Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006

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European Commission

L I F E I I I

Best LIFE-Environment Projects2005-2006

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European CommissionEnvironment Directorate-General

LIFE (The Financial Instrument for the Environment) is a programme launched by the European Commission and coordinatedby the Environment Directorate-General (LIFE Unit - BU-9 02/1).

The content of the publication Best LIFE-Environment projects 2005-2006 does not necessarily reflect the opinions of theinstitutions of the European Union.

Authors : Wendy Jones, Jon Eldridge, Stephen Gardner, Eric Sarvan (Astrale GEIE AEIDL). Managing Editor: Philip Owen,European Commission, Environment DG, LIFE Unit BU-9, 02/1, 200 rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels. LIFE Focus series coor-dination: Simon Goss (LIFE Communications Coordinator), Evelyne Jussiant (DG Environment Communications Coordinator).The following people also worked on this issue: Katalin Kolosy, David Ferguson. Production: Monique Braem, Christine Charlier.Graphic design: Anita Corts, Daniel Renders. Acknowledgements: Thanks to all LIFE project beneficiaries who contributedcomments, photos and other useful material for this report. Photos: Unless otherwise specified; photos are from the respectiveLIFE projects. This issue of LIFE Focus is published in English with a print-run of 3,000 copies and is also available onlineat http://ec.europa.eu/life.

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu) .

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2006

ISBN 92-79-02123-0ISSN 1725-5619

European Communities, 2006

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium

Printed on recycled paper that has been awardedthe EU Ecolabel for graphic paper (http://ec.europa.eu/ecolabel)

Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union.New freephone number: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11

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This is the second review of completed projects funded through the EUs LIFE-Environment demonstration programme.The objective was to find out which projects were the Best of the Best (BoBs) of those projects that completed theirfinal reports before January 2006. This year, following an initial review carried out by the LIFE Units external monitoringteam, Member States reviewed the top 21 of the 62 projects that finished within the reference period.

We used the same criteria as for the 2005 selection i. e., the LIFE national authorities used a set of criteria, agreed upon at ameeting in the city of Malm in Sweden (on 27-28 April 2005) to identify the best projects from an init ial list prepared by theexternal monitors. However, this year there were a few modifications made in response to comments by Member States lastyear. The projects were distributed among evaluators on a random basis in a workable language for the national authorityand with only one review from the Member States where the project beneficiary was based.

Overall, the process ran much more smoothly than the fi rst years selection process with colleagues responding promptly tomy many requests and queries. The results were encouraging: no projects were considered below average and althoughonly five projects could be included in the final, Best of the Best (BoBs) selection, the margin separating fifth place from

eighth, was only 1.5%, which indicates just how close the decision was. I was also pleased to note that project managersare increasingly aware of the BoBs.

We should not forget that the purpose of the evaluation exercise is to raise the profile of the work done through theLIFE-Environment programme and help ensure that policy officers and SMEs are aware of important results which couldenhance their activities and benefit Europes environment. With the selection and management of projects in the newLIFE+ Programme (2007-2013) likely to be moving from the Commission to Member States, I hope that the BoBs can finda new role bringing together the outputs from national programmes, and identifying and rewarding projects, whose resultsare exceptionally significant at EU level.

For me this was also a sad occasion, as this was my last year coordinating the final selection process (I have moved to anew post within Defra the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). From next year, the BoBs will be coordi-nated by Nicole Kerkhoff of SenterNovem, an agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Economics Affairs, to whom I offer mybest wishes.

I would like to express my gratitude to all my national authority colleagues who gave up valuable t ime. A special thank yougoes to: Isabelle Lico, Eleni Stylianopoulou, Ralf Tegeler, Gabriella Camarsa and Pascal Magoarou. Thanks also to the stafffrom the LIFE Unit, the external monitors and to all the project beneficiaries.

Robbie CraigUK LIFE Committee Member

Representatives of LIFE national authoritiesfrom EU Member States at the Malm meeting

in Sweden, April 2005

Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 3

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Introduction ..........................5

Land-use developmentand planning .................... 6

SINESBIOAR : Sustainabledevelopment of the Sinesregion, Portugal ...................... 7

AIRforALL : Forecastingextreme levels of localambient pollution ................... 8

MicoValdorba : Sustainablemanagement of wildfungus-producing forestecosystems .................... ........9

Ythan Project : Communityapproach helps to reducepollution in Ythan estuary ....10

EcoMonte: Environmentalmanagement in Austrian

Alps ......................................11

ECOREG : Regional eco-efficiency for sustainable

development ........................12

CER-COM+ : Environmentalmeasures boost local econ-omy in Northern Italy ............13

Water management ........ 14

Dairy no water : Towardsself-sufficient dairy foodproduction ....................... .....15

ANPHOS : A new processfor treating phosphate-richwastewater ...................... .....17

Bo nBay : Managingthe common sea .................. 18

Minimising the impactof economic activities ....19

RefinARS : Reducingthe environmental impactof refineries ..........................20

DETECTIVE : Dry-cleaningwith liquid carbon dioxide ....22

OSIS : Improving oil spilldetection in the North Sea ...25

Stiim : Traditional thermotechniques to treat cerealseeds .......................................28

Waste management .......29

PAROC-WIM : Recyclingwaste boosts stone woolmelting ................................. 30

GENPLAST : Integratedrecycling plant foragricultural plastics ..............32

REUSEOIL : Reducinghazardous waste byrecycling used oil filters........33

ENVACTCARB : Producingactivated carbon fromxylite (brown coal miningsterile) ..................................34

Integrated ProductPolicy .............................35

ECON-tainer : new containerplant at the Port ofRotterdam ............................36

CLEAN DECO : Greencoatings for taps .................37

GPPnet : Networking topromote green publicprocurement .........................38

Available LIFEpublications ........................39

Best of the Best projects

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The 21 bestLIFE-Environment

projects 2005-2006

This, the second Best LIFE-Environ-ment Projects exercise, follows on froma lengthy identification and evaluationprocess based on a set of best prac-tice criteria, developed by EU MemberStates in collaboration with the Euro-pean Commission. The projects, fromacross the EU-25, cover all of LIFE-

Environments main themes: land-usedevelopment and planning; water man-agement; minimising the impact of eco-nomic activities; waste management,and Integrated Product Policy.

The objective of the exercise is to helpimprove the dissemination of LIFEproject results by clearly identifyingthose projects whose results, if widelyapplied, could have the most positiveimpact on the environment.

Commenting on the results of thisyears selection process, LIFE Com-mittee Member Robbie Craig (Depart-

ment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK) said: We offer our hearti-est congratulations to all the projectsthat were selected. We offer particularcongratulations to the five selectedBest of the Best (BoBs), who, in theopinion of the LIFE Committee, repre-sented the very best of this list.

He noted that once again there was avery strong emphasis on eco-innova-tion among the short-listed projects:Word about these awards is beginningto spread. Throughout the EU, it seemsbeneficiaries of projects that are justabout to close are asking for more infor-mation about the criteria for selection.

How were the best projectsselected?

Scoring of completed LIFE-Environ-ment projects began in the summer of

2004. The system was introduced bythe Commission, following an initiativetaken by Sweden and the Netherlands.

After a meeting at The Hague on 11-12 May 2004, a set of best practicecriteria was developed in collabora-tion with the Member States. Thesecriteria included: projects contributionto immediate and long-term environ-mental, economic and social improve-ments; their degree of innovation andtransferability; their relevance to policyand their cost-effectiveness. In viewof the importance of these aspects toproject success, project beneficiariesare also required to provide an After-

LIFE Communication Plan and an Analysis of the long-term benefits ofthe project with their final report. Thisinformation forms an integral part ofthe evaluation process.

All completed projects are initiallytechnically assessed by the LIFE Unitsexternal monitoring team (the Astraleconsortium). The monitors ranked allthe projects that ended during the ref-erence period (autumn 2005 to spring2006), to produce a first list. The finalselection was undertaken by the Mem-ber States under the coordination ofMr. Craig, using the agreed criteria.

This publication presents the 21 bestLIFE Environment projects 2005-2006,including the five Best of the Bestprojects selected by the LIFE Commit-tee. It includes the beneficiaries con-tact details and website addresses.

IntroductionEU Member States represented on the LIFE Committee and the European Commissions LIFEUnit have announced the Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006. The results of the selection(approved by the LIFE Committee on 15 May 2006), are the 21 projects featured in this publica-

tion. These projects represent the most successful of the recently completed LIFE-Environmentprojects in terms of their contribution to immediate and long-term environmental, economic andsocial improvements; their degree of innovation and transferability; their relevance to policy and

their cost-effectiveness.

Land-use development and planningSINESBIOAR Portugal

AIRforALL Romania

MicoValdorba Spain

Ythan Project United Kingdom

EcoMonte Austria

ECOREG Finland

CER-COM+ Italy

Water managementDairy, no water The Netherlands

ANPHOS The Netherlands

Bothnian Bay Finland

Impact of economic activitiesRefinARS Italy

DETECTIVE The Netherlands

OSIS Denmark

Stiim Sweden

Waste managementPAROC-WIM Finland

GENPLAST Spain

REUSEOIL Sweden

ENVACTCRB Romania

Integrated Product PolicyECON-tainer The Netherlands

CLEAN DECO Italy

GPPnet Italy

Best of the Best projects

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Land-use developmentand planning

The Commissions new Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment calls for

an integrated approach to environmental management, land-use and transport

planning at the local and regional level. To be sustainable, land-use planning and

development must harmonise a wide array of cross-cutting aims, ranging from

water, air and soil protection to the promotion of economic development; from

the conservation of natural habitats to the fulfillment of transport needs; and from

managing local climate-protection measures to reducing social segregation.

Entailing partly contradictory objectives, land-use planning processes are often

conflict-ridden. Sustainable land-use therefore requires integrated approaches,

which take into account the economic and social, as well as environmental con-

cerns of the numerous different stakeholders involved.

Thematic Strategy on Urban Environment (adopted on 11 January 2006).

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm

LIFE00 ENV/A/000249

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SINESBIOAR: Sustainable develop-ment of the Sines region, Portugal

Land-use development and planning

Identifying and evaluating an areasair pollutants is an important steptowards managing the quality of air.

Industrial activity in the Sines region ofthe Alentejo is located in clusters, andas a result it is difficult to determinethe exact source of air pollution.

The project was set up to enable theCommission for Regional Coordina-tion and Development of the Alentejoregion (CCDR-Alentejo) to better eval-uate the air quality of the Sines region.It provides a wide range of environ-mental data that allows the CCDR-

Alentejo to implement a programmeof sustainable industrial developmentand environmental management.

Since the 1960s the Sines area ofthe Alentejo has been a centre forindustrial development. An indus-trial harbour was built, and the areaattracted many companies relatedto the petrochemical and energysectors. These industries have con-

tributed to air pollution, however,emitting sulphur dioxide, nitrousoxide and volatile organic com-pounds into the atmosphere.

The LIFE-supported project was setup in response to local demand foran improvement in air quality and theopportunity presented by the sur-rounding parks and coastal areas foreco-tourism. It recognised the urgentneed for a monitoring tool that wouldtake various types of data, such asemissions, traditional air-quality indi-cators, bio-indicators and informa-tion about land-use and climate, andprovide the local authority with usefulguidelines for sustainable develop-ment and land use.

The end result was a web-basedsystem that provides relevant andup-to-date information to the public,industry and managers. The CCDR-

Alentejo is responsible for keeping thesystem up and running, and monitor-ing facilities are a permanent fixtureof the area.

A broad approach

Organisers attribute a good dealof the success of the project to theinvolvement of private companies,public bodies and research institutes.The project was supported by theInstituto Superior Tecnico (the largestPortuguese engineering faculty), theLisbon University Foundation, and theISCTE (Higher Institute of Businessand Labour Sciences) as well as themain companies in the area, Petrogal,

Borealis, CPPE, Trnsgas, Atlntico eadministrao do Porto de Sines.

Another key to the projects successwas its multidisciplinary approach:lichens that can accumulate severalpollutants were used as bio-moni-tors, social problems were monitoredand geostatistical models of pollut-ant dispersion were developed. Thisapproach resulted in reliable anddetailed monitoring and managementof air quality.

The project has a positive legacy:trained personnel continue the moni-toring work, and an active websiteand ongoing newspaper slot are partof the projects aim to address public

concerns and include the local popu-lation in sustainable land use.

The SINESBIOAR project implemented a multidisciplinary tool to manage air pollution and theimpact of social pressures on an industrial area of the Portuguese south coast.

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/P/000830

Title: Implementation of a multidisci-plinary tool for the evaluationof air quality.

Beneficiary: CCDR Alentejo, Portugal

Total Budget: 1,282,000

LIFE Contribution: 622,000

Period: 01-Dec-2001 to 30-Nov-2004

Website: www.ccdr-a.gov.pt/

Contact: Maria Augusta MachadoMartins Campos

Email: [email protected]

Beaches on the nearby coast provide an excellent opening for eco-tourism.

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AIRforALL: Forecasting extremelevels of local ambient pollution

The success of the pollution-forecast-ing system has encouraged furthercooperation between local agenciesresponsible for environmental protec-tion and other technical institutions,with a view to providing polluters witha sound scientific basis for steeringtheir technologies in order to minimisethe risk of excess pollution. The GIS-supported system is also a valuableinstrument for developing zoning poli-cies and industry plans, and the NAMis currently implementing a furtherLIFE project, AIR-AWARE (LIFE05ENV/RO/000106), which seeks toassist spatial planning, traffic man-agement and pollution control in theBucharest metropolitan area.

With the early-warning system opera-tional, and its application in otherhigh-risk areas probable, the mostimportant long-term criteria for theschemes success will be the numberof pollution alerts that are reactedupon by industrial plants responsiblefor the emissions.

Due to its topography and the pres-ence of two large smelting facilities, theCity of Baia Mare suffers from high lev-els of pollution from toxic substancessuch as sulphur dioxide and leadpowders. The county of Maramures,in which Baia Mare is located, is one ofthe countrys 20 most polluted areas(also known as hot-spots). Herethe mortality caused by air-pollutionrelated diseases is 15% higher thanthe national urban average.

Local weather conditions furtherincrease the risk of incidences ofhigh concentrations of pollutants thataccumulate just above the groundlevel. The National Administration of

Meteorology (NAM) is legally respon-sible for issuing warnings aboutadverse weather and ambient pollu-tion. At the start of the project, how-

ever, air-quality forecasting was nottechnically available in Romania, andthe NAM had no method of predictingwhen and where exceptionally highlevels of air pollution would occur.

The aim of the AIRforALL project wasto develop a computerised systemto forecast air-quality status in BaiaMare urban area and other neigh-bouring zones 24 to 48 hours inadvance. Based on this warning, thelocal authorities, the polluters and thepopulation can react to prevent theoccurrence of high levels of pollutantsand avoid high-risk areas.

The project created a scientific dis-

cussion ground for the central authori-ties, local authorities and the pollut-ers, to jointly act to avoid increasedair contamination.

Precisely predicting pollution

The project succeeded in developinga system which, based on remotelyprocessed local meteorological andair-pollution data, is able to forecastambient air-quality with a high degreeof accuracy 24 hours in advance ofthe expected adverse event. One ofthe projects principal success factorswas its close cooperation with a previ-ous LIFE project, ASSURE (LIFE99ENV/RO/006746), which developeda Geographical Information System(GIS)-based land-use planning sys-tem to assess and forecast the envi-ronmental impact of anthropogenicactivities.

An early-warning system in the Romanian city of Baia Mare integrates meteorological andpollution data to predict extreme local contamination levels, thereby enabling authorities andpolluters to inform citizens and take preventive measures.

The forecasting system remotely processes local meteorological and air pollution data.

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/RO/000987

Title: Air quality forecast andalarming system on pollution levels

Beneficiary: National Administration

of Meteorology, Romania

Total Budget: 462,000


Period: 01-Nov-2001 to 30-Apr-2005

Website: http://life-airforall.inmh.ro

Contact: Mihaela Caian


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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 9 Land-use development and planning

MicoValdora: Sustainablemanagement of wild fungus-producing forest ecosystemsLack of control of mushroom picking is threatening the biodiversity of mushroom-producing areasin the Navarra region of Spain. A LIFE co-funded project to establish an integrated managementsystem for the region has generated economic and social benefits.

Mushroom collection and cultivationprovides great potential for rural eco-nomic development in the Valdorbaregion of Navarra. While most wood-land mushroom areas are owned bylocal authorities and managed bythe Navarra Regional Government,mushroom production and collec-tion is generally not controlled. Lackof management often leads to con-flicts between the landowners andmushroom collectors. Unsustainablepicking practises threaten mushroompopulations, soil fertility, plant devel-opment as well as the overall equi-librium of the natural ecosystems

mostly meadows, woodlands andtraditionally cultivated land.

The project beneficiary, the city coun-cil of Leoz, one of seven municipali-ties comprising the Valdora region,set out to establish an integratedmanagement system for mushroom-producing ecosystems. The aimwas to ensure the conservation andenhancement of the ecosystems bio-diversity, while generating social andeconomic benefits for the regionsrural population.

At the heart of the innovative projectwas the application of forestry prac-tises and land management methodsthat combine sustainable managementof mycological resources with ruraleconomical development. The projectdeveloped tools aimed at integratingmycological resource management

concerns into official land-use policiesand natural resources planning sys-tems at local and county level.

Wide-ranging results

In total, 72 hectares of woodland weremanaged using forestry practisesbased on sustainable mycologicalresources management, and 17 ha ofland were reforested with mycorrhizedtrees. The technical team employed forthe LIFE project is now considered aspecialist reference unit for mushroom-related project development. The teamis regularly requested to provide sup-

port and advice to others.

The project produced manuals andguidelines for sustainable manage-ment tools and methodologies, suchas innovative mycological manage-ment plans, technical plans and for-estry programmes. Guidelines wereestablished for the ecological labellingof truffle and mushroom production atEuropean level.

A high level of media coverage wasalso achieved at local, regional andnational levels. Numerous events wereorganised, including conferences,nine technical courses, tree-plant-ing days and even cookery lessons.

Around 250 landowners participatedthrough seminars, courses and visits.Though not originally foreseen, anannual truffle fair was established, fur-ther spreading the projects results.

A tourism-based model for the sus-tainable use of mushrooms led tothe creation of six routes for mush-room collecting and eco-tourism.The model combined accommoda-tion, gastronomic offers focusingon mushrooms, courses and guidedwalks. The project contributed directlyto an estimated 30% increase in theareas hotel occupancy. The regionsmushrooms and truffles attract about500 visitors a year.

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/E/000402

Title: Sustainable management ofwild fungus-producing forestecosystems in Valdorba, Navarra

Beneficiary: Leoz Council(Ayuntamiento de Leoz), Spain



Period: 03-Sep-2001 to 03-Sep-2004

Website: www.valdorba.org/ micovaldorba2/pagina.shtml

Contact: Jos Mara Gallo Frez


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Ythan Project: Community approachhelps reduce pollution in Ythan estuary

Project Number: LIFE00/ENV/UK/000894

Title: sustainable land manage-ment in the Ythan catchment

Beneficiary: The Ythan Project,c/o Aberdeenshire Council, UK



Period: 01-Aug-2001 to 28-Feb-2005

Website: www.ythan.org.uk

Contact: Keith Newton

Email:

[email protected]

Rising pollution is threatening bird life in the Ythan estuary, northeast Scotland. The Ythan projectimplemented a range of education and awareness-raising activities to involve local communitiesin the environmental protection of the river.

Aberdeenshires Ythan estuary innortheast Scotland is an extremelyimportant site for birds, and is des-

ignated as a Ramsar Site and as anImportant Bird Area. Levels of nitratesand phosphates in the estuary havebeen increasing in recent years. Thishas led to a growth of green macro-algae in estuary waters that is apotential threat to the food supply ofwading birds. Current regulation isonly partially effective and does notprotect the estuary site from activitiesfurther upstream.

The project promoted sustainableland and river management throughraising public awareness and engag-ing the community in a range of meas-ures that included:> Local farmers were shown around

two farms that were established todemonstrate the benefits of agri-en-vironmental schemes and nutrientbudgeting.

> The University of Hertfordshire de-signed computer software to enablelocal farmers to complete nutrientbudgets.

> Farmers were encouraged to jointhe Rural Stewardship Scheme(RSS), to support the developmentof buffer strips alongside streamsand rivers.

> Water quality data was collectedover a three-year period. Local peo-ple, supported by Scottish Environ-ment Protection Agency staff, wereinvolved in water quality samplingat eight sites and in 50 river habitatsurveys.

> Local communities organised aware-ness-raising events in schools and

community centres. They selectedriver restoration sites and completedwork on 12 sites.

The project also monitored changesto the condition of the river and estu-ary through the use of aerial photog-raphy, and bird counts were carriedout every two weeks for two years.In addition, social surveys assessedpublic attitudes to the project and towater management at the beginningand end of the project.

The project was an excellent exam-ple of a participatory project in a ruralarea. The outputs of the project wereconsiderable. Contacts with around200 farmers resulted in a rise in appli-cations to RSS, and more than 70kilometres of buffer strip had beenestablished by project end.

The project worked with farmers tocomplete more than 100 water man-agement plans for farms. Amountsof suspended solids in neighbouringstreams were reduced and the nutri-ent budgets demonstrated that fer-tiliser use on farms could be cut byan average 15%. Another positiveresult was the establishment of a for-estry management plan for the GightWoods at Methlick, a large woodlandsite adjacent to the River Ythan. Morethan 2,000 broad-leaved trees wereplanted at 35 riparian sites.

The project organised around 50events, including a major conferencein October 2004. Many of these events

were organised and/or supported bycommunity volunteers. The projecthas provided a model for similar initia-tives to clean up river catchments.


Protecting water courses requiredcommunity involvement.

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 11 Land-use development and planning

EcoMonte: Environmentalmanagement in Austrian Alps

In 2000, the alpine region of the valleyof Grosses Walsertal was made oneof the first UNESCO Biosphere Parksin Austria. The region faces greatenvironmental challenges as a resultof a declining local community andregional activity.

Given the steepness of the valleyslopes, effective management of theprotective forests and mountainsidemeadows is of prime importance. Toguarantee their continued manage-ment, it is necessary to ensure theeconomic viability of land-use in theregion. But opportunities are limited.Commercial logging operations, tour-

ism and agriculture are the main pil-lars of the regional economy.

The project continued the initiatives ofthe past few years to ensure the sus-tainable development of the region.These included the development ofpolicy documents with the participa-tion of the local population, the imple-mentation of environmental agricul-ture practices, and the introduction ofeco-tourism and energy efficiency.

The objectives included: the intro-duction of Integrated environmentmanagement based on the EMASRegulation for the public sector; theuse of renewable regional resourcesand development of a sustain-able structure for tourism; and thedevelopment of the six small projectmunicipalities to achieve e2 (energyaudit) status.

Results

The project helped the area gain anEco-Management and Audit Scheme(EMAS)1 certification, the EU volun-tary instrument which acknowledgesorganisations that improve their envi-ronmental performance on a continu-ous basis. Following EMAS guide-lines, the project team developed andapplied innovative sustainability crite-ria for economic, social and culturalissues receiving the European Awardfor Sustainability Reporting in 2005.Says project manager Birgit Reutz:The EMAS system is well designedand it helped us a lot to work with

such a well-defined structure. Hope-fully, the added-value of LIFE par-ticipation will enable other regions tolearn from our experiences.

Dissemination of the projects resultshas been greatly enhanced by thisEuropean recognition. Another impor-tant achievement was obtained in thefield of energy. The project area wascertified e3 within the 5rating scalefor energy use, which means that atleast 50% of the used energy is pro-vided by renewable resources. Theproject demonstrated that the use ofrenewable resources can be increasedon a permanent basis, reversing thetrend seen in recent decades.

Ecomonte also successfully promotedecologically sustainable tourism in theregion aimed at long-term impact. The

project brought together 37 hotels andrestaurants in a Biosphere ReservePartner Network. Four hotels receivedthe Austrian Environmental Certificatefor Tourism.

The Grosses Walsertal region of the Austrian Alps is tackling environmental problems related to the depopulation of the area. The LIFE co-funded EcoMonte project coordinated measures to raise the areas environmental status to attract tourism and encourage sustainabledevelopment.

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/A/000249

Title: Integrated EnvironmentalManagement for SustainableDevelopment

Beneficiary: Regional Planning

Association Grosses Walsertal, AustriaTotal Budget: 1,065,000


Period: 01-Oct-2001 to 31-Dec-2004

Website: www.grosseswalsertal.at

Contact: Josef Tuertscher


PV (Photovoltaic) panels: helping to achieve e2 (energy audit status).

1 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/ index_en.htm

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The EUs sustainable development strategy is based on planning, in the words of the UnitedNations Brundtland Commission: to meet the needs of the present without compromising theability of future generations to meet their needs. The ECOREG project set out to provide a soundbasis for this planning at regional level, by developing eco-indicators and a complementary monitoring tool.

For sustainable development towork, countries and communitiesmust find ways of applying the con-cept of eco-efficiency coherentlyacross the environmental, economicand social dimensions of develop-ment. Different levels of govern-ment are responsible for sustain-able development policy, and havea major role to play in ensuring thispolicy is implemented in an informedway. In order to achieve this, reliable,up-to-date and quantified informa-tion is needed, as are assessmenttools to interpret the information.

The ECOREG beneficiary, the Finn-ish Environment Institute, sought toprovide this information by consider-ing regional economic, environmen-tal and socio-cultural factors as partof an analysis of eco-efficiency forsustainable development. A seriesof eco-indicators across four cat-egories was developed:> 21 socio-cultural indicators covering

eight themes: population change,employment, social exclusion,health, safety, education, cultureand local identity.

> 11 economic and material-flow in-dicators across four themes: back-ground factors, economic growth,economic welfare of the populationand material flows.

> 26 environmental indicators relatingto issues such as atmospheric emis-sions, water quality, transport, en-vironmental accidents, biodiversity,

consumption of natural resourcesand energy.

> Eco-efficiency indicators, whichwere developed by combining theindicators in the above-mentionedthree categories.

Planning for Kymenlaakso

The indicators developed by theproject were demonstrated at Kymen-laakso, a region on Finlands south-ern Baltic coast with a populationof around 186,000. Initial analysisshowed the eco-efficiency of Kymen-laakso improved between 1995 and

2002, but that the region faced signifi-cant threats, chiefly contamination ofsoil and water resources, eutrophica-tion of waters, risk of environmentalaccidents, climate change, ecotoxic-ity and biodiversity loss.

The projects results were included inthe Regional Plan for Kymenlaakso,indicating the way in which the devel-opment of the eco-efficiency assess-ment mechanism brought togetherdifferent interested parties, includingthe regional authorities and industry.The indicators and the analyticaltool for assessing them are relevantto developing policy at all levels:the results are highly transferableto both larger and smaller regions,municipalities, and even to compa-nies or organisations in the contextof their environmental managementsystems.

ECOREG: Regional eco-efficiency forsustainable development

Project Number: LIFE02 ENV/FIN/000331

Title: The Eco-Efficiency of Regions- Case Kymenlaakso

Beneficiary: Finnish EnvironmentInstitute, Finland



Period: 01-Sep-2002 to 31-Dec-2004

Website: http://www.environment.fi/syke/ecoreg

Contact: Matti Melanen


Indicators developed by the projectwere applied in the Kymenlaakso region.

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CER-COM+: Environmentalmeasures boost local economyin Northern ItalySeven cities in northern Italy, Comunit Montana, have teamed up to implement a raft of environmental measures including the establishment of guidelines for sustainable developmentand the promotion of responsible tourism. LIFE co-funding helped the region achieve theEMAS environmental management certification, while also aiding economic development.

The Comunit Montana lies in an areaof exceptional environmental impor-tance in the Nure and Arda valleys ofNorth Italy. The community set out tointroduce environmental policies andbolster its reputation for environmen-tal excellence as a way of attractingtourists and businesses to the area.

Achieving EMAS 1 (the EUs Eco-management and Audit scheme) cer-tification is an important part of theregions development strategy. Thecommunity aims to boost tourismby improving the areas environmen-

tal reputation and to strengthen thebrand value of its traditional agricul-

tural produce through designation oforigin and quality labelling. Certifica-tion is key to the success of both ofthese ongoing initiatives.

In order to achieve this status,Comunit Montana, with the aid ofLIFE programme funding, addressedthe problems of waste, landslides,and wastewater dumping. It coordi-nated improvements in waste collec-tion and the reduction of non-autho-rised disposal areas; it introducedpolicies to prevent landslides andcontrol existing land movements,

and it helped reduce pollution ofwater sources. Initiatives to reduce the damagecaused to industry and the envi-ronment by these problems havecontinued. Together with the localauthorities, Comunit Montana hasset targets to be reached by the endof 2007, as part of a 4,900,000investment plan. In accordance withthe drive to stabilise the third of theregions territory that is subject tolandslides, the plan aims to add 100hectares of forest. The plan alsoaims to increase waste collectionsto reach a quarter of all waste andto reduce by 25% the amount ofwastewater not treated. New waterpurification (depuration) plants arebeing built and the sewer systemis being extended to include pre-viously unconnected settlements.

This action plan is a direct resultof the LIFE project. A coordinatedapproach that includes all the rele-vant stakeholders and cooperationbetween towns and cities has beena lasting legacy of the project. Itencouraged local populations totake an active interest in environ-mental protection and reinforcedthe link between environmental cer-tification and economic prosperity.EMAS registration will ensure conti-nued efforts.

The economic benefit to ComunitMontana of the implementation of theaction plan is estimated to be about 1.8 million annually, along with thecreation of hundreds of new jobs. TheLIFE project has served as a modelfor seven other mountain communi-ties in northern Italy.


Project Number: LIFE02 ENV/IT/000092

Title: Comunit Montana EMAS IICertification

Beneficiary: Comunit Montana, Italy



Period: 01-Oct-2002 to 31-Dec-2004

Website:

http://cercomplus.sintranet.it

Contact: Gian Luigi Molinari


The project helped to reduce pollutionof water sources.

1 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/ index_en.htm

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Water managementThe Water Framework Directive 2000 sets out a timetable of actions for

Member States to follow in order to achieve good status of waters by 2015.

It has introduced the objective to achieve good ecological status for surface

waters and has therefore emphasised the need to understand and monitor

water resources from a different perspective.

Any activities which impact negatively on a water body in terms of it

reaching good status must be identified and addressed. Intrinsically

therefore, integrated river basin management is advocated, and issues

such as water pricing, water and wastewater treatment and transport,

flooding and irrigation; pollution prevention and planning are covered by the

directive.

WFD Directive (2000/60/EC) http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l28002b.htm

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Dairy no water: Towardsself-sufficient dairy food production

were achieved with the first pro-duction line:> A reduction in water intake of 550

million litres per year (275 millionlitres short of the 825 million litresper year target).

> A reduction in wastewater from 800to 545 million litres/year.

> The elimination of the need forgroundwater intake.

This reduction in theamount of ground anddrinking water used isparticularly importantin reaching the goalsset by the Water Frame-work Directive 1.

Cost savings were also notable.The dairy producer saved 550,000 ayear through a water intake reductionof 550,000 m at 1 per m. The newmethodology also produced impres-sive energy savings. The projectachieved the following results:> For cooling, a reduction in energy

use of 6,196,097 kWh/year. Sucha result translates to a reduction ofCO 2 of some 3.5 kton/year.

> For heating, a reduction in energyuse of 2,408,418 m 3 gas per year.This translates to a reduction of CO 2 of around 4.3 kton/year.

DOC Kaas aimed for its dairy plant inHoogeveen in the Netherlands to becompletely self-sufficient in terms ofwater. All the water needed for theproduction of dairy products wouldcome from condensate fed backinto the process. The LIFE projectset out to achieve this aim and,as a consequence, greatly reducethe amount of water the companywastes.

Water present in milk is filtered off i nthe production of cheese whey, andthis water can be used again in theprocess cycle. The project designeda method for extracting the water ensuring it met the required stand-ard for re-use in the process and

a system for managing the process. A flow of water was created in thefactory with water buffers of differ-ent temperatures and several heat/ cold exchangers. By not having topump water from a water supplier,energy savings were also possible.

Water and energy savings

While the beneficiarys ambitioustargets were not completely real-ised the new plant is not totallywater self-sufficient the projectresul ted in great reductions inthe use of groundwater, drinkingwater and energy. The benefici-ary estimates that around 70% ofthe water current being discardedis suitable for reuse. At the end ofthe project, the following results

Water management

At the new plant, the beneficiary soughtto close the internal water cycle.

1 WFD (2000/60/EC) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/

index_en.html

Dutch dairy food producer, DOC Kaas, made great water savings in its cheese, whey and con-centrated milk business by using condensate from the evaporators in the production process.The LIFE-Environment project cut the amount of water the company wastes by 35%.

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With the current installation, a totalannual CO 2 reduction of some 7.8kton has been achieved.

The main obstacles to achieving theprojects objectives was the com-plexity of water management anda higher than expected demand forwater at the new plant. The beneficiaryis continuing efforts towards achievingthe objective of becoming self-sup-porting in water. It is improving watermanagement and identifying furtherways to reuse wastewater.

Long-term effects

The potential for transferring the projects technology to other cheeseand whey factories as well as othercompanies in the food sector is high.Implementing the new water mana-gement system is complex and willmainly interest companies aboutto build new production plants.Nonetheless, self-supporting plantswill become increasingly attractive asdischarge taxes and costs of drinkingwater and groundwater increase.

More investment is needed to makethe Doc Kaas plant self-supportingin water. The project beneficiary,however, says that financial gains aretoo low to make such investmentseconomically viable. Groundwater is

relatively cheap compared with thecost of re-using the water containedin milk.

The new dairy plant in the Nether-lands took account of environmentalconcerns and sought to avoid costlylater adjustments to its design. It wasfavourable to aim for a near water-self-sufficient plant. Protecting theenvironment gives the new plant astrong marketing position.

Water management

Project Number: LIFE03 ENV/NL/000488

Title: A dairy industry which is self-supporting in water

Beneficiary: DOC Kaas BA Hoog-

eveen



Period: 01-Dec-2002 to 01-Jul-2005

Website: www.dockaas.nl

Contact: J. L. Oosterveld


Water & milk

The European dairy industry produces more than 6,200 million kg of cheese fromaround 55,800 million litres of milk. Cheese consists of 42% water, in contrast withmilk, which is 88% water. Traditional cheese factories, however, use 0.8 litres waterto process 1 litre of milk and drain off 1.1 litres of wastewater. The water used canbe divided into two types: internal process water and cooling water.

Other cheese and whey factories could benefit from the technology.

DOC Kaas aimed for water self- sufficiency at its new dairy plant.

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ANPHOS: A new process for treatingphosphate-rich wastewaterThe ANPHOS project tackled the major environmental problem caused by phosphates in waste-water. When these pollutants enter freshwater systems, the unchecked growth of aquatic weedsand algae results in deoxygenisation of watercourses. The consequence can be dead zonesdevoid of life.

LIFE beneficiary Lamb-Weston/Mei-

jer V.O.F. (LMW), an internationalpotato products company with aEuropean base in Kruiningen, theNetherlands, was keenly aware ofthe problems caused by phosphate-rich wastewater. LMWs processesgenerate large effluent volumes,which were previously treated withmetal salts, such as iron chloride.However, the main result of this wasto transfer the problem from theeffluent to a resulting sludge con-taining iron phosphates, which mustitself be disposed of. Commonly thesludge was landfilled, incinerated ordumped at sea.

LMW carried out a successfulresearch project with Dutch gov-ernment assistance to approach theproblem using a different technique the struvite process. In this proc-ess, phosphate-rich wastewater is

treated with magnesium oxide andthe resulting struvite can be usedto produce magnesium ammoniumphosphate crystal, which can beused as a fertiliser, thus closing thephosphorous cycle.

Large-scale challenge

The challenge was to apply theresearch on a large-scale to indus-trial effluents resulting from potatoprocessing. The LIFE programmesupported LMW in the ANPHOSproject, which aimed to build ademonstration wastewater treat-ment plant at the Kruiningen facil-

ity, one of the largest in the world. As well as testing the process, theproject would produce valuable dataon operating conditions, providing afoundation for the application of thestruvite process in other industrialplants.

The project opened a demonstra-tion installation with a capacity of100 m 3 per hour in February 2004.Testing demonstrated clear environ-mental benefits:

> Cutting the amount of phosphate perton of potato processed from 0.3 kgto 0.05 kg

> Reducing the phosphate content ofeffluent by as much as 90%

> Possible recycling of 75% almost1.5 million m 3 per year of effluent

> Keeping heavy metal residues in thestruvite to legal limits

Cost-cutting benefits

In addition, LMW calculated sub-stantial cost benefits from thenew technology: operating costswere expected to be reduced from 275,340 to 203,800 per year.

Enabling companies to cut costswhile introducing new technologiesalso promises future benefits interms of employment growth, espe-cially as struvite technology hasthe potential to be applied acrossa number of food manufacturingprocesses, including starch, millingand sugar.

Water management


Title: Environmentally friendlyphosphorus removal in anaerobeeffluent

Beneficiary: Lamb-Weston/Meijer V.O.F., The Netherlands



Period: 01-Dec-2002 to 01-Jun-2005

Website:

http://www.lambwestonmeijer.nl/

Contact: Cees van Rij

Email:

[email protected]

Wastewater treatment demonstration plant at Kruiningen, the Netherlands.

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Bothnian Bay:Managing the common seaHuman activities pose a threat to the marine environment of Bothnian Bay in the Baltic Sea. TheBothnian Bay LIFE project developed a database for the exchange of information about the bayswater quality and introduced a plan for the sustainable management of this important conserva-

tion area.

Located between Finland andSweden, Bothnian Bay is the mostnorthern basin of the Baltic Sea. Thebay, which freezes over for severalmonths of the year, is particularlyvulnerable due to the scarcity ofspecies living in it, its arctic con-ditions and its shallow, brackishwaters (average depth 40 metres).Moreover the bay is exposed topollution from the local steel, pulpand paper industries as well as fromsewage treatment plants. And evenmore importantly, the bay is affectedby agricultural and forestry prac-tices, peat mining, and to a certainextent, by localised construction

work related to sea transport.

Tools for managing the seaarea

Many different national and regionalbodies monitor environmental condi-tions in the bay, and the project identi-fied the need to pool together variousinformation sources. To achieve thisaim, the project built up an extensiveonline database under the guidanceof the beneficiary, the North Ostro-bothnia Regional Environment Centre(NOREC) in Finland. The databasefeatures various indicators of waterquality in the bay:

> Physical and chemical data from 62observation points.

> Results of mobile automatic waterquality monitoring.

> Data on the material transport and

water discharges of 31 rivers and useof the land in their catchment area.

> Information about the 52 industrialplants and wastewater treatmentplants discharging into the bay, in-cluding annual loading data.

> Top ten lists of pollutants for rivers,industries and wastewater treatmentplants.

In addition to the database, theproject also developed a web-based Best Available Technology(BAT) information exchange systemfor the metal industry and produceda versatile exhibition for dissemina-tion purposes.

The project, which began at the end of2001, also developed a model for esti-mating the impact of human actionson the coastal areas. The BothnianBay Water Quality and EcosystemModel allows experts working in thearea to assess the impact of loadingon water quality. Assessments aremade by calculating likely changes tothe concentration of soluble nutrientsand algae. Human activity has causednutrient enrichment that disrupts thebays ecosystem.

The project surveyed the views ofa wide range of experts and stake-holders to produce an action planfor Bothnian Bay. The plan outlinestargets and priorities for sustainabledevelopment and sets guidelines formonitoring and status assessments.It also aims to meet EU and national

environmental requirements and toimprove information exchange and

cooperation in the Bothnian Bay area.NOREC is continuing to cooperatewith the project partners to imple-ment the action plan and maintaindatabases.

Water management

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/FIN/000646

Title: Integrated ManagementSystem for the Bothnian Bay

Beneficiary: North Ostrobothnia

Regional Environment Centre



Period: 01-Aug-2001 to 31-Jan-2005

Website: www.ymparisto.fi/perameri

Contact: Anne Laine


Information stand: spreading knowledge about the bays water quality.

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Minimising the environmentalimpact of economic activities

European Union policy on the environmental impact of economic activities is

implemented through a wide range of instruments. The most important legislation

includes the 1996 Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC),

which aims at minimising emissions to water, air and soil from industrial point

sources throughout Europe. The directive defines common rules on the author-

isation of permits for industrial installations, which have to be based on Best

Available Techniques (BAT). BAT refers to the most advanced techniques that

can be used to achieve a high level of environmental protection for the industrial

sector in question.

Directive 96/61/EC http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ippc/index.htm

Photo:MarcoRoccato

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Minimising the impactof economic activities

RefinARS: Reducing the environmentalimpact of refineriesThe process of obtaining light oils from heavy ones creates sulphur dioxide. The Italian RefinARSproject developed a means of using an absorbent to recover sulphur and reduce the overallenvironmental impact of the refining process.

Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) is afrequently used process in refineriesfor separating oils. During the pro-cess, carbon deposited on thesurface of the catalyst is burnt,transforming the sulphur contentinto sulphur dioxide, a strong pol-lutant. Alkaline solutions (sodiumhydroxide and calcium hydroxide),

which are used to absorb thesulphur dioxide, create

sulphates and sulphitesthat are damaging tothe environment.

The RefinARS projectaimed to desulphurise

flue emissions result-

ing from the refining proc-ess, using an absorbing buffer

that allows sulphur to be recoveredand regenerated. This buffer solu-tion contains sodium hydroxide andphosphoric acid. It was implementedat ENIs Sannazzaro refinery plant innorthern Italy, which has a capacityfor processing 10 million tons/yearof crude oil.

The projects chief task was to opti-mise the process for regeneratingthe buffer used to scrub the flue gascoming from a FCC unit. To performthis task, a regeneration plant wasconstructed and connected to theFCC plant.

The buffer regeneration process isbased on the evaporation of thesolution coming from the FCC fluegas desulphurisation. The process

produces a gaseous stream (con-taining SOx, sent to the sulphurrecovery unit), the regeneratedbuffer that can be recycled to theFCC flue gas desulphurisation, anda minor solid waste.

Construction work on the bufferregeneration plant began in July2002 and was completed in May2003. Optimisation of the processbegan in September 2004 whencharges with different sulphur con-tent were fed into the FCC unit andthe circulating buffer flow rate waschanged.

Setting the standard

Tests were carried out to compare per-formance and analyse the overall envi-ronmental impact. The following resultswere achieved:> Sulphur dioxide emissions reduced

to 250 mg/Nm 3 in flue gas (about 1/6of the legal limit).

> The efficiency of sulphur dioxideremoval raised to above 85%, withcorresponding recovery of saleablesulphur.

> Achieving 460 kg/day of solid waste,eliminating any impact the industrialplant has on transportation and soil.

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Buffer regeneration plant at ENIsSanazzaro refinery.

Photo:MarcoRoccato

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 21Minimising the impactof economic activities

> The concentration of sulphates andsulphites in wastewater reduced tonegligible amounts.

> Saving of 97% on absorbing solutionreplacement and 25% on energy.

> 40% saving in FCC operatingcosts.

The results achieved at the plant werestable over time, an important factor forthe feasibility of the technology. Refi-nARS showed that it is possible to feedrefinery plants with high-sulphur con-tent without increasing pollutant emis-sions. It demonstrated that high qualityrefined products can be obtained frompoor raw materials and that plantsstruggling to meet environmental tar-gets can improve their performance.High investment costs may be anobstacle, but it is estimated that theinitial outlay will be recovered throughfinancial savings within five years

Spreading the word

The environmental and economic bene-fits of the RefinARS project render it aBest Available Technology (BAT) forFCC flue gas desulphurisation. Thetechnology can be implemented in theother 53 cracking plants (FCCs) in theEU and in 49 sulphur recovery plants.

The technology is highly reproducibleand can be applied to other industrieswith similar emission problems (sulphu-ric acid production, metallurgy).

A license to use the patent can beobtained from the company, and the

Valero Company has asked for permis-sion to implement the project in one ofits refineries in the US.

In fact, the dissemination programmeto reach potential interested parties ata local, regional, national and EU levelwas an important aspect of the project.Public administrations and institutionswere contacted as well as relevantindustrial sectors.

According to the beneficiary, Thepossibility of updating EU environ-mental policy and legislation in light ofthe introduction of the new proposedtechnology might also be assessed.Implementing the RefinARS methodol-ogy could help refineries comply withthe IPCC directive 1 and the Auto-Oil

II Programme 2 that set a limit on theamount of sulphur in petrol.

Project Number: LIFE00 ENV/IT/000012

Title: Absorption & recovery ofsulphur from flue gas of the FluidCatalytic Cracking

Beneficiary: ENI Spa, Italy


LIFE Contribution: 1,274,000

Period: From October 2001 to Sep-

tember 2004Website: www.agip.eni.it/rmit/ agip/internal.do?mnselected=agip_refinars&channelId=-1073758245&menu=false&mncommand=openById&mnparam=agip_refinars&lang=en&sessionId=1114203

Contact: Andrea Amoroso


1 Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution

prevention and control. http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/Directive.htm

2 COM (2000)626 http://ec.europa.eu/

environment/docum/00626_en.htm

Inside the refinery: desulphurisedflue gas stack.

Details of the new plant showingthe stripper (top) and evaporator (bottom right).

Photo:MarcoRoccato

Photo:MarcoRoccato

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DETECTIVE: Dry-cleaning with liquidcarbon dioxideThe Netherlands-steered Detective project has achieved remarkable success in developing anew dry-cleaning technology. Involving partners from five EU Member States, the three-yearLIFE co-funded project successfully demonstrated that textile cleaning with liquid carbon dioxide(LCO 2 ) is a safer, more eco-friendly and competitive alternative to perchloroethylene (perc), thecurrent first-choice dry-cleaning solvent in Europe.

Dry cleaning operations release morethan 70,000 tonnes of perc per year inEurope. The VOC Solvents Directive 1 on the limitation of emissions of vola-tile organic compounds due to the useof organic solvents in certain activitiesand installations, is the main instru-

ment for the reduction of VOCemissions in the European

Community. The dry-cleaning sector is spe-cifically addressed inthis directive. Used by95% of EU dry clean-

ers, perc is also thoughtto carry risks to human

health and reproduction andshows toxic effects (neuro-toxi-

cological impairment, kidney damageand carcinogenetic effects).

At the beginning of the project in 2000,textile cleaning with LCO 2 was emerg-ing as a promising new technology.But at that time only bench-scale testswere available and full-scale experi-ments had still to be conducted.

The project consortium (including Elec-trolux and Aga/Linde of Sweden) wassteered by the beneficiary Krom Stomer-ijen, a Dutch dry-cleaning company.The team sought to optimise full-scaleapplication of the new technology.

At the end of the project (June 2004)the project had met its prime objec-tive: demonstrating dry-cleaning oftextiles using LCO 2 two full-scale pilotunits one in Denmark and the otherin the Netherlands.

The project also supported the estab-lishment of a franchise textile-clean-ing organisation Hangers CleanersEurope www.hangerseurope.comby project partner AGA/Linde AG.

Although the new technology is juststarting to establish itself in the mar-ket, the team believes it is sufficientlydeveloped to receive policy incentivesand that its emergence provides asustainable alternative to perc.

Performance advantages

LCO 2 is non-toxic and non-flam-mable. It is produced in an almostpure form in oil refining and ammo-nia production. It also causes nogroundwater contamination. As arenewable resource, LCO 2 has anadvantage over perc, which is madefrom exhaustible mineral reserves.It is separate from the combustionprocesses and not released as agreenhouse gas.

At the beginning of the project in 2000,textile cleaning with LCO 2 wasemerging as a promising newtechnology.

1 1999/13/EC of 11 March 1999) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/ site/en/consleg/1999/L/01999L0013- 20040430-en.pdf

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The full scale pilot demonstration test-

ing took place at the beneficiary KromStomerijen, in Gorredijk the Neth-erlands and at project partner KymiRens, in Aalborg, Denmark. LCO 2 isdistilled and recycled in a closed sys-tem at these pilot sites. Each pilot hasa rotating drum with a volume of 120litres and a garment load capacity of15 kg in the Netherlands and 17 kg inDenmark. The project achieved excel-lent results in both countries using 38different textile materials and nine dif-ferent garment articles.

The performance of industrial LCO 2 textile cleaning machines in theNetherlands and Denmark was com-pared to that of conventional per-chloroethylene (perc) dry cleaningas regards stain removal, effect ontextile properties, energy, safety andcost price. In addition, several com-parisons were made with three otheralternatives for perc: wet cleaning,hydrocarbon cleaning and cyclosi-loxane cleaning.

The cleaning performance of LCO 2 ranged from 60% to 100% to thatof perc depending on the nature ofthe stain. Cleaning performances inrelation to the three other potentialalternatives to perc dry cleaning wereeven better. In several cases LCO 2 was found to be more effective.

Other advantages of LCO 2 textilecleaning over perc dry cleaning werealso found. The method causes less:> Dimensional change to sensitive

fabrics.> Fabric colour loss (especially for pig-

ment colours).> Direct colour bleeding from one fab-

ric to the other.> Loss of glitter glued on basic fab-

rics.> Loss of oily/fatty finishes.> Damage to coatings or laminates

that swell in perc.

> Loss of textile fibres during thecleaning cycle, leading to longergarment lifetime.

The development of detergents forLCO 2 is still in its infancy. Availabledetergents for LCO 2 textile clean-

ing have been shown to increasecleaning performance, but resultsdepend on the type of stain. Fur-ther improvements to detergentsand machine input methods areexpected.

Drawbacks

The project identified, however, cer-tain drawbacks to LCO 2 textile clean-ing compared to perc dry cleaning.It found that there was greater dif-fuse greying or soil re-deposition offabrics during LCO 2 textile cleaning.This effect can be reduced by addingdummy fabrics made from (di-)ace-tate with each cleaning cycle. Thesefabrics provide preferential sites forre-deposition and greying. Anotheroption is to filter LCO 2 during clean-ing, similar to filtering common in percdry cleaning.

LCO 2 textile cleaning also resulted insharp creasing of fabrics suscepti-ble to cold conditions (typically 5C)during cleaning and decompres-sion. Creasing can be minimised if

the latter step occurs at a highertemperature during the last 10 min-utes. To be comparable in price withperc, LCO 2 cleaning requires greaterquantities. Such quantities may beprohibitive for smaller dry cleaningoutlets.

Cost analysis

The project arrived at the followingconclusions:

> LCO 2 textile cleaning is more effi-cient than perc in resource use andwaste disposal once the minimumquantities are used.

> Costs of make-up solvents and de-tergents are comparable to perc drycleaning.

> LCO 2 textile-cleaning labour costsare comparable to those of perc drycleaning.


LCO 2 technology could replace perccompletely within the next 10-20 years.

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> Investment-related costs of LCO 2

textile cleaning per year are higher,but equal per kg of cleaned gar-ment. This is due to the higher an-nual capacity of the LCO 2 textilecleaning machine, at two cyclesper hour, compared to perc drycleaning at two cycles per 1.5hour. These values were confirmedby professional use. The conven-tional perc dry cleaning times wereconfirmed by measurements atKROM.

> The overall costs of LCO 2 textilecleaning are 20% lower than thoseof perc dry cleaning: 1.17 per kgof textile versus 1.43. This resultis mainly due to the shorter turna-round time of LCO 2 textile cleaning.These values were partially validatedby TNOs (the Netherlands Organisa-tion for Applied Scientific Research)annual surveys of the textile cleaningsector. Values for individual compa-nies can deviate by 10%, occasion-ally up to 20%, mainly driven by in-ternal logistics.

In the comparison trial, LCO 2 tech-nology scored the highest of the fivemethods.

Combination of wet and drycleaning points the way

LCO 2 textile cleaning is best com-bined with wet cleaning to clean theentire spectrum of consumer gar-ments and textiles including curtainsand sheets. Combined LCO 2 and wetcleaning can competitively replacecurrent hazardous perc dry cleaningmethods and has several environmen-

tal benefits. Replacing perc by LCO 2 eliminates annual emissions of 70,000tonnes of perc into the atmosphere.

It also improves working conditionsand allows pregnant women to workin textile cleaning.

While still only recently introduced tothe market, the technology has thepotential to replace perc completelywithin the next 10 to 20 years. Thespeed with which it will replace percdepends on the obsolescence of cur-rent perc machines, the price and

control of perc, available investmentfunds, knowledge transfer and gov-ernmental regulations.



Title: Demonstration Textile CO 2 Treatment Introduction ValidationEffort

Beneficiary: Krom Stomerijen B.V.



Period: 01-Jul-2001 to 30-Jun-2004

Website: www.krom.nl andwww.hangerseurope.com

Contact: Han Van Kuijk


LCO2 safetySeveral safety aspects have to be considered during installation and operation ofthe LCO 2 textile cleaning process.> Safety valves installed in the LCO 2 storage vessel and cleaning unit. Valves also

have to be checked regularly.> The pressure vessels have to be checked according to national regulations.> LCO 2 textile cleaning units have to be manufactured according to CE mark provi-

sions.> Extensive monitoring of indoor LCO 2 levels is required to detect any unanticipated

LCO 2 release. If levels exceed 0.5%, LCO 2 alarms must go off and machines mustbe shut down. This level is equal to the eight hours exposure threshold limit.

> When filling storage vessels, LCO 2 gas expansion cold traps must be preventedas they can block piping.

Detective posted excellent results for LCO 2 textile cleaning.

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 25Minimising the impactof economic activities

OSIS: Improving oil spill detectionin the North Sea

Europe is the worlds largest market incrude oil imports, representing aboutone third of the world total 1. A veryhigh percentage of oil and refinedproducts are transported to and fromEurope by sea. Inevitably, some ofthis oil makes its way into the marineenvironment.

Accidents that had massive envi-ronmental consequences, such asthe Prestige or Erika, powerfullyillustrate the devastation that can becaused by ship pollution. However,even routine ship operations pollutethe sea through ballast water, tankwashings and engine room effluentdischarges.

Every day, large amounts of oildeliberately pumped into the sea byships along almost the entire coast-

line of Europe. Together with large

oil spills, such pollution constitutesa major threat to the environmentand places enormous demands onnational authorities responsible forrapid response and clean-up opera-tions. Tackling this environmentalthreat is the 1992 Convention for theProtection of the Marine Environmentof the Northeast Atlantic, the OSPARConvention. OSPAR defines specialareas with tough emission limits foroil pollution

Effectively controlling oil pollution has,however, proved difficult. AirborneSurveillance Systems currently usedto control outlets of oil are too expen-sive to be utilised efficiently againstthe large number of offshore installa-tions. Together with ships such instal-lations are the most common sourcesfor the more than 500,000 tons of oilspilled annually into the marineenvironment 2 . The lackof monitoring systemsmeans that offshoreinstallations have notyet been included inthe strict OSPAR rulesgoverning oil pollution indesignated special areas.

OSPAR call for technologies

In the late 1990s, OSPAR called fortechnologies, such as OSIS (Oil SpillIdentification System) to be developedso that they could enforce a new typeof regulation in those special areas,said project manager Peter Moeller-Jensen of OSIS International, a pri-vately owned Danish SME. The OSISteam thus sought to demonstrate apotential solution to this widespread

Ships and offshore installations are the most common sources of more than 500,000 tons of oilspilled into the marine environment every year. The OSIS new surveillance system, developed

thanks to LIFE co-funding, is helping to identify leaks and plan corrective action.

1 Source: Energy Information Administra-tion http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/ipsr/ t31.xls

2 Source: Global Marine Oil PollutionInformation Gateway http://oils.gpa.unep.org/facts/sources.htm

OSIS oil spill detector sensor is now being developed for ships.

OSIS improves oil spill detection in the North Sea.

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problem of international concern bydeveloping online remote monitoringof offshore installations in any locationbased on new sensor technology. Thenew system would use a new genera-tion of communication satellites andthe Internet.

The project, which began in Janu-ary 2002, aimed to demonstrate thetechnology required for the imple-mentation and enforcement of pro-grammes and measures adoptedunder the OSPAR strategy. It wouldalso provide a tool required to imple-ment Community environment policyand legislation concerning the marineenvironment, as specifically stated inDanish national law from 1998.

Taking up the challenge of helpingto develop a new generation of sen-sor technologies, aside from projectbeneficiary OSIS, were the partners,the Danish agencies for trade andindustry, environmental protectionand energy.

The projects fully achieved the objec-tive of demonstrating the viability of apermanently mounted sensor systemto identify oil discharges from offshoreinstallations in those parts of the NorthSea designated as special areas bythe International Maritime Organisa-

tion (IMO). This was achieved by thedevelopment of technology providing24-hour online surveillance. Accord-ing to the beneficiary, the OSIS sys-

tem allows improved and continu-ous monitoring that is more effectiveand less costly than the current useof planes. OSIS is also cheaper andmore accurate than systems based onconventional satellite imagery.

Raising awareness

Additionally, the OSIS team carriedout exemplary awareness-raisingactivities directed at decision-mak-ers. In 2003, OSIS was presented atthe OSPAR/Helsinki Convention min-isterial meeting (June 2003), the IMOMarine Environment Protection Com-mittee (July 2003) and a GIS RemoteSensing Symposium (July 2003). In2004, OSIS contributed to the OSPARtechnical working group meeting,InterSpill2004 Conference and Exhi-bition and the Offshore Northern SeasConference. Finally, OSIS attended

the EU Management Committee onMarine Pollution (MCMP) in Brusselswhere all parties involved in nationalpollution prevention were present.


North Sea tests withoil substitute

OSIS sensor system shown here at thefront of the oil rig.

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 27 Minimising the impactof economic activities

OSPARThe OSPAR Convention [http://www.ospar.org/eng/html/welcome.html], whichentered into force in March 1998 and includes the participation of the EU, devel-ops new programmes and measures required to identify, prioritise and monitor theemissions, discharges and losses of substances to the marine environment.

Project Number: LIFE02 ENV/DK/000151

Title: Sensor for identification of oilspills from offshore installations

Beneficiary: OSIS International,

DenmarkTotal Budget: 3,359,000


Period: 01-Jan-2002 till 30-Apr-2005

Website: www.osis.biz

Contact: Peter Moeller-Jensen


These activities were supplementedby a media campaign that led tonumerous articles in relevant tradepublications.

Over a three-year period, numer-ous tests were conducted includ-ing missions with the Danish Envi-ronmental survey ship as well aswith German and Dutch oil combatservices in the North Sea. The OSISsensor is able to identify oil-filmsfrom a thickness of 0.01 to 1.5 mmon the water surface. It can esti-mate the leaked volumes with +/-25% accuracy in normal weatherconditions and with some +/-50%accuracy on rough seas. The exten-

sion of the leak can be monitoredup to a distance of up to 5 kilome-tres from the sensor.

Data gathered by OSIS is also trans-ferred via satellite to onshore decision-makers and can be used in conjunc-tion with the geographical informationsystem (GIS). This provides furtherinformation as to the context of a leakand helps the planning of correctiveactions. This will enhance the infor-mation for decision-making concern-ing corrective action and also provideopportunities for efficient clean-upoperations, says Mr Moeller-Jensen.

This demonstration project, whichclosed in April 2005, was able to postimpressive results from tests for thedetection of spills surrounding oils rigsin the North Sea. OSIS technology,

designed for fixed offshore structuressuch as oil platforms, is also prov-ing attractive for maritime transport.

A new LIFE-Environment co-fundedproject, launched by the same ben-

eficiary in 2004, Oil Spill IdentificationSystem for Marine Transport (LIFE04ENV/DK/00076) is currently adaptingthe OSIS sensor and transmissionsystem for ships.

Latest sensor aboard Cunnar Seidenfaden.

Close-up of the permanently-mounted sensor.

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Stiim: Traditional thermo techniques to treat cereal seeds

Project Stiim implemented a new system for treating cereal seeds in a Swedish plant using traditional thermo-techniques. It showed that it is commercially viable to ensure seeds aredisease free without the use of pesticides.

Researchers in Sweden have lookedto the past for inspiration. Using trad-itional thermo techniques to treatcereal seeds, a non-chemical systemwas devised and implemented with theassistance of the LIFE programme.

The former technique placed seedsin baths of hot water to kill off patho-gens with low heat resistance. It wasa time-consuming, energy-intensiveand unpredictable process. Chemi-cals, though not without their risks,were a viable and attractive alterna-tive. The use of chemicals, however,could be harmful to groundwater andeco-systems and posed health risks,especially to employees in the sectorand animals.

Back to the future

For these reasons, researchers from Acanova AB (now Seedgard AB), aSwedish company specialising ininventions for the agriculture andforest-ry sectors, worked with col-leagues from the Swedish Universityof Agricultural Sciences to develop amore environmentally friendly tech-nique. They devised a thermal seedtreatment process, ThermoSeed,which uses hot humid air as a heat-ing medium and fluid bed technol-ogy to ensure even exposure of thickseed layers. Small-scale testing inseveral countries of Scandinavia andcentral Europe has produced prom-

ising results.

A larger scale demonstration wasnecessary, however, in order todevelop the system for commercialuse. In 2004, Acanova began workon the LIFE-supported project, Stiim,with the beneficiary Svenska Lant-mnnen, the cooperatively ownedleader in the Swedish seed market.

The Stiim project successfully test-ed a prototype treatment plant withheating and cooling systems, sens-ing devices, system control softwareand transportation facilities. Thesystem was capable of processing30 tons of cereal seeds per hour andis expected to reduce use of seedtreatment chemicals by some 2.5tons of active ingredients per year equivalent to 4% of Swedens annualuse of these chemicals.

Project Number: LIFE03 ENV/S/000600

Title: Thermal Seed Treatment An Integrated Approach

Beneficiary: LIFE03 ENV/S/000600


LIFE Contribution: 254.000

Period: 01-Jan-2003 to 30-June-2005

Website: www.thermoseed.com

Contact: Lage Ringstad

Email:

[email protected]


Treating cereal seeds using traditionalthermo-techniques.

After evaluation by sampling, testing,and quality control of the prototype,a full-scale processing system wasdeveloped that has the capacity totreat more than 200 tons per day. Asa result of the effectiveness and lowenergy consumption of the system,ThermoSeed has been approved bythe Swedish Seed Testing and Certi-fication Institute as an alternative tochemical seed treatment. The firstThermoSeed plant was opened inSkara, Sweden in September 2005.

Though the new technique is notsuit-able for all cereal types, it hasbeen shown to be highly effectivefor most strands of barley, wheat,

oats and rice seeds. It is cost effec-tive and testing on other seed types,such as vegetable seeds, has beenpromising.

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Waste managementThe Commissions Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of

Waste is one of the seven thematic strategies set by the Sixth Environmental

Action Programme (6th EAP). The approach to waste management is to

contribute to reducing the environmental impacts of using material resources

by avoiding waste generation (prevention) and increasing the amount of recy-

cling and recovery of materials and energy from the waste we produce. This

long-term policy is having significant results. Over the past ten years, the EU

has doubled the amount of municipal waste recycled to more than 80 million

tons per year, and several EU countries have managed to achieve recycling

rates for packaging waste of over 60%.

6th EAP http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/strategy.htm

LIFE03 ENV/S/000596

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Waste management

PAROC-WIM: Recycling wasteboosts stone wool meltingThe PAROC-WIM project developed an alternative recycling process for mixing waste withcement to make briquettes. The new system fed process waste back into the melting furnace,making optimal use of raw material, reducing harmful emissions and offering cost savings.

The main objective of the LIFE co-funded project was to minimise theamount of waste from the manufac-turing of stone wool by injecting theprocess waste, which is fine frac-tioned material, into the melting fur-nace. The Waste Injection into thestone wool Melting (WIM) processdeveloped a system for feeding the

waste material back into thefurnace. This new system

also allowed other finefractioned materials,in particular fine frac-tioned coke, to be fedinto the furnace. As a

consequence, the sys-tem reduced the amount

of fuel (mainly coke) neededto heat the furnace, thus lowe-

ring emissions resulting from bur-ning coke.

The key environmental advantage ofthe project, however, is the reduc-tion of waste. The total amount ofwaste generated in the Europeanstone wool industry is estimated tobe between 160,000 480,000 tons,roughly 20-60% of product output.Most waste is produced when themolten material of the furnace amixture of different types of rock is spun into fibres. About 10-20%of this material is not completelyturned into fibre and consequentlyrejected from the production proc-ess. A stone wool line with an annualwool production of 20,000 tons gen-erates 2,000 to 4,000 tons of fiber-izing process waste per year.

This waste is usually ground andmixed with cement to make briquet-tes. The machinery required for tur-ning waste into briquettes representsa high investment cost and uses anextra raw material, cement. As a resultof impurities in cement, melting bri-quettes creates high emissions ofparticulate matters and sulphur oxi-des into the atmosphere.

The Paroc project

In this context Paroc, an interna-tional company based in Vantaa,Finland, that produces buildingmaterial, in particular mineral woolinsulation, set about investigating

an alternative use for the wastematerial in its stone wool produc-tion process.

The process was first introducedin Oulu, Finland, and the appara-tus used in that plant served as aprototype for the system implemen-ted at a larger plant in Hssleholm,Sweden. Teeth-ing problems at theSwedish plant included needingto replace a grinder with one thatrequires less maintenance. Howe-ver, the team working on the projecthas been able to overcome thesedifficulties, and consequently theamount of waste material that isrecycled has steadily increased.

Mats Olsson, technical supportmanager for Paroc, says that itdidnt take long to optimise the pro-cess. After about a year of impro-

ving the process, it worked fine, andnow we have more or less the solu-tion, he says. The companys goal of100% recycling is not unrealistic.

In Finland, the amount of wasterecycled has been lower than inSweden, but it is also increasing.

B E S T O F T

H E

B E S

T 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 6

Cupola furnaces are used for melting stone material.

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006 I p. 31Waste management

The systems design has needed to

take into account the limitations of themachinery and location, but improve-ments have been made to optimisetheir use. The time yield in Finlandwas low at first, Olsson says, butit has been improved now. In fact,a year into the project, the plant atOulu was already recycling nearly80% of the spinning waste as rawmaterial corresponding to over 7%of the total amount of mineral rawmaterials.

Refining the processResults at the Swedish plant arestill improving. In 2005, 93% of thetotal amount of waste (2,421 tons)was recycled, a significant increaseon 88% of the previous year. Suchsteady improvements represent enor-mous savings over the course of theproject. At the beginning 50 kg ofwaste per ton of product was injectedinto the melting furnace. Now, doublethat amount is recycled.

Fuel savings are also considerable.The energy required for melting isdramatically reduced when rawmaterials are replaced with pre-melted materials. Such energyconservation has the benefit ofreducing the need for coke. In theOulu prototype the use of coke hasbeen reduced by 8%, when about7% of raw material is replaced withproduction waste.

The larger scale machinery in Hss-leholm has made a greater reductionin coke consumption possible. Thereplacement of 5% of pure raw mate-rial with production waste results in amore than 10% reduction in the useof coke. Such a reduction of cokeconsumption generates a significantsaving in the melting costs, as well asa decrease in the emissions of carbondioxide and sulphur oxides.

The advantages over briquetting

and other ways to recycle fibreprocess waste as a new materialare considerable. Depending onthe sulphur content in the rockand cement used, making briquet-tes can cause an increase of about50% in emissions of sulphur oxi-des. Another key advantage of theWIM process over briquetting is itsease of implementation. Invest-ment in waste injection costs rou-ghly a fifth of the amount of thecost of the equipment required formaking briquettes.

A bright future

Paroc says that WIM will be astand-ard feature of any new plantsthat it will build. Now we know itsa commercially viable process,we will implement it at our otherplants, says Olsson. The Hssle-holm plant was built in 1975, andthere was no problem introducingt

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Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2005-2006