“New Energy Policy of The Slovak Republic - Renewable Sources of Energy - Approximation to EU“ 16 – 17 September 1999

In the framework of the new energy policy in Slovak Republic, SK-BIOM organised a conference on 16-17 September in Bratislava.

The Ministry of Economy - Department of Energy created a significant document "New Energy Policy of the Slovak Republic" (SR), and the Government and The Parliament of the SR has approved it in October 1999. Open discussion about proposed New Energy Policy was held in August and September 1999.

SK-BIOM and another NGOs have taken part in discussions and contributed to better position of the renewable sources of energy (RSE) in ecology and economy of the SR. Within conference information about energy policy in Austria, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Finland and another countries, which are successful in utilisation of RSE, biomass was given mainly.

Only small part of the potential of RSE in the SR is utilised now.

New energy policy with aims to support utilisation of the RSE can change this situation.

SK-BIOM, AEBIOM and Association of the NGOs -ENERGY 2000 arranged the conference under the patronage of Laszlo Miklos - Minister of Environment of SR and Ministry of Agriculture of SR.

SK-BIOM was the co-ordinator and technical organiser. The Conference was supported financially by ECOPOLIS Banska Bystrica and EKOIL Ltd Bratislava.

 

Let's give the floor to farmers

The project "Let’s give the floor to the farmers" is a new AEBIOM ALTENER project (XVII/4.1030/Z/99-092), with the following partners:

AEBIOM as co-ordinator

Greek Biomass Association (HELLABIOM)

Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA)

Danish Biomass Association (DANBIO)

Slovak Biomass Association (SK-BIOM)

National Biomass Association of Bulgaria

The project is based on the statement that in the White Paper for renewable energy sources, agriculture is expected to produce more than 50% of the additional renewable energies, to be implement by 2010, through energy crops and use of residues. Important efforts particularly concentrated on the farmers have to be invested to realise such a objective, because the farmers' decision to set in biomass is essential. Countries of eastern Europe will also have a major impact on the European agriculture picture.

The project aims at studying the attitude of farmers and improves the awareness about the biomass opportunity. Information together with a follow up process aims at implementing new projects. Results will be revealed to decision makers finally, in order to improve the global framework for biomass.

AEBIOM thanks the European Commission – Altener programme for the acceptance of this project.

 

ALTENER II

With regard to the White Paper for Renewable Energy and the Campaign for Take-Off you can find many attractive opportunities for interesting projects to be supported in the field of biofuels.

ALTENER II, which is managed by DG XVII, the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy, will run for five years, from January 1998 till December 2002. Its main role will be to help in creating an appropriate environment for the Community Strategy and Action Plan for renewable energy sources. The programme will also encourage both private and public investment in the production and use of renewable energy. ALTENER II is focusing on renewable energy sources that are already viable or approaching viability, in that biomass - energy crops, residues from forestry and agriculture, and municipal waste which can be used to produce solid, liquid or gaseous biofuels.

Some of ALTENER II's specific objectives:

·        To implement and complement Community measures designed to develop the renewable energy resource potential.

·        To support the development of an infrastructure that will increase investor confidence, stimulate the take-up of renewable energy technologies and improve the sector's competitiveness.

·        To improve information dissemination and co-ordination at the international, Community, national, regional and local level, thereby increasing investor confidence and market penetration.

·        To implement the Community's renewable energy strategy.

The programme will establish close links with Cyprus and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the renewable energy field.

Particular encouragement will be given to multiregional or multinational projects. Such projects stimulate the transfer of experience and know-how. They also allow promoters to obtain better terms from their suppliers and to take advantage of more efficient financing arrangements such as Third Party Financing.

 

 

Position paper of AEBIOM
The European heat market and the Kyoto protocol

In the framework of the Kyoto protocol the European Union and its Members States agreed upon an 8% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2008-2012 as compared with 1990 levels. It means a rather important effort of about 600 Mt eq. CO₂. Two main strategies can be considered: reduction of energy consumption, increase use of renewable energy sources (RES).

AEBIOM believes that for RES, the heat sector is currently underestimated in its potential to contribute to the substantial CO₂ reduction.

The market for heat is indeed the most important energy form with about 50% of the total energy market (1366 Mtoe in 1995). Besides, consumers for whom the energy price is not a factor of competitiveness use most of the heat.

Considering the fact that electricity is not the more efficient way to produce heat obviously and that current low prices for fossil fuels are not favouring energy savings, renewables have to be considered seriously. As biomass has the biggest potential for growth among renewables, its penetration in the heat market is essential to comply with the Kyoto protocol and the White Paper objectives.

There are many different possibilities to heat with wood. After the old-fashioned wood log systems the wood chips systems came, with the possibility for automation. Wood chips are used mainly in district heating plants and in the wood processing industry. Pellets (small cylindrical compressed wood pieces) heating technology emerged more recently and shows a bright market penetration for single house heating. Due to its high energy density, low water content and homogeneity, pellets are becoming more and more convenient in comparison with fossil fuels.

î