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General Information
ALTENER Programmes
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There have been two ALTENER programmes that aim to promote the use of renewable
energy sources.
The first ALTENER programme ran from 1993-1997, with the objective of reducing carbon
dioxide emissions in the Community by promoting the development of renewable energy sources.
The programme included the following categories of actions through a budget of 40 million EUR
- Studies and technical evaluations for defining technical standards or specifications;
- Measures to support the Member States' initiatives for extending or creating infrastructures
concerned with renewable energy sources:
- Training and information activities with regard to renewable energy sources at a level as
close as possible to operators and the final consumers of energy;
- Measures to foster the creation of an information network aimed at promoting better
coordination between national, Community and international activities through the establishment
of appropriate means for exchanging information, and at evaluating the impact of the various
actions;
- Studies, evaluations and other appropriate measures aimed at assessing the technical
feasibility and the advantages for the economy and the environment of the industrial exploitation
of biomass for energy purposes, in particular heat and electricity production.
At the end of the funding period 108 projects had been supported as Cost-sharing contracts;
Study contracts or Assessment contracts managed by the Energy and Transport DG (TREN)
ALTENER 2 had similar objectives launched under the title:
Multiannual programme for
the promotion of renewable energy sources in the Community, 1998-2002
The objectives
were to help create the necessary conditions for the implementation of a Community action plan for
renewable energy sources and, in particular, the legal, socio-economic and administrative conditions;
to encourage private and public investments in the production and use of energy from renewable
sources.
In the context of the programme, renewable energy sources referred to:
- Biomass, including energy crops, fire wood, residues from forestry and agriculture,
municipal waste, liquid biofuels and biogas;
- Large and small scale (less than10MW) hydropower;
- Wind energy;
- Solar thermal and solar photovoltaics;
- Geothermal energy;
- Tidal, wave and other ocean energies.
The programme, again administered by TREN, was divided into the following
main activities:
Implementing and complementing Community measures
taken to develop the potential of RES
- Studies on sectoral and market strategies;
- Background for harmonization;
- Development of norms and standards
Infrastructures and instruments for the development of RES.
- Local and regional planning;
- Projects developing tools for planning, design, assessment and evaluation;
- Projects on new financial and market instruments;
- Development of infrastructures on information and on education and training
programmes;
Dissemination of information.
- Community events and publications;
- Temporary networks for specific tasks on biomass, waste, liquid, biofuels, solar
thermal, solar PV, buildings, etc.;
- Centralized system for collecting and circulating information
Measures to encourage exchange of experience and know-how.
- Support to national, regional and local information actions in collaboration with
Member States, local authorities, including the European Economic Area and other European
third countries;
- Support to existing networks, associations and other actors;
Targeted actions promoting the penetration of RES and encouraging investment in the
following areas.
- Biomass, including energy crops, fire wood, residues from forestry
and agriculture, municipal waste, liquid biofuels and biogas
- Thermal and photovoltaic solar systems in buildings
- Passive and active solar systems in buildings;
- Small scale hydroelectric projects;
- Wind power;
- Geothermal energy
Implementation of a new Community strategy and action plan for the development of RES,
covering actions aimed at.
- Monitoring the implementation of the Community strategy and action plan for the development
of renewable energy sources;
- Supporting initiatives taken to implement the action plan, particularly with a view to promoting
greater synergy between actions;
- Monitoring the progress achieved by the Community and its Member States with regard to the
development of renewable energy sources;
- Evaluate measures taken implemented under the programme.
The level of Community financing differed according to the type of measure involved.
For the following actions, Community financing covered 100% of the costs:
- Implementing and complementing Community measures taken to develop the
potential of RES:
- Dissemination of information;
- Implementation of a new Community strategy and action plan for the development of RES
Community financing covered up to 50% of the costs (the remainder to be met by other public and/or
private sources) for the following measures:
- Pilot actions aimed at creating or extending infrastructures and instruments for the
development of RES;
- Measures to encourage exchange of experience and know-how proposed by an entity other
than the Commission.
The level of financing for the "Targeted actions promoting the penetration of RES and
encouraging investment" were established on an annual basis for the each of the targeted actions.
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Other European Commission Programmes, Publications, etc:
ALTENER Programme
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Other European Commission Programmes, Publications, etc
