Project Manager: Ilze Strele, phone: 7215051
e-mail: ilze.strele@videsprojekti.lv

The Baltic Sea region (BSR) with its agricultural and forest resources has a great potential to implement the goals of the European Union Directives in using biomass for the production and use of heating, electric energy and fuel. However long term development of bioenergy depends on eliminating existing obstacles in the region, including th epoorly developed logistics, the infrastructure of biomass production, the limited local resources, competing market members, interests in land use or insufficient knowledge about the potential of the region.

BSR INTERREG III B The Baltic Biomass Network works at the regional planning level with local governments, biomass producers and investors in bioenergy to develop more optimal biomass production schemes based on geographical information systems (GIS), to mobilize biomass resources and to plan long term bioenergy investment projects.

The Project is carried out in 6 Baltic Sea regions (pilot territories): Finland - North Karelia, Estonia - East – Viiru, Latvia - Tukums district, Lithuania - Kaunas, Poland - Pomorskie, Germany - Brandenburg.

The Project Goals are:

• To Facilitate cooperation between regional parties involved in the bioenergy sector
• To Develop unified methods in bioenergy project planning and integration of new land use systems;
• To Provide training in biomass modeling for planners, investors and biomass producers;
• To use GIS in modeling to identify the most appropriate territories for the production of energetic agricultural crops and fuel;
• To harmonize the spatial planning indicators to prepare bioenergy projects;
• To Promote the regional potential for introducing new agricultural and forest management structures in order to develop the production of bioenergy;

Expected Results:

• The Introduction of support methods for decision making at the regional level of bioenergy investments/biomass resource planning. The evaluation of bioenergy development within the framework of spatial planning.
• A Choice of pilot territories for mapping, biomass evaluation, analysis of spatial planning and cooperation of parties involved. The Mapping of biomass (in agriculture and forest management) potential in the pilot territories.
• The Cooperation of parties involved in the pilot territories to mobilize investment projects in bioenergy systems. The transfer of interregional bioenergy technological skills. Increased information about biomass production.

Project web site: www.balticbiomass.com