EquiMar: The Development of Protocols for the Equitable Evaluation of Marine Energy Systems

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. Smith ◽  
Claudio Bittencourt ◽  
David Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Energy Systems ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
International Standards ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Ocean Energy ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Marine Energy ◽  
High Level

This paper describes a major collaborative project funded through the European Union which seeks to accelerate the adoption of ocean energy systems through providing a rational suite of protocols that will: (i) help to match technology and scale of deployment to site specific considerations; (ii) define acceptable methodologies to evaluate the environmental consequence of deployment; (iii) develop techniques for equitable comparison of the economic potential; for the deployment of small to medium arrays. EquiMar involves 23 European partners, including scientists, engineers, ecologists and developers. Funded through the European Commission 7th Framework Programme [1] (grant agreement 213380), this €5.5 million project aims to produce a suite of protocols that will enable a broad range of stakeholders to judge the variety of technologies in wave and tidal energy on a level playing field. The protocols will reflect the entire development cycle of a marine device: resource assessment and site selection; fundamental engineering design; scaling up and deployment; environmental impact and economic assessment. The project has now been running for 12 months. This paper reviews the intended work over the three year project, but focuses on the development of “high level” documents that will describe the aims and remit of the individual protocols. The high level protocols were conceived to meet two fundamental requirements. EquiMar is an ambitious project in terms of both scope and number of collaborators. There is a need to maintain consistency and clarity as each protocol/ guideline is developed. The high level protocols will serve as a template for the detailed specifications, clarifying content, identifying gaps and links within the overall work and finally will help to maintain focus on the final goals. Externally the high level documents will provide a mechanism for engagement of the many stakeholders. Early feedback on the direction and coverage of the protocols is fundamental to achieving, where practica, a consensus from the diverse ocean energy community. Based on the practices of an international Certifying Agency (DNV) it is intended that the protocols will be fit for guidance and incorporation into proposed international standards. This paper aims to increase dissemination and provoke comment from the International marine community in order that that the final documents will be fit for purpose by reflecting the considered opinion of as wide a body of relevant contributors as is possible, and act as a catalyst to help deliver the potential for marine renewable energy on the international stage.

scholarly journals Polish Experience of Foreign Language Teachers’ Training

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-19
Author(s):  
Oxana Rogulska ◽  
Olga Tarasova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
International Standards ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
High Level ◽  
Teachers Training

AbstractStudying the experience of foreign language teachers’ professional training in developed foreign countries opens up new opportunities for improving the system of pedagogical education in conditions of its adaptation to the requirements of the European educational space. Of a significant scientific interest are the progressive achievements of countries that demonstrate a high level of foreign language teachers’ professional training in accordance with international standards; have rich historical traditions of education that contributes to their leading role in science and education at the regional and global levels; have gained considerable experience in the field of foreign language teachers’ professional training in the new socio-cultural conditions. It is emphasized that the language policy of the European Union demonstrates the crucial importance of language learning in the integration processes. It is also underlined that in modern international documents on the modernization of the foreign language teachers’ professional training it is stated that modern educational transformations should facilitate the implementation of a European dimension in the foreign languages teachers’ training. The establishment of new values related to the search for a multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic Europe depends to a great extent on the ability of the teacher to develop a European consciousness and an individual sense of moral responsibility in a pluralistic society. The paper presents the results of collective scientific research, in particular, the peculiarities of the foreign language teachers’ professional training in Poland are presented and the recommendations on the creative use of constructive ideas of the progressive experience in the process of updating the system of pedagogical education are outlined.

Tidal Energy in Nova Scotia, Canada: The Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) Perspective

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Keefe ◽  
Joseph Kozak
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Test Site ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Ocean Energy ◽  
Overhead Transmission Line ◽  
Marine Energy ◽  
Marine Current

Ocean energy developments are appearing around the world including Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Norway, France Portugal, Spain, India, the United States, Canada and others. North America’s first tidal energy demonstration facility is in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy, near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) is a non-profit institute that owns and operates the facility that offers developers, regulators, scientists and academics the opportunity to study the performance and interaction of instream tidal energy converters (usually referred to as TISECs but called “turbines” in this paper.) with one of the world’s most aggressive tidal regimes. FORCE provides a shared observation facility, submarine cables, grid connection, and environmental monitoring at its pre-approved test site. The site is well suited to testing, with water depths up to 45 meters at low tide, a sediment -free bedrock sea floor, straight flowing currents, and water speeds up to 5 meters per second (approximately 10 knots). FORCE will install 10.896km of double armored, 34.5kV submarine cable — one for each of its four berths. Electricity from the berths will be conditioned at FORCE’s own substation and delivered to the Provincial power grid by a 10 km overhead transmission line. There are four berth holders at present: Alstom Hydro Canada using Clean Current Power Systems Technology (Canada); Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co. Ltd. with technology partner Marine Current Turbines (UK); Nova Scotia Power Inc. with technology partner OpenHydro (Ireland) and Atlantis Resources Corporation, in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Irving Shipbuilding. In November 2009, NSPI with technology partner OpenHydro deployed the first commercial scale turbine at the FORCE site. The 1MW rated turbine was secured by a 400-tonne subsea gravity base fabricated in Nova Scotia. The intent of this paper is to provide an overview of FORCE to the international marine energy community during OMAE 2011 taking place in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

scholarly journals MANAGING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: STRATEGY OF IMPLEMENTATION IN UKRAINE

2018 ◽  
pp. 29-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Gavrylenko
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Small Rivers ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level

The article analyzes the world and domestic experience in relation to the nature issues and classification of ecosystem services, their economic assessment and market formation, and the improvement of the economic mechanism of nature use through the introduction of payments for such services. Ukraine has all the prerequisites for including ecosystem services in the economic relations system. First, it is necessary to coordinate approaches to the nature of ecosystem services, then develop methodological tools for their economic assessment and create a system for managing ecosystem services. On the example of the river ecosystems services their importance for providing the population with proper quality water, flood mitigation, water quality regulation, provision of freshwater fish, recreation, and so on were substantiated. The Government approved the Hydropower Development Program of Ukraine until 2026, which foresees the further construction of hydroelectric power stations mainly on small and medium rivers. During the Program development, a number of gross violations of national and international environmental legislation and the provisions of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union were committed. Water management should be based on a basin management principle that is in line with the principles of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Based on the results of the conducted research the following conclusions have been made: The main reason for the critical state of small rivers in Ukraine is a high level of economic load in their catchment basins, an outdated system of wastewater treatment. To restore water supply ecosystem services, it is necessary to increase the natural water content of the rivers, stop the deforestation and plow the coastal lands, drain the bogs in the upper part of the basin, which will ensure the rivers flow throughout the channel. In order to introduce a mechanism for the ecosystem services provision in Ukraine, systematic identification and evaluation of ecosystem services should be carried out in the first place according to their types, territorial, geographical, climatic and other features. After the necessary ecological and economic measures in the hydropower and other sectors of the economy are carried out, inventories and assessments of the benefits derived from the using of ecosystem functions by economic agents and other stakeholders should be identified.

scholarly journals Resource Assessment of Tidal Stream Power in Pakiputan Strait, Davao Gulf, Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 7233-7239
Author(s):  
E. V. Palconit ◽  
J . R. Villanueva ◽  
N. J. Enano ◽  
M. J. Buhali ◽  
A. C. Mascariñas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Resource ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Stream Power ◽  
Marine Energy ◽  
Current Profiler ◽  
Energy Conversion Systems

During the last years, there are ongoing efforts on the development of tidal energy conversion systems in the Philippines. This study conducts tidal energy resource assessment in the Pakiputan Strait following a methodology outlined as stage 2a tidal resource assessment published by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). The study assessed the preliminary results of the tidal velocities at Pakiputan Strait with a mean spring peak velocity (Vmsp) of 1.7m/s at 3m from the water surface from 15 days of continuous data collection using a seabed-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler. This corresponded to an estimated Annual Energy Production (AEP) of 1350kWh/y for 1m2 of capture area of the generic device. Sensitivity analysis showed that the spatial distribution of hydrodynamic model results does not vary significantly with variations in certain input parameters. It further showed that a 10% decrease in the nominal value of Vmsp on-site led to a 15% decrease in the nominal value of AEP, while a 10% increase in the nominal value of Vmsp led to a 30% increase in the nominal value of AEP, assuming that the considered Vmsp still corresponded to the velocity distribution from observations. A static survey and the use of computational fluid dynamics modeling are recommended to further enhance the analysis of the study.

scholarly journals Food Security Measures and Labor Regulations in the EU-MERCOSUR Agreement: An Overview of the Legal Challenges

2020 ◽  
pp. 224-248
Author(s):  
Mauro Pucheta ◽  
César Álvarez Alonso ◽  
Carlos Ruiz Macho
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
International Standards ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Member States ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Labor Regulations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

In June 2019, the European Union and Mercosur reached a political agreement in order to sign a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA), which aims to increase interregional trade and to further develop cooperation in non-commercial areas, such as food security and labor regulations. The EU has a normative power through which it intends to export its values and standards. Upon the ratification of this agreement, MERCOSUR and its Member States will certainly need to reform their legal orders so as to align themselves with the food security international standards such as the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties. It may also have an impact upon intellectual property regulations. Labor standards constitute another key aspect of the non-commercial interests of this agreement. In order to avoid social dumping, the EU may require MERCOSUR Member States to ratify ILO Conventions such as the 87 – which has not been ratified by Brazil yet – in order to guarantee a level playing field. Since the final text is currently being discussed, the impact of this agreement will largely depend upon the political will of both parties.

IFRS IMPLEMENTATION AS ONE OF THE FACTORS FOR IMPROVING THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE IN UKRAINE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kateryna Sova ◽  
◽  
Natalia Yatsenko ◽  
Denys Zagirniak ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Investment Climate ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the study of the impact of the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on changes in the investment climate in Ukraine. The relevance of the topic is that improving the practice of applying IFRS as a tool for exchanging financial information is one of the key conditions for improving the investment climate in Ukraine. The authors have created the generalized scheme that illustrates the chronological list of enterprises that are required by law to prepare financial statements in accordance with IFRS. It was noted that in 2018, in accordance with Part 2 of Article 12 of the law on accounting and financial reporting in Ukraine and resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 547 from 11.07.2018, the criteria of enterprises that are required to prepare financial statements in accordance with IFRS were updated. This step significantly increased the level of application of international standards due to the adoption of such a decision at the legislative level. The dynamics of the number of IFRS enterprises in Ukraine was analyzed. The analysis showed that over the past three years, the number of almost all enterprises that must apply international standards has been growing. The advantages of using IFRS for different users of financial statements were determined. It was determined that the priority users of IFRS financial statements are investors. At the same time, it was noted that the main advantage for other users of financial statements prepared in accordance with international standards is the improvement of the investment climate. The dynamics of the Investment Attractiveness Index of Ukraine based on the Likert scale in the period from 2016 to 2020 was analyzed. The direct investment receipts to Ukraine from the European Union countries were studied. The dynamics of direct investment in the Ukrainian economy was analyzed for two types of economic activities that should form financial statements in accordance with IFRS, namely, the extractive industry and quarrying, as well as financial and insurance activities.

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