SWOT analysis of Vidzeme planning
region
Dr. Marika Rošā
Prof. Dagnija Blumberga
A report in the Project Wood Energy and Cleantech
Ekodoma
 Founded in 1991
 Independent engineer-consulting company
located in Riga
 Our main fields of knowledge are energy,
environment, and economics
 Our team consists of 15 active, welleducated and continuously improving their
knowledge employees
SURVEY OF MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY
PROCEDURES IN VIDZEME PLANNING REGION
Objective of the report
to present an analytical survey of the
management of planning procedures and
the existing planning documents,
to evaluate if these procedures and
documents are sustainable in the field of:
• energy and
• forestry in the Vidzeme Planning Region
to compare them with the Latvian national
policy and the directions of development
Long term and medium term documents
VPR POLICY DOCUMENTS
Territorial Plan of VPR 20072027
 Developed in 2006
 Two medium-term objectives:
• To ensure availability of natural
gas in the national and regional
centres;
• To ensure a qualitative supply
of the electrical energy to
customers and to improve the
distribution, supply and
efficiency of energy.
Inconsistency
 The two medium-term objectives are contradictory
 The first objective is directed towards a complete
gasification of the Vidzeme region that would mean the
eradication of the local energy resources in the future
 At present, in the areas where the natural gas is not
available they use mostly biomass
 The activities to reach the second objective envisage a
wider use of the renewable energy resources
Vidzeme study
 The economic profile of the VPR elaborated in
2010
 presents the use of the local resources in the
production of the thermal energy as one of the
perspectives that
• will also provide additional jobs to local people,
• will reduce the dependency of the energy
production from the imported resources and their
prices on the world market
VPR Development Programme
2007-2013
 Natural resources are used efficiently applying
environmentally friendly and modern technologies:
• To support the research on the availability of the natural gas
in larger populated areas and industrial territories;
• To promote the use of gas and introduction and use of the
alternative energy resources in the economic sector;
• To promote the introduction of the environmentally friendly
and energy saving technologies.
 Improved energy efficiency of public and dwelling
houses and heat supply facilities, decreased heat
losses
ENERGY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
OF VPR IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
NATIONAL POLICY
Latvian energy policy
Main energy policy
documents were developed
in 2006
EU objectives 20-20-20 (40%
RES in Latvia by 2020)
presented in 2008
Sustainable development
strategy of Latvia 2030 – RES
can make share of 42% in 2020
and 60-65% in 2030
Independent studies on the
issue
 Several independent studies indicate that with the
existing policy the objectives will not be reached
 Latest figures prove this statement
Kopējais energoresursu patēriņš (bez transporta)
45000
GWh/gadā
40000
35000
Hidro un vēja enerģija
30000
Ogles
25000
Naftas produkti
20000
Dabas gāze
Biogāze
15000
Biodīzeļdegviela
10000
Koksne
5000
0
2010 CSP dati
2010 prognoze
2020
Fuel structure in centralised
district heating in Latvia
Fuel
rate, %
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2004
2005
2006
2007
Year
Diesel
Peat
Gas from dumpsite waste
Mazout
Coal
Natural gas
Wood
Sludge gas of sewage water Straw
2008
Fuel structure in centralised
district heating in Vidzeme
Regional energy consumption in district
heating, MWh/year
400000
350000
300000
182593 169647
161218
128352
171853
250000
woody biomass
200000
natural gas
150000
100000
194248 192267
186867
197731
2007
2008
other fossil fuels
154667
50000
0
2005
2006
2009
National planning documents
There are a number of
laws and legal acts that
govern energy sector in
Latvia, including RES
However political
decisions differ from
the policy
On May 17, 2011, the
Cabinet made a decision
not to give rights to sell the
electrical energy produced
of RES in the framework of
the obligatory purchase
The Law of the renewable
energy that was submitted
to the Parliament on
February 22, 2011, is not
approved either
New energy strategy
2030 under
development
Energy Strategy 2050
presented by Riga
Technical University
on 7 September 2011
Vidzeme policy vs national
policy
 The main VPR planning documents, as well as the
national energy strategy were elaborated in 2006 –
2007
 The policy of the Vidzeme PR and the national policy
supplement each other:
• Both promote the increase of the fossil fuel rate in the total
final energy consumption
Municipal documents –
bottom up approach
 Main direction - most of the municipalities in the
Vidzeme elaborate their development programmes at
the moment
 but the programmes that are already available show a
tendency towards the energy efficiency and the
renewable energy resources
 The priorities in the energy sector are directed
towards a wider use of wood and other renewable
energy resources, the connection to the gas pipeline is
not planned
FOREST PLANNING DOCUMENTS
National and Vidzeme forestry
policy
One of the long-term
objectives is a
sustainable forestry
and forest
management with
balanced economic,
ecological and social
aspects
Forestry is one of the
most important
sectors for the
development of the
Latvian economy
The main focus is on
increase of products
with a high added
value, thus ensuring
the competitiveness
of Latvia
AVAILABILITY OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
Research and discussions
During the last three years more than
20 studies on the biomass have been
elaborated and published in Latvia
The experts have evaluated the
potential of the biomass in Latvia from
8.39 up to 12.6 million m3 (30 TWh)
Market analysis results
Pulp
Timber materials
Energy
Wood raw materials, m3
3 500 000
3 000 000
2 500 000
2 000 000
1 500 000
1 000 000
500 000
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Biomass (woodchip)
resources, mil.m3/year
Latvia
Type
Biomass and pulp
Wood waste
Stump
Other resources
By products from wood
processing
Total:
Potential
Existing
6,26
6,80
8,10
3,10
4,33
4,70
7,37
2,13
12,92
8,92
37,19
27,44
Source: Dagnis Dubrovskis, Latvian University of Agriculture, 7 September 2011
SWOT ANALYSIS
Background information
The SWOT analysis is
done for the strategy
of Vidzeme Planning
Region to shift to
renewable energy
sources until 2035.
This means that the
Vidzeme region will
diminish to
minimum the use of
fossil fuels in district
heating systems and
in other sources.
Exception is the use
of natural gas for
cooking however
use of biogas
should be
considered in the
further analysis.
STRENGTH
A great potential of the renewable
energy resources in VPR
Lack of the natural gas pipelines in the
largest part of the VPR territory
Possibility to involve the local labour
force
Sustainable forest management
Low costs of wood energy resources
in comparison with the natural gas
WEAKNESS #1
 Lack of sustainable national policy
 Participate and act: Vidzeme region as one of the
five regions in Latvia can ask from the responsible
institutions (Ministry of Economics, Ministry of
Agriculture, government, etc.) a clear progress of
the energy and forestry policy for the next 30
years
WEAKNESS #2
 Lack of responsibility for the achievement of the
objectives of the renewable energy resources
and the energy efficiency
 Get involved: the increase of the share of
renewable energy resource and the energy
efficiency is not only a responsibility of the state
and/or individuals
 It is also a possibility for local municipalities to
promote their economic development and to
attract new labour force
Example for solution of
weakness #2
Valmiera, Gaujas street 13
Source: Renesco
Weakness #3
 Shortage of professional knowledge how to
prepare and use the biomass
 Learn more: one of the solutions is an
elaboration of a training course in the region
and inviting all wood processing, forestry and
other enterprises, as well as the owners of
private forests in the region
Weakness #4
 Lack of motivation to improve the local energy
systems
 Motivate: to increase it, VPR can organise
competitions of the best heat supply system
and other motivating events
Weakness #5
 Shortage of experience of an efficient use of the
renewable energy resources in heat supply
systems and that does not facilitate the
reconstruction of boiler houses
 Get in touch with others and learn
Let’s not have this more!
Let’s not have this more!
Thank you!
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