Environmental research

The idea of this project is to replace the existing heating system in a school located in village Dvorishte - municipality of Berovo that as an energy source uses fossil fuel. Replacements will be realized by installation of system that runs on wood chips, which will be produced with a commitment of members of NAPFO. With the completion of the project directly will be reduced the CO2 emissions for 16.14 tones. The school for heating uses 6 tons of oil which shed 16.14 tons 2. In scholl will be replace utilization of fosil fuel with wood chips which is carbon neutral thus directly will reduce the CO2 emissions. As partners in this project besides NAPFO and GEF PSG appear SNV Netherlands Development Organization and municipality of Berovo. SNV has proven as great supporter of NAPFO in the past, and now through its support in preparing this project. Some of the employees will be hired as experts on selecting the best offers, training of chipper operators, production of wood chips, informing the public about the project and opportunities arising from this project, monitoring the work and performance of the boiler. Municipality Berovo with the financial aid will contribute to this project. Their role in the long term can be shown as a key in promoting projects like this. The project is sustainable because it brings savings of several thousand U.S. $, which will be an incentive for other entities in the same municipality and other municipalities to replicate this project. This project is one of the few that will provide income for rural population (private forest owners, owners of small sawmills) through the sale of their wood waste or forest waste that remains after primary wood processing. Also secure benefits for the local community in reducing heating costs, reducing CO2 emissions (healthy environment). A benefit for NAPFO from this project is to improve the financial viability of the Association through their participation in the supply chain of wood products in the local market. Decreasing the CO2 emissions utilization of fosil fuels is one of the biggest producers of CO2. With substitution of fossil fuels with biomass will be positively influenced in decreasing the CO2 emissions. - Utilization of chips from wood waste will increase the income from wood products. - It will secure the sustainability of NAPFO through offering services: chiping the wood waste and transport to the final consumer. - Realization of profit for consumer of heating energy through introducing more efficient systems. - Improving the competition of forestry sector and rural economy. Climate change is part of our society wanting to admit it or not. While European countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden etc.) are trying to increase effectiveness and to use renewable energy sources as a contribution in reducing the effects of climate change, Macedonia is lagging behind in this field. We are witnesses that we use costly energy with big emissions of greenhouse gases, which still is not a reason to make us to focus on other sources of energy that are more efficient and ecologically. Therefore this project will strive to promote the use of efficient and ecologically energy sources such as chips derived from wood waste from forestry and wood industry. According to the last census in the Republic of Macedonia, over 70% of households used fire wood as a source for heating. Only 2% of households have installed central heating and firewood mainly is consumed in the traditional way of heating ovens. This way of heating is often ineffective, and besides inefficiency is characterized by loss of time due to other operations. The forests in Macedonia according to ownership are divided in state and private forest. Private forests occupy around 10% of the total forest fund. Currently there are around 55,000 registered owners of private forests. Owners of private forests are generally part of the population living in rural areas of the country. In these areas the possibilities for achievement of revenue and employment are lower than in urban areas. About 1,400 owners of private forests are organized in the National Association of Private Forest Owners (NAPFO). NAPFO aims to contribute to the overall development of forestry. One of the long-term goals of NAPFO is sustainable forest management with private forest. For this purpose NAPFO wants to contribute to a better utilization of firewood through the installation of central heating system that runs on chips derived from wood waste. NAPFO believes that the realization of this project will open new opportunities in the forestry sector in the Republic of Macedonia. The practice showed that after logging large amounts of biomass remain unused. Large percentage of the private forest owners does not perceive this as a source of finance and as a renewable source of energy. Therefore the implementation of this project except the utilization of biomass as a source of energy will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and increasing the revenue coming from products derived from wood, especially from private forests.

Macedonia