REPROMO - Renewable Energy Promotion Campaign for the Realisation of Trans-national RES Projects, especially in CEEC

Energy Forests – Energy Forests Development, Speaker Mr. János Horváth, Geomontan Co.

The presentation was held by Mr. János Horváth. The topic of Mr. Horváth’s presentation was the Energy Forest Development on Central-European areas, where agricultural production is uneconomical.

One of the main objectives of the Energy Forests Project is to determine how much energy could be produced from wood if energy forests were planted on unproductive lands.

Hungary’s total area is 9 303 000 Ha, the low qualitiy land is estimated about 1 790 000 Ha. The Hungarian renewable energy consumption today is 38 PJ/year, (3,6 % of the total consumption). About 2,8% of all renewables is biomass, mainly firewood. By 2010 the share of renewables will have to be raised to 12%. Only 0,5% of the total Hungarian electricity supply has come from renewables in 2003. By the end of the decade this should be increased sevenfold to 3,6%.

There are several aspects which influence the status of renewable energies:

Price increases due to the liberalisation of the natural gas market.
Environmental policy: change in priorities and subsidies.
As the consequence of the EU accession:

the share of alternative energy in the total energy consumption in Hungary will have to be raised to 12% by 2010.
On 1 million hectare of arable land energy crops can be planted.

The depletion of the Hungarian fossil fuel reserves: oil and natural gas will be enough for 19, coal for 14-15, lignite for 67 years.

Hungary's Biomass Potential

Mr. Horváth also mentioned that Hungary’s estimated total biomass reserves are around 350-360 million tons, and the annual biomass formation is around 105-110 million tons. The gross energy content of the annual biomass formation is 1185 PJ. It is much larger than the country’s total energy consumption, which is 1040 PJ/year. Vegetation stores about 30,4 million tons of carbon annually, which is more than twice as much as the carbon content of coal extracted from the mines.

Hungary’s energy demand has been around 1040 PJ /year in the last three years.
About 60% of that (583 PJ) has been imported from other countries. Out of the 105-110 million tons of annual biomass formation, 9 Mt come from forests.
From the potential 105-110 million tons of annual biomass formation, 38-43 million tons can be regarded as energy source. Forestry comes in at about 10%, that is 3-4 million tons yearly (firewood, energy-forest).

About further Hungarian possibilities Mr. Horváth mentioned that Energy forests if planted on 1,79 Million Ha low soil quality land could provide: 14,3 – 25,1 million tons of woodmass, which is equivalent to 171-301 PJ of energy. Even when energy forests - planted on 1 Million Ha of non-cultivated arable land – they could provide 8-14 miilion tons woodmass which is equivalent to 96-168 PJ of energy.In his conclusion Mr. Horváth mentioned that energy forests could meet 9-29% of the annual Hungarian energy demand (depending also on the efficiency of conversion process).

	Energy Forests – Energy Forests Development, Speaker Mr. János Horváth, Geomontan Co. The presentation was held by Mr. János Horváth. The topic of Mr. Horváth’s presentation was the Energy Forest Development on Central-European areas, where agricultural production is uneconomical. One of the main objectives of the Energy Forests Project is to determine how much energy could be produced from wood if energy forests were planted on unproductive lands. Hungary’s total area is 9 303 000 Ha, the low qualitiy land is estimated about 1 790 000 Ha. The Hungarian renewable energy consumption today is 38 PJ/year, (3,6 % of the total consumption). About 2,8% of all renewables is biomass, mainly firewood. By 2010 the share of renewables will have to be raised to 12%. Only 0,5% of the total Hungarian electricity supply has come from renewables in 2003. By the end of the decade this should be increased sevenfold to 3,6%. There are several aspects which influence the status of renewable energies: Price increases due to the liberalisation of the natural gas market. Environmental policy: change in priorities and subsidies. As the consequence of the EU accession: the share of alternative energy in the total energy consumption in Hungary will have to be raised to 12% by 2010. On 1 million hectare of arable land energy crops can be planted. The depletion of the Hungarian fossil fuel reserves: oil and natural gas will be enough for 19, coal for 14-15, lignite for 67 years. Hungary's Biomass Potential Mr. Horváth also mentioned that Hungary’s estimated total biomass reserves are around 350-360 million tons, and the annual biomass formation is around 105-110 million tons. The gross energy content of the annual biomass formation is 1185 PJ. It is much larger than the country’s total energy consumption, which is 1040 PJ/year. Vegetation stores about 30,4 million tons of carbon annually, which is more than twice as much as the carbon content of coal extracted from the mines. Hungary’s energy demand has been around 1040 PJ /year in the last three years. About 60% of that (583 PJ) has been imported from other countries. Out of the 105-110 million tons of annual biomass formation, 9 Mt come from forests. From the potential 105-110 million tons of annual biomass formation, 38-43 million tons can be regarded as energy source. Forestry comes in at about 10%, that is 3-4 million tons yearly (firewood, energy-forest). About further Hungarian possibilities Mr. Horváth mentioned that Energy forests if planted on 1,79 Million Ha low soil quality land could provide: 14,3 – 25,1 million tons of woodmass, which is equivalent to 171-301 PJ of energy. Even when energy forests - planted on 1 Million Ha of non-cultivated arable land – they could provide 8-14 miilion tons woodmass which is equivalent to 96-168 PJ of energy.In his conclusion Mr. Horváth mentioned that energy forests could meet 9-29% of the annual Hungarian energy demand (depending also on the efficiency of conversion process).
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