Speaker: dr Borislav Grubor

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INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
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- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
BIOMASS AS A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY

OBSTACLES FOR
WIDER USE IN SEE COUNTRIES
 Speaker dr Borislav Grubor
Director of Laboratory
CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
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INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES

• To point out some obstacles to wider biomass
  use in SEE countries

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
3
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
IMPORTANCE OF BIOMASS AS A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF
ENERGY
Hydro potential (remaining) ? 1.0
Mtoe/year Wood biomass potential ?
1.8 Mtoe/year Agricultural waste
potential ? 3.8 Mtoe/year Animal waste
potential ? 0.5 Mtoe/year Industrial
municipal waste potential ? 1.4 Mtoe/year
  ? Biomass by far exceeds all other renewable
energy resources, potential (access.
econ.) 3-4 Mtoe/year

•   ? Lignite is main domestic energy source
  (but reserves
• for only next ?40 years, even if no new
  units)

  ? Presently ? 50 of energy consumed is
imported
? Potential share ? 1/3 of total energy
consumption (at present ? 1.5)
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INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
BIOMASS AS A FUEL Positive characteristics

• Only a few percent of ash

• Practically no emissions of sulfur oxides

• Does not contribute to the CO2 build-up

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
5
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
However, ...

• Obstacles related to biomass as a fuel

• Technical and organizational obstacles

• Financial obstacles

• Lack of proper legislation

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
6
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro

• Obstacles related to biomass as a fuel

• encompasses a broad range of widely diverse
  types of fuel

• available at different periods during the year
  and in different amounts

• not readily available on the market as a fuel

• biomass is quite different than other fuels,
  such as coal, oil and gas

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
7
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro

• Technical and organizational obstacles

• the fuel cycle logistics has to be tailored for
  each end user

• production of biomass waste, its
  transportation and end use
• may not necessarily involve only one
  legal entity

• a heat generating plant is in most cases of
  secondary
• importance to the end user - tendency to
  divert any possible
• investments to the
  end users primary activity

• necessity for internally organizing new
  activities related to
• manipulation with biomass

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
8
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro

• Financial obstacles

• higher investment costs for a biomass plant

• lack of investment funds

• relatively high interest rates in local
  commercial banks

• These financial restraints intensify technical
• and organizational obstacles

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
9
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro

• Lack of proper legislation

• CO2 taxes (and diversion of these funds to the
  use of renewables)

• lower taxing for use of renewables (especially
  biomass)

• special credit lines for investments in
  renewables

• subsidizes heat and electricity production
  using renewables

• Proper legislation could alleviate some of
• the previously mentioned obstacles

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
10
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
CONCLUSIONS

• Biomass is the most important renewable energy
  source
• in SEE countries

• There are serious obstacles to biomass use
  (esp. in SEE)

• SEE countries need help from EU (CEI other)
  countries

• in promotional and awareness efforts

• in activities related to implementation of
  proper legislation

• in technology transfer and replication of good
  practise cases

• in enabling and providing logistics for
  favourable credit lines

• The Regional Project Proposal must properly
  address
• these issues and set strategies for
  overcoming obstacles

CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003
11
INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCES "VINA" -----------
--------------------------------------------------
- Laboratory for Thermal Engineering and
Energy P.O.Box 522, 11001 Belgrade,
SerbiaMontenegro
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !
CEI Summit Economic Forum Warsaw, 19-21
November 2003