1UA TV

On a grim industrial park on the edges of Barcelona lies a shiny new depot that could hold the key to a future free of greenhouse gas emissions.

In this inauspicious location is a gas station for buses that fill up at night with green hydrogen, a ‘clean’ energy source for transport as well as other niche industries like fertilizers, steel or even whisky makers.

So far eight buses use the depot in a project run by the Spanish energy giant Iberdrola and the city bus company, but the project is set to expand to 64 vehicles. Each can travel up to 200km on a full tank of gas.

As Europe seeks to ditch fossil fuels, projects like this are springing up across the continent and beyond.

Emerging leader

Spain is racing ahead in developing green hydrogen, helped by a growing wind and solar power sector as well as abundant space to house enormous plants needed to make green hydrogen.

Spain accounted for 20% of the world’s green hydrogen projects in the first quarter of 2022, making it second only to the United States, according to Wood Mackenzie consulting firm.

The war in Ukraine has forced Europe to look for other sources of energy than Russian gas with the European Union doubling its production goal for 2030.

“Spain has become a very attractive country for green hydrogen. A shift is happening to mass-scale competitive hydrogen,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in May, the Agence France Press news agency reported.

The sector is in its infancy, but experts believe it could help solve the world’s race to reach a net-zero future.

Green hydrogen is produced by passing an electric current through water to split it between hydrogen and oxygen, a process called electrolysis. It is considered green because the electricity comes from renewable sources of energy which do not create any harmful emissions.

“Spain has a series of advantages in comparison with other countries. It has a renewable energy structure. We have more sun and wind than other countries in northern Europe as well as more space [than other countries],” Rafael Cossent, professor of energy economics in Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, told VOA in an interview.

In contrast, Germany, which has long been a leader in solar energy in Europe, is 1.4 times smaller than Spain and has a higher population – at 84 million – than Spain whose population is 47m.

Cossent said Spain has another advantage over other European countries as it has a large natural gas network and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals that could be used to transport hydrogen.

At present, a drawback has been the high cost of producing green hydrogen which means natural gas is cheaper. But this could be about to change quickly, analysts say

“Blue” hydrogen, which uses fossil fuels, is cheaper now than its green version but the situation should reverse by 2030, according to an analysis by Bloomberg NEF, a research organization.

The Spanish government, which has made renewable energies its priority, last year launched a $1.56 billion project to promote hydrogen over the next three years using EU pandemic recovery cash. With private investments, it will boost the fund to nearly $9bn.

Iberdrola, like its competitors Enagas, has launched a series of projects to get in on the ‘green hydrogen’ boom.

Beacon of change

The Barcelona bus depot, which is roughly the size of a soccer field, is part of a ten-year project which is the first of its kind in Spain.

Similar public transport systems started in London and Aberdeen. Other projects in the United States include a planned ammonia plant.

Whisky producers in Scotland are keen to get in on this clean source of energy.

The Cromarty Green Hydrogen Project in Scotland will have the potential to produce 20 tons of the gas per day from 2024.

Major whisky distillers Diageo, Glenmorangie and Whyte & Mackay want to meet carbon reduction targets so the use of green hydrogen will help make Scotland’s national drink greener.

“Green hydrogen is one of the solutions (to getting rid of emissions). It is not the solution. It is never going to compete with direct electrification,” Millan García-Nola, world director of green hydrogen for Iberdrola, told VOA.

“You cannot find hydrogen in the ground. It is not like natural gas. This process of converting electricity to hydrogen is expensive.”

García-Nola said what mattered for the future of green hydrogen was the commitment of industry to use it to drive down prices.

“If you use this green hydrogen in (the parts to make) a premium car like a Mercedes Benz maybe tomorrow it will be used in a cheaper car like a Renault,” he said.

He warned the race to develop green hydrogen must speed up to meet the EU target of 2030.

“We are on the same page as renewables were 20 years ago, but we don’t have 20 years to make this happen. We cannot wait over 20 years to make this happen. 2030 is only eight years away,” García-Tola said.

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse.
…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing yet another threat to his tenure in the wake of the resignations of two key Cabinet ministers.

Johnson is facing a round of tough questions from angry and skeptical lawmakers during the traditional prime minister’s question and answer session in parliament Wednesday, a day after finance minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid unexpectedly quit within minutes of each other.

The two men resigned after Johnson apologized for appointing Conservative lawmaker Chris Pincher to a key party post despite allegations Pincher groped two men at a private club in London while intoxicated. Officials at No. 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence, initially said Johnson did not know about the allegations surrounding Pincher, but later acknowledged he had been told about previous accusations against Pincher back in 2019.

In his resignation letter, Sunak wrote that the British public “rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

The latest scandal comes just weeks after Johnson survived a no-confidence vote within his Conservative Party after he received a police fine for violating his own COVID-19 lockdown rules by holding parties at 10 Downing Street.

In a resignation letter, Javid said the prime minister had a chance to show “humility, grip and new direction” after surviving the no-confidence vote, but added, “It is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership.”

Johnson immediately replaced Sunak and Javid with other members from his Cabinet, but several junior ministers have followed suit and stepped down from their posts,

Labor Party leader Keir Starmer dismissed the resignations at the start of the question-and-answer session and questioned the ministers’ integrity.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
…

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to participate in this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will take center stage. VOA’s Anita Powell reports.
…

Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday used his first trip abroad since taking office to urge world powers to step up pressure on Iran over its nuclear activities, calling the Islamic republic a threat to regional stability.

Lapid met in Paris on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on Lapid to revive talks toward peace with the Palestinians and said Israelis are “lucky” to have Lapid in charge.

Lapid, who took office Friday, focused on Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the stalled global deal aimed at curbing them. Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies — and says the tattered nuclear deal doesn’t include sufficient safeguards to halt Iran’s progress toward making a bomb.

“The current situation cannot continue as it is. It will lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which would threaten world peace. We must all work together to stop that from happening,” Lapid told reporters.

He and Macron, both centrists, called each other friends, but disagreed over the Iran nuclear deal.

The 2015 deal offered Iran relief from economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities. In 2018, then President Donald Trump, with strong Israeli backing, withdrew from the deal, causing it to unravel. Since then, Iran has stepped up key nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment, well beyond the contours of the original agreement.

Macron called for a return to the 2015 deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but acknowledged that it “will not be enough.” France helped negotiate the deal and is one of the parties in talks aimed at trying to revive it. Israel says that if the agreement is restored, it should include tighter restrictions and address Iran’s non-nuclear military activities across the region.

Lapid called the JCPOA a “dangerous deal,” saying it isn’t tough or far-reaching enough.

He said Israel and France “may have disagreements about what the content of the agreement should be, but we do not disagree on the facts: Iran continues to violate the agreement and develop its program, enriching uranium beyond the level it is allowed to and removing cameras from nuclear sites.”

He heads the centrist Yesh Atid party and was one of the architects of the historic alliance of eight diverse factions that found common ground in opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu, the first governing coalition to include an Arab party.

Lapid will stay in office until the November election and perhaps beyond if no clear winner emerges. Making his first trip abroad as prime minister, Lapid may try to use the meeting with Macron to bolster his credentials as a statesman and alternative to Netanyahu with the Israeli electorate.

Macron used their meeting to urge efforts by Israel toward long-term peace with the Palestinians.

“There is no alternative to a return to political dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said, to revive “a process that’s been broken for too long.”

Lapid didn’t address Macron’s appeal in their public remarks. Lapid, unlike Netanyahu, supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians. But as a caretaker leader, he isn’t in a position to pursue any major diplomatic initiatives.

He and Macron were also expected to discuss Lebanon, days after Israel said it downed three unmanned aircraft launched by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that were heading toward an area where Israel recently installed an offshore gas platform. Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war against Israel in 2006, has confirmed sending the unarmed drones in a reconnaissance mission.

Israel and Lebanon don’t have formal diplomatic relations, but they have been engaged in indirect U.S.-brokered talks to delineate their maritime border. France is a key supporter of Lebanon, a former French protectorate, and Macron has unsuccessfully tried to broker a solution to Lebanon’s political crisis.

“Hezbollah has more than 100,000 rockets in Lebanon, aimed at Israel. It tries to attack us with Iranian rockets and UAVs,” Lapid said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. “Israel will not sit back and do nothing, given these repeated attacks.”
…

Police in Turkey’s capital broke up an LGBTQ Pride march Tuesday and detained dozens of people.

Turkish authorities have banned LGBTQ events, but about 50 people holding rainbow flags nevertheless marched toward a main park to mark the end of Pride Month.

Police officers prevented the group from reaching the park, detaining the participants on a busy street in central Ankara.

Some of the marchers were forced to the ground, angering passers-by who tried to physically intervene or pleaded with officers to let them go. Plain-clothed officers were seen pushing them away.

Organizers said at least 30 people were detained.

A small group of Islamists, who regard the LGBTQ community as a threat, held a counterdemonstration near the park.

Turkey previously was one of the few Muslim-majority countries to allow Pride marches. The first was held in 2003, the year after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party came to power.

In recent years, the government has adopted a harsh approach to public events by groups that do not represent its religiously conservative views. Large numbers of arrests and the use of tear gas and plastic pellets by police have accompanied Pride events.

More than 300 LGBTQ people were briefly detained following a ban on Pride events in Istanbul late last month.
…

The disciplinary board of the International Ice Hockey Federation on Tuesday rejected appeals by Russia and Belarus of the IIHF’s decision to ban the countries from competition over Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine.

In a prepared statement, the board said it agreed with the IIHF Council’s Feb. 28 decision to suspend all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs from participation in international competitions, which was announced four days after the invasion. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation,” for which Belarus is a key staging area.

The panel on Tuesday reiterated language from the late-February ruling, which was described as “not a sanction but … a safety policy.”

The board also said the policy was not discriminatory and was proportionate, explaining that the policy aims to ensure the safety of players, fans and other tournament participants.

The panel on Tuesday also ruled in favor of the IIHF decision to not assign any Russians to serve as on-ice officials during IIHF competitions.

“The independent board supported our view that it would have been an unacceptable safety risk to either host the (world junior championship) and (world championship) in Russia or to have the Russian and Belarusian teams currently participating in IIHF competitions,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif in a statement released to the press.

Russia and Belarus could still take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Neither Russia nor Belarus played at the men’s world championship in May, which host nation Finland won.

Russia was also stripped of the right to host next year’s men’s world championship, which was to be played in St. Petersburg.

Some information in this report came from Reuters and RFE/RL.
…

Southern European countries, including Italy and Spain, are urging NATO allies to address threats from North Africa. As Henry Ridgwell reports from the Spanish capital, while the war in Ukraine dominates NATO’s agenda, Madrid wants the alliance to prepare for other potential flashpoints. Alfonso Beato contributed.
…

NATO members on Tuesday signed the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance. 

Both countries submitted their applications in May, breaking longstanding non-aligned stances in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“This is a good day for Finland and Sweden, and a good day for NATO. With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. 

He added that “NATO’s door remains open to European democracies who are ready to and willing to contribute to our shared security.” 

With the accession protocols signed, each of NATO’s 30 member countries now have to ratify them according to their individual national procedures. 

Both Finland and Sweden have a history of working with NATO as partner countries, including attending NATO meetings and participating in military exercises. 

“As a future member of the alliance, Sweden will contribute to the security of all allies,” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said at the start of Tuesday’s meeting. 

Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said his country looks forward to working with NATO allies to safeguard a “secure and prosperous Euro-Atlantic region.” 

“Together we are stronger in defending the rules-based international order and the principles of democratic freedom and rule of law,” Haavisto said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters
…

The euro slumped to a two-decade low on Tuesday as the latest surge in European gas prices added to the region’s recession worries and a rebound in U.S. Treasury yields sent the dollar on another tear.

Many currencies were under pressure. The euro’s 1.2% drop EUR=EBS took it to its weakest since the end of 2002. Japan’s yen JPY=EBS was near 24-year lows again, while Norway’s crown tumbled 1.2% as gas workers there went on strike.

Economists said the risks of Europe backsliding into a recession were clearly growing after another big 17% jump in natural gas prices in both Europe and in Britain looked set to push inflation even higher.

Concerns about how the European Central Bank will react were gnawing at sentiment after German Bundesbank chief Joachim Nagel had hit out at the ECB’s plans to try and shield highly indebted countries from surging borrowing rates.

“It will continue to be very difficult for the euro to rally in any meaningful way with the energy picture worsening and risks to economic growth increasing notably,” said MUFG’s head of global markets research Derek Halpenny.

Frontline traders who spoke to Reuters said there had also been a major dollar order in early trading, perhaps as U.S. markets had been closed on Monday for the July 4th holiday.

One said that coupled with the energy price angst it caused a chain reaction, spilling into equity markets and bond markets as then speeding the euro’s fall as it broke through its 2017 low of $1.0340.

The heavy volatility also saw the shared currency drop to the lowest against the Swiss franc EURCHF= since the Swiss National Bank abandoned its currency cap in 2015. It fell against sterling too, although the pound’s GBP=EBS own economic and political worries had left it below $1.20 again.

Even the Australian dollar stumbled badly despite the country’s first back-to-back 50 basis point interest rate hike in recent memory overnight, which also cemented the fastest run up in rates there since 1994.

The Aussie AUD=D3 swooped 1% lower to $0.6787, after trading as high as $0.6895 earlier in the day. It is now down nearly 7% this year.

“We have had so many central banks hiking in these big increments that you are now getting talk of reverse currency wars,” said Rabobank FX strategist Jane Foley, referring to where central banks need to hike rates just to stop their currencies from falling.

“It could get concerning” for a number of currencies, she added, especially if the U.S. Federal Reserve pushes ahead with large rate hikes in the coming months as expected.

The dollar’s strength, meanwhile, nudged the yen back down toward a 24-year low. It was last at 135.79 per dollar.

Eastern Europe was also feeling the heat as its countries are some of the most dependent on Russian gas. MSCI’s main EM FX index hit its lowest since November 2020 with Euro-linked currencies such as the Hungarian forint HUF=, Polish zloty PLN= and Romanian leu RON= down 1.6-2.3% against the dollar.

“The fear of recession is once again becoming stronger,” said Stuart Cole, head macro economist at Equiti Capital.
…

Britain’s defense ministry said Tuesday it expects Russia to use the same tactics it employed to seize virtually all of eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk province as it pushes to control Donetsk province and reach its stated goal of holding the entire Donbas region.

“The battle for the Donbas has been characterized by slow rates of advance and Russia’s massed employment of artillery, levelling towns and cities in the process,” the ministry said in a statement. “The fighting in Donetsk Oblast will almost certainly continue in this manner.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory Monday in Luhansk province as Ukrainian troops retreated from their last stronghold in the city of Lysychansk.

Ukraine said Russian forces are now trying to advance on Siversk, Fedorivka and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, about half of which is controlled by Russia.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin in a televised meeting Monday that Russian forces had taken control of Luhansk. In turn, Putin said that the military units “that took part in active hostilities and achieved success, victory” in Luhansk, “should rest, increase their combat capabilities.”

Ukraine’s Luhansk governor, Serhiy Haidai, told the Associated Press on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retreated from Lysychansk to avoid being surrounded.

“There was a risk of Lysychansk encirclement,” Haidai said, explaining that Ukrainian troops could have remained a while longer but would have potentially sustained too many casualties.

“We managed to do centralized withdrawal and evacuate all injured,” Haidai said. “We took back all the equipment, so from this point, withdrawal was organized well.”

Haidai told the Reuters news agency that there was nothing critical in losing Lysychansk, and that Ukraine needed to win the overall war, not the fight for the city.

“It hurts a lot, but it’s not losing the war,” he said Monday.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that Russian forces, aside from pushing toward Siversk, Fedorivka and Bakhmut, are also shelling the key Ukrainian strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, deeper in Donetsk.

Ukrainian authorities said that on Sunday, six people, including a 9-year-old girl, were killed in the Russian attack on Sloviansk, and another 19 people were wounded. Kramatorsk was also shelled Sunday.

The British Defense Ministry intelligence briefing Monday called the conflict in Donbas “grinding and attritional” and said it is unlikely to change in the coming weeks.

The Russian army has a massive advantage in firepower, military analysts say, but not any significant superiority in the number of troops. Ukraine is hoping to counter the Russian onslaught in Donbas with the ongoing resupply of munitions from Western nations, including the United States.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Monday that his country needs economic aid to start rebuilding, even as fighting continues.

“The restoration of Ukraine is not only about what needs to be done later after our victory, but also about what needs to be done right now. And we must do this together with our partners, with the entire democratic world,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy spoke via video at a conference in Lugano, Switzerland, focusing on what it will take to rebuild Ukraine.

“Reconstruction of Ukraine is not a local task of a single nation,” he said. “It is a common task of the whole democratic world.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the two-day conference, which began Monday, that Ukraine’s recovery was “already estimated at $750 billion.”

The conference brings together leaders from dozens of countries as well as international organizations and the private sector.

Also Monday, Zelenskyy met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who traveled to Kiev to show support for Ukraine.

Bach vowed that the Ukrainian flag would “fly high” at the 2024 Games in Paris and said the IOC would triple its funding for Ukrainian athletes to ensure they could compete.

Zelenskyy said 89 athletes and coaches have died in the war with Russia.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
…