Harnessing

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Harnessing power through existing ocean infrastructure
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing power through existing ocean infrastructure

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Depending on what source you use, the total estimated output of global wave energy is somewhere between 20 and 90,000 terawatt-hours per year. Although this is a wide range, when you consider that the total global energy consumption is now over 25,000 terawatt-hours per year, even the low end of the range is enough to cover most of humanity’s energy needs. The main issue, however, is finding the best way to take advantage of this wave energy.

Moroccan startup Advanced Third Age Renewable Energies Company (ATAREC) is developing a system to exploit the wave energy close to shore, in the areas around breakwaters and other infrastructure exposed to the sea. The startup’s Wave Beat technology captures energy from the vertical variations in sea level using a free-floating buoy.

ATAREC has constructed a demonstrator in the Port of Tanger-Med, 45 kilometres north of Tangier, to take advantage of the 110 megawatts of wave energy in front of the port’s vertical breakwater. The energy produced by the Wave Beat is used directly at the huge port to help run operations.

The company has received more than €900,000 in funding, including equity, grants, and non-dilutive funding. ATAREC is currently applying for additional funding and plans to launch a fundraising campaign.

Wave energy is starting to take off, with other innovations spotted by Springwise including a design for generating energy from the movement of ships in the water and rolling wave generators to power sensors.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Harnessing solar power to redesign public transport
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing solar power to redesign public transport

By Zarkon Group,

According to the International Energy Agency, 10 per cent of passenger vehicles sold globally in 2022 were all-electric – ten times more than were sold five years ago. In sub-Saharan Africa, where solar energy is abundant, electric vehicles (EVs) represent a pathway to a low-cost, low-emissions transport future – which is not only great news in terms of tackling the climate crisis, but also in terms of improving air quality in many cities. Nairobi in Kenya is the fourth most congested city in the world, and suffers from air pollution that consistently exceeds World Health Organization guidelines. Kenyan electric transport company Roam is building affordable, clean energy vehicles which promise to revolutionise transport in Africa.

To date, mass adoption of EVs in African countries has not been possible because most models are not designed for use in Africa, where the vast majority of travellers rely on various forms of public transport rather than private vehicles. While road conditions are generally good in the Kenyan capital, some remain unsurfaced and so develop potholes. And once you are out of the city centre, less than six per cent of roads in Kenya are tarmacked. To overcome this challenge, Kenyan electric mobility company Roam Electric has designed a range of specifically adapted e-motorbikes and buses suitable for African terrain.

The bikes are an affordable and efficient solution for Nairobi’s Boda Boda taxi drivers, who give commuters lifts on motorbikes. The Roam bikes can cut the drivers’ costs by 50 per cent and are more attractive to customers as they offer a smoother ride. For the 43 per cent of Nairobians who use public transport, the ‘Roam Move’ and ‘Roam Rapid’ electric buses have helped to create a more integrated public transport system that can bring people in from more rural areas.

Like other cities around the world, Nairobi is growing fast, and around 200,000 fossil-fuelled vehicles are added to its roads each year. Roam Electric promises a viable alternative, tailored to suit the specific needs of the city’s landscape and people; a model that can be developed and adapted across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Video and article credit: RE:TV

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Harnessing microorganisms for crop protection
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing microorganisms for crop protection

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Farmers often apply chemical pesticides and antibiotics to address crop diseases and strengthen plant defences against abiotic stress. However, these treatments are not only expensive but can also have environmentally damaging side effects. One solution is to use tailor-made microorganisms for crop protection, and this is exactly what Chilean company Exacta Bioscience is doing.

Exacta formulates combinations of microorganisms designed for soil enhancement and the protection of crops against specific diseases. The products are designed to be used in place of pesticides and antibiotics.

Some of the products the company is developing include FitoRoot, which is composed of three strains of Bacillus and designed to stimulate plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to help crops better absorb water; FitoBac FT, which includes three strains of bacteriophages designed to fight bacterial cancer in stone fruit and kiwi; and FitoBac NT, which uses strains of bacteriophages to fight bacterial blight in walnut and hazelnut plants.

The company recently announced a partnership with US-based Ginkgo Bioworks to leverage Ginkgo’s end-to-end agricultural research and development (R&D) services to scale up the production of Exacta’s FitoRoot product. Exacta will use Ginko’s fermentation and formulation services to reduce the cost of producing FitoRoot and make it more competitive.

As awareness grows of the environmental dangers of using chemical fertilisers, Springwise is spotting more innovations aimed at finding more sustainable solutions. In the archive, find affordable, low-carbon fertilisers and the use of microbes to turn methane into soil nutrients.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

A hi-tech kite harnessing the power of high-level winds
CategoriesSustainable News

A hi-tech kite harnessing the power of high-level winds

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: In 2022, wind was the fastest-growing renewable energy source behind solar, and demand for wind power is only going to increase as economies transition to net zero by 2050. What is more, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the average annual growth rate of wind electricity generation needs to get to around 17 per cent to meet the agency’s Net Zero 2050 scenario. 

One sticking point for wind energy, however, is that it’s subject to weather changes, and so can be inconsistent. Hoping to make wind energy more powerful and reliable is Norwegian firm Kitemill, which is tapping into previously underutilised and untapped energy by harnessing the power of wind high above the ground. 

Essentially, the firm’s new KM2 system – an enhancement of the company’s previous KM1 prototype – functions much like a kite. The “kite”, tethered to a generator on land, resembles an unmanned plane with a wingspan of 16 metres. The system has four propellors that are used for about two minutes during both take-off and landing, so that the kite can take off even in low wind conditions on the floor. It is also fully autonomous, so requires no more attention than conventional wind turbines.

Where the KM2 diverges from a conventional wind turbine is in the fact that the latter is fixed, and so suffers from reduced activity in low wind conditions, whereas the KM2 system can change its position. The kite uses LIDAR readings of local wind conditions to direct its altitude and more consistently harness the wind at far higher altitudes, up to 500 metres off the ground.

Video source Kitemill

Kitemill is set to install 12 of its KM2 units for the €7.5m Norse Airborne Wind Energy Project (NAWEP), backed by the European Union (EU) Innovation Fund. 

Springwise has also spotted similar renewable energy projects in the archive, like an underwater kite that harnesses the energy of the tides and heat pumps that harvest the energy of sound.

Written By: Archie Cox

Reference

Harnessing satellites for sustainable travel   – Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing satellites for sustainable travel   – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: When we talk about sustainable tourism, we often think first and foremost about environmental issues. But sustainable tourism is about much more than that. It brings together all aspects of sustainable development, including social and economic issues. According to social enterprise Murmuration, It’s about maintaining a “spirit of the place that values ​​the geographical characteristics of a destination through its biodiversity, its cultural wealth, its heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

Based in France, Murmuration is focused on sustainable tourism and has recently announced the launch of Flockeo – a community platform that allows travellers to choose sustainable destinations.

The Flockeo platform is inspired by the European Commission’s ETIS indicator system, which assesses the sustainability of tourism destinations. By combining satellite and statistical data, Flockeo provides users with information on environmental, social, and economic indicators. This data can be used to evaluate the sustainability of a destination and make informed decisions about where to travel. With this information in hand, Murmuration aims to work together to build a more sustainable future for tourism.

Perhaps most importantly, satellite data can be used to monitor progress over time and ensure that sustainable tourism practices are actually having the desired effect. Without this crucial information, it would be much more difficult to make the case for sustainable tourism on a global scale. Thanks to satellite data, Flockeo is able to provide a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities that exist in certain areas.

In addition to providing data on sustainable destinations, Flockeo also offers an interactive map for users who want to learn more about the destinations that interest them. The map provides a wealth of information about each region, including the ecosystem potential and the risks related to water and urbanisation. The map is also colour-coded so users can quickly assess the impact of human activities on each region.

Other recent sustainable tourism innovations spotted by Springwise include a route planning platform for green and cost-effective travel, a plugin that makes it easy for booking agents to serve disabled travellers, and a climate tool that connects digital checkouts with carbon offsetting.

Written By: Katrina Lane

17th May 2022

Website: murmuration-sas.com

Contact: murmuration-sas.com/en/contacts

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