1. Renewable Energy in Lithuania
The
Lithuanian national solar program 2000-2005 has been worked out with the aim of
accelerating the development and deployment of renewable energy in Lithuania.
The current situation may be defined as follows:
- relatively scanty investments in renewable energy technologies
- inadequate coordination among various scientific and state governing institutions as well
as among economy subjects working in the field on renewable energies
- the shortage of law and legal acts facilitating and promoting the development of
renewable energies in Lithuania.
Two
Programs regulate the development of renewable energies in the World and
European Union.
The
World Solar Program 1996-2005 underlines the enormous role of solar and other
kinds of renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, water, biomass to the
mankind future. Solar photovoltaics, large and small hydroelectric plants, wind
turbine generators, biomes fuel are currently regarded as the most promising
renewable energy technologies. The role of renewable energy development is
already acknowledged in reducing the environmental pollution. It is pointed out
that the increasing dependence of many developed and developing countries on
the oil and natural gas import from several state-producers poses some danger
to their national security. Developed as well as developing countries should be
interested in the environmental protection and should seek to utilize at most
renewable energy sources. The solar energy can diminish environmental damages,
atmospheric pollution, greenhouse effect. The development of solar energy must
be identified and integrated in the national policy of every country.
Non-governmental institutions are very important for the development of
renewable energy. The sustainable renewable energy should be implemented on
international and national levels. The strategy should be based not only on
technical and economic criteria but also taking into consideration the
interaction between energy and society, social and cultural dimensions.
Governments ought to create proper conditions for industry and private sector
to develop renewable energy technologies. Free market rules hamper the resolute
and rapid development of renewable energies even in economically strong
countries despite evident social, environment-protective and economic benefits.
The
national energy legislation should lessen the influence of state energy
monopolies and establish guaranteed prices for the purchase of electricity
from grid-connected producers. The development of renewable energy and its
technologies is the strategy of business initiative and employment issues. The
renewable energy development can enhance employment five-fold as compared with
that of fossil energetic. It also helps promoting tourism to remote areas and
locations. Favorable conditions have to be created for the development of
domestic business oriented to production of renewable energy components since
it promotes employment and reduces foreign debts. Joint stock enterprises with
the involvement of industrialized and developing countries should be favored.
The
following directions in global activities have been recognized:
- global
education and training in the field of renewable energy. Education and training
should involve engineers, economists, officials, technicians and end-users. To
this end, research and application centers should be strengthened, available
specialists trained, end-users stimulated to employ more effectively various
equipment and devices
- system
of the international renewable energetic information and communication. World
Solar Program involves a great deal of initiatives, projects, tasks, activity
spheres, therefore, it is imperative to disseminate information, establish
reliable communications, provide a possibility for publishing analysis data,
“know-how” and transfer technologies as well as unify them
- renewable
energy for remote areas and locations. There are more than 400 million families
in the world living in remote regions and deprived of electricity. The quality
of their life must be improved through satisfying their basic needs (water
pumping, lighting, audio-visual aids)
- industrial
policy of renewables, introduction into market, technology transfers. At
present laws, financial mechanisms of engineering and innovations limit and
restrict the renewable energy development. The renewable energetic integration
into planning procedures and project preparation should be formulated and
regulated. The helplessness of local and regional financial institutions should
be eliminated, professional associations and marketing specialists united,
mobilized resources for programs, the market assisted paying more attention to
researches and development, the private sector stimulated.
In
the White Paper of European Union (Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of
Energy. White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan COM (97) 599 final
(26/11/97)) is stressed that renewable energies in EU are utilized inadequately
covering only 6% of consumed energy, while it could lessen the dependence on
energy import which currently makes up 50% and which would constitute 70% in
2020. The renewable energy could create new job places in small- and
medium-sized enterprises. The modular character of renewable energy sources
allows their consecutive introduction. Renewable energy also plays important
role in reducing harmful emissions of greenhouse gases down to expected 15% in
2010 as compared with 1990. Biomes, wind and solar energy have a tremendous
unused potential. Wind turbines and solar thermal collectors are in the stage
of introduction into operation. Biomes and small hydro power plants became
quite real from the economic point of view. Solar photovoltaics, whose costs
are rapidly falling, is more dependent upon favorable conditions as yet.
However, the cost of conventional fuel does not reflect the objective cost,
which should include the compensation for environmental damages. Renewable
energy currently constitutes 1 to 25% of the overall energy in EU countries:
| Country
| 1990
| 1995
|
| Ireland |
1.6 |
2.0 |
| England |
0.5 |
0.7 |
| Austria |
22.1 |
24.3
|
| Belgium |
1.0 |
1.0 |
| Denmark |
6.3 |
7.3 |
| Finland |
18.9 |
21.3 |
| France |
6.4 |
7.1 |
| Germany |
1.7 |
1.8 |
| Greece |
7.1 |
7.3 |
| Italy |
5.3 |
5.5 |
| Spain |
6.7 |
5.7 |
| Luxembourg |
1.3 |
1.4 |
| Netherlands |
1.3 |
1.4 |
| Portugal |
17.6 |
15.7 |
| Sweden |
24.7 |
25.4 |
| European Union |
5.0 |
5.3 |
Renewable
energy makes up 6.4% in Lithuania and it takes the 8th
position in this table.
The
further development of renewable energy will depend on long-term stable
programs involving political, legislative, administrative, economy and market
aspects, employment policy, agriculture, researches, technologies,
demonstration, regional and foreign ties.
Countries-participants predetermine the implementation of this activity plan. EU proposed measures
should be adapted to specificity of country concerned taking into account its
social, economic, environment-protective, energetic and geographic situation as
well as its physical and technical potential of research and development.
1 000 000 roof photovoltaics power equipment, 15 000 MW wind and 1 000 MW biomass
energy power equipment are planned to install. The envisaged budget grant for
renewable energies is equal to that now assigned to atomic energetic.
The
following development is foreseen in White Paper for sources of renewable
energy in EU:
| Energy kind |
1995 |
2010 |
Increase, times |
| Wind power |
2.5 GW |
40 GW |
16.0 |
| Hydro plants |
92 GW |
105 GW |
1.14 |
| large |
82.5 GW |
91 GW |
1.10 |
| small |
9.5 GW |
14 GW |
1.47 |
| Photovoltaics |
0.03 GW |
3 GW |
100.0 |
| Biomass |
44.8 Mtoe |
135 Mtoe |
3.0 |
| Geothermy |
|
|
|
| electricity |
0.5 GW |
1 GW |
2.0 |
| heat |
1.3 GW |
5 GW |
3.85 |
| Solar collectors |
6.5 mln. m2 |
100 mln. m2 |
15.38 |
| Solar passive |
- |
35 Mtoe |
- |
| Other |
- |
1 GW |
- |
The
wind energy has created 30 000 job places in Europe thus far. Biomass is
creating many job places in agriculture. Photovoltaics need many operators and
maintenance places as photovoltaics power plants and equipment are not large.
Hydroenergy is not expected to create many job sites. In 2010 renewable energy
is anticipated to create the following number of job sites: wind – 190
000 – 320 000, photovoltaics – 100 000, biomass – 1 000 000,
solar thermal collectors – 150 000. The renewable energy export from EU
is expected to reach 17 billion euros in 2010.
At
present the following programs covering the utilization of local and renewable
energy sources are under way in Lithuania:
1.
National program on increasing the energy consumption efficiency
(1999-2000). The III direction of the program is titled “Consumption of
local resources, waste and renewable energy sources”. Part of activity is
sustained by budget, another part - by PHARE program and other international
programs and funds. According to this program, scientific research, technology
development and implementation are carried out aimed at expanding and speeding
up utilization of local and renewable energy resources in the country.
2.
Biofuel
and bioenergy production and utilization programme.
The programme is financed from municipal budgets.
3.
Science program “
Solar
and others renewable energy sources for agriculture”
(1996–1999) which is coordinated by Institute of Agricultural
Engineering. The program is funded by Lithuanian State Scientific and Study fund.
4.
UNESCO participation program “
Development
of the Lithuanian Solar Program 2000-2005 and its implementation into the World
Solar Program 1996-2005
”.
The program is coordinated by Institute of Lithuanian Scientific Society and
funding by UNESCO.
In
addition, the following studies have been performed by foreign and local
experts and the data obtained are employed in works on renewable energy sources:
- Lithuania
local resources. Lahmeyer International firm (1994) together with local experts
performed the study
- Firewood
fuel and the conversion investigation. The study was done by “Carl Bro
Energy a/s” (1994) along with local specialists
- Lithuanian
local energy resources. The study was performed by COWL-ALLPLAN-ETNA in 1998
together with local specialists.
In
1992 the Government of Republic of Lithuania approved the National Program on
increasing the energy utilization efficiency which was renewed in 1996. In the
same year, basic measures have been approved for the implementation of the
program (1996-2000).
The
program is being implemented according to identified priorities by the
government of Lithuanian Republic. One of priorities is the utilization of
local energy resources and renewable energy sources. The basic state resources
of renewable and local fuel and their utilization sequence, which was
identified after economic and technical assessment, are as follows: firewood
and its waste, peat, straw, hydroenergy, biogas, geothermal energy, partly
– household waste, solar and wind energy. The importance of utilization
of the above-mentioned resources of local fuel and renewable energy in the
country is stressed in the Energetic Law and National energetic strategy as
well as in the study of foreign and local experts.
In
the table below, the anticipated annual energy amounts of mentioned resources
and the comparison with actual figures in 1994 are presented:
| Resources |
Anticipated energy production, TWh/year |
Share in % |
| Imported fossil fuel |
90.0 |
100 |
Biomass
- peat
- wood
- straw
- municipal waste
- biogas
Geothermy
Hydropower
Solar energy
Wind power
|
10.4
0.8
1.5
3.0
0.15
|
11.5
0.9
1.7
3.3
0.2
|
| Total: |
15.85 |
17.7 |
Model
and primary objects are envisaged in the program and they should be erected for
demonstration purposes and could generate approximately 8% of planned energy
using renewable energy sources.
| Energy source |
Produced GWh/year |
Investment
mln. Lt Lt/kW |
| Vegetable biomass and peat | 933.5 | 191.6 | 600-3530 |
| Geothermy | 210.0 | 80.0 | 3200 |
| Hydroenergy | 2.35 | 2.0 | 5000 |
| Biogas | 4.7 | 3.0 | 4170 |
| Wind | 1.7 | 1.4 | 2400 |
| Solar collectors | 0.1 | 0.4 | 7800 |
| Total: |
1211.0 |
278.4 |
|
The
preparation of legal documents, the utilization of renewable energy sources,
information, publication and propaganda work are identified in the plan of
measures. The firewood problem is the most detailed one. According to chapter
III of the plan, the construction and installation of model objects for the
production of biomass, geothermal, wind and solar energy and biogases are to be
accomplished as well as generalization of gained experience in construction and
exploitation during 1997-2000. The program holds it essential to involve as
many as possible Lithuanian enterprises and firms in the implementation of
renewable energy sources, the necessary help and assistance being provided for
them.
Recent
scientific researches regarding the potential of photovoltaics were not taken
into consideration when preparing the above-mentioned program. The potential is
indicated quite approximately and is underestimated. Therefore, the solar
photovoltaics is not mentioned in the program even as a renewable energy source
in the distant future. Only the solar thermal energetic (technology of solar
thermal collectors) is to be developed. Although this kind of energy can be
employed for water warming, drying of agricultural products, but it cannot be
transformed into any other form of energy and distributed over somewhat larger
areas. The program “Solar and others renewable energy sources for
agriculture” (1996-1999) supported by Lithuanian State Scientific and
Study Fund quite well supplements National program on increasing the energy
utilization efficiency. This program involves the solar photovoltaic energy,
solar collectors, water and wind energy. The range of scientific studies
– from fundamental to applied and advisory ones. The monitoring system of
solar radiation energy has been established while carrying into effect the
program. The system established enabled to determine the average incident
energy amount in various locations each moth (see chapter 2.1. Solar energy).
The estimates show that employing only house roofs, which make up ~ 0.3% of
overall area (1.5% of territory can be used without damage to environment) and
assuming the 15% efficiency of the photoelectricity produced, 2.25·104
TWh electric energy could be generated annually.
Photovoltaics,
solar thermal collector, water and wind energy production analysis has been
performed based on the newest methods of economic efficiency calculation.
Demonstration samples have been manufactured and their features evaluated.
However,
this program does not embrace all renewable energies (biomass and geothermal
energy are absent) and it is limited by agricultural needs.
The
renewable energy development is a problem not only of national economy, science
and industry. It is a global one involving national interests and it should be
shaped by the state taking into consideration market conditions. Such a program
should involve the entire range of actions starting from the education of
society, training of specialists, establishment of information and
communication system and its integration into the world’s information
system, legislation, advisory science studies, elaboration of novel
technologies, construction and installation of energetic objects and their
integration into the energetic economy.
The
Lithuanian national solar program 2000-2005 as a future constituent part of
the World Solar Program involves all renewable energies important to Lithuania
as well as all spheres of activities relating to the problem. While preparing
the program, provisions of EU White Paper concerning the renewable energy
development in EU member states till 2010 were taken into account.
The
Lithuanian national solar program 2000-2005 (LNSP) comprises:
- solar energy (photovoltaics and thermal)
- wind power
- biomass energy (solid biofuel, biofuel, biogas)
- geothermy.
The
main objective of LNSP – the further development of available potential
in science, technologies, production and energetic.
Science
in this programme has two functions: creative and advisory. There are
high-level fundamental and applied studies capable to change in principle
currently used materials and technologies and thus essentially enhance the
efficiency of power equipment and reduce substantially their production costs.
Science
advisory studies are of applied character and designed to investigate the
potential of renewable energy sources in Lithuania, their application spheres,
seeking to single out the best available equipment, to prepare recommendations
for the renewable energy development and so on.
The
guiding principle in preparing the program was the encouragement of those
spheres of scientific researches, technologies and production, which are
regarded as being of high level in Lithuania (photovoltaics) or associated with
specificity of economic and environment-protective aspects of Lithuanian
economy, or such projects which potentially may become export objects. All
studies both fundamental and applied are aimed at solving the main global task
in renewable energy – reduction of costs, i.e., enhancing the efficiency
of power equipment and reducing production costs.
0.1MW wind, 8 MW small hydro, 0.05 MW photovoltaic power equipment, more than 600 MW biomass power equipment and 1000 m2
of solar thermal collectors are planned to be erected in line with the program.
The
program envisages those activity priorities that could essentially enhance the
renewable energetic development in Lithuania:
- development of science, technologies and production
- construction of demonstration power equipment
- education and training in the field of renewable energy sources
- establishment of the information and communication system of renewable energy and its
incorporation into the international system
- legislation of renewables.
The
Lithuanian national solar program 2000-2005 as the constituent part of the
World Solar Program 1996-2005 (coordinated by UNESCO) might become STATE
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES PROGRAMME.
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