Scientific Conference ’Integration of Variable Resources’

Organized by the SASA Board for Energy, the scientific conference titled Integration of Variable Resources opens on Monday, 4 November, at the SASA Grand Hall, at 10 a.m.

The integration of renewable resources is crucial in general efforts to rein in global warming. Climate change poses a risk to food and water supply, increases the risks of environmental pollution, impacts all economic activities, facilitates the development of harmful microorganisms, contributes to the spread of infectious diseases and, in the long run, jeopardizes survival. Energy, transportation, agriculture, mining, and metallurgy sectors all significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. To address the use of fossil fuels in energy and transport, an action plan known as the green agenda was designed, which is based on the need for the integration of renewable energy resources. It is planned to phase out the use of coal and hydrocarbons in the energy sector and rely more on the renewable energy of the sun and wind as well as the use of biomass and geothermal energy.

In transport decarbonization efforts, the use of electrical vehicles powered by battery-based energy is in the plans, assuming that the energy for battery recharge will be acquired from renewable resources. Under the great influence of politicians and with insufficient appreciation of experts, the green agenda has headed in a challenging direction. The annual increase in primary energy derived from fossil fuels remains four times higher than the annual increase in consumption from renewable resources. The increased need for mineral resources also significantly impacts the unfavourable outcomes of the green agenda. The construction of solar power plants, wind farms, and the production of batteries and electric vehicles requires up to ten times more essential minerals than traditional solutions, which has increased the need for ore extraction and processing. In areas where the obtained minerals are used for the construction of new devices and systems, the use of minerals obtained elsewhere brings benefits and progress. However, in areas where minerals are obtained, where mining activities and ore processing are carried out, the harmful impact on land, water, air and the living world is evident. Cheap mining practices with landfills and water discharges contribute to CO2 emissions and global warming through various direct and indirect processes.

As global demand for mineral resources grows, the mining sector’s environmental impact complicates climate change mitigation efforts. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative solutions. For long-term decarbonization of transport, the construction of vehicles with endothermic engines that use so-called ‘green fuels’ should be considered, whose production and consumption have zero net carbon dioxide emissions. The possibility of sourcing energy for green fuel production from solar and wind farms disconnected from the electricity grid should also be considered. In this manner, the energy needed for transport can be provisioned, while simultaneously avoiding substantial costs and technical problems of integration related to connecting solar and wind power plants to the electricity grid.

The scientific conference on the integration of variable resources will bring together renowned experts who will give their informed opinions on the mentioned problems and proposals and offer appropriate strategies.

A live stream of the event is available at  LIVE STREAMING.