Exploiting the Baltic's ‘Green Gold’ as an energy source

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The ENECO project has offered new business opportunities to farmer, and others, wanting to cultivate energy forests and plantations on agricultural land. As a direct result of the project, we now know a farmer in Lithuania who has already planted 20 hectares of energy forest, and he is not alone, with many others following suit.Prof. Vaclovas Tricys, Head of the ENECO projectAcross Europe, energy production costs from gas and oil remain high. As a result, governments have been looking for cheaper alternatives. One such source is the fast growing trees in the cross border region between Latvia and Lithuania, where a lot of land is lying idle.Project partners wanted to transform the production of “energy forests” into a profitable business, while cutting emissions through growing forest. They advised local producers of fast growing wood on how to effectively manage their land and get the highest possible yields from the poplar, alder and willow trees.Meanwhile, the scientists involved in the project investigated whether ash from the wood and biologically degradable waste could be successfully used to fertilise the plantations. The results were tested at two new plantations established under the project by partner universities and proved viable.Giving tips for producing energyIn addition, the team looked at wood energy - in particular how much wood was needed for Combined Heat and Power plants (CHP) plants in Zemgale, Siauliai and Panevezys regions. By carrying out a needs assessment, they could estimate how much renewable wood energy production was required to produce adequate thermal energy for the region.A series of recommendations for landowners on appropriate species and clonal selection as well as information on soil and topography were published. Guidelines on the technologies available in Zemgale, Siauliai and Panevezys regions were also made available to interested parties.A manual titled: “The Establishment of Energy Wood Plantations” was made available for famers and others interested in the subject. This was translated into three languages: English, Latvian and Lithuanian.Training was also on offer to potential energy forest and plantations cultivators, farmers and representatives of agricultural companies across the region. Moreover, an entirely new course on 'energy crops and timber management' was introduced in Latvia, creating two jobs.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the “Development of Renewable Energy Resources and Improvement of Environmental Conditions (ENECO)” project is EUR 297 890 of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 253 206 from the Latvia-Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Operational Programme for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.