Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
Prepared by
Ivar Lyhne
The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment
Aalborg University
May 2012
Table of content
1.
Introduction and methodology ................................................................................................................. 2
The task according to the contract ................................................................................................................ 2
Aim of the template question and its role in the ForskEL process ................................................................ 2
Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 2
2.
Review of previous applications ................................................................................................................ 3
Environmental aspects in applications from tenders in ’10, ’11 and ’12 ...................................................... 3
Review of previous environmental assessments of ForskEL ......................................................................... 4
3.
Formulation of question and guidance ..................................................................................................... 5
Suggestion for screening list .......................................................................................................................... 6
Follow up on experiences with environmental issues .................................................................................. 7
Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
1. Introduction and methodology
This report is the second in the row of reports in the ForskEL project 10821: ”Environmental integration in
ForskEL”. The first report constituted the environmental assessment of the 2012 tender.
The task according to the contract
“Formulation of questions about environmental performance for use in the application template in the 2013
tender based on review of descriptions of environmental aspects in applications from tenders in ’10, ’11 and
’12 and identification of the most widespread and significant environmental aspects based on tenders in
’10, ’11 and ’12
Output: Specific questions and guidance for use in application template for 2013-tender. Proposal for
communication on the increased focus on environment”
Aim of the template question and its role in the ForskEL process
Aim: To develop a platform for paying attention to environmental impacts from the beginning of ForskELsupported energy technology development as a good opportunity for adjusting.
The role of the question on environment in the ForskEL template are to reveal significant environmental
effects prior to allocation of funds and thereby a chance for demanding changes in the R&D applied for.
Furthermore, the early attention to environmental effects is to be a help for the projects not to overlook
important environmental effects.
Methodology
The task involves a range of considerations like: What information do we want? What action and follow-up
are we indicating? How do we want to ask and/or demand information? What do we think the applicants
know? How do we reduce applicant’s selectivity and subjectivity in what information they provide? How
can we target questions to progress or end reports? How should the evaluation process be? What overview
do we want as output? How can we make the answers comparable? These considerations are integrated in
the formulations below, although it has not been possible to fully meet all of them.
The following review of applications from tenders in ’10, ’11 and ’12 focuses on how environmental aspects
are described in the application. “Environment” equals here the broad environmental concept in the EU
Directive 2001/42/EC on environmental assessment of plans and programmes. The review includes an
analysis of environmental parameters described in applications in the previous years. The review sample of
10 applications constitute a variety of technologies from a variety of actors during the last three years
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Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
2. Review of previous applications
Environmental aspects in applications from tenders in ’10, ’11 and ’12
The sample review indicates that
-
Negative environmental impacts are not mentioned
Environmental potentials of the project is not always mentioned and potentials mostly concerns the
technology which the project adds to
Environmental issues described most often are about reduction in emissions
A summary of the review is found in the table below.
Project topic
Catalytic reduction of NOx
Sorting of Industrial Waste
Fuel cells
Combining wind and wave energy
Catalytic reduction of methane
Wave energy converters
Demand response from household
Biological conversion of organic
waste into biogas
Fuel cell based on new materials
Fuel cell in larger scale
Description of environmental issues related to the project
More efficient reduction of NOx
Document environmental benefits of a technology to remove
waste fractions.
Reduction of CO2 emissions. Needs satisfied in a “more
efficiently, in a more environmentally friendly way”.
None
Reduction of methane emissions. Considers influence on other
key emissions when reducing methane.
None
Reduction of CO2
Waste recycling, organic residues, reduction of emissions.
Reduce use of Ni and reduction of CO2
Non-fossil peak-shaving, CO2 reduction
NB: The table does not mention awareness of the environmental benefits of the technology that the project adds to
(e.g. the GHG reduction by use of wind power), as it is directly or indirectly mentioned in all projects.
The sample review indicates a need for systematic considerations on environmental issues. As seen from
the previous environmental assessments of the ForskEL tenders, some of the reviewed projects use rare
metals, use hazardous chemicals, or require special decommissioning. These issues are, however, not
articulated in the applications. An example of this problem is shown in the table below.
Project
Polymer solar cells
Environmental issues described as
significant in the environmental
assessment
Use of the rare metal Indium in
indium-tin-oxide (ITO))
Use of organic solvents that are
environmentally hazardous
Environmental issues described in the
application
None, besides that the project results in
”lower environmental burden from coal, oil
and gas in our energy system, and thereby
also lowered CO2 emission ”
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Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
Review of previous environmental assessments of ForskEL
Identification of the most widespread and significant environmental aspects is based on a review of
environmental assessment of tenders in ’10, ’11 and ’12. The aim of the review is to narrow the screening
list to the realistic and relevant impacts for ForskEL projects.
The conclusion is that the following environmental parameters are relevant to consider:
-
Use of construction materials (steel, concrete, etc.)
Use of materials, hereunder rare metals
Use of environmentally hazardous chemicals
Generation of residual products and other waste
Possibility for reusing or recycling components
Decommissioning of waste fractions
Emissions to air during manufacturing, transport and operation
Health and safety issues in manufacturing and operation, hereunder handling of chemicals
Risks of explosion, fire, and other accidents
Emissions from travels
Uptake of areas/square meters
Inconvenience for people living close to and impacts on local nature
Does the technology design delimit future potentials or alternatives for environmental improvements?
Whereas this list concerns direct impacts of the project, the indirect impacts of the project on the
technology will be treated in the description of the relevance of the project.
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Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
3. Formulation of question and guidance
In the existing application template, environmental benefits are included within “A.4 Relevance”. The
guiding text is “Describe in what way the project result(s) will benefit the environment”. In the following, a
distinction is made between environmental impacts in the project and the project’s relevance for political
targets on climate and environment. The impacts from the project become part of the technology
description and the relevance for political targets becomes part of the relevance of the project.
The text within A.3 is replaced by the following text:
A.3
Technology description
Guide:
A.3.1: Describe the technologies explored in the project and argue for the plausibility and
novelty value of the technology.
A.3.2: Describe the significant environmental challenges of the technologies. Consider
negative impacts and improvement potentials as well as uncertainties related to the
environmental challenges. State measurable milestones for environmental improvements
of the technologies during the project period.
For a guiding list of potential environmental challenges please see the document
“Environmental screening” at www.energinet.dk.
(Please delete this guide, before submitting the application to Energinet.dk)
A.3.1 Technology description
A.3.2 Environmental challenges and milestones for environmental improvements
The text within A.4 is adjusted as follows:
The original guidance text: ”A.4.5: Describe in what way the project result(s) will benefit the environment.”
is replaced by:
“A.4.5: Describe in what ways the project result(s) will support the efforts of achieving political climate
and environmental targets”.
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Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
Suggestion for screening list
The following text is to be found as a document at www.energinet.dk together with “Inspiration for user
involvement”:
Environmental screening
Description of negative environmental impacts in the ForskEL application is not a disqualifying act. Rather,
attention to negative impacts is a benefit in the evaluation of the project - especially if the project includes
milestones to work with these impacts.
The following matrix is a help to the description of environmental challenges in the ForskEL application
template. The matrix is based on data about environmental challenges in ForskEL projects and designed to
be an easy accessible help to ForskEL applicants. The list is only indicating typical problems in ForskEL
projects and each applicant should therefore think beyond the list to identify the relevant impacts for the
specific project.
Guide: Go through the list of potential environmental impacts and note what is relevant to consider or act
upon in your project. Use this overview to formulate point A.3.2 in the application template. The matrix is
not to be submitted with the application, but it may be relevant to keep for the project management.
Environmental challenge in the project
Not
significant
Significant
(important)
Will be
investigated
Will be a
project focus
(Milestone)
Use of construction materials (steel, concrete, etc.)
Use of rare metals and components
Use of environmentally hazardous substances
Generation of residual products and other waste
Possibility for reusing or recycling components
Decommission and special treatment of waste
Emissions to air during manufacturing, transport and
operation
Health and safety issues in manufacturing and
operation, hereunder handling of chemicals
Risks of explosion, fire, and other accidents
Emissions from travels
Uptake of areas/square meters
Inconvenience for people living close to and impacts on
local nature
Does the technology design delimit future potentials or
alternatives for environmental improvements?
Other 1
Other 2
NB: When making milestones for environmental improvements, please consider whether the
improvements will be at the expense of other environmental parameters.
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Questions on environment in the ForskEL application template
ForskEL project 10821: Environmental integration in ForskEL
Follow up on experiences with environmental issues
The progress on milestones on environmental issues mentioned in the project plan will be reported on in
the project’s final report. Besides these milestones, there has previously not been a follow up on the
projects’ work and experiences on environmental issues. To increase awareness and learning, a follow-up
on the projects’ work on environment will be part of the final report.
The inspiration for the follow up is the ForskEL project site that includes an element about project results as
reproduced below.
The final report template will be added the following element on each project’s experiences with efforts
and developments in terms of environmental parameters:
Development on environmental issues
This field should not be filled out until the project is completed.
Describe the development on environmental issues during the project, hereunder both positive and
negative developments (in English or Danish):
Describe unforeseen problems and set-backs (to help future ForskEL projects prepare and handle
environmental problems):
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