THE NEWSLETTER OF THE EUROPEAN BIOMASS ASSOCIATION

Editorial

We are now approaching a new millennium very fast. That makes us a little devout. We get a feeling of that it is time to reflect. What can we do to get a better world, or at least a world where man can survive under reasonable conditions? The last 200-300 years of time we have had an extraordinary technical development by using the resources on earth as if we have seven globes to exploit and producing waste in an amount, that the globe has not the faintest opportunity to absorb. Now we have evidences of that the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as a result of too much use of fossil fuels, causes climate changes and floods, storms etc.

Of course these actions are not sustainable. Most of us have the intellectual capacity to understand that, but we act, as we have not. The distribution of prosperity has been anything but fair. Today one of the greatest problems is poverty - 800 million people are starving. We have more wars than ever in modern time. Most of them are going on for economical reasons.

It seems that these reflections will not give us any encouraging prospects. And I realise that if we have an intention to do something about the situation, we must start at a point where we have the possibility and the competence to do something.

What can we do? Of course fight for a fast implementation of sustainable energy sources, and especially bioenergy. Right now we have a great opportunity to do something because the prerequisites are very favourable:

·        The EC´s White Paper on Renewable Sources, which states that the use of bioenergy will be doubled till 2010.

·        The agreement in the Kyoto protocol on decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, which for the EU member countries states a decrease of 8% till 2008-2012 compared with 1990.

·        The EU statement that the import of energy sources has to decrease for strategical and economic reasons.

Then to the point: What is the strategy for AEBIOM´s fight? The tools at our disposal are different depending on whom we try to influence.

European Commission is one of the most important. There we have the AEBIOM position papers. The last one is right now on its way to the Commission. It is called "The European heat market and the Kyoto Protocol". After sending the position papers they must be followed by mutual presentations and calls on persons dealing with the actual questions.

When it comes to the national level, authorities, ministries and politicians have to be influenced.

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Biomass promoters must not underestimate the public opinion. In the long run it impossible to achieve a successful implementation of new energy sources is in a democracy, if the public does not understand why it must be done, and if the economical and technical conditions are not acceptable. That is why it is extremely important to have massive information campaigns and very strong actions promoting effective steering instruments like carbon dioxide taxes and investment subsidies.

The farmers are another very important group. It is not hard to understand the great importance of subsidies and information, when you know, that the EC intention is to convert 10 million hectares from food crops to energy crops before 2010.

Considering this Aebiom and of course its members have a broad mission to fulfil. The fight to promote bioenergy deals with creating opinions, influencing politicians and the work is never finished, but every step in the right direction is a victory, which gives us the strength to go on. So keep on fighting.

Kent Nystrom

President

News from the
eastern European members

– Bulgarian Biomass Association

The National Biomass Association (NBA – Bulgaria) was created a year ago – in the autumn of 1998. In October NBA became member of European Biomass Association.

The aim of NBA is to propagate the growth of different plants for non-food use. NBA aims also to co-ordinate and facilitate the research and development works in the fields of biomass resources, biofuel production technologies, biofuel market in the transport, heat and energy sector, as well as in the field of biomass non-energy products. NBA plans to realise these aims by taking part in different EU programs.

Recently NBA-Bulgaria was involved in the project "Let’s give floor to the farmers" in the frame of ALTENER program as subcontractor of AEBIOM.

 

– The activities of CZ BIOM in 1999

CZ BIOM has approximately 400 members. These members are working in sections of plant growing, biomass burning, biogas making, composting, in international section and section of information centre. CZ BIOM is preparing a section of industrial biomass utilisation.

With support of AEBIOM, CZ BIOM has published two leaflets: Biomass for energy and Heat from biomass. CZ BIOM publishes for its members a bulletin BIOM, organises conferences and educational campaigns. CZ BIOM's web page (http: //czbiom.zde.cz) contains 7 proceedings from seminars, conferences and symposiums, all issues of bulletin BIOM, 5 other publications, a lot of articles, Czech legislation concerning phytoenergy, CZ BIOM's documents, useful programs, discussion forum, e-mail: conference, index of other useful web sites, links on interesting articles and other services.

Present activities:

CZ BIOM co-operates on recording of TV serial about renewable sources of energy. The TV serial will have 10 parts. Every part will last 25 minutes. 30 % of the serial will be recorded abroad. The first three parts should be finished in this year. The serial will be finished till the end of the year 2000.

CZ BIOM promotes planting of energy crops on agricultural colleges. 7 secondary schools throughout the Czech Republic have been growing some energetic species during this year and some other will join to the project next year. Seminars and other forms of exchanging experiences accompany the project. The final goal is to summarise conditions for growing energetic plants in different locations in CR, to introduce these perspective species to students of agriculture and general public and to collect practical experiences.

CZ BIOM has started a campaign "Biowaste", which tries to promote separation and recycling of biowaste through anaerobic digestion and composting. During the campaign a group of people interested in biogas making has been established.

CZ BIOM has drawn up an expert opinion to "National Energy Efficiency Study - The Czech Republic". The study has revealed great potential of biomass for energetic purposes in CR and will be used for decision making by government.

CZ BIOM has collaborated on establishment of a Czech association for renewable energies, which include all important non-governmental organisations active in promotion of renewable energy sources. The main goal of the association is to push proposals of its members to Czech legislation.

– Estonian Biofuels Association

Estonian Biofuels Association (EBA) is a non-profit association, which was founded on 8th May 1998 in Tallinn. EBA is an independent and voluntary alliance of its members. Fields of activity are biofuels research, developing and evaluation to engage environmental, biofuels and energy saving. EBA counts different types of members: energy consultants, scientists, fuel suppliers, district heating companies, technology suppliers, energy services companies etc. The Estonian Regional Energy Centres (REC) initiated the setting-up of EBA basically. The planning and establishment period started in November 1997. EBA today has 21 members.

 

A short overview of the Estonian Biofuels Association's (EBA) activities in 1998/1999

08.05.1998             Foundation of the Estonian Biofuels Association in Tallinn. Adoption of the Statutes.

06-10.06.1998       Arrangement of a biofuels exhibition within the framework of the Days of the Old Town in Tallinn.

01-04.09.1998       An Altener Programme study tour to Finland to gather experience in biofuels.

09-10.11.1998       Altener Event "Energy from Waste and Biomass", Tallinn. Participation in the Workshop and Study Tour.

27-29.11.1998       Participation in the seminar on co-operation in the field of biofuels between Poland and the Baltic States.

04.02.1999             Meeting with representatives of the UN Climate Change Secretariat in Tallinn.

19.02.1999             An appointment with the Minister of Economics, Jaak Leimann, and Head of Energy Department, EII-Mari Koppel, to discuss legislation and the use of biofuels.

21-23-03.1999      EBA assisted in organising and took part in an Altener programme seminar "District Heating and Combined Heat and Power Generation from Biomass. Mini-training seminar and study tours" .

13.04.1999             EBA was admitted in Brussels as an associated member to AEBIOM.

22-24.04.1999       EBA participated in the exhibition ESTONIAN FOREST'99 and organised a seminar in the framework of the exhibition to spread information about biofuels.

11-12.05 1999       Participation in the STEM Seminar "Environmentally Adapted Local Energy Systems" at Lisino familiarising themselves with biofuels usage in Russia.

25-27.05.1999       Introducing EBA in the NOVEM exhibition stand at The World Sustainable Energy Fair in Amsterdam.

14.06.1999             An appointment with Dutch representatives of the Netherlands Businessmen's Association

14.06.1999             An appointment with a representative of OPET Network of EC.

01.07.1999             EBA Board meeting at Mao.

 

Further information: www.af.se/ens/english/REC/default.htm

 

 

 

– Polish Biomass Association

The Polish Biomass Association (POLBIOM) was founded in November 1998 in Warsaw. The association was officially registered in February 1999, and in April 1999 it became a member of European Biomass Association. Today POLBIOM has 59 members, in those 8 are collective ones.

 

POLBIOM is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation the objective of which is to promote the use of biomass in non-food applications in accordance with sustainable development by:

·        Dissemination of information about biomass use for non-food purposes, e.g. for energy production,

·        Consolidation of all participants acting at that sector (researchers, producers, users, farmers, etc.),

·        Working out a strategy of wider introduction of using biomass to national and local energy plans.

Several types of activities are planned in near future:

·        Workshops connected with promotion of existing plants (4 till the end of 1999),

·        Elaboration of data base (in 2000),

·        Editing of bulletin (from 2000),

·        Active participation in forming national policy and strategy by giving information to governmental agendas.

·        Co-operation with Ekomedia Art Found on multimedial project & TV programmes promoting bioenergy

 

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