Project: Potential and Competitiveness of Biomass as Energy Source in Central Baltic Sea Region

Project No. CB56

General Aim of the Project: Enhance public understanding about the economic and technical benefits of the use of biomass for energy production, based on studies of biomass availability and its use for techno-economic aspects and environmental protection.

Project Goals: This project is planned as a set of specific activities that address a number of issues related to the use of biomass. Project partners from Latvia and Finland will work together to evaluate all available biomass of the project region, create biomass resource maps, as well as create a model of energy supply and demand to understand the costs of replacing fossil fuel with biomass. Methodology will be created for evaluating biomass resources in order to identify long-term, medium-term and short-term benefits of biomass as an energy source and thus promote its use.

In order to achieve the project goals, the following tasks are defined:

1. Carry out an assessment and analysis of the available biomass in the project regions, determining environmental and techno-economic aspects
2. Carry out a biomass (forest) assessment using satellite methods;
3. Carry out mapping of the available biomass in the project regions.
4. Prepare a detailed biomass resource management plan that includes an assessment of the sites according to the real qualitative and quantitative status of biomass, as well as techno-economic feasibility study on the use of biomass in specific areas, and financial analysis of the implementation of the results of the study (including pilot projects).
5. Carry out quantitative and qualitative analysis of other types of biomass resources available in the project regions;
6. Test available biomass resources in the region to determine techno-economic aspects (including pilot projects).
7. Prepare an informative base on biomass as a technically, economically advantageous and environmentally friendly energy source for local governments, public, producers of biomass and energy. This information will also include guidelines for financial and economic calculations and the development of business plans.

Lead Partner of the Project: Kurzeme Planning Region

Project Partners: 

• Engineering Research Institute Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (ERI VIRAC VUAS)
• Turku University of Applied Sciences
• Ventspils City Council
• City of Turku -– Valonia

Project Duration: 1/1/2012–31/12/2013                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Total Funding: EUR 758,574.00                                                                                                                                                                        

Project Manager: ERI VIRAC VUAS  Liene Riekstiņa (liene.riekstina@venta.lv)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Project website: http://www.purebiomass.eu