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 PRESS RELEASE

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Novi Sad, 26 November 2013 – 

Provincial Secretary for Energy and Mineral Resources, Nataša Pavićević Bajić, President of the World Bioenergy Association - WBA, Heinz Kopetz and CEO of the WBA, Karin Haara, signed the Protocol on Cooperation in preparation of strategic documents for the use of bioenergy in the territory of the AP Vojvodina. The Protocol includes the support of the World Bioenergy Association - WBA to the Provincial Secretariat for Energy and Mineral Resources in preparation of strategic documents for bioenergy, as well as their support in the implementation of specific projects based on these strategic documents.



From Left to Right: Karin Haara, WBA Executive Director, Heinz Koptez, WBA President and Nataša Pavićević Bajić, Provincial Secretary for Energy and Mineral Resources at the signing ceremony in Nova Sad.



Provincial Secretary for Energy and Mineral Resources, Nataša Pavićević Bajić expressed her pleasure at the signing of the Protocol on Cooperation and pointed out that that organisation was the best partner in preparation of required documents and regional strategies for the utilisation of renewable energy sources in Vojvodina. Signing of this Protocol will enable implementation of projects which will provide for the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels import, while at the same time, it will enable the utilisation of renewable energy sources from domestic sources and production of domestic electricity and heat, which represents the greatest potential for development of the region. Mrs Pavićević-Bajić said that strategic documents would encompass several sets of documents, which would elaborate heat and power generation from biomass, as well as power generation from resources such as water, sun and wind. These documents are relevant because there is a great need for construction of the new infrastructure network, in the section of district heating and connecting of industrial zones with the heat production. Strategic documents, whose drafting will begin now, have to be accepted and acknowledged by all international and professional organisations, first of all, by international financial organisations, since they are fundamental for financing of all projects, which will be implemented systematically, in order to obtain the fastests and finest results. The most attention will be paid to projects pertaining to the biomass utilisation, since that is the greatest resource of Vojvodina from which the concrete results are expected. The new industrial branch will be launched – i.e. the production of agro pellets, whose consumption will have a direct impact on the reduction of the heating price through budget institutions, as well as on other business operations. 

President of the World Bioenergy Association - WBA, Heinz Kopetz, stressed that Vojvodina, as a region, had an enormous potential in the area of renewable energy sources, as well as that the first next step would be a workshop, which would gather experts from Vojvodina and representatives of the WBA. The first results would be evident in the first half of the forthcoming year and since there was a very precise schedule of activities, regarding the strategy, for the whole forthcoming year, the project is expected to be successfully implemented until then. 

CEO of the World Bioenergy Association – WBA, Karin Haara, emphasised that in Vojvodina, a lot of attention was paid to renewable energy sources. She added that bioenergy was a very complex issue, as well as multifunctional area, therefore many things should be carefully considered when that kind of projects were launched. According to her, Vojvodina had educated people who were able to manage those projects and resources which were enormous, while the World Bioenergy Association was willing to offer any support. 

The WBA role in drafting of the strategy includes the implementation of the EU policies and directives, as well as global strategies, regarding the biomass utilisation, harmonisation of the strategy with the chapters of the EU directives, pertaining to the climate change mitigation, analysis of the application of various technologies in the use of bioenergy in small-hydropower plants, district heating systems, combined heat and power generation (co-generation), as well as in biogas and biofuel-fired plants, provision of support machanisms and guidelines for the use of bioenergy in the generation of power from biomass. 
World Bioenergy Association – WBA is the world leading professional organisation which, since its founding in 2008, has been committed to supporting of the balanced distribution of global resources of bioenergy in the power generation and it represents a strong institutional instrument in the bioenergy sector, at the global level. 

This organisation consists of national and regional organisations and institutions, members of the world association in the area of solar energy, wind energy, geothermal and hydro energy, and associations dealing with these issues at the global level, within the International Renewable Energy Alliance.