Renewable energy costs are high, but their competitiveness is improving due to the sharp rise in gas and coal prices
The capacity of renewable sources (RES) is expected to increase further by more than 8 percent in 2022, reaching almost 320 gigawatts (GW). This is stated by experts from the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its updated report – Renewable Energy Market Update – May 2022, BTA reported.
Demand for biofuels recovered in 2021 after low levels due to KOVID-19 in 2020 and is currently close to 2019. IAEA experts expect growth to increase by 5 percent on an annual basis in 2022. and 3 percent in 2023. On the other hand, rising commodity prices and many countries’ policies are slowing growth in the short term, leading to a 20 percent drop in the IAEA’s previous forecast for rising demand for biofuels. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is also putting pressure on the already high price of raw materials for biofuels, especially vegetable oils.
The current global energy crisis calls for an acceleration of the transition to clean energy and reiterates the key role of renewable energy, the IEA said. The updated forecast states that wind and solar energy have the potential to reduce the European Union’s energy sector’s dependence on Russian natural gas by 2023.
Renewable energy set a new record in 2021, rising 6 percent to almost 295 gigawatts (GW), despite continuing supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic, construction delays and record commodity prices. The costs of solar photovoltaic and wind energy are expected to remain higher in 2022 and 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels due to higher commodity prices, experts say. However, their competitiveness is improving due to the sharper rise in gas and coal prices.
While the growing market uncertainty is increasing the challenges, the new focus on energy security – especially in the European Union – is also giving an unprecedented political impetus to accelerate energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Ultimately, the forecast for renewable markets for 2023 and beyond will depend on whether new and stronger policies are introduced and implemented over the next six months, IAEA experts conclude.
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced that Russian assets of the French carmaker Renault are becoming state-owned, Russian news agencies reported.
AvtoVAZ will now carry out service maintenance of Renault cars in Russia, and will also continue to produce the entire Lada model range and cars under the historic Moskvich brand in its plants. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced this on his personal blog.
The foreign owner has decided to close the Renault plant in Moscow, which is his right, but we cannot allow thousands of workers to lose their jobs. the historic Moskvich brand, the mayor wrote.
He added that they would try to keep most of the staff directly employed at the plant and related workers.
The Russian assets of the French car company Renault have become state property, and announced the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. Renault’s plant in Moscow passes into the balance of the Moscow government. 67.69% of the shares of AvtoVAZ are given to the Automobile Research Institute, and the rest of the assets remain in Rostech.
“Nationalization of Renault’s share will ensure the management of AvtoVAZ and the company’s ability to operate under sanctions. This will preserve key competencies, the production cycle and jobs,” said Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov.
President Lukashenko believes his country has been unfairly labeled an “accomplice to the aggressor”.
Sanctions imposed on Belarus have blocked $ 16-18 billion worth of annual exports to Western countries, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko was quoted as saying by the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) late last night.
“Sanctions have blocked almost all of Belarus’ exports to the European Union and North America,” Golovchenko said, according to a transcript of an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, published by the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
President Alexander Lukashenko has urged Belarus to take part in talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, while also saying that Belarus has been unfairly labeled an “accomplice to the aggressor”.
Belarus was also severely sanctioned last year after the forced landing of a Ryanair plane flying between Athens and Vilnius, and the subsequent arrest following the landing of a dissident journalist and his girlfriend on board.
However, what will affect the regime the most and Lukashenko. The recipe for this was given by the Kremlin-rejected former oil tycoon and critic of the Moscow government, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He said European countries must punish Lukashenko by sanctioning oil and potash (potassium carbonate) producers.
“The dictator must be hit where it hurts the most: his wallet,” Khodorkovsky advised.
“European countries must join US sanctions against Belneftekhim and sanction Belaruskali,” Khodorkovsky said.
Belneftekhim is the state oil company of Belarus. Belaruskali is one of the largest producers of potash in the world. There are no substitutes for potassium as a leading nutrient for plants and as a basic nutritional requirement for animals and humans, experts say.
Belaruskali AD is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of potassium fertilizers. According to the International Fertilizer Association, the company ranks fifth in world potassium production. “Our products meet the highest requirements and have won the highest international awards. These facts allow the company to compete successfully with other manufacturers and export our product to more than 120 countries,” said the presentation of the corporate Internet. page. In 2018, the company celebrated its 60th anniversary.
In the same year – on August 24, 2018, the construction of a new plant for the production of potassium nitrate (potassium nitrate) began. The new products will be manufactured using Canadian technology from Migao Corporation (a registered and listed corporation in Canada but headquartered in China) through the conversion of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, and will be sold in the EU, Russia , Turkey and supplied to the domestic market.
The Belarusian state concern for oil and chemistry Belnoftekhim is one of the largest industrial complexes in Belarus. Its companies carry out a full cycle of activities related to the exploration and production of crude oil, its transportation, refining and sales of petroleum products.
The company points out that Belarusian refineries are characterized by a high technological level of refining efficiency and quality of petroleum products that meet international standards.
From there the petrochemical industry of Belarus produces:
– mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and NPK – Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K);
– over 300 types and sizes of tires, and as a quantity of more than 5 million per year for cars, trucks and trucks, buses, trolleybuses, road construction vehicles, tractors and agricultural machinery;
– polyester fibers and yarns;
– low density polyethylene, as well as a wide range of acrylic fibers;
– glass fibers and products thereof;
– nylon fibers, cord fabrics, as well as raw nylon-6 and composite materials based on it;
– biodiesel fuel;
– paints, varnishes and other products.
It is emphasized that all Belneftekhim organizations work in accordance with the system of international quality standards of the ISO 9000 series. In terms of quality and environmental friendliness of motor fuels, the Republic of Belarus is a leader among the CIS countries.
The risks of investing in liquefied gas terminals are related to prices, high emissions and locks in major infrastructure projects for decades to come
Additional European investments in clean energy provide the best way to ensure full security of supply for the phasing out of Russian gas, according to the latest report by analyst firm Artelys.
The report examines two scenarios related to the supply of liquefied natural gas through LNG terminals and the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy to end Russian dependence. Both scenarios rely to some extent on the supply of liquefied natural gas as part of the decision to phase out Russian gas.
However, liquefied natural gas supply volumes are twice as high for gas solutions as for clean energy solutions, leading to significant dependence on global LNG markets and price volatility.
When exposed to a 50% increase in gas prices, the European energy system faces a € 30 billion increase in supply costs for liquefied gas decisions and € 15 billion for clean energy decisions. The average European price for the supply of liquefied natural gas increases by 25% for gas solutions (respectively 16% for clean energy solutions), according to the Artelys report.
The analysis assesses the complete cessation of Russian gas supplies by 2025 (set out in the REPowerEU plan) as part of the European Union’s Fit for 55 policy. It gives an idea of what additional investments will need to be made over the next three years to ensure security of supply in Europe for both gas and electricity.
LNG supplies are seen as a viable alternative to natural gas imports from Russia. In addition to increasing the use of existing LNG terminals, the idea of building additional regasification capacity in Europe is gaining momentum.
The United States and the European Union have announced the creation of a working group to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. As a result, the US will increase the volume of liquefied natural gas exports to the EU (+15 billion cubic meters in 2022, +50 billion m3 / year by 2030), and the EU will work to accelerate regulatory procedures for the approval of liquefied natural gas import infrastructure.
And several member states have announced their ambition to invest in new liquefied natural gas terminals and pipelines as a way to ensure security of gas supply in the event of a complete shutdown of Russian gas.
In particular, countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Estonia and the Netherlands have set out plans to invest in floating and stationary liquefied natural gas imports. The proposed and renewed projects from the beginning of the crisis will have a total capacity of at least 70-80 billion cubic centimeters of LNG imports per year, including at least six new floating LNG terminals FSRU (Global Energy Monitor, 2022).
Ukrainians who leave Bulgaria are more than those who enter the country. This was said to the Bulgarian National Radio by Mariana Tosheva, chairwoman of the State Agency for Refugees. She said there was no information on whether refugees were choosing other EU countries or returning home. According to her, the situation is dynamic and this is not only in Bulgaria, but in all countries.
“Yesterday, 2,441 people entered our country 24 hours a day, but 2,792 left. This process has been observed for a week. The number of those leaving the country remains higher than those entering Bulgaria,” Tosheva said.
Hotels must be vacated by May 31 and Ukrainian refugees must be transported to other accommodation. Currently, more than 63,000 Ukrainians are accommodated in hotels. More than 33,000 are confirmed accommodation in municipal departments. Some Ukrainians they have stated that they want to leave the country, another part is available for free rent or go to relatives and acquaintances “, she explained. According to her, half of these 63,000 people will not stay in Bulgaria.
Tosheva stressed that the program for accommodation of refugees in hotels with state aid was previously agreed to end by May 31.
“The measure is provided with financial resources and was announced as temporary. From June 1 we enter the phase of integration – these people had time to orient themselves, to say if they would work and what. If a hotelier decides that at his own expense he can shelter Ukrainian citizens, the decision is individual, “she added.
According to her, the concerns of Ukrainians are understandable, but no one will be left on the street. “Ukrainian citizens are actively looking for work. We have a special approach to people from vulnerable groups – the elderly, the sick, mothers with many children. are the possibilities of the respective settlement to be accommodated … 70% want to start work immediately, 17% would start in a period of 1 to 6. Over 60% are people with higher education, about 30% are people with secondary special education “, Tosheva continued.
The measure to accommodate Ukrainians in hotels will not continue after the end of May. The integration of war refugees into the host society is already a priority. This was confirmed by the head of the agency for
More than 103,000 people have temporary protection status. About 90 children are in kindergartens in the country, over 500 Ukrainians are in Bulgarian schools. The centers where mothers will be able to leave their children during the day will be clear from the beginning of the new week.
The relocation of Ukrainian refugees to state and municipal bases after May 31 could turn into a fiasco. To date, the state has managed to secure 33,000 seats in state and
Less than 1/3 of the money that the European Union has allocated to support Ukrainian refugees in our country will actually be directed to these refugees. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister for Effective Governance
What kind of work do Ukrainians find in Bulgaria?
Tourism, trade and the garment industry are the areas in which most Ukrainian citizens who escaped the war in Bulgaria have started working, bTV reports, citing a report from the Employment Agency. In most cases, refugees occupy positions for which there have been no other candidates for years. They have the greatest desire to work as office secretaries, administrators in hotels, maids, as well as in restaurants and entertainment or vendors.
More than half of the candidates are from Ukraine. On average – about a third. And only 3% – with basic. 70 percent of Ukrainians are ready to start work in regular shifts immediately, and 9% – if there is someone to take care of their children. Ukrainians and members of their families with temporary protection can work in our country without a permit.
Nastya, for example, was an assistant educator at a kindergarten in Odessa. Now she has found a job in a sewing workshop in Burgas, and her 16-year-old son is taking care of her sister, who is 7. “I am here alone with two children, I have to feed them. I went to the Labor Office and they immediately found me a job. “I came and they took me,” the woman said. Four Ukrainian women work in the workshop. “These 4 positions have been vacant for 3 years. We have placed advertisements on all sorts of platforms – both paid and free, people just don’t come,” said Vasil Todorov of the sewing workshop.
However, only 9 refugees are employed through the Labor Office in Burgas. Most are waiting. “I want to work so that I do not depend financially on anyone and to arrange my life to some extent. But what if they want to relocate us? I do not know where I will go, which makes finding a job impossible,” said Nadezhda from Mariupol.
It is safe to say that there are secrets of ancient Roman civilization that even a century of close study will not reveal to us. Meanwhile, historians and archaeologists often discover artifacts that are confusing. One such object is the Roman dodecahedron.
This is a hollow bronze decahedral puzzle with twelve flat pentagonal faces – a riddle. Nothing is known about its purpose. But there are some hypotheses that have been put forward since its first discovery over 300 years ago.
The strange discovery made all antique dealers tense, but there was no need to worry – there were more on the way.
Most dodecahedrons are between four and eleven centimeters in size and weigh between 35 and 580 grams. Each pentagonal surface contains a hole, but the sizes of these holes almost always vary. Each of the five vertices has a ball-shaped button.
Some appeared in theaters and tombs, others among piles of discarded coins. Many historians have also found these items from antiquarians, making it difficult to trace their provenance.
Each object discovered later differed in size and design.
In 2016, 116 dodecahedrons were discovered on the territory of modern Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. A single piece of silver was found in Geneva.
Interestingly, as far as we know, dodecahedrons do not exist in the Eastern Roman Empire.
Those found in the western region date back to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries AD. The randomness of their location, as well as the lack of a written context, has further puzzled historians.
They are full. They are scattered all over Europe and they are still a mystery. What could these little things mean? What were they made for?
The head of Mari El, Alexander Evstifeev, announced that he had decided to leave his post, RIA Novosti reported on May 10.
“In connection with the expiration of the term of office of the head of the Republic of Mari El, I turned to the President of Russia with a request to accept my resignation,” Evstifeev wrote on his Telegram channel.
He was appointed acting head of the republic in April 2017 after the powers of the head of Mari El were prematurely terminated by Leonid Markelov of his own free will. Prior to that, he was the chairman of the Arbitration Court of the Moscow Region.
Earlier, the governor of the Tomsk region Sergey Zhvachkin, the head of the Kirov region Igor Vasilyev and their colleague from the Saratov region Valery Radaev announced similar decisions.
In addition, the head of the Ryazan region, Nikolai Lyubimov, said that he did not plan to run for new gubernatorial elections.
Zhvachkin added that in January of this year he turned 65 years old, he is one of the oldest heads of the region in the country. In his address to the residents of Tomsk, he thanked them for their support throughout the ten years of his tenure. Speaking about future plans, he noted that he would remain in Tomsk.
Sergey Zhvachkin has been the head of the Tomsk region since 2012. In 2017, he was re-elected for a second term as governor, which expires in 2022. Prior to that, Zhvachkin worked in the oil and gas sector.
Vasiliev thanked the team of the government of the Kirov region and the heads of municipalities for productive joint work. He, in turn, promised to support the positive undertakings of Kirov residents at the federal level.
He has served as governor of the region since July 28, 2016. Prior to that, he headed Rosreestr.
Radaev also thanked the residents of the Saratov region, where he served as governor for ten years. The official, he said, intends to focus on another area of work.
Radaev headed the region on March 23, 2012, and in 2017 he was re-elected to this position.
The reason for frequent awakenings at night can be a number of diseases. About this with reference to the therapist, somnologist and candidate of medical sciences Sophia Cherkasova reports “Lenta.ru”.
The specialist notes that frequent awakenings can be a symptom that signals a pathology of the thyroid gland associated with an increase or decrease in hormone production. Also, urological problems and cessation of breathing during sleep can lead to sleep disturbances.
Meanwhile, Cherkasova explained that people with depression often wake up early in the morning or, conversely, cannot fall asleep.
She added that sometimes the reason for frequent awakenings at night lies not in a serious pathology, but in the wrong way of life. Excessive caffeine, alcohol, and low levels of physical activity can cause sleep disturbances. It also happens that insomnia itself becomes a habit, persisting even after its cause has disappeared.
Earlier, sleep therapist Pavel Kudinov recalled the importance of observing a sleep schedule. According to him, when people fall asleep late, they shift their biological clock. As a result, there is a lack of sleep, daytime sleepiness appears and performance decreases.
Social jet lag, or the failure of the daily biological rhythms of the body, is a common problem in modern society. This was stated by the therapist-somnologist Pavel Kudinov.
According to him, falling asleep late and waking up late, people shift their biological clock. As a result, there is a lack of sleep, daytime sleepiness appears and performance decreases.
“Sleep disorders of any kind, including jet lag, are most dangerous for people who have chronic diseases. Sleep disorders lead to an acceleration of the process. This is especially true for those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the central nervous system. Lack of sleep and daytime sleepiness are also dangerous for people who are involved in work that requires increased concentration of attention,” Channel Five quotes Kudinov.
The somnologist noted that you need to start preparing in advance for an early awakening. In particular, the expert advised waking up an hour earlier every day, bringing the biological clock to the work schedule.
Kudinov stressed that preparations containing melatonin, which causes preliminary drowsiness, can help in this matter.
“Also, no one canceled herbs: mint, lemon balm, chamomile or peony tincture. But it’s better to deal with this issue on your own,” the doctor concluded.
Previously, clinical psychologist Dr. Mairav Kohen-Zion said that ideally, a person should fall asleep after 10 minutes, this can take a maximum of 20 minutes. Sleeping too long can make you feel sleepy and tired the next day.
The supernova known as 2014C took place eight years ago—but scientists are still watching and learning from its aftermath. The very faintly visible explosion is shown circled in red. Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Study including University of Chicago researchers analyzes aftermath of 2014 supernova.
An international group of astronomers has uncovered new clues about a mysterious stellar explosion that was discovered eight years ago, but is continuing to evolve even as scientists watch.
The results help astronomers better understand the process of how massive stars—giants far larger than our own sun—live and die.
The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal by a group led by the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and including scientists from the University of Chicago.
The lives of 2014C
In 2014, astronomers spotted a sudden bright spot in the sky—a sure sign that a star had exploded out in space.
When an exploding star is first detected, astronomers all around the world race to follow it with telescopes as the light it gives off changes rapidly over time. By watching how it evolves, using telescopes that can see visible light and also X-rays, radio waves, and infrared light, scientists can deduce the physical characteristics of the system.
This schematic shows the various ejecta and winds (red and purple) given off by the exploding star (left, yellow). The common-envelope disk (blue) surrounds both stars, the one exploding as a supernova and its binary partner (not shown). The boundary layer around the common-envelope disk is the source of the hydrogen the team detected. Credit: B. Thomas et al./UT Austin
By doing this many times, astronomers have identified signatures and grouped these exploding stars into categories. 2014C, as this particular event was named, looked like what’s called a Type Ib supernova. They are what happens when the largest known stars in the universe die.
In fact, scientists think 2014C was probably originally not one but two stars orbiting each other, one bigger than the other. The more massive star evolved more quickly, expanded, and its outer layer of hydrogen got sucked away. When it eventually ran out of fuel, its core collapsed, triggering a gigantic explosion.
Research Prof. Vikram Dwarkadas
However, observations in the first 500 days after the explosion had shown that it was emitting more X-rays over time, which was unusual and seen only in a small number of supernovae. “It suggested that the shockwave was interacting with dense material,” said Vikram Dwarkadas, University of Chicago research professor of astronomy and astrophysics.
The group set out to collect all of the data on 2014C, including new data they obtained as well as from studies over the past eight years, and to fit it into a cohesive picture of what happened to the star.
The X-ray emissions, infrared light, and radio waves all showed the distinctive pattern of increasing and then decreasing. Meanwhile, the optical light—measured by UT Austin’s Hobby-Eberly Telescope—appeared to stay steady. The radio signal showed that the shockwave was expanding at a very high speed, whereas the optical light indicated a much slower speed.
The researchers suggested that the odd behavior had to do with a dense cloud of hydrogen around the two stars that was left over from earlier in their lifetimes.
When the star exploded, it produced a shockwave traveling at something like 67 million miles per hour in all directions. As the shockwave reached this cloud, its behavior would be affected by how the cloud was shaped.
These supernovae are what happen when the largest known stars in the universe die.
In the simplest model, this cloud would be assumed to be spherical and symmetrical. However, if the cloud had formed a “donut” around the two stars—that is, thicker around the middle—the thicker part of the ring would slow down the shockwave, showing up in the optical light as slower-moving material. Meanwhile, in the thinner areas, the shockwave would rush forward, as seen in the radio waves. “Think of the water hitting a rock in the center of the river,” Dwarkadas said.
Questions remain, the scientists said, but this unevenness could account for the different speeds of the shockwave indicated by the different wavelengths.
The study provided valuable clues as to the evolution of these stars and mass lost from these systems, and in a larger sense to the lives and deaths of these relatively mysterious stars, the scientists said.
“In a broad sense, the question of how massive stars lose their mass is the big scientific question we were pursuing,” said UT Austin professor and team member J. Craig Wheeler. “How much mass? Where is it? When was it ejected? By what physical process? Those were the macro questions we were going after.
“And 2014C just turned out to be a really important single event that’s illustrating the process.”
For more on this research, see Extraordinary Supernova Reveals Secrets to Astronomers.
Reference: “Seven Years of SN 2014C: a Multi-Wavelength Synthesis of an Extraordinary Supernova” by Benjamin P. Thomas, J. Craig Wheeler, Vikram V. Dwarkadas, Christopher Stockdale, Jozsef Vinko, David Pooley, Yerong Xu, Greg Zeimann and Phillip MacQueen, 4 May 2022, The Astrophysical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac5fa6 arXiv: 2203.12747
The study was led by Benjamin Thomas of the University of Texas at Austin. The other researcher from the University of Chicago on the paper was Yerong Xu, SM’20, now with the University of Palermo in Italy. For the full list of collaborators and telescopes, see the paper.
Funding: U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, Chandra Observatory, Hungary National Research, Development and Innovation Office.
Two researchers did an experiment to extract meanings from different translations of the sacred Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, and found common meaning among them. Many translations have been done of the piece but they vary in meaning and result in potentially different interpretations. The experiment is using artificial intelligence (AI) to extract the meanings from the translations and analyze their differences and similarities.
The approach taken in the experiment was to analyze sentiment and semantics (emotion and meaning) from a set of the translations of the Bhagavad Gita using an artificial intelligence system developed at Google for understanding language. Dr. Rohitash Chandra said of the comparison, “Despite huge variations in vocabulary and sentence structure, we found that the patterns of emotion and meaning were broadly similar in all three.”
The Bhagavad Gita (often referred to as the Gita) means “The Song by God.” It is a poem of a conversation between the Hindu deity Lord Krishna and prince Arjuna. It is 700 verses in length and comprises a part of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata that depicts a struggle within the Kurukshetra War between two factions of a family: the Kaurava and the Pandava. The Gita is the foundation of the philosophy of karma and a key element of the scripture of Hinduism, practiced by over 1 billion people globally. It is the potential of misinterpreted scripture that makes a project like the one done by Dr. Chandra so valuable.
The research was led by Dr. Chandra of UNSW Sydney and Venkatesh Kulkarni of IIT Guwahati. Dr. Chandra is a senior lecturer in data science who also leads a research program which applies AI to problems like climate extremes. He combined this with his interest in the philosophy of religion when beginning research into the interpretation of the Gita. Venkatesh contributed equally to the project as an engineer, providing implementation and experimentation and further contributing in results visualization and analysis.
