The development of EIA screening for the anaerobic digestion of biowaste projects in Latvia

Abstract

One of the main priorities among European Union member states is to promote renewable energy. Latvia also has to comply with the European Parliament and Council Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of renewable energy initiated on 23 April 2009. The directive states that renewable energy must reach 40% of total final energy consumption by 2020. A portion of this can be achieved with the energy produced by burning biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of biowaste. The use of biowaste as a resource allows Latvia to move closer to the EU's common objectives by reducing the amount of waste disposed in landfills. Biogas production through anaerobic digestion is considered one of the most successful methods of dealing with increasing environmental pollution. Heat and electricity are produced by burning biogas in cogeneration plants. The production of biogas from organic waste also addresses issues related to the disposal of waste products. Waste that would otherwise be considered unusable has now found a second life in the production process of biogas. Given that until 2020, the share of renewable energy in Latvia has to be increased, it can be expected that in the coming years the amount of biogas production and combustion plants will increase. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a well-known tool which can aid in sustainable development. Screening is one of the most important stages of EIA. The paper analyses the possibilities of developing a screening process for anaerobic digestion of biowaste projects for EIA in Latvia. In this paper, the demands which should be included in the guidelines of the screening process were created and analysed.