Case Study (41 KB PDF)

Presented at: European Conference on Local Energy Action: Optimising local action to drive sustainable energy and transport in the Europe of Twenty-Five
20-21 October 2004, Brussels, Belgium

Antti Roose, Project Manager, Rouge Municipality, Estonia

Slides (1712 KB PDF) | Proceedings and Recordings

Summary

This project aims for the establishment of an energy park and energy track in the Rouge rural municipality, in the middle of an attractive tourism area. Rouge Municipality is located in Voru County in South Estonia. The project is lead by the Municipality of Rouge and mainly financed by Phare CBC SPF funding.

The main aim of the project is to establish the energy park to open-up for new technologies, and serve as a development and training site. The energy park will demonstrate innovative energy-saving solutions, support economic development, gather information in the field of renewable energy and constitute a tourist attraction in this agricultural region. The project idea carries in itself large and rather different target groups including house owners, farmers, planners, students and pupils, local government members, power energy specialists, alternative energy NGO members, local tourism firms etc.

Results

As this is a small demonstration project of renewable energy, it does not essentially influence the structure of the energy sources used in Rouge. The impact of the project is long-term implementation of biomass and hydroenergy. Areas of impact are listed below:

• 7 jobs would be created to set up the Park and 3 to run it once fully operational;
• Business consultancy;
• Specialist and engineering training courses at the Park to stimulate the 'greening' of businesses and industries;
• Promotion of new practical ideas and opportunities for small and medium sized companies, and for farms in order to benefit the local economy, the environment, and job creation;
• For the local people who would gain valuable practical, technical and office experience whilst making a contribution to an energy project, contact with neighbouring countries, especially people-to-people;
• A range of courses, conferences and seminars on renewable energy generation and energy conservation;
• A guiding principle of the energy park is technical excellence working in harmony with nature. The Energy Park project is devoted to demonstrating how major environmental improvements and energy efficiency on a local scale can result from a new approach to the generation of power and use of energy;
• The Park, being a natural historic site marred by elements of a rural past, will be improved with landscaping and sensitive building design;
• Public access to the energy park with visitors able to use the energy centre facilities for studies and Ööbikuoru paths for nature walks, surrounding areas set aside for picnics and play.

The main result of the project is to facilitate the use of renewable energy installations and sustainable energy use in general, in addition, to increase the attractiveness of the municipality (40000 visitors annually).