A team of researchers from London Imperial College’s Environment Research Group has examined a huge range of research, more than 30,000 separate studies into the effects of poor air quality on human health in the last ten years. The aim is to release/disseminate an evidence based review on air pollution implications through a human life.
The key findings:
Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution begins to negatively affect people before they conceive by lowering sperm count and mobility
Air pollution can also impair normal foetal development in the womb, increasing the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and pre-term births.
Children living in London are particularly at risk of developing lifelong, chronic conditions, including poorly developed lungs, asthma, high blood pressure, inattention and hyperactivity, and mental illness.
The health impacts of air pollution exposure continue well into old age, increasing the risk of stroke, dementia, cancer, multiple longer-term illness including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and early death.
China’s CATL has launched a new semi-solid state battery type, known as a ‘condensed battery’, which is said to offer a 500 Wh/kg energy density while being safer than regular lithium-ion batteries.
CATL is one of the biggest lithium-ion battery producers and one of the primary cell suppliers to Tesla. It is understood that the new condensed battery has an energy density of almost double that of Tesla’s current battery cells.
The condensed battery leverages highly conductive biomimetic condensed state electrolytes to construct a micron-level self-adaptive net structure. This structure can adjust the interactive forces among the chains, improving the conductive performance of the cells and, in turn, increasing the efficiency of lithium ion transporting while boosting stability of the microstructure, reports CATL.
The battery integrates a range of technologies, including ultra-high energy density cathode materials, innovative anode materials, separators, and manufacturing processes, offering excellent charge and discharge performance as well as good safety performance. It believes the new technology ‘will open up a new scenario of electrification centring on a high level of safety’.
CATL is currently cooperating with partners to develop electric passenger aircrafts utilising its new battery technology. Meanwhile, an automotive-grade version of the condensed battery is expected to be put into mass production this year.
The last three nuclear reactors in Germany were shut down earlier this month (April 2023), marking the end of an era. Meanwhile, Finland’s newest nuclear facility has successfully completed trial operations and is now producing at full power for the first time.
EnBW disconnected Unit II of the 1,400 MW Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant (GKN II) from the German electricity grid in mid-April, while RWE closed its 1,400 MW Emsland facility and PreussenElektra shut down Isar II. All three plants had been in operation for over three decades.
The shut-down of Germany’s last three nuclear facilities had originally been planned earlier under the country’s national nuclear phase-out policy. However, in late 2022 the German government initiated a short-term extension of electricity generation in order to secure the country’s electricity supply following Russia Ukraine war and subsequent halting of gas supplies to Europe and escalating energy prices amidst energy supply concerns.
Dismantling of the last three nuclear facilities is expected to take 10–15 years.
The UK, US, Canada, Japan and France reached a new agreement at the Nuclear Energy Forum during the G7 Energy Minister’s meeting in April, which will cut off another means for President Putin to fund his war on Ukraine. New fossil fuel phase out and renewable targets were also announced at the G7 Summit in Sapporo, Japan.
By leveraging the respective resources and capabilities of the civil nuclear power sectors in the UK, US, Canada, Japan and France, the new nuclear agreement aims to ensure the secure supply of uranium fuel through the development of shared supply chains that isolate Russia.
New fossil fuel phase out and renewable targets:
At the Summit, the G7 nations also agreed to accelerating the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels – with a particular focus on coal, by agreeing to work together to stop new unabated coal plants being constructed – ‘a G7 first’, stated the UK government.
However, the Energy Ministers reportedly stopped short of endorsing a 2030 deadline for phasing out coal that Canada and other nations had pushed for, leaving the door open for continued investment in gas to ‘help address potential energy shortfalls’.
New collective targets for the use of offshore wind and solar energy were also announced, with G7 nations to increase offshore wind capacity by 150 GW and solar PV to 1,000 GW by 2030. The UK will account for a quarter of the offshore wind target. In addition, the UK is helping drive forward progress in the phasing out of petrol and diesel cars in the G7, with the group committing to 50% zero emission vehicle sales in cars and vans by 2050. The UK is already ahead of this, having committed to phase out sales of new diesel and petrol cars by 2030, and all major manufacturers having committed to selling 100% zero emission cars by 2035.
Iberdrola is building what is claimed to be Spain’s first hybrid wind and solar plant, in Castilla y León, to the north-west of the country.
Construction is underway on two photovoltaic (PV) plants of 41 MW and 33 MW, which will include more than 170,000 PV modules and will be located in the Burgos municipalities of Revilla Vallejera, Villamedianilla and Vallejera. The solar projects will then be hybridised with the existing 69 MW Ballestas and Casetona wind power complex.
Hybrid generation plants use the same grid connection point and share infrastructures such as the substation and the transmission line for the electricity produced. Furthermore, they are located on land that was already used for renewable generation and allow for common roads and facilities for the operation of both technologies. All of this results in a much lower environmental impact than would have been the case with two independent plants, comments Iberdrola.
At the end of 2022, Iberdrola had 40,000 MW of renewable energy in operation, with plans for 7,675 MW more in the next four years.
A study by Transport & Environment (T&E) reports widespread consensus among European truck manufacturers and industry stakeholders that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) look set to play a dominant role in decarbonising the road freight sector on the road to net zero.
Major truck makers including Daimler, Leyland DAF, Renault Trucks, Scania, MAN and Volvo Trucks are focused on making BEVs mainstream across all vehicle segments, along with new entrants such as Dennis Eagle, Tevva, Volta and others targeting the urban/short haul and municipal vehicles markets, according to a report by Element Energy for T&E.
The UK has set 2035 for phasing-out sales of all new ‘non-zero emission’ heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) up to 26 tonnes, and 2040 for HGVs over 26 tonnes.
According to the Element Energy calculations, BEVs will become the most cost-effective option versus diesel if some key assumptions are made by 2030:
Electricity at 22 p/kWh (if by 2030 the wholesale price is set by renewables not gas).
Diesel costs of £1.40–1.55 /litre (excluding VAT).
Battery costs of £80–130 /kWh.
22 kW DC chargers costing £2,700 each and 350 kW DC chargers costing £135,000, including installation.
Grid connection costs averaging £200/kW (with sites close to existing grid infrastructure possibly below £100/kW).
Battery specific energy of 230 Wh/kg.
Trucks powered by batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion – where existing engine technology is used – would count as zero emissions under the EU plan. The climate rules would apply to all HGVs, with the exception of some special types such as construction trucks, ambulances or fire trucks, which account for about 10% of heavy-duty vehicles sold in Europe.
Charging and refuelling infrastructure is often cited as the main obstacle for an obligation on truck manufacturers to ramp-up zero emissions truck and bus sales more quickly. However, analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E) of public charging infrastructure targets recently agreed under the new EU Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), as well as the additional deployment plans in Germany, and comparison of public charging availability with the projected energy demand of the zero emission heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) fleet in 2030, suggests that there will be more than enough infrastructure to meet current European Union (EU) electric truck targets for 2030.
On trade in goods, the EU currently has a trade deficit with China:
On trade in services, the EU currently has a trade surplus with China:
On April 24th, the EU and Norway have established a Green Alliance to strengthen their joint climate action, environmental protection efforts, and cooperation on the clean energy and industrial transition. The agreement was signed in Brussels by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
In the second half of 2022, average household electricity prices in the EU continued to show a sharp increase compared with the same period in 2021, from €23.5 per 100 kWh to €28.4 per 100 kWh. Average gas prices also increased compared with the same period in 2021 from €7.8 per 100 kWh to €11.4 per 100 kWh in the second half of 2022. These prices are the highest on Eurostat’s record.
伦敦帝国理工学院环境研究小组的一组研究人员对过去十年中空气质量差对人类健康影响的 30,000 多项独立研究进行了仔细研究， 结果发现：
空气污染会降低精子数量和流动性，从而在人们怀孕前开始对他们产生负面影响
空气污染还会损害子宫内胎儿的正常发育，增加流产、低出生体重和早产的风险。
生活在伦敦的儿童特别容易患上终生慢性疾病，包括肺部发育不良、哮喘、高血压、注意力不集中和多动症以及精神疾病。
空气污染对健康的影响一直持续到老年，增加了中风、痴呆、癌症、多种长期疾病（包括呼吸道和心血管疾病）和早逝的风险。
宁德时代 推出了一种新型半固态电池，称为“凝聚电池”，据称可提供 500 Wh/kg 的能量密度，同时比普通锂离子电池更安全。
宁德时代是最大的锂离子电池生产商之一，也是特斯拉的主要电池供应商之一。 据了解，新型凝聚态电池的能量密度几乎是特斯拉现有电池的两倍。
凝聚态电池利用高导电仿生凝聚态电解质构建微米级自适应网络结构。 据宁德时代报道，这种结构可以调节链之间的相互作用力，提高电池的导电性能，进而提高锂离子传输效率，同时提高微观结构的稳定性。
该电池集成了超高能量密度正极材料、创新负极材料、隔膜和制造工艺等一系列技术，具有优异的充放电性能和良好的安全性能。 它相信新技术“将开启以高安全水平为中心的电气化新场景”。
宁德时代目前正在与合作伙伴合作，利用其新电池技术开发电动飞机。 同时，车规级凝聚态电池有望在今年实现量产。
德国最后三座核反应堆于本月早些时候（2023 年 4 月）关闭，标志着一个时代的结束。 与此同时，芬兰最新的核设施已成功完成试运行，目前首次全功率生产。
EnBW 于 4 月中旬将 1,400 MW Neckarwestheim 核电站 (GKN II) 的 II 机组与德国电网断开，而 RWE 关闭了其 1,400 MW Emsland 核电站，PreussenElektra 关闭了 Isar II。 所有这三个工厂都已运行了 30 多年。
德国最后三个核设施的关闭最初是根据该国的国家核淘汰政策早些时候计划的。 然而，在 2022 年底，德国政府开始短期延长发电，以确保该国的电力供应，此前俄罗斯与乌克兰发生战争，随后停止向欧洲供应天然气，能源价格因能源供应担忧而上涨。
拆除最后三个核设施预计需要 10-15 年。
英国、美国、加拿大、日本和法国在4月份的七国集团能源部长会议期间的核能论坛上达成了一项新协议，这将切断普京总统为乌克兰战争提供资金的另一种途径。 在日本札幌举行的 G7 峰会上还宣布了新的化石燃料淘汰和可再生能源目标。
通过利用英国、美国、加拿大、日本和法国民用核电部门各自的资源和能力，新的核协议旨在通过发展与俄罗斯隔绝的共享供应链来确保铀燃料的安全供应。
新的化石燃料淘汰和可再生目标：
在峰会上，G7 国家还同意加速淘汰未减排的化石燃料——特别关注煤炭，同意共同努力停止建设新的未减排的燃煤电厂——“G7 首创”。
然而，据报道，能源部长们没有批准加拿大和其他国家推动的 2030 年逐步淘汰煤炭的最后期限，为继续投资天然气以“帮助解决潜在的能源短缺”打开了大门。
还宣布了使用海上风能和太阳能的新集体目标，G7 国家到 2030 年将海上风能装机容量增加 150 吉瓦，太阳能光伏装机容量增加到 1,000 吉瓦。英国将占海上风电目标的四分之一。 此外，英国正在帮助推动七国集团在逐步淘汰汽油和柴油汽车方面取得进展，该集团承诺到 2050 年实现 50% 的汽车和货车零排放汽车销量。英国已经领先于此，承诺到 2030 年逐步停止销售新的柴油和汽油汽车，所有主要制造商都承诺到 2035 年销售 100% 零排放汽车。
Iberdrola 正在该国西北部的 Castilla y León 建造据称是西班牙第一座混合风能和太阳能的发电厂。
两个 41 兆瓦和 33 兆瓦的光伏 (PV) 工厂正在建设中，将包括超过 170,000 个光伏组件，将位于布尔戈斯市的 Revilla Vallejera、Villamedianilla 和 Vallejera。 然后，太阳能项目将与现有的 69 兆瓦 Ballestas 和 Castona 风力发电综合设施相结合。
混合发电厂使用相同的电网连接点并共享变电站和输电线路等基础设施。 此外，它们位于已经用于可再生能源发电的土地上，并允许使用公共道路和设施来运行这两种技术。 Iberdrola 评论说，所有这些都比两个独立的工厂对环境的影响要小得多。
到 2022 年底，Iberdrola 有 40,000 兆瓦的可再生能源投入运营，并计划在未来四年内增加 7,675 兆瓦。
Transport & Environment (T&E) 的一项研究报告称，欧洲卡车制造商和行业利益相关者普遍认为，纯电动汽车 (BEV) 看起来将在道路货运行业脱碳以实现净零排放方面发挥主导作用。
包括戴姆勒、Leyland DAF、雷诺卡车、斯堪尼亚、MAN 和沃尔沃卡车在内的主要卡车制造商都致力于使 BEV 成为所有汽车领域的主流，同时 Dennis Eagle、Tevva、Volta 等新进入者也瞄准城市/短途和 根据 Element Energy 为 T&E 发布的一份报告，市政车辆市场正在发生变化。
英国已设定 2035 年淘汰所有新的“非零排放”重型货车 (HGV) 的销售，最高可达 26 吨，2040 年淘汰超过 26 吨的 HGV。
根据 Element Energy 的计算，如果到 2030 年做出一些关键假设，BEV 将成为相对于柴油最具成本效益的选择：
电力为 22 p/kWh（如果到 2030 年批发价格由可再生能源而非天然气设定）。
柴油成本为 1.40–1.55 英镑/升（不含增值税）。
电池成本为 80–130 英镑/千瓦时。
22 kW DC 充电器每个成本为 2,700 英镑，350 kW DC 充电器成本为 135,000 英镑，包括安装费用。
并网成本平均为 200 英镑/kW（靠近现有电网基础设施的站点可能低于 100 英镑/kW）。
电池比能为230 Wh/kg。
根据欧盟计划，由电池、氢燃料电池和氢燃烧提供动力的卡车（使用现有发动机技术）将被视为零排放。 气候规则将适用于所有 HGV，工程卡车、救护车或消防车等特殊类型除外，这些车辆约占欧洲重型车辆销量的 10%。
充电和加油基础设施经常被认为是卡车制造商有义务更快地提高零排放卡车和公共汽车销售的主要障碍。 然而，运输与环境 (T&E) 对最近根据新的欧盟替代燃料基础设施法规 (AFIR) 达成的公共充电基础设施目标的分析，以及德国的额外部署计划，以及公共充电可用性与预计能源需求的比较 2030 年零排放重型车辆 (HDV) 车队的数量表明，将有足够多的基础设施来满足当前的欧盟 (EU) 电动卡车 2030 年目标。
在货物贸易方面，欧盟目前对中国存在贸易逆差：
在服务贸易方面，欧盟目前对中国有贸易顺差：
4 月 24 日，欧盟和挪威成立了绿色联盟，以加强双方在气候行动、环境保护以及清洁能源和产业转型方面的合作。 该协议由欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉·冯德莱恩和挪威首相若纳斯·加尔·斯托尔在布鲁塞尔签署。
2022年下半年，欧盟平均家庭电价与2021年同期相比继续呈现大幅上涨，从每百千瓦时23.5欧元涨至每百千瓦时28.4欧元。 与 2021 年同期相比，平均天然气价格也从每 100 千瓦时 7.8 欧元上涨到 2022 年下半年的每 100 千瓦时 11.4 欧元。这些价格是欧盟统计局记录的最高价格。
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