components for charging infrastructure, software solutions, and lithium-ion batteries. “It’s a very good value chain,” Rajch said.

    Poland’s production capacity rose to 73 GWh, or 6 percent of the world’s total in 2022, according to the report. The value of exports in the battery sector increased 38-fold over the last six years from around 1 billion zloty (240 million U.S. dollars) in 2017 to 38.6 billion zloty in 2022, according to the Central Statistical Office of Poland.

    Noting that the electric vehicles (EV) industry has grown exponentially in China in recent years, Rajch said he is expecting more Chinese EVs on the roads in Europe.

    “With this new technology — electric mobility and everything that entails — China’s coming in as a very big and equal, if not dominating, contender to this (domain),” he said.

    “The market will change, and roads will change … There’ll be more mixed offers in Europe,” Rajch said. (1 Polish zloty = 0.24 U.S. dollar)[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]