Prices for greenhouse cucumbers in Ukraine are still rising rapidly. They are now already significantly higher than last year.

The main reason for the rise in prices was the limited supply of cucumbers on the market. Most of the Ukrainian greenhouses have already completed the sales season for cucumbers.

Supplies from the external market, in particular from Turkey, are rather unstable.

At this point in time, local greenhouses are selling cucumber at 48-55 UAH/kg ($1.76-2.02/kg), which is on average 11% more expensive than last week.

At the same time, only a few Ukrainian greenhouses are selling cucumbers today, and almost all of them are shipped to retail chains.

Prices for Turkish cucumbers have also increased significantly this week. At the moment, imported cucumbers are sold at 38-46 UAH/kg ($1.40-1.69/kg).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources of Oman has signed five agreements worth RO3.581mn with local investors. The projects will be spread over an area of 1.470mn sqm.

On the occasion, Dr. Saud bin Hammoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, said, “These projects will enhance and help achieve food security. The ministry will continue to increase the number of food projects and also job opportunities for young people.”

The agreements include a project called Desert Oasis for the production of non-traditional vegetables and fruits, field crops and grains at a cost of RO751,000.

The project aims to improve self-sufficiency through the use of modern irrigation systems.

The project will include the establishment of a farm to produce commercial vegetables and fruits in the wilayat of Suwaiq on an area of 100 acres. Estimated production of 2,700 tonnes of figs and field crops is expected from the project annually.

A greenhouse project will be built on an area of 50 acres in tSuwaiq aiming to produce vegetables and fruits – 1,200 tonnes annually – in 80 greenhouses.

This project aims to enhance food security, increase agricultural production and rationalize water consumption.

The farm will be accessible to visitors to learn about farming methods and include freshwater fish farming, hydroponic cultivation of vegetables and fruits, and seasonal fruits grown in open fields.

Located in the wilayat of Bidiyah on an area of 100 acres, the project is worth RO1.3mn. It is expected to produce 3,200 tonnes of vegetables and fruits, and 60 tonnes of fish annually.

Under efforts to expand its business and renewable energy capacity in Greece to 500MW by 2025, EDP Renewables has constructed and inaugurated a 45MW wind energy plant.

The plant is EDP Renewables’ first wind energy farm in Greece and is expected to help avoid 48,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum, thereby helping to decarbonise the Greek economy and EDP’s operations.

The plant is sited near the town of Malesina in central Greece and is expected to produce enough electricity to power over 28,000 households.

EDP Renewables says it will invest over €500 million ($564,9 million) to expand its renewable energy business in Greece through 2025, as the company seeks to expand its role in the country’s energy transition.

Expanding the renewables portfolio will also enable consumers to be provided with affordable electricity.

Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP and EDP Renewables, said: “The country’s commitment to Renewables presents a great opportunity for the company, and we plan to continue to explore opportunities that both strengthen our leadership position in the renewable energy sector and boost the country’s energy transition.”   

In 2018, renewable energy accounted for 12% of the country’s energy mix, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and increased investments and the enactment of supporting local and regional policies expanded the share to 40% in 2020.

Today, Greece is able to avoid 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions owing to the installed renewables capacity.

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy has set a target to increase renewables’ share in the energy mix to 35% by 2030 with up to €20 billion ($22.5 billion) in investments anticipated to be mobilised through the Greek Energy and Climate Plan for clean energy infrastructure development and energy efficiency programmes.

In late November, the Greek government secured €2.27 billion ($2.58 billion) in funding from the European Commission to fund the development of onshore wind, photovoltaic, and solar with storage, biogas, biomass, landfill gas, hydroelectric power, concentrated solar power, and geothermal power plants.

Spanish energy company Iberdrola and Swedish steel manufacturer H2 Green Steel have signed an agreement to build a green hydrogen plant with an installed capacity of 1,000MW.

The plant, costing an estimated 2.3 billion euros, will provide clean fuel to power a direct steel reduction furnace with a capacity to produce around 2 million tonnes of green steel per year.

The use of clean power will reduce CO2 emissions by 95%, according to Iberdrola.

“Large-scale green hydrogen production will be essential for heavy industry’s transition to more sustainable ways of operating,” said Henrik Henriksson, CEO of H2 Green Steel.

“By sharing the common goal of reducing emissions in hard-to-decarbonise industries, starting with steel in Europe, we are taking a truly global and innovative approach to green hydrogen production. Iberdrola brings invaluable experience, technology and know-how, which will enable us to scale up our green steel projects”

The site will be located on the Iberian Peninsula, where several possible locations are being considered. The goal is to commence production in 2025 or 2026.

Aitor Moso, Iberdrola’s director of deregulated business, said: “Green hydrogen will be a key technology in the decarbonisation of heavy industrial processes, such as steel production.

“Innovative projects such as this will help accelerate the commercialisation of larger and more sophisticated electrolysers, making green hydrogen more competitive.

“With access to low-cost renewable energy supplies, and a highly skilled workforce, the Iberian Peninsula can play a key role in Europe taking a global lead in the development of this green technology.”

The electrolyser with a 1GW capacity will be jointly operated by the two companies, with Iberdrola supplying renewable energy to the plant, while the production of green molten steel and all downstream metallurgical processes will be operated and owned by H2 Green Steel.

Ansaldo Energia has commenced a project to improve the efficiency of the EP Produzione thermoelectric plant in Tavazzano and Montanaso, Lodi province, Italy.

Civil works have started and will see Ansaldo Energia construct a new, latest generation combined cycle power plant with approximately 800MW capacity.

Ansaldo Energia will construct and maintain the production unit, from the foundations to the start-up. The combined cycle will consist of a GT36 H-Class gas turbine, two generators and a steam turbine.

“We are very proud that EP Produzione has chosen Ansaldo Energia for the upgrade and the efficiency of its Tavazzano and Montanaso plant,” said Giuseppe Marino, CEO of Ansaldo Energia.

“We are making available our best skills and most innovative technology to guarantee EP Produzione the success of this project and, at the same time, support Italy on its path towards the energy transition”.

The technology of the GT36 will ensure greater flexibility and faster commissioning, according to Ansaldo Energia, essential if the share of renewable sources is not sufficient.

“It is a great satisfaction to be able to start working on this project we are quite keen on” says Claudio Nucci, Chief Operating Officer of Ansaldo Energia. “We took the first steps of this collaboration in the difficult time of the pandemic, but we managed to reach this work start date on time, ready to support EP Produzione and work in full compliance with the agreed deadlines”.

The start of the commercial operation is scheduled for 1 November 2023.

Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, has visited the site of the ongoing oil leak in Nembe, 25 days after the incident was reported on Nov 5, describing it as the worst he had seen in his lifetime.

An oilfield operated by AITEO Exploration and Production Company Limited has been spilling crude unabated into the Santa Barbara River and Nembe creeks since Nov 5.

Diri’s visit is coming after President Muhammad Buhari dispatched to Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to show empathy to residents impacted by the spill.

Sylva expressed satisfaction with the response plan to the leak incident which involved intensified recovery of spilled crude, deployment of booms to keep the spill from spreading further.

The management of Aiteo had enlisted foreign experts from Boots and Coots, a Halliburton company, who are currently working to cap the leaking well.

Diri claimed that an estimated two million barrels of crude has reportedly been spilled into the river, polluting the flora and fauna of the area.

However, sources close to the oilfield said that, so far, five barges of 1,000 barrels capacity consisting of mixture of crude and water has been evacuated since the oil recovery commenced three weeks ago.

Diri said the continuous spillage has further endangered the lives of people of Nembe in Bayelsa and indeed the Niger Delta.

Diri expressed shock over the quantity of crude that has been spilled into the environment, called on the Federal Government and operators of the oil field to immediately take action to stop it.

According to him, the prolonged oil spill into the water and air had an immediate and long term effect on the health of the inhabitants.

While assuring the people that appropriate measures would be taken to seek redress, he noted that the quest by oil firms to make money would not be at the expense of the lives of the people. 

He expressed empathy with the Nembe people, whom he said have lost their means of livelihood due to the spill while appreciating them for their peaceful disposition.

“Today happens to be a very dark day for me. What we have seen, I believe, is worse than what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. In all my life, I have not seen such magnitude of oil spillage.

“Our people are endangered. Our people’s source of livelihood is endangered. I empathise and sympathise with the people of Nembe on behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State.

“I like to give you hope that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Your government will activate every constitutional means to arrest and redress this magnitude of oil spill.

“I therefore call on the Federal Government, the operators of the oil field, NNPC and AITEO to immediately look for a superior technical know-how to contain and stop the spread of the oil.

“For Bayelsa, the only thing we know how to do best is fishing. Today, our own fishing route is endangered. I equally call on the Federal Government to immediately react and ensure that our fishing route is safe.” Diri said.

Diri directed the State Emergency Management Agency and Ministry of Health to immediately provide relief materials and healthcare services to the people.

The management of AITEO had visited the impacted community and donated four truck loads of food items, medical supplies and cash gift of N5 million and pledged to stop the leak in the shortest possible time.

The Federal Government has promised to address the concerns raised by the Ogoni community about the on-going environmental remediation of oil impacted sites in the area being carried out by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, made the promise while addressing community leaders, youths, women groups and other stakeholders in Ogoni at a forum held in Bori, the Council Headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

She explained that the essence of the meeting was to interact with them to find out the areas of the project they think needed improvement to better deliver on the mandate of the project and not the usual reading of prepared speeches.

“I would like to hear from you, and I will respond and tell you what we have planned for the Ogoniland clean-up project.

“I know we are behind schedule in some key areas, and I appreciate the concerns you raised here today about the project as this will help us to work together to fast track the process taking into consideration benefits to the communities,” she said.

Ikeazor added that the youths would be engaged as Environmental Surveillance Officers. “We want to work with the youths and women groups to acquire the skills and be empowered for sustainable living so that we would not be doing this over and over again,” she added.

Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Philip Shekwolo, in his opening remarks, briefed the stakeholders on the achievements of the project in the areas of remediation, provision of potable water, and livelihood training programmes, among others.

In his submission, His Royal Majesty, King Godwin N. K. Gininwa, the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, said that though HYPREP is not for only Ogoni, Ogoni people should be considered first before other communities as they have suffered so much degradation in their land.