Project is supported by the International Visegrad Fund
ID number: 22310328
Source and amount of funding: International Visegrad Fund, 32,320.00 €
Implementation period: 1/07/2023 – 30/11/2024
The project will provide outcome data, knowledge, and policy recommendations on bio-renewable energy transition alternatives (scenarios). Additionally, it aims to expand the area of potential research on bio-renewable energy transition through the development and applications of project proposals to MSCS schemes.
The main issue of the project:
Nowadays, bioenergy contributes about 9.4% of the renewable energy profile of Visegrad Group countries. The bioenergy potential is estimated at 986.30 MJ (or 36.720 Mt of coal equivalent), which could satisfy 25-30% of Visegrad Group countries’ total current energy consumption. However, this potential is not fully used due to limited evidence on the impact assessment of bio-renewable energy transition alternatives taking into account various policies, regulatory and technology-based decisions. The proposed project (with intended timing from June 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024 (18 months in total) aims to explore the impact of current and future bio-renewable energy transition alternatives in Visegrad Group countries to enable energy security and sustainability. To tackle this, it will develop a critical EnergyPLAN model to simulate future bio-renewable energy transition alternatives concerning technical dimensions (e.g., production capacity), economic (e.g., infrastructure cost), investment level, environmental (e.g., carbon emissions, land, water use), social (e.g., consumer cost), and institutional aspects (e.g., government subsidies, regulatory support). It is expected that the proposed project will provide comprehensive data, knowledge, and recommendations on bio-renewable energy transition and innovation areas (technology diffusion and adoption theories).
Solutions:
To provide a solid framework for analysis, conceptual theory on technology assessment, adoption, and forecasting in the field of the bio-renewable energy transition will be examined by analyzing, critical engagement, and comparing existing quantitative and qualitative data resources and scenario modeling tools. In parallel, data collection, analysis, selection, editing, maps, figures & diagrams from case studies of Visegrad Group countries will be conducted to create a Case-data container. Data for the Case-data container on biomass-based energy systems in Visegrad Group countries will be collected from academic and grey literature, national and international institutions, and business organizations. Modeling and simulation will be made with the help of the EnergyPLAN model. The EnergyPLAN model will be developed under different bio-renewable energy development scenarios, including base-case scenarios, environmental-driven scenarios, economics-driven scenarios, institutional support scenarios etc. Thus, the project will provide evidence-based policy recommendations for the fast and sustainable development of bio-renewable energy systems for energy security and sustainability.
The added value of the project:
The innovative element of the project is that the findings of the project will be presented in a group of different data that will be pair-wise compared and weighed under different bio-renewable energy transition scenarios using the EnergyPLAN simulation model. Thus, the project result will be presented in a way that makes them easily accessible and relevant to decision-makers in private, business, and public policy communities at the local, regional, and national scales. Furthermore, the EnergyPLAN simulation model results will provide an advanced understanding of the importance of assessing the impact of bio-renewable energy transition alternatives for energy security and sustainability and the functioning of the investigated types of bioenergy-based systems alternative policies to foster bioenergy-based systems for energy security and sustainability. Another innovative outcome of the project is that it will provide insights into how to handle the energy crisis caused by present and future events such as COVID-19 and the war conflict in Ukraine.
The regional relevance of the project:
In the context of project focus, the case of Visegrad Group countries is particularly interesting. The Visegrad Group countries took the early initiative to transform into a more sustainable
energy system. The governments of Visegrad Group countries conceptualized a detailed strategy for this transformation through its National Energy and Climate Plans. The plans aim to transform the national energy system from fossil fuels to bio-renewable energy. The overarching goal of this plan is to minimize ecological, socio-economic, and health problems associated with the use of fossil fuels and fully internalize the external costs of the energy market. Another motivation for this transformation is Russia’s limited reserves of fossil fuels and gas dependency. The primary renewable energy resource considered by Visegrad Group countries to achieve climate and energy goals is bio-renewable energy. Bioenergy is the most significant non-hydro renewable energy contributor in the renewable portfolio of Visegrad Group countries. Still, its potential is limited, and its future use is unclear due to several uncertainties.
Lider of project:
Krakow University of Economics
Project partners:
Metropolitan University in Prague
dr hab. Rafał Lisiakiewicz, Associated Professor Associated Professor at the Department of Political Studies, Cracow University of Economics.
Research interests:
Russia’s foreign policy, Russia’s economic relations with foreign partners, Polish-Russian relations, Russian political system as well as the decision-making process and geo-economics in the Russian Federation, and energy in Central Europe. His research interests also lie at the intersection of International Political Economy and Security.
Involvement in the project: coordinator, deals with tasks like case-data container for Visegrad group of countries, and research papers.
Ph.D. Marat Karatayev is an Ernst Mach Researcher at the Institute for Systems Science, Innovation and Sustainability Research, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Austria. He holds a master’s by research degree in Environmental Protection Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning from Politecnico di Torino and University of Nottingham. His research has focused on the political economy and geopolitics of energy transitions, innovations and climate change, water-energy-food nexus governance, and scenario generation tools.
Michał Vit, PhD. Michal is an Assistant Professor at the Metropolitan University Prague. He obtained his doctorate in 2017. Previously he was associated with the Institute for European Policy (IEP), Berlin and EUROPEUM, Prague. He underwent research fellowships at University of Konstanz and University of Vienna, South East European University (MK). He cooperates as a consultant with international organizations, such as OSCE.
Dr. habil. Erika Varga, Associate Professor at the Institute of Rural Development and Sustainable Economy, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Gödöllő, Hungary)
PhD in management and business administration (2015); habilitation in management and business administration (2021). Her research interests include HR, management, leadership issues, competencies, work-life balance and studying generations on the labour market.
Involvement in the project: Hungarian member in the project of the Visegrad group of countries, and author of research papers.
Conference FAST-GROWING TREES AND PLANTS GROWING FOR ENERGY PURPOSES,
September 5–6th 2024 in Nitra, Institute of Law and Sustainable Development, under the auspices of the Dean of the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development at the Slovak University of Agriculture and Visegrad Grants ID #22310328
The aim of the international conference is to present a comprehensive view on the importance of biomass for its sustainable energy use. Results obtained from the studying functional processes that are responsible for the production potential of energy trees and plants under specific agro-environmental conditions will be presented. Another objective is to point to „good practice” experiences of growing and environmental impact of energy crops.
Innovative EU strategies related to the circular economy in terms of applied bioenergy research focused on the latest trends in biochemical and thermochemical conversion of biomass to biofuels with higher energy density will be also discussed.
The Conference is intended for university educators, researchers, practitioners, PhD. students and the scientific public.
More details: https://www.uniag.sk/sk/oznamy-reader/rychlorastuce-dreviny-a-byliny-pestovane-na-energeticke-ucely-konferencia
September 8, 2023: Polish-German seminar in the series Social Market Economy entitled Economic and energy transformation in the context of the war in Ukraine, Krakow University of Economics
The title of the project group presentation:
The consequences of the Ukraine conflict and EU-Russia sanctions on energy transition: Prospects and trajectory in the Visegrad Group Nations
Authors:
- Dr. Marat Karatayev, Karl-Franzens University of Graz
- Prof. Dr. Jan Gaduš, Slovak University of Agriculture
- Dr hab. Rafał Lisiakiewicz, prof. UEK, Krakow University of Economics
Project Coordinator:
dr hab. Rafał Lisiakiewicz, prof. UEK, e-mail: lisiakir@uek.krakow.pl
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