Request from
UNECE / ECID
Job Description
INT-050-09-P078-01-V (July 2009)
1. General Information
Title:
Duration:
Date Required:
Duty Station (location, sector):
Associate Expert in biomass trade and enterprise
development
1 year (with possible extension for another year)
1 January 2010
Geneva
2. Supervision
Direct supervision by:
Senior Project Manager
Content and methodology of the supervision:
Daily work sessions with supervisor; regular (monthly) evaluation of progress
3. Duties, responsibilities and output expectations:
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assist with the implementation of the UNECE/ECID biomass project for selected regions
of the Russian Federation
conduct desk research in areas specified by the project manager
conduct field research in selected regions of the Russian Federation
prepare and translate documents regarding the project
maintain and update the database of the project
4. Qualifications and experience
Education:
Work experience:
Languages:
Other skills:
UN competencies:
Advanced university degree in renewable energy,
economics, management studies, or related field
Some work experience required
English, Russian is an advantage
Good computer competence required
Teamwork: works collaboratively with colleagues to
achieve organizational goals
Professionalism: demonstrates professional competence
and mastery of subject matter
Communication: speaks and writes clearly and effectively
Creativity: actively seeks to improve programmes or
services
5. Learning Elements
After the assignment the ASSOCIATE EXPERT will be able to:
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Manage the main aspects of project implementation
prepare project proposals
Draft project budgets according to UN standards
Formulate project documents related to biomass in the region
6. Background information
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five regional
commissions of the United Nations. It is the forum where the countries of western, central and
eastern Europe, central Asia and North America – 56 countries in all – come together to forge the
tools of their economic cooperation. That cooperation concerns such areas as economic
cooperation and integration, energy, environment, human settlements, population, statistics,
timber, trade, and transport.
The Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration (CECI). promotes a policy, financial
and regulatory environment conducive to economic growth, innovative development and higher
competitiveness in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, focusing
mainly on countries with economies in transition.
The activities of the Committee are supported and serviced by the Economic Cooperation and
Integration Division of the UNECE Secretariat. They cover primarily the following thematic
areas:
a) Strengthening the Competitiveness of Member States’ Economies by Promoting the
Knowledge-Based Economy and Innovation;
b) Facilitating the Development of Entrepreneurship and the Emergence of New
Enterprises;
c) Facilitating Effective Regulatory Policies and Corporate Governance, Including Those in
the Financial Sector;
d) Promoting Public-Private Partnerships for Domestic and Foreign Investment, as well as
Intellectual Property Rights; and
e) Other Relevant Aspects of International Economic Cooperation and Integration.
UNECE CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT
I. Title of the project
Development of Sustainable Biomass Trade and Export Opportunities for Selected Regions
of the Russian Federation.
II. Background
1. The worldwide demand for biomass as a substitute for fossil fuel has created a new industry
of vast proportions. The Russian Federation could play a leading role both in the production
for export and for the domestic market of woody biomass for energy (electricity) production
and biofuel for transport from agricultural residues.
Because of the size of its forest and agricultural resources, the role of the Russian Federation
in the development of the biomass sector could have a considerable impact both on domestic
use and the international trade of this commodity.
The Russian Federation has large stocks of biomass in its forests and at present there is no
coordinated approach to develop the potential of this resource of sustainable energy.
A similar situation exists in the agricultural sector, which has a large potential both in energy
crops and in energy from crop residues. The focus of the project is wherever possible on
residues.
The domestic use will have a positive impact on rural employment and improved district
heating in remote areas.
The export potential is evident because of the strong worldwide demand for biomass. The
main opportunities for the export of Russian biomass are in the European Union, China and
Japan.
The EU currently meets 4 % of its energy needs from biomass. To increase the share of
biomass, the European Union prefers a balanced approach i.e. a mix of domestic production
and imports.
On 9 March 2007 the EU endorsed an objective of 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by
2020, in line with the Kyoto Protocol. These new ambitious targets underline the urgent need
for improved logistics of the biomass trade, as set out in this proposal. The project will also
help the Russian Federation to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
Other possible markets for Russian bioenergy sources include Japan and China. Japan is
already the biggest investor in natural resources in the Russian Far-East region and Japan
focuses on renewable energy in which biomass in 2001 had a share of 69.8%. Japan is, after
Finland, the second biggest importer of woodchips from Russia (FAO 2004).
As China’s economy continues to grow and fossil fuel stocks are getting scarce, China
searches to expand its renewable energy sector. In the eleventh five-year plan, covering the
period 2006-2010, bioenergy development is assigned an important place with particular
attention to energy from biomass.
2. The UNECE has been involved with the biomass industry for an extensive length of time, in
Russia and elsewhere. Therefore, it is not only capable of addressing specific problems in the
development of the biomass industry, but also of drawing upon its more general
understanding of Russian economic trends and challenges. This unique position is
particularly advantageous in the task of bringing together partners and experts within Russia
and from outside the country, especially Western Europe.
Since 1998 an extensive network of private and public partners has been established through
the UNECE project ‘Improved Trade Logistics for the sustainable Use of Biomass in
Northwest Russia.’ The many practical results of this project include:
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The project was the first to introduce the biomass trade in the Northwest Federal Okrug.
In 2001 the first wood pellet plant became operational and meanwhile an estimated 45
pellet factories are operational in the Russian Federation. Thus an entire new industry
was established;
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As direct result of the project, the Confederation of Associations, Enterprises and
Organisation of the Forestry Complex of the Northwest was established. This has been
an important step in the coordinated development of the forest sector as a whole;
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St Petersburg River Port was upgraded from a bulk terminal to a container terminal. As a
result container handling went up significantly;
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Baltic customs in the Russian Federation have intensified their cooperation with Dutch
customs, resulting in a number of simplified custom procedures on both sides, including
advanced risk analysis procedures.
3. Partner organizations are biomass producers, forwarders / shippers, regional government
institutions, the academic community
4. Duration of the project
The duration of the project is 3 years, 2009-2011, with possibility of extension.
III. Objective
The long-term objective is to strengthen the capacity of the participating regions of the Russian
Federation to develop and market their biomass resources in a sustainable way.
IV. Expected accomplishments
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Improved sustainable business practice for the biomass sector at the enterprise and local
government level;
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Improved infrastructure and trade logistics. This includes the areas of production, port
logistics and the biomass transport logistics chain;
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Established permanent working group in each participating region, on sustainable
biomass trade. The working group will include: the private sector, government
institutions; the academic world; certification- and audit companies;
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Demonstration model established for other regions that have the potential to develop their
biomass sector.
V. Main activities
Improving sustainable business practice for the biomass sector at the enterprise- and local
government level.
The activities will include:
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Workshops on best practice;
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Assistance to selected biomass enterprises to incorporate principles of sustainable
management in their business strategy;
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Establishing recommendations on certification based on best practice at the enterprise
level. The emphasis will be on the direct exchange of information at the management
level and between relevant local and regional governments and their international
counterparts who have gone or are going through the same process. This approach will
provide both sides with practical solutions in a step-by-step process to develop a
sustainable management strategy for biomass production and trade at the enterprise level.
Improving infrastructure and trade logistics for the biomass sector.
The activities will include:
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Support to biomass producers and traders in the area of norms, standards and certification
for all stages of the logistics chain;
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Support to strengthen the logistics chain of biomass trade from producers to the end-user.
This includes:
a) improved inland transportation;
b) improved port logistics, including biomass terminals;
c) improved trade logistics;
d) improved customs cooperation for export of biomass.
Establishment of a permanent working group in each participating region on sustainable
development of the biomass sector.
A coordinated approach involving all actors is needed to achieve a truly sustainable biomass
sector, integrated in the overall sustainable forest and agriculture management of the regions and
ultimately of the country.
The working group will include:
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the private sector, including traders, shippers, biomass producers, energy producers,
certification and audit companies;
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the relevant government institutions at the local, regional and national level;
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the academic community.
The activities of the working group will include:
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Identification of bottlenecks in the development of the biomass trade;
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Formulation of necessary action to solve the identified problems;
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Strengthen direct cooperation between all project participants;
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Ensure adequate exchange of information (based on best practice in the biomass trade)
between all project participants to create a favourable working environment for
sustainable biomass production and trade;
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Document the progress and the challenges encountered by the project, in order to
formulate a demonstration model applicable to other regions.
Establishment of a demonstration model for other regions.
The development of the demonstration model will be coordinated by the UNECE. This model
will serve as a framework for those regions of the Russian Federation, interested EurAsEC
members and other regions of the world, wanting to participate in the project.