Biomass/biofuel
- Preparation of feasibility/Due diligence reporting for three biomass fired boilers feeding different district heating networks in Slovakia, under a credit line developed by EBRD (www.slovseff.eu) 2007-2008 Client: EBRD
- Romania: assist government with strengthening the implementation of EU Biofuel Directive 2003/30/EC. We collaborated with Ecofys The Netherlands on the implementation of this project. The goal of the project was to give insight in the current situation and the possibilities for increasing the biofuels share in Romania and, as such, to contribute to a detailed Romanian National Strategy for biofuels. The project focused on development of legal and institutional infrastructure for promoting the use of biofuels for reporting the required information to the European Commission (yearly). Client: Dutch government (thru EVD and SenterNovem) Year: 2007
- Feasibility, EU compliance and strategy studies for a bio-ethanol plant, Macedonia (with Ecofys NL) 2008-2009 Client: confidential
- Assistance to the development of agri-pelletising production plant (4-5 ton/hour) in the north of Bulgaria 2007-2009 Client: BioResource BV
- Application for a ‘biomass region’ under the Intelligent Energy Programme, under the acronym ‘Smart Start’. Client: DRAC OOD, Bulgaria 2007
- Assessment of the availability at commercial players of (woody) biomass resources Client: confidential 2007
Green building / housing renovation
- Coordination of Concerto project ‘Staccato’, with the aim to bring 400 apartments in Sofia-Oborishte on a energy performance level clearly below the national standard Year: 2007-2015 Client: European Commission
- Housing survey: the Netherlands client: Ukraine housing ministry
- International coordination of Intelligent Energy project ‘RESHAPE’ dealing with the introduction of the EPBD for social housing players in 8 selected countries, see http://www.reshape-social-housing.eu/ Year: 2006-2009 Client: European Commission
- Strengthening Bulgarian institutions for renovation of apartment blocks (Ecofys focus: energy efficiency), see http://www.cac-bg.org/ Year: 2005-2006 Client: Foundation
Green energy financing
- Energy and carbon: linking Dutch housing activities to renovation in Eastern Europe DIGH (Dutch International Guarantees for Housing, an NGO strongly related to the Dutch social housing sector) assigned us, with a partner, to explore the opportunities of carbon funding in order to strengthen their position in Eastern Europe dealing with the funding of renovation of social housing buildings. It was the role of Ecofys to demonstrate how such funding could be used within actual renovation schemes, using the first larger scale projects of the DIGH portfolio. During the project, the first Green Investment Scheme deals were made, leading to announcements of large funds for the renovation of residential sectors in a number of countries, basically confirming our initial conclusions. Year: 2008-2009 Client: DIGH (Dutch guarantee Fund)
Local green energy policy
- Covenant of mayors: inventory of potenital for energy savings and renewable energy for selected local authorities in Bulgaria
- EcoNetworks: knowledge build-up and inspiration to help local communities develop sustainable economic activities, such as renewable energy production, in the region of the Rhodopi Year: 2007 Client: Agreco GEIE
- Albania: launching the topic of renewable energy on the political agenda Client: CoPLan (housing NGO, Tirana) Year: 2006-2007
Solar energy
- Legal due diligence on solar PV farm of 5 MW in central Bulgaria Year: 2009-2011 Client: large European utility
- Sales of two solar water heaters (integrated boiler), see www.solior.com Year: 2008 Client: private clients (Bulgarian, city of Plovdiv)
- Market study for the Greek solar photovoltaic market, including incentive schemes, players. Year 2006 Client: confidential
- Feasibility study for a multimegawatt solar PV system at two sites of an industrial company Year 2008-2009 Client: confidential
- A business report on the Bulgarian market for solar PV Year: 2008-2009 Client: confidential
- IEE POLIS Snapshot and recommendation on integrating solar energy in spatial urban planning in Bulgaria. Year: 2009-ongoing Client: European Commission (thru Ecofys Germany)
Wind energy
- (Environmental) due diligence for a small and a larger wind energy project (one near the Black Sea and one inland). At two locations (one in the Kavarna region and one in central Bulgaria) Ecofys has assisted an Austrian investor in acquiring a small and large wind energy project in looking at the ownership and environmental liabilities of both projects. As European legislation is in the process of being transposed to local legislation and has not been fully implemented, the client was especially interested in an advise on compliance to local legislation and interpretation of procedures with regard to the Natura 2000 regulation and in particular the potential limiting effects of the vicinity of IBS (Important Bird Sites). Ecofys was assisted by Bulgarian EIA experts and in close contact with the Bulgarian chapter of Birdlife International. Size: About 3 person months Year: 2007 Client: confidential (international)
- Feasibility study of small wind energy project near the Black Sea (Bulgaria) Year: 2008 For a private, Bulgarian investor who acquired a plot of land in the Kavarna area (Bulgaria), Ecofys provided a feasibility study and lay-out for a small wind farm (2 turbines), which had to be fitted in an area with neighboring wind turbines already in place. Size: about 2 person months Client: confidential (local)
- Identification of wind energy projects and project partners in Bulgaria and Romania Year: 2007-2009 Client: confidential (international)
- Feasibility study and park layout of large wind farm (80 MW) in the Varna region Year: 2009 Client: confidential (local)
- Financial assessment of feed-in conditions for large wind farm (60 MW) in NE Bulgaria Year: 2009 Client: confidential (int)
Carbon markets
- Identification of potential Joint Implementation projects Year: 2006 The Dutch authorities were looking in Bulgaria, the country which has been well supported by them, in developing climate change policy and an environment to deal with JI projects and EU-ETS, for a number of JI projects, as a working reserve to the existing portfolio of the Carbon Credit programme. Projects were scouted, mainly in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency with other local contacts. Size: 2 person months Client: the Dutch carbon credit purchase agency SenterNovem
- Climate change: ‘carbon opportunities for Bulgarian companies’. Year: 2008-2009 Within the framework of a series of programmes targeting awareness raising on the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and possible solutions to reduce these, Ecofys has won a tender from the British embassy in order to promote the development of carbon opportunities’ for Bulgarian (industrial) companies. Ecofys co-operated with the Bulgarian Industrial Association to reach Bulgarian companies, thru a widely aired media campaign with attention from national and regional media. Activities included a opening conference, 3 regional seminars with workshops for companies, the development of tools in order to assist companies in identifying and describing their ‘carbon opportunity’, and a national competition to increase further the awareness for this topic among Bulgarian companies. The price for the competition was implemented by doing an energy audit on a specific industrial process at the company Sparky. Our activities were further supported by the preparation of a website with news, methods, tools and a online forum which brings together companies to exchange best practice from first hand. Size: about 4 person months Client: British embassy in Sofia