International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The second decade of the 21st century brought Poland a range of complex challenges in the field of national and international security. Key factors included shifts in the geopolitical environment following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, increased NATO activity on the eastern flank, and the growing importance of hybrid, cyber, and energy-related threats. Poland also faced the need to modernize its armed forces and strengthen state resilience to migration and information crises. The paper analyses the main directions of these challenges and presents the measures undertaken in response, highlighting Poland’s role as a key security actor in the Central and Eastern European region.

The problem is the lack of social consensus in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter B&H), as a plural society (hereinafter PS), which is why it is directed with its segments to the only sustainable joint activity of the segments – the market, and related economic activities. The subject are the characteristics of alternative development solutions – Green Agenda (hereinafter GA), green and circular economy (hereinafter GE, CE) and green consumerism (hereinafter GC), which are in the function of PS. We accept the hypothesis that the unsolved pre-political (cultural) issues of B&H even in the 21st century condition the application of alternative development solutions – GA, GE, CE and GC, which are in the function of PS and its energy security (hereinafter ES). The scientific goals are: 1) description of the peculiarities of PS in B&H, 2) understanding the importance of GA for the Western Balkans and the differences between the linear economic model and GE and CE, and between shallow and deep GC, and 3) explanation of functionality of GA, GE, CE and GC for PS and its ES..Analytical-deductive and comparative methods are used, along with the case study of B&H. The main result is the discovery of the functionality of GA, GE, CE and GC for the functionality of PS in B&H and its ES.

The research focus addresses to installation of PV modules in industry sector in Albania. Due to energy crises, the prices are going higher and with the new regulations that are defined by Albanian government, businesses that are connected to 20kV, 10kV, 6kV transmission lines must secure the energy supply by their selves in open market, since a part of price was covered by government, now companies are facing higher prices. The new price is expected to increase more than 70%, up to 0.16 €/kWh from 0.092 €/kWh. Also, companies that will be in the open market will face price volatilities, hence with the installation of PV modules, reduction of electricity price is possible, since the LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) for the PV in Albania, including 20% VAT tax, is calculated around 0.035 €/kWh. To calculate the effect in electricity price a simulation using RETScreen Expert is performed. The simulations are made for a company connected to a 20kV electricity transmission line where an on-grid PV system 217.28 kW power installed is integrated on the roof. The PV modules covers 52.4% of the company electricity demand, by generating 286055 kWh electricity yearly from which 68% of electricity generated from PV is consumed by the company and 32% is exported to grid because company works 8 h/day and there is not an electricity storage system installed. With the price increment from 0.092 €/kWh to 0.16 €/kWh, the total earnings from PV installed system will be increased by an average 65.3% and if the electricity price in the open market is doubled the total earnings will be increased by an average 85.3%.

The report analyzes the territorial dispute between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia in the context of the development of the main energy projects in Eastern Europe. An emphasis is placed on the Final Award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the maritime border between the two countries in the Piran Bay and especially on the decision for establishment of a "Junction Area", allowing physical connection between the territorial sea of Slovenia with international waters, through the territorial sea of Croatia and the influence of this decision on the opportunities for implementation of energy projects in the region. Additionally, the importance of the North-South Gas Corridor is presented as well as how it relates to the Baltic Pipe project and the Southern Gas Corridor. The report highlights the competition between some of the energy projects in the region. As a result, it is revealed that behind the territorial dispute between Slovenia and Croatia, falsely perceived as an insignificant, lay the confronting interests of USA, Germany and the Russian Federation, further transferred to the regional level, including through the interests of powerful energy corporations as ExxonMobil, Gazprom and OMV, turning the local dispute into a geopolitical vortex.