Forests cover about 54 percent of the total land of the Republic of Slovenia. In 1995 41,000t of wood and wood wastes were utilised for heat purposes in Combined Heat and Power Plants. The production of electricity with wood residues corresponds 0.06 percent of the total electricity production. At present, approximately 1,2Mm3 per year of dry wood and wood wastes are utilised for energy supply, 70 percent approximately are used in private boilers and the remaining in industry.
The estimated potential for wood fuel is around 700,000t per year. The total capacity of wood residues fired boilers represent approximately 10 percent of the total capacity of heat boilers in Slovenia. In 1997 wood contributed with 3.8 percent and other RE 0.2 percent of the primary energy supply (amounted to 294PJ). The economically available potential of RE in Slovenia was estimated to be 242PJ, of which biomass would contribute about 30PJ. At present 40 percent of this potential is being utilised. In 1997, RE including wood for residential space heating amounted to 8.1 percent of the whole primary energy supply. The most important RE in Slovenia, beside hydro is woody biomass.
A. INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS
A.1. POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PROJECTS
The Slovenian Government, through the Ministry of Economic Affairs, invited applications for investment subsidies to reduce emissions and to encourage woody biomass district heating systems. The objective is to increase the share of woody biomass from the current 3.8 percent to 10.5 percent in the primary energy supply by the year 2010.
A.2. - THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL AGENCIES
The Slovenian Biomass Association, established in 1997 as an AEBIOM associated member, has the intention to accelerate the introduction of biomass co-operation with the Government and the responsible Ministries, and international co-operations, especially with the Austrian Biomass Association. Its strategy is to increase energy independence of Slovenia, increase employment, and strengthen the local economy. In 1998, SBA formulated proposals for Governmental measures for the promotion of biomass, elaborated development strategy, prepared promotion and accelerated projects for energy exploitation of wood biomass in various urban and rural locations39.
The difficulty of the use of biomass for electricity is that the new Energy Law that will cover all energy related activities, is still under development. Other limits are the lack of initiative from the State, lack of tradition in the use of biomass, improper energy and fiscal policy. The administrative barrier is that there is no division of competence among Ministries involved (Forestry, Agriculture and Food, Environment and Physical Planning, Economic Affairs, Science and Technology). The main technical problem is that investments are required in the network (lines, substations) that could increase costs.
39 Slovenian Biomass Association - "Biomass for Slovenia" General information