CH2OICE PROJECT Do the right choice
n. 3 December 2010
www.ch2oice.eu
Certification for HydrO: Improving Clean Energy
CH 2OICE Project towards its end: really sustainable hydropower could be marketed shortly in Italy and Slovenia “Yes we can” “Yes we can”: this could be the very short synthesis of the results of the 8-months-test of the CH2OICE methodology made on 8 hydropower plants, 4 in Italy and 4 in Slovenia, to assess their environmental compatibility. The teams of CIRF (Italian Centre for River Restoration) and IZVRS (Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia), together with several other Italian and Slovenian experts, applied the CH2OICE methodology on very different plants, from the very small ones that run in aqueducts, to large-reservoir ones with several megawatt of power. By the end of 2010 the final report of the testing activity will be available; the detailed methodologies for Slovenia and Italy will be slightly reviewed and made available in a final version. Even though experts are still elaborating the very final results of the tests, we can provide at least some preliminary conclusions: ▪▪ the certification is technically and economically feasible: in the worst case, the costs of the environmental analysis (where very little data is
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available) could reach a few tens of thousands euros, whereas the added management costs due to certification are variable, but may not be relevant for a plant correctly designed to minimize its impact on the river; the size of the plant is not really significant: both large and small plants can be certified, even though reservoir-plants generally produce impacts that are more difficult, and expensive, to mitigate.
Environmentally Certified Hydropower: first ch(2)oice energy for connoisseurs During 2010, CH2OICE partners have been working hard to create the CH2OICE certification body –expected to be operating in March/April 2011, just after the project end– and to raise interest of hydropower producers on the certification. Unfortunately, according to the answer got from the energy companies contacted, up to now only very few producers show a serious interest in going through a certification process and only one existing label (the Italian 100% Energia Verde) is thinking to create a market label to sell CH2OICE certified energy. Apparently, two main factors are keeping the interest of producers for certification low. The first is the economic crisis, whose effects on “willingness to pay” of customers for higher environmental
Slovenian and Italian hydropower plants.
Summary CH2OICE Project towards its end: really sustainable hydropower could be marketed shortly in Italy and Slovenia. Ambiente Italia
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Since December 2010 seven National Workshops for project result dissemination will take place.
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Final Conference on February 25, 2011, in Rome.
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CH2OICE is supported by
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n. 3 December 2010
www.ch2oice.eu
Certification for HydrO: Improving Clean Energy
quality energy are much more extended in time than expected. Most hydro energy producers don’t feel that the certification gives them any marketing advantage in a market that looks mainly at low prices. The second is the confusion due to the presence on the market of several green-energy labels (only in Italy more than 20 labels already exist, most of them being just “company label” that lack any form of verification by third parties): in this context even a true “greener” energy product, based on a robust certification system, would be very difficult to be recognised by average customers. As a consequence, we have to be aware that when CH2OICE certified energy will be put on the market, at the beginning only a small number of very environmentally-sensitive customers will look at it (and a specific marketing campaign oriented to this specific target will be needed in any case). However, we are confident that with the increasing growth of market transparency and of the customers’ awareness such target will enlarge. CH2OICE certification: a useful tool for the implementation of WFD by public bodies We already underlined that producers could be driven to certificate for other reasons than just
selling more sustainable energy products (see article Sustainable hydro and certification schemes on CH2OICE newsletter 1). The interest of producers in the certification will definitely grow if Public Bodies start to make use of the certification for planning and regulatory purposes. For instance, a Basin Authority who identifies the need of decreasing water withdrawal from a river to reach the quality objective stated by the WFD, can be helped by knowing if the owner of a operating HPP on the river is certified (and profit of the environmental analysis done for the certification). Similarly, a public body who has to renew a concession and have to choose among two or more applicants can take into consideration the fact that one of them is certified (or is willing to do it). But probably the most important use that a public body (who represents the interests of people and of the environment) could do of CH2OICE certification is to use it to create a more rational system of subsidies for Renewable Energy Production. Driving public subsidies (of any kind) to plants that make clear and recognisable efforts to reduce their impact on the environment would not only give strength to the voluntary certification as an important policy tool, but also prevent from using public (or customer’s) money to sustain industrial activities that not always deserve it. Giulio Conte, Ambiente Italia
““Yes we can”: this could be the very short synthesis of the results of the 8-months-test of the CH2OICE methodology made on 8 hydropower plants, 4 in Italy and 4 in Slovenia, to assess their environmental compatibility.” 2
CH 2OICE is supported by
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n. 3 December 2010
www.ch2oice.eu
Certification for HydrO: Improving Clean Energy
Since December 2010 seven National Workshops for project result dissemination will take place. Spanish National Workshop in Madrid on December 2-3, 2010 On December, 2-3, 2010, Madrid will hold a National Workshop, aiming to disseminate the results of CH2OICE Project, making an approach to the different stakeholders (marketers, producers, environmental Ongs, public bodies), get their opinion about the Project (reasons for which they are interested or not), as well as ideas that would enable the develop of CH2OICE in our country.
Los próximos 2-3 de deciembre de 2010, se llevará a cabo en Madrid (España) un Seminario dedicado a la diseminación de los resultados obtenidos de CH2OICE, así como a un intento de acercamiento de los organismos que se verían involucrados en el Proyecto CH2OICE, con el objetivo de obtener su opinión acerca del Proyecto (razones por las que les interesa o no) y posibles ideas que facilitarían el desarrollo de este certificado en nuestro país.
Slovenian National Workshop in Ljubljana on December 2, 2010 In the context of the project the 3rd national workshop is organised to present: ▪▪ the results of the pilot application of methodology on 3 hydropower plants in Slovenia; ▪▪ the structure of the certification body.
V okviru projeka organiziramo 3 delavnico, kjer bomo prikazali rezultate: ▪▪ testiranja metodologije na 3 hidroelektrarnah v Sloveniji ter; ▪▪ strukturo organizacije, ki bo podeljevala certificate.
Italian National Workshop in Bolzen on December 14, 2011 The results of the application of CH2OICE certification methodology to 4 Hydro Power Plants in Italy will be presented in a workshop to be held at Bolzano University on December 14, 2010. The workshop will offer the opportunity, to hydropower producers, to evaluate costs and beneftis of the certification procedure and, to public bodies, to learn how a voluntary certification could be used as a tool to help the Water Framework Directive enforcement.
Il 14 Dicembre 2010 all’Università di Bolzano saranno presentati i risultati della sperimentazione della metodologia CH2OICE su 4 impianti idroelettrici con diverse caratteristiche. Per i produttori sarà possibile verificare i costi e i benefici della certificazione CH2OICE mentre gli enti pubblici potranno valutare se e come la certificazione volontaria (e le analisi ambientali necessarie per ottenerla) possano essere usate nell’ambito della propria attività di pianificazione e autorizzazione ambientale.
French National Workshop in Paris at the end of January 2011 The purpose of the workshop will be to let every hydropower stake holder express their expectations about an environmental rating system and present CH2OICE, which could help define the right frame.
Le but de cet atelier sera de permettre à chaque partie prenante de la filière hydraulique d’exprimer leurs attentes sur un système d’évaluation environnementale et présenter le travail effectué par CH2OICE et ses apports pour la définition d’un cadre adéquat.
“Please check CH2OICE website (www.ch2oice.eu) for updates.”
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CH 2OICE is supported by
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n. 3 December 2010
www.ch2oice.eu
Certification for HydrO: Improving Clean Energy
Czech, Polish and Slovak National Workshops The project CH2OICE supported by the European Commission, developed a technically and economically feasible certification procedure for hydro power generation facilities. The developed methodology, it is explicitly coherent with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive and it was tested in Italy and Slovenia. The opportunities, which new certification system can bring, and first experiences from its application will be presented at the end of January 2011.
Czech National Workshop in Prague at the end of January 2011 Projekt CH2OICE podpořený ze zdrojů Evropské komise během dvou roků trvání vytvořil technicky a zároveň ekonomicky aplikovatelný systém certifikace pro vodní elektrárny. Metodika byla vytvořená v souladu s požadavkami vyplývajícími z Rámcové směrnice o vodách a byla testována v Itálii a ve Slovinsku. Možnosti, jaké vytvořený certifikační systém poskytuje, a zkušenosti z jeho aplikace budou prezentovány na semináři koncem ledna 2011. Polish National Workshop in Warsaw at the end of January 2011 Projekt CH2OICE, wspierany przez Komisję Europejską, opracował technicznie i ekonomicznie wykonalne procedury certyfikacji obiektów energetyki wodnej. Opracowana metodologia jest spójna z wymaganiami Ramowej Dyrektywy Wodnej UE i była testowana we Włoszech i Słowenii. Możliwości, które otwiera nowy system certyfikacji i pierwsze doświadczenia z jego stosowania zostaną przedstawione pod koniec stycznia 2011 roku. Slovak National Workshop in Bratislava at the end of January 2011 Projekt CH2OICE, wspierany przez Komisję Europejską, opracował technicznie i ekonomicznie wykonalne procedury certyfikacji obiektów energetyki wodnej. Opracowana metodologia jest spójna z wymaganiami Ramowej Dyrektywy Wodnej UE i była testowana we Włoszech i Słowenii. Możliwości, które otwiera nowy system certyfikacji i pierwsze doświadczenia z jego stosowania zostaną przedstawione pod koniec stycznia 2011 roku
Final Conference in Rome, on February 25, 2011. CH2OICE final conference will be held in Rome on February 25, 2011, at MAXXI the new Museum designed by Zaha Hadid. The results of the project will be presented and discussed with several European stakeholders involved in the hydroenergy sector. The possibility to use voluntary certification procedure to promote “more sustainable” energy on the liberalized market will be one of the topic of the Conference.
“CH2OICE final conference will be held in Rome on February 25, 2011, at MAXXI the new Museum designed by Zaha Hadid.”
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CH 2OICE is supported by
[ [ Newsletter
n. 3 December 2010
www.ch2oice.eu
Certification for HydrO: Improving Clean Energy
Partners Ambiente Italia (AI), Italy
www.ambienteitalia.it
Centro Italiano per la Riqualificazione Fluviale (CIRF), Italy World Wide Fund Italia (WWF Italia Onlus), Italy
www.cirf.org
www.wwf.it
Associazione Produttori Energia da Fonti Rinnovabili (APER), Italy STUDIO FROSIO
Studio Frosio (FROSIO), Italy
www.aper.it
www.studiofrosio.it
LIMNOS Company for applied ecology Ltd (LIMNOS), Slovenia Institute za Vode Republike Slovenije (IzVRS), Slovenia Holding Slovenske elektrarne d.o.o. (HSE), Slovenia
www.limnos.si
www.izvrs.si www.hse.si
Institute for the Promotion of Environmental Protection (IPVO), Slovenia www.ipvo.si Slovenian Small Hydropower Association (SSHA), Slovenia
www.zdmhe.si
European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA), Belgium
www.esha.be
Comité de Liaison Énergies Renouvelables (CLER), France
www.cler.org
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain
www.upm.es
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), Slovakia www.rec.org With the collaboration of: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) www.eawag.ch Association for environmentally sound electricity (VUE) www.naturemade.ch Coordination by:
Alessandro de Carli WWF Italia Onlus Anna Bombonato, Giulio Conte Ambiente Italia
Graphic designer
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CH 2OICE is supported by
Marta Battaglia