Iran Supreme Leader Urges Nuclear Energy Progress Amid Talks

TEHRAN, Iran — 

Iran’s supreme leader vowed Thursday that his country would ramp up development of its civilian nuclear program, as major world powers continued delicate talks in Vienna to revive Tehran’s landmark nuclear deal.

In a televised speech, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the importance of nuclear energy for Iran, while again asserting that it had no interest in nuclear weapons.

Khamenei’s remarks seemed clearly aimed at the countries involved in the Vienna talks.

“Enemies are making cruel moves against our nuclear energy issue, [putting] sanctions on nuclear energy that they know is peaceful,” he said. “They do not want Iran to achieve this great and significant progress.”

The accord, which former President Donald Trump abandoned nearly four years ago, granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, tweeted late Wednesday that the parties were “closer than ever” to an agreement.

But talks have repeatedly stalled in recent months as Iranian negotiators press hard-line demands, exasperating Western diplomats.

Khamenei, who so far has largely stayed silent on the negotiations, called claims that Iran was pursuing a bomb “nonsense,” saying they were meant to deprive Iran of its legitimate right to nuclear power.

“If we do not pursue [peaceful nuclear energy] today, tomorrow will be late,” he said.

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. But the country’s steps away from its obligations under the 2015 accord have alarmed its archenemy Israel and world powers.

Tehran has since started enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a short technical step from the 90% needed to make a bomb — and spinning far more advanced centrifuges than those permitted under the deal.

US, EU Pledge Closer Energy Cooperation amid Russian Threats

Washington — 

At their first meeting in four years, officials of the U.S.-European Union Energy Council confronted an urgent, short-term priority – bolstering natural gas supplies amid a Russian threat to invade Ukraine – and a longer-term concern: mitigating climate change.

“We’re coordinating with our allies and partners, with the energy sector stakeholders, including on how best to share energy reserves in the event that Russia turns off the spigot or initiates a conflict that disrupts the flow of gas through Ukraine,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken following Monday’s meeting in Washington.

Moscow has threatened to halt the flow of gas to Europe if economic sanctions are imposed as a result of any further Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“This crisis has been pushing trans-Atlantic unity,” according to Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

“In the medium term, there is the climate neutrality,” explained Borrell, who is also the vice president of the European Commission. “In the short term, it’s security of supplies of gas. Both things go together.”

Europe is likely to rely more on the United States for its gas supplies as a result of the crisis. President Joe Biden has pledged to help Europe find additional liquified natural gas from sources in the United States and other countries if Russia-Ukraine tensions cause disruptions.

“We think we can make up a significant portion of it that would be lost,” Biden said at a White House news conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday afternoon.

That is seen by some environmentalists as counter-productive to achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, something the United States and the European Union have pledged to work together to accomplish.

European officials “are not doing everything they need to be to get their addiction to gas ramped down as fast as possible. They’re really convinced that they need gas, and they see the U.S. as a supplier for that,” Aki Kachi, senior policy analyst at NewClimate Institute in Germany, told VOA News. “Generally, in both the EU and the U.S., there’s a lack of understanding about the climate impacts of gas.”

“Germany has decided to phase out the use of oil and gas very soon and by 2045 Germany will have a carbon-neutral economy as one of the strongest economies of the world,” Scholz told reporters at the White House. “It’ll probably be the biggest industrial modernization project in Germany in 100 years.”

The trans-Atlantic partnership has pledged to increase collaboration on reducing emissions from fossil fuels and expanding use of energy from the sun, wind, batteries and hydrogen.

“As we face geopolitical tensions and the challenge of climate change, we need more, not less, trans-Atlantic cooperation,” Kadri Simson, the European Commission’s energy commissioner, said at the meeting’s opening.

European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson speaks during a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles, at th

At the start of Monday’s discussion, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the goals set out in Washington and Brussels have significant geo-political ramifications at a time when energy prices have “gone through the roof” on both sides of the Atlantic amid the threats from Russia.

“This is not just an energy and climate issue,” Granholm told the meeting. “It also is potentially the greatest peace plan that ever existed, to be able to build out energy independence from clean energy.”

Together, the economies of the U.S. and the EU represent about 45% of the world’s economic output, and an even smaller percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions. That means for the world to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the legally binding international treaty on climate change, other major emitters will need to make good on their ambitious pledges.

“If only the EU and the U.S. are taking action, it wouldn’t be enough,” Kachi noted. “But it’s not really the case because China and India and other countries are also major investors in renewables.”

US and EU accuse Russia of using energy as a geopolitical "weapon" | World

The United States and the European Union (EU) criticized Russia on Monday for using the energy supply to Europe as a geopolitical “weapon” for which they promised to intensify cooperation amid tensions with Moscow over the concentration of troops in the border with Ukraine.

This was stated by the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, at the start of the bilateral Energy Council in Washington.

Barranquilla: energy self-generation project - Barranquilla - Colombia

Covering the buildings with solar panels to generate their own energy is the purpose that Barranquilla set for itself and that this Thursday began to become a reality with the protocol signing of the project called Energy self-generation.

(Also read: Woman denounces that she was a victim of sexual assault on a bus in Barranquilla)

The formal act was carried out within the framework of the Barranquilla 2100 plan, which took place in the Crystal Pavilion, on the Gran Malecón, where the mayor Jaime Pumarejo, the manager of Public Lighting, Carlos Sarabia, and the CEO of the group participated. Entoria Energy Colombia S.A.S., Vincenzo Faguioli.

According to official figures from the district administration, the solar panels will be installed in 300 public buildings of the capital of the Atlantic, in order to take advantage of that sun that is felt daily.

“This is the century of revenge for the Colombian Caribbean. We are going to be able to see our cities have a significant level of economic growth and quality of life. Where we are going to predetermine and self-determine ourselves, because we are going to have a certain independence of electricity generation and we are going to have the opportunity to propose great urban transformations in the city, in the Caribbean and in the country”, said the district president.

What are those buildings?

It will give us the opportunity as a region to see ourselves as energy producers and as a pole of attraction for companies

Pumarejo explained that these buildings correspond to hospitals, schools, agencies security, markets and sports facilities, which will have photovoltaic systems with all the certifications required by current regulations.

“It will give us the opportunity as a region to see ourselves as energy producers and as a pole of attraction for companies. I’ll give you an example: the vast majority of electric cars produced in the world are produced in China. 60 percent of production in China is based on burning coal, it is not bad at all, but it means that we are making electric cars with coal”, said the mayor.

Due to the above, he indicated that the invitation that they are going to make to large producers of renewable energy products is that they come to Colombia and the Colombian Caribbean, where it can be said that they are going to produce electric batteries, but with renewable energies, to make it more friendly to the environment.

According to Jaime Pumarejo, the Energy Self-Generation project is already underway as of this Thursday and will be has two years more to catch up with the buildings mentioned above.

The project started yesterday with the protocol signing, by Sarabia (i), Pumarejo and Faguioli.

Photo:

Barranquilla Mayor’s Office Press

The benefits of the project

In the construction stage, more than 300 and throughout the operation, more than 50 jobs

In his speech, the CEO of the Entoria Energy Colombia SAS group, Vincenzo Faguioli, highlighted the economic, technological, social and environmental benefits that will come from Self-Generated Energy.

“The economic benefits are relatively simple: if Barranquilla, Public Lighting and all of us invest in capital, they will save more than 30 percent of the cost of energy and that with our investment. In addition, at the end of 25 years, the solar plants will pass to the District”, he explained.

With respect to the technological benefits, will be seen in self-generation, in the transformation of the city, which will become a sustainable city, according to Faguioli.

“Social benefits, because we generate jobs. In the construction stage, more than 300 and throughout the operation, more than 50 jobs. And environmental benefits, because they are renewable energies”, he added.

In addition to the Entoria Energy group, which invested capital of $20 million, the Pereira Energy Company also appears as a partner in the project.

The operation of self-generation of energy

Taking advantage of this Barranquilla sun that accompanies us for more than six hours a day

It was known that the role that Public Lighting of Barranquilla (APBAQ) will play is concentrated in the formulation, development, operation, financing and installation of photovoltaic generation infrastructure in different public establishments.

The company strategically projects itself as a multiservice entity in the development of new renewable energy sources (wind systems, hydrogen, cold districts) and energy efficiency systems.

“We can be building that future by initiating this Self-Generation project with our strategic allies, taking advantage of the Barranquilla sun that accompanies us for more than six hours a day and with photovoltaic systems installed in all public buildings in the city, such as this building (Pabellón de Cristal)”, highlighted the manager of Public Lighting, Carlos Sarabia.

The official stressed that progress is being made in the solar park development that will generate energy for public lighting.

More details of the initiative

Render of the implementation of Self-Generation of Energy in a hospital.

Photo:

Barranquilla Mayor’s Office Press

In addition, the District announced that the Higher Normal School it will be one of the first public buildings to switch from electrical energy to make way for self-generation of energy or photovoltaic technology.

475 solar panels will be installed on the roof of this educational institution, which will receive the brightness of sunlight, to generate and provide the energy that is consumed by its facilities.

These photovoltaic systems that will be installed are made up of solar modules, inverters, electrical wiring, electrical protections, support structure and bidirectional meters. It will also allow the reduction of 23,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

(You may be interested in: The story behind the Barranquilla signal that generated controversy in Soledad)

Barranquilla Proposal 2100

As reported by the District this Thursday, the Barranquilla 2100 proposal is about thinking and “co-constructing” the city of the future. Due to the above, it was socialized with the presentation of seven projects.

In that sense, the Mayor’s Office has framed them within the ‘Restore, Connect and Grow’ strategies and, in addition, listed them as follows:

• Electricity from the city’s main corridors is generated shade and power.
• Porociudad, which prioritizes the renaturalization of public space, the network of canals and streams, increasing green areas.
• The Urban Rooms identify and adapt underutilized spaces and constructions to create civic and cultural centers in the heart of the different neighborhoods.
• The Vibrant Hearts project proposes the activation of underutilized environments adjacent to sports venues through mixed uses and targeted development.
• The Five Sisters project proposes to convert the areas at risk of landslides into metropolitan parks, avoiding risks to neighboring residents.
• The Magdalena Chain recognizes the potential of the river’s edge to create activation nodes where green areas and public space predominate.
• The Golden Circle is the proposal for a means of elevated public transport that connects the strategic points of the city.

To prevent it from being lost in the attempt, the district president announced a curatorial committee to preserve the Barranquilla 2100 plan, with which they seek to strengthen what they have called a ‘biodivercity’.

Deivis Lopez Ortega
Correspondent of EL TIEMPO Barranquilla
On twitter: @dejholopez
Write me at deilop@eltiempo.com

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Energy Weapon Only 'Plausible' Explanation for Some Cases of Havana Syndrome

Washington — 

U.S. intelligence agencies may have ruled out the idea that a rash of mysterious illnesses plaguing American diplomats and other officials is part of a sustained campaign by one of Washington’s adversaries, but they now say that in a small number of cases the only likely explanation is the use of some sort of weapon.

A report released Wednesday by a panel of experts assembled by U.S. intelligence officials finds that the core symptoms in these cases are “distinctly unusual and unreported elsewhere in the medical literature,” making it highly unlikely the cause could be natural.

“Pulsed electromagnetic energy, particularly in the radiofrequency range, plausibly explains the core characteristics,” the report said.

“Sources exist that could generate the required stimulus, are concealable, and have moderate power requirements,” the report added. “Using nonstandard … antennas and techniques, the signals could be propagated with low loss through air for tens to hundreds of meters, and with some loss, through most building materials.”

The mystery illness was first reported in 2016 among diplomats and other employees at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba.

Since then, hundreds of cases have been reported in Russia, China, Poland, Austria and elsewhere, with symptoms ranging from nausea and dizziness to debilitating headaches and memory problems.

The U.S. government has been engaged in a yearlong effort to find the source of the anomalous health incidents, or AHI, commonly called Havana Syndrome.

An interim report issued last month by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), concluded most of the cases “can be reasonably explained by medical conditions or environmental and technical factors, including previously undiagnosed illnesses.”

However, it warned that a smaller number of cases continued to defy explanation and that, in those cases, officials “have not ruled out the involvement of a foreign actor.”

Wednesday’s report appears to support that conclusion, though officials said the latest effort was not focused on assigning responsibility for the possible attacks.

“There are a small number of the cases we looked at that had no other plausible mechanism,” according to one U.S. intelligence official familiar with the expert panel’s work who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity.

Mystery remains

Exactly how the possible attacks were carried out, though, remains a mystery.

“We don’t have a specific device,” said a second official, who like the first was familiar with the panel’s work.

But the official said the idea that some cases of Havana Syndrome are the result of a weapon of some sort is “more than a theory.”

“We had accounts of people that had been around RF [radio frequency] energy inadvertently and describe symptoms like that,” the official added.

The notion that a directed, pulsed radio frequency mechanism was behind key symptoms of Havana Syndrome — the quick onset of pain or problems with the inner ear, including a loss of balance, dizziness and nausea — was first raised in 2020 the National Academy of Sciences, which called such as source “the most plausible mechanism in explaining” the growing number of cases.

Wednesday’s report affirmed that finding, but also left open the possibility that some of the cases could have been caused by a device using ultrasound technology, though it said an ultrasonic device would only be able to produce the right combination of symptoms if deployed in close proximity to the victim.

Making progress

In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and CIA Director William Burns said the effort to determine the cause of Havana Syndrome is making progress.

“We continue to pursue complementary efforts to get to the bottom of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) — and to deliver access to world-class care for those affected,” they said in a statement.

FILE – Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, left, next to CIA Director William Burns, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 27, 2021.

“We will stay at it, with continued rigor, for however long it takes,” they added. “Nothing is more important than the wellbeing and safety of our colleagues.”

Officials familiar with the work on Havana Syndrome said Wednesday “it’s frustrating” not being able to get a clear-cut, definitive answer as to what has happened to as many as a couple of dozen of their colleagues and U.S. diplomatic personnel.

But they said that despite the many unknowns, the latest findings do offer hope for those who have been impacted.

“We’ve learned a lot,” one of the officials said. “While we don’t have the specific mechanism for each case, what we do know is if you report quickly and promptly get medical care, most people are getting well.”

The report also recommended the U.S. create a central database to collect information on future reported cases, develop a set of so-called “bio-markers” to better identify new cases, try to develop technology capable of detecting an attack, and improve communications.

The White House Wednesday welcomed the report’s findings.

“The [experts] panel undertook a rigorous, multi-disciplinary study that has identified important findings and recommendations,” a National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement.

The findings “will inform intensive research and investigation moving forward as we continue our government-wide effort to get to the bottom of AHI,” the spokesperson added.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday named a top official to lead the government’s interagency response to Havana Syndrome.

Hidroituango challenges before starting to generate energy this year - Medellín - Colombia

Hidroituango, the $18.3 billion megaproject that promises to generate 17 percent of the country’s energy demand, has three major challenges that must be overcome before the first of its eight turbines starts generating in July.

Even if EPM indicates that the construction progress is 86.9 percent and that there is significant progress on all work fronts, the first major challenge is the auxiliary diversion gallery, which was plugged in 2018 and caused the current contingency.

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William Giraldo, Vice President of Power Generation Projects EPM, explained that in 2019, as a result of said contingency, the two gates installed in this gallery, weighing 300 tons each, were closed to prevent the passage of water.

“In recent days it was possible to enter the auxiliary diversion gallery (GAD), a very positive fact for the recovery of the project and for the tranquility of the communities located downstream. With the pumping of the water that was in this area, it was possible to enter sufficient personnel and machinery to carry out the proper cleaning and removal of debris and mud,” Giraldo said.

(Also read: Was it shelved? This is how they reacted to the Hidroituango report in Antioquia)

Due to the pandemic, the visits of the international experts could not be carried out, so the report had a delay of approximately a year and a half to be delivered.

Once the adequacy and cleaning of the GAD is achieved, the construction of the two definitive plugs, 22 meters long, will need to be installed there to consider them definitively sealed. This milestone is expected to be achieved in April.

As for blockages, progress is also being made in blocking the right tunnel, which was the one that was unblocked in May 2018, generating the avalanche in Puerto Valdivia. This milestone is also progressing satisfactorily, EPM said.

Power house, the heart of the work

The other challenge to start operating is that the powerhouse, the ‘heart of Hidroituango’, which was flooded for 271 days, is adequate.

(Keep reading: EPM says that the ANLA is already analyzing Pöyry’s report on Hidroituango)

Work is currently underway to put the first two generation units into service, in July and October of this year.

“The civil works of the first generation unit have already been completed and work has begun on the installation of electromechanical equipment and the control and installation of all auxiliary services. In the generation 2 unit, the emptying of the remaining concrete is carried out. It is estimated that in a month it would be reaching level 217, the same level where unit 1 is located and where work is leveled out so that it can start operating in October,” Giraldo said.

Regarding units 3 and 4, which will be ready for next year, EPM reported that the works are advancing according to the installation schedule of the spiral chambers and stationary rings. The remaining units – 5, 6, 7 and 8 – were used as a temporary area to store equipment.

(You may be interested: EPM explained its departure from ANDI and dismissed political reasons)

To date, EPM maintains the schedule for the first two units for 2022.

Photo:

Courtesy EPM Group

Pöyry report, key to what is to come in the mega-work

And the third great challenge is for the project to recover the environmental license with the Pöyry report, requested in 2018 by the National Authority for Environmental Licenses (Anla) as an expert opinion on the stability conditions of Hidroituango.

The report was delivered at the end of December 2021 and it depends on it that the environmental authority lift Resolution 820 so that the project can continue with the works that are not those exclusive to the contingency.

(In context: EPM received payments of $425.9 billion for the contingency of Hidroituango)

In recent days it was possible to enter the auxiliary diversion gallery, a very positive fact for the recovery of the project and for the tranquility of the communities located downstream.

Jorge Andrés Carrillo -general manager of EPM- indicated that it will be Anla, within the framework of its powers, that must inform, communicate or require everything related to said report on the current stability of the project and the operation of the future power plant. generation.

“Due to the pandemic, the visits of the international experts could not be carried out, so the report had a delay of approximately a year and a half to be delivered. This is an opinion and not a root cause study of what happened in the contingency,” Carrillo clarified.

The manager clarified that the recovery of said environmental license depends on the commissioning of Hidroituango.

(We also recommend: Sura will disburse 100 million dollars to EPM for Hidroituango)

Precisely, this report warns about the risk that the landfill has, which is still in operation and that it is a work that is not made to be in constant operation.

In this regard, EPM indicated that this is their main concern and made it clear that the only option to evacuate the water, other than the landfill, is through the generation units, that is, for Hidroituango to start operating.

DAVID ALEJANDRO MERCADO PEREZ
Correspondent of THE TIME
Medellin
On Twitter: @AlejoMercado10
davmer@eltiempo.com

Energy Contingency Plan in Motion Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis

WASHINGTON — 

The Biden administration has been working with European countries and energy producers around the world on ways to supply fuel to Western European countries should Russian President Vladimir Putin slash oil and gas exports in retaliation for sanctions imposed for an invasion of Ukraine.

“We’ve been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States,” a senior administration official said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday.

The contingency plan is aimed to reassure European allies concerned about the impact of Russia weaponizing its energy supply. Moscow provides approximately 40% of Europe’s natural gas, and European energy stockpiles have been significantly lower in the past few months because of reduced Russian supplies.

FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Alexei Miller, Russian natural gas giant Gazprom CEO, attend a meeting in Novobureyskiy, Russia, on Aug. 3, 2017.

A second senior administration official underscored that oil and gas exports make up about half of Russia’s federal budget revenues, which means that Moscow is just as dependent on its energy revenue as Europe is on its supply.

“If Russia decides to weaponize its supply of natural gas or crude oil, it wouldn’t be without consequences to the Russian economy,” the official said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to confirm reporting that Qatar is one of the countries that the U.S. and European allies are turning to.

“Our approach is not about any one country or any individual entity,” she said while briefing reporters Tuesday, adding that the administration is engaging with major buyers and suppliers of liquefied natural gas to ensure flexibility in existing contracts to enable diversion to Europe if needed.

President Joe Biden is set to meet with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar at the White House on January 31. According to the White House, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies will be one of the topics discussed by the leaders.

While having a contingency plan is important, analysts say it won’t be easy to substitute for existing infrastructure, particularly under the current global supply chain crisis.

“Think of a gas pipeline as a faucet. … It’s super-efficient,” said Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Berzina told VOA that a contingency plan would be “more of a bucket than it is a faucet.”

U.S. President Joe Biden responds to questions from reporters as he meets with his Competition Council in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 24, 2022.

US-Europe unity

On Monday, Biden said there was total unity among Western powers on the issue of Russia’s pressure on Ukraine.

“I had a very, very, very good meeting — total unanimity with all the European leaders,” Biden told reporters shortly after a videoconference with European leaders on the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Some analysts, however, say Biden maybe overplaying talk of unity.

“In Europe, people are not as gung-ho and trigger-happy as they are here in the United States,” said Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School, in New York.

For months, the U.S. and European allies have warned of swift and severe economic consequences if Putin invades Ukraine. But some European allies have been nervous about the impact on their economies, including on the supply of Russian natural gas — particularly during the winter months.

Germany is especially reliant on Russian energy. Berlin has remained ambiguous about whether in the event of war it is prepared to shut down the just-completed Nord Stream 2 undersea pipeline, which will pump natural gas from Russia to Germany.

“Despite all this conversation of the united West over Russia, it’s not as united,” Khrushcheva said. “And Putin knows that.”

On Tuesday, Biden reiterated his position. “I made it clear to Putin early on if he went into Ukraine there would be consequences,” he said.

FILE – The tanker Sun Arrows loads its cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, on Oct. 29, 2021.

But analysts say that in moving forward with his harsh rhetoric on Russian sanctions, Biden needs to be mindful of the political calculation for European leaders.

“The Western European population isn’t necessarily willing to suffer for Ukraine,” Berzina said.

On Monday, the U.S. put 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, amid escalating tensions in the crisis along the Russia-Ukraine border, where Putin has deployed 127,000 troops, according to U.S. and Ukrainian estimates.

The Russian troop deployment is similar to Moscow’s move ahead of its 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea, which triggered a series of international sanctions against Moscow but ultimately failed to deter Putin’s land grab.

“They have not only shown no signs of de-escalating — they are in fact adding more force capability,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said about the Russian military buildup during a press briefing on Monday.

Both countries stepped up their military preparations Tuesday, with Moscow conducting a series of military exercises and Washington delivering a fresh shipment of weapons to Ukraine.