moldova biogas generation from animal manure pilot project

8/3/2019 Moldova Biogas Generation From Animal Manure Pilot Project

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WORLD BANK/ GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY

MOLDOVA BIOGAS GENERATION FROM ANIMAL MANURE PILOT PROJECT

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN

March 11, 2010

Prepared by Tatiana Belous, PhD in Biology

E2403


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Content

Executive Summary

Introduction

1. National environmental policies and environmental assessment legal framework2. World Bank Safeguards Policies

3. Institutional framework for environmental assessment4. Project description5. Description of typical technology of biogas generation from animal manure

6. Countrys baseline conditions and sectoral issues

7. Environmental Guidelines

8. Environmental Management Plan implementing arrangements

9. Integration of Environmental Management Plan in project implementation

10. Environmental Management Plan disclosure and consultation

Annexes


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Abbreviations

BGAMPP Biogas Generation from Animal Manure Pilot ProjectBP Bank Procedures

EA Environmental AssessmentEG Environmental Guidelines

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

EMP Environmental Management PlanC Celsius

CDM Clean Development MechanismGDP Gross Domestic Product

GEF Global Environment FacilityCFU Carbon Finance Unit

GHG Green House Gas

FYM Farm Yard ManureGWh Gigawatt HourMOE Ministry of EnvironmentNGO Non-governmental OrganizationsNPK Nitrogen/ phosphorus/ potassiumOP Operational PolicypH Measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solutionPMT Project Management TeamPOP Persistent Organic PollutantSEE State Ecological Expertise

SEEEA State Ecological Expertise and Environmental AuthorizationsSEI State Ecological InspectorateTA Technical Assistance

TOR Terms of ReferenceTS Total Solids

US United StatesVS Volatile SolidsWB World Bank


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Purpose of Environmental Management Plan.The purpose of the Environmental Management

Plan (EMP) is to provide an outline of the mitigation measures that will be implemented to manage

potential negative environmental impacts associated with the project implementation along with the

necessary monitoring activities. The proposed EMP is not site-specific and will be updated as needed

during project implementation when the details about the specific farms/sites where the two pilot

biodigesters will be installed and certain technical design details will become known.

2. Project Objective. The objective of the project is to pilot use of animal manure for on-farm biogasand electricity generation through introduction of an innovative, environmentally friendly technology.

The project will provide an integrated approach to piloting the use of biogas and will contribute to the

reduction of climate change effects and of water resource pollution, bringing benefits to the farming

sector through improved manure management practices and to the energy sector through the

introduction of environmentally friendly energy installations

3. Project description. The Biogas Generation form Animal Manure Pilot Project (hereafter:BGAMP) consists of five components. Component 1: Enabling legislative and policy environment

includes: (i) certification and licensing of biodigesters for use in Moldova and (ii) cooperation with

the countrys energy regulator to allow smaller electricity producers sell surplus electricity into thenational grid. Component 2: Technical assistance, capacity building and awareness raising on sound

animal waste management, and animal manure-based biodigester and electricity generation

technologies will contribute to promotion of sound animal manure management practices and

mainstreaming of the use of biodigester technologies, the activities will include capacity-building.

Component 3: Technical assistance and capacity building on local manufacturing of biodigesters will

assist local producers with knowledge transfer and capacity building in various biodigester and co-

generation equipment technologies to reduce the investment cost. Component 4: Biodigester

Investment Grants which will test and implement pilot biodigester technologies on livestock farmswhere the small carbon emission reductions prevent them from obtaining co-financing investments

from carbon benefits. Under this component it is proposed to support installation of biodigesters on

two livestock farms. Component 5: Project Management and Safeguards.

4.Location. While the TA activities will cover the whole country, the location for installation of thetwo pilot biodigesters will be determined during the project implementation.

5. Project category. While most of the proposed activities will not have any impact on theenvironment, the project might have some adverse impacts related to biodigesters construction and

operation. Based on that the proposed project is considered as low risk Category B project, for

which a simple EMP is required.

6.Moldovan Regulatory framework for EA. Moldova has in place a well developed EA system,environmental legal instruments and technical standards which will be applied for Project

implementation. The national EA regulatory framework is generally in line with World Bank EA

requirements. Furthermore, Moldova has a good record in implementing projects for variousinfrastructure projects which comply with WB and National EA rules and procedures.

7. Institutional framework and capacities to perform safeguards. The implementation of project

environmental safeguards will be done by the existing Project Management Team (PMT) under the

Ministry of Environment (MOE). The PMT has an assigned staff member with such responsibilities,and adequate experience, as the PMT is currently implementing the full-size GEF POPs Stockpiles

Management and Destruction Project, which is a Category A project. The results of implementation

of the GEF POPs project environmental safeguards are considered very positive. The Project will


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support additional information dissemination and training activities to ensure the environmental

requirements and the EMP provisions would be fully implemented.

8. Environmental Guidelines. Environmental Guidelines (EG) include: (i) procedures forenvironmental site assessment and baseline analysis; (ii) potential environmental and social impacts

of the construction of biodigesters and their operation; (iii) mitigation measures; and, (iv) monitoring

activities.

9. Potential environmental impacts. Although most Biogas renewable energy technologies areenvironmentally sound, all of them can have negative impacts on the environment if poorly planned

and implemented. Possible adverse environmental impacts related to construction activities are the

following: (a) Dust and noise due to the construction activities; (b) Dumping of construction wastes,accidental spillage of machine oil, lubricants, etc. During operation phase the potential impacts are

associated with air, soil and water pollution. All these impacts are expected to be easily mitigated

through a good projects design, adherence of technological process and implementation practices.

10. Potential social impacts. The project does not entail any direct negative social risks as itsimplementation does not presume any job losses/ resettlement issues. On the contrary, the project will

create additional employment and respectively on-farm net income and income in localities.

11. Mitigation measures. Mitigation measures during construction phase will relate mainly toappropriate construction waste handling and dust and noise prevention. Mitigation measures duringoperation phase will be directed mainly at the prevention of soil and groundwater pollution linked to

temporary manure storage capacities and bioigesters loading tank, prevention of air pollution by

methane emitting form manure storage facilities and biogas storage system, from raw gas leakages,

and occupational safety. All these are provided in details in Annexes 4 and 5 of the document.

12.Monitoring. The monitoring section of the EG provides an information on parameters that have tobe monitored, monitoring frequency, institutional responsibilities, etc. both during construction and

operational phases of projects implementation to (i) ensure early detection of conditions that need

particular mitigation measures, and (ii) furnish information on the progress and results of mitigation.

The EG provides also tentative Monitoring Plan (presented in the Annex 6) as well as monitoringimplementation schedule and reporting.

13. EMP disclosure and consultation. EMP disclosure occurred on March 1, 2010 through EMP

Summary posting on the PMT office website (www.molodvapops.md). Consultation meeting took

place on March 9, 2010 at the MOEs premises. At the consultation meeting were present

representatives of the PMT and CFU Offices, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and

Food Industry, State Ecological Inspectorate and NGOs. During the consultation, the Client

informed the public about the project, EG, potential impacts which may by generated by project

activities, measures to be taken to prevent/ mitigate potential impacts and monitoring activities. The

participants agreed with the EMP provisions.


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Introduction

The proposed Environment Management Plan (EMP) aims to manage effectively potential

negative impacts which may be generated during installation and operation of on-farm

biodigesters. It includes a brief overview of applicable laws, policies on environmentprocedures for Environmental Assessment and environmental management, institutions

involved in EA and environmental management, and their responsibilities, as well asEnvironmental Guidelines (EG), specifying identification of potential environmental andsocial impacts, relevant mitigation measures, and monitoring procedure.

The proposed EMP is not site specific and will be updated as needed during project

implementation when the details about the specific farms/sites where the two pilotbiodigesters will be installed and certain technical design details will become known. EMP

includes Environmental Guidelines specifying the following issues: (i) Procedure for site

specific EMP design and approval; (ii) Potential impacts associated with biodigestersconstruction and relevant mitigation measures, and (iii) Monitoring activities.

1. National Environmental Policies and Environmental Assessment Legal Framework

The national policy and legal basis for environmental protection and EA is fairly

comprehensive. It includes a set of policies, strategies, international treaties, laws andregulations, and there is a general opinion that this framework is sufficient to address

effectively the countrys environmental issues.

1.1 National Policies, Strategies and Programs

Concept of the Environmental Policy (approved in 2001).The goals of environmental policy

are: prevention and mitigation of negative impacts on the environment, natural resources andpublic health. The policy calls for serious steps towards energy efficiency improvements,

energy conversation measures and use of renewable energies in order to combat the climate

change.

Energy Strategy until 2010 (approved in 2007). The strategic goals of the energy policy are:

increase of energy efficiency and energy supply, ensure of energy safety and environmental

protection. The main goal of the energy policy in relation to environment is decrease ofimpacts generated by energy production and energy use on environmental conditions. This

goal can be achieved including at the expense of increase of specific volume of energy from

renewable sources. The Strategy also focuses on introducing of low polluting energytechnologies aimed at prevention and minimizing of environmental pollution, and declares

that increase of use of renewable energy will contribute to decrease of dependence on

imported energy resources.

National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Agro-Industrial Complex in Moldova

(2008-2015). The Strategy aims at creation of favorable conditions for sustainabledevelopment of agro-industry, integration of Moldovan economy into European one, food

safety ensuring and poverty reduction. The Strategy calls for use of renewable energy in

agricultural sector.


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Strategy for Development of Industry until 2015 (approved in 2006). The main goal of the

Strategy is to create effective, competitive, and technologically advanced industrial sector.One of the conditions for implementation of the Strategy is adherence to the environmental

protection requirements and widespread implementation of ecologically poor industries. In

relation to the field, among priority measures for Strategy implementation is supporting ofnon-polluting technologies, strict state control over labor safely, and conducting of a state

ecological expertise of all investment projects and project documentation which can affectenvironmental conditions regardless of their destination, sitting, ownership and mode offinancing.

National Program on Energy Efficiency 2003-2010 (approved in 2003). The Program calls

for efficient energy use and widespread development of renewable energy sources.

National Program on Ecological Safety (approved in 2003). Ecological safety involves

prevention and mitigation of impacts from industry, agriculture, power engineering, transportetc. and from waste generation.

1.2 Conventions and Protocols

Moldova is part of the following international treaties which have stipulations related to EA

issues:

Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context(Espoo, 1991). ratified by the Parliamentary Decision Nr. 1546-XII as of June 23

1993

o Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Kiev, 2003) under the

Espoo Convention, signed on May 21 2003

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Rio de Janeiro, 1992),

ratified by the Parliamentary Decision Nr. 404-XIII as of March 16 1995

o Kyoto Protocol (Kyoto, 1997) under the Convention on Climate Change,

adopted by the Law Nr. 29-XV as of February 13 2003

Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-MakingProcess and Access to Justice in Environment (Aarhus, 1998), ratified by theParliamentary Decision Nr. 346-XIV as of April 7 1999

o Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) under the

Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making Process and Access to Justice in Environmental matter, signed on

May 21 2003

Convention on Protection of the Ozone Layer (Vienna, 1985), adopted by the

Parliamentary Decision Nr. 966-XIII as of July 24 1996o Protocol on Substances Depleting the Ozone Layer (Montreal, 1987) under

the Convention on Protection of the Ozone Layer, adopted by the

Parliamentary Decision Nr. 966-XIII as of July 24 1996

Convention on Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Helsinki, 1992),adopted by the Parliamentary Decision Nr. 1546-XII as of June 23 1993

Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) ratified by theParliamentary Decision Nr. 1546-XII as of June 23 1993.


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1.3 Environmental Assessment Legislation

Starting from 1992, Moldovan environmental authorities have developed a series of laws and

regulations which stipulate in detail all aspects of the Environmental Assessment procedure.These are: Law on Environmental Protection (1993); Law on Environmental Expertise

(SEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (1996); Guidelines on Performing StateEnvironmental Expertise (1995); Regulation on performing State Ecological Expertise(2001); Regulation on Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making (2000). Brief

overview of relevant laws and regulations is provided below.

Law on Environment Protection (1993). This is a basic law that provides general frameworkfor the environment protection in Moldova and options for sustainable development. The

central environmental body shall conduct state environmental expertise which is exclusive

area of its responsibility and competence; ii) prohibit and/or suspend the construction andreconstruction of industrial, agricultural and other facilities and activities which tend to use

natural resources. State Ecological Expertise should be conducted for construction,

extension, reconstruction and modernization of any economic and social facility and activity(except administrative and military ones) that may cause negative impact to the environment.

Law on Ecological Expertise and Environment Impact Assessment (1996). The lawdetermines goals, objectives and principles of the State Ecological Expertise (SEE) and

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as well as fundamentals of both procedures. The

SEE aims to: (a) prevent and minimize the potential of the direct, indirect, or cumulative

impact of new economic activities on the environment, ecosystems, and human health; and,(b) to assess from this perspective all economic activities, separately or as a whole, which

could affect the environment, human health, or living standards in the present or future.

Decision on ecological expertise can be considered as the basis for approval or refusal of

project documentation. Ecological expertise is conducted prior to making decision on

planned economic activities, and is mandatory for all economic activities which may havelikely negative impact on environment regardless their destination, ownership, investments,

location, source of financing etc.

A specialAnnex to the Law on SEE and EIA containsRegulations on Environmental ImpactAssessment. It establishes the goal of preparing of documentation on EIA, main requirements

on EIA content, order of elaboration and submission documentation on EIA, state ecological

expertise of the EIA documentation, decision on a state ecological expertise of EIAdocumentation as well as provides a list of objects and types of activities for which carrying

out of EIA is mandatory prior to technical design.

Instructions on Order of Organization and Conducting of the State Ecological Expertise

(2003) defines comprehensively the goal, objectives and principles of SEE which applies for

any new construction, facilitys modernization and up-grading at the stage when design

documentation is prepared. The Guidelines stipulate the structure and function of the process,

procedures for submitting of project documentation, and review procedures. The guidelines

are also accompanied by a series of annexes on such topics as requirements for project

documentation submitted for SEE; the subdivisions responsible for SEE of various types of


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projects; requirements for every chapter (or volume) of project documentation; projects that

require a separate chapter on EIA at the design stage, etc. Regulation on Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making (2000). The

Regulation was developed to support implementation of the Aarhus Convention on Access to

Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making Process and Access to Justice inEnvironment ratified by Moldova in 1999); the Regulation is based on items of chapter III of

the Law on Ecological Expertise and Environment Impacts Assessment (1996) and articles 3and 30 of the Law on Environment Protection (1993).

1.4 Other Environmental and Sectoral Laws Applicable for the Projects

Environmental Management

This section briefly describes other laws which may have a relevance to the Projects

environmental management.

Law on Renewably Energy (2007) regulates activities in the field of renewable energy. The

goal of the Strategy is ensure energy safety and decrease of negative impacts from energy

sector on environment. State policy targets in the field of the renewable energy sources are:

increase of diversity of local primary energy sources by 2010; ensure share of renewable

energy of 6 percent in the structure of energy produced from traditional sources, and by 2020

- 20 percent.

Water Code (1993). This law provides the general legal framework for water use, control and

protection. Protective measures must be taken toward water body in relation to sitting,

construction and operation of any facility or activity. It is prohibited to construct and put into

operation facilities which do not pass through the ecological expertise, or which are not

equipped by water protection facilities.

Law on Air Protection (1997). The main objectives of the Law are maintenance of clean air,

improvement of air quality, prevention and mitigation of harmful physical, chemical, and

biological impacts on air quality, and accordingly, protection of human health and

environment.

Law on Permitting of Certain Kinds of Activities (2001). The Law aims to ensure state

control over compliance with requirements and conditions to be adhered while fulfilling

certain activities. It determines legal, organizational and economic basis for certain kinds of

activities and establishes kinds of activities which require permits. Particularly, kinds of

activities which require permits are production, transportation, dispatching, distribution, and

delivery of electrical energy both on regulated and unregulated tariffs.

Land Code (1991). The Land Code states that land conservation should be a priority while

implementing any kind of activities.

Law on Production and Consumption Wastes (1997). The Law provides basic principles in

the field of waste management generated during production and consumption processes, and

aims to reduce wastes and prevent environmental pollution.

Law on Standardization (1995) proclaims standardization as one of major factors in

developing of national economy and environmental protection aimed at protecting of


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consumers rights, ensuring quality of products, processes and services, safety, health and

environmental protection, and establishes the process and procedure for developing and

approving national, sectoral, media and product standards. The Law stipulates the following

standards in Moldova: national standards, professional standards, and standards of firms.

Other standards include: technical regulations, medico-biological regulations, sanitary norms,

sanitary-hygiene norms and rules, environmental protection norms. It also stipulates that the

above standards and norms shall be based on the latest achievements of science and

technology, international and regional standards, etc. The Law also stipulates that each

ministry, agency and economic object, irrespective of the form of ownership, shall have a

unit responsible for standardization process and compliance.

Law on Power Engineering (1998) establishes basic principles of activities of energy

enterprises and fundamentals of securing safety operation of energy enterprises

The Law on Taxes for Pollution of the Environment (1998).This Law refers to the penalties

for the discharge of pollutants into the environment. The law indicates that penalties for

pollutants released into sewage facilities and on filtration fields are to be imposed on the base

of the total volume of water allocation. The Law also provides norm for fees counting for

pollutants released from cattle, pig and poultry farms into septic tanks as well as for

collection and storage of other solid wastes, including toxic ones.

Law on Safety of Dangerous Industrial Objects (2000). The Law establishes legal, economic

and social aspects of safety operation of dangerous objects/ enterprises and focuses on

prevention of industrial accidents, cessation, minimisation and liquidation of accident

consequences, and protection of environment and population. Technical installations/ devices

used at the dangerous objects/ enterprises shall be a subject of compulsory authorization and

comply with industrial safety requirements.

Law on Quality in Construction (1996). The Law stipulates that constructions shouldcomply with the following requirements: resistance and stability; fire, hygiene and

environmentally safety, etc. Construction, repair/renovation and other related works have to

be implemented only in accordance with project documentation developed by physical and

juridical persons authorised for such kinds of works and verified by the authorised specialists

in the field; design and construction of buildings is implemented by physical and juridical

persons licensed for activity in the field.

The Law on Grounds of Town-planning and Territorial Development (1996). Local public

administration shall provide permits for operation of facilities as well as for change of the

facilities location. Assessment of potential environmental impacts and the provision of

ecological expertise are to be conducted in accordance with the Law on Ecological Expertise

and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Law on Sanitary-Epidemiological Protection of the Population (1993). It is an umbrella lawensuring sanitary-epidemiological safety of the population. The Law stipulates that planning

and construction should envisage a creation the most favorable conditions for living and

health of population, improvement of localities, prevention and liquidation of harmful effect

on human health.


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Law on Access to Information (2000) regulates different aspects of informational

management, including rules and regulations of informational exchange.

2. World Bank Safeguards Policies

2.1 Overview ofWorld Banks Safeguard Policies

There are ten key Environmental and Social World Bank Safeguard Policies which areintended to ensure that potentially adverse environmental and social consequences of the

projects financed by the Bank are identified, minimized and mitigated (Environmental

Assessment (OP/BP 4.01), Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04), Forestry (OP/BP 4.36), Pest

Management (OP 4.09), Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11), Indigenous Peoples(OP/BP 4.10), Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12), Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37), Projects on

International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50), Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60), and Disclosure Policy (BP

17.50). The World Banks Safeguard Policies has a three-part format. These are i)

Operational Policies (OP) - statement of policy objectives and operational principles

including the roles and obligations of the Borrower and the Bank in relation to particular

environmental and social issues; ii) Bank Procedures (BP) - mandatory procedures to be

followed by the Borrower and the Bank, and iii) Good Practices (GP) - non-mandatory

advisory material.

2.2 World Banks Safeguard Policies triggered by the Project

Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01). While the project will bring mostly positive

impacts related to methane capture and pollution prevention, it might also cause someadverse impacts as the result of civil works (dust and noise; dumping of construction wastes,

accidental spillage of machine oil, etc) on the two pilot sites for biodigester installation.

Based on that, this OP is triggered. This Policy aims to ensure that projects proposed for

Bank financing are environmentally and socially sound and sustainable; to inform decision

makers of the nature of environmental and social risks. In spite the project will bring mostlypositive environmental and social impacts related to methane capture and pollution

prevention, electricity generation, increasing the employment rate, etc.

Taking into account that the final selection of the project sites for installing the two pilot

biodigesters will be known at the later stage of the project design, a site specific EMP forthese particular biodigesters will be prepared later on.

The installation of biodigesters will be done exclusively within the area of existing livestock

farms of the willing participating farmers, thus there will be no temporary or permanent lossof agricultural lands and/or involuntary resettlement and respectively the OP 4.12 is not

triggered.

Disclosure Policy (BP 17.50). This policy supports decision making by the borrower and

Bank by allowing the public access to information on environmental and social aspects of

projects and has specific requirements for disclosure. For all Category A and B projectsproposed for WB financing, during the EA process, the borrower consults all involved

parties, including project-affected groups and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

about the projects environmental aspects and takes their views into account. The borrowerinitiates such consultations as early as possible. For meaningful consultations between the


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borrower and project-affected groups and local NGOs, the borrower provides relevant

material in a timely manner prior to consultation and in a form and language that areunderstandable and accessible to the groups being consulted. Any Category B EIA report is

made available to project-affected groups and local NGOs. Public availability in the

borrowing country and official receipt by the Bank of any Category B EA report for projectsproposed for WB funding, are prerequisites to Bank appraisal of these projects.

This EMP was disclosed and consulted in the country and disclosed in the WB Infoshopbefore the project appraisal, while site the specific EMPs to be further developed will be

disclosed and consulted in the country and in the WB Infoshop before the civil works will

start.

3. Institutional Framework for Environmental Assessment

The competent environmental assessment authority in Moldova is the Division of the StateEcological Expertise and Environmental Authorizations (SEEEA) within the State Ecological

Inspectorate (SEI) which is a subdivision of the Ministry of Environment (MOE). It

incorporates dual functions. As a main administrative body, it is responsible for organizingand coordinating the SEE (according to the Article 7(2) of the Law on EE and EIA. As an

expert body, it is responsible for reviewing project documentation for planned activities and

making decision whether or not they may be implemented. The Division on SEEEA is alsoresponsible for control and supervision of the SEE procedures.

New national policies, programs, plans, as well as laws and regulations in those parts which

have a relevance to EA are developed and/ or reviewed by the experts of the MOE.

4. Project Description

4.1. Project Objective

The projects objective is to pilot use of animal manure for on-farm biogas and electricity

generation through introduction of an innovative, environmentally friendly technology. The

project will provide an integrated approach to piloting the use of biogas and will contribute to

the reduction of climate change effects and of water resource pollution, bringing benefits to

the farming sector through improved manure management practices and to the energy sector

through the introduction of environmentally friendly energy installations.

4.2 Project Components

The Biogas Generation form Animal Manure Pilot Project consists of five components:

Component 1: Enabling legislative and policy environmentthat includes: (i) certification and

licensing of biodigesters for use in Moldova, including the development of the necessary

supporting legal framework; and (ii) cooperation with the countrys energy regulator to allow

smaller electricity producers sell surplus electricity into the national grid.

Component 2: Technical assistance, capacity building and awareness raising on sound

animal waste management, and animal manure-based biodigester and electricity generation

technologies will contribute to promote sound animal manure management practices and


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mainstreaming of the use of biodigester technologies, the activities will include capacity-

building, by mobilizing international expertise and best-practice transfer, including: (i)training of farmers in sound manure management practices; (ii) training of a number of local

engineers in the installation and operation of biodigesters to enable them to work

independently in scaling up the generation of biogas and electricity after the project closes;(iii) training of the participating farmers in the proper operation of biodigesters; and (iv)

ensuring broader awareness raising in the animal producer community through a series ofseminars and demonstration activities, to disseminate information on the benefits of biogasand electricity generation from animal manure.

Component 3: Technical assistance and capacity building on local manufacturing of

biodigesters will assist local producers with knowledge transfer and capacity building in

various biodigester and co-generation equipment technologies in order to reduce theinvestment cost, biodigesters will be manufactured locally to ensure affordability and

accessibility of biodigesters for a wider farmer population.

Component 4: Biodigester Investment Grants. Investment grants to test and pilot biodigester

technologies will be carried out on livestock farms where the small carbon emission

reductions prevent them from obtaining co-financing investments from carbon benefits. Atthe same time, cattle farms form a large share of Moldovas animal farms and contribute to anumber of environmental issues. The component will be supported by an IDA loan which

will make available long-term financing for investment in the various types of biodigesters.

Under this component it is proposed to support installation of biodigesters on two livestock

farms.

Component 5: Project Management and Safeguards.

4.3 Project Coverage and Location

The Component 4 of the Project which includes pilot on-farm installation of manure-basedbiodigesters and electricity generation will work with interested farmers throughout the

country. The location for installation of the two pilot biodigesters will be determined during

the project preparation.

The installation of biodigesters will be done exclusively within the area of existing livestock

farms of the willing participating farmers on the lands which are no used legally and

illegally, thus there will be no temporary or permanent loss of agricultural lands as well as

any resettlement issues.

5. Description of Typical Technology of Biogas Generation from Animal Manure

5.1 Typical Biogas Generation Facility

The primary goals of biodigesters have been assumed to be the production of electricity and

reducing of animal wastes as well as emission of greenhouse gases which might generate

carbon credits. The biodigestion greatly reduces the emission of methane and odor as

compared to commonly used manure treatment in open anaerobic lagoons, and converts the

manure into a more uniform sterilized product. The footprint of an on-farm anaerobic

digester depends on the scale of the facility. An average-sized on-farm biogas system,


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including the digester and biogas utilization equipment, will occupy less than a 1/4 hectare of

space. Typically, a digester can be easily integrated into farm landscapes.

A biogas production facility is typically comprised of the following components:

Pre-storage tanks and/or pads

Grinder/mixer Digester/ Reactor tank Biogas storage

Gas utilization equipment

Heat exchanger unit

Liquid-solid separator Post storage tanks and/or pads

The digester/ reactor tank represents normally a concrete tank located underground. Thecommon technology used in biodigesters is an anaerobic fermentation of animal wastes

followed by the methane capture and its combustion in the heat generator installation. Within

this tank a condition optimal for methanogenic bacteria (methanogens) is provided. There arethree groups of naturally occurring bacteria that break down manure in anaerobic

environments and produce methane biogas. The first group breaks down the manure into

organic material. The second group uses the organic material to make organic acids. Thethird group completes the decomposition and creates the biogas. Manure particles that are of

small, and uniform size and mixture, enhance the ability of all three bacterial groups to break

down the organic matter.

The most optimal temperatures for fermentation are 30-40 (for mesophilic bacteria) and

50-60 (for thermophilic bacteria). The selection of either mesophilic or therophilic regime

for anaerobic biodigesters operation depends on climatic conditions. If maintenancethermophilic temperatures require significant energy costs, then the use of biodigesters

operating at mesophilic temperatures will be the most efficient.

Produced biogas naturally raises to the top of the biodigester via pipelines and can be

collected, and then used to run a gas generator to create electricity. Biogas is a mixture of

gases that is composed mainly of: methane (CH4): 40-70 vol.% (typical values for methane

content for animal manure are in the range 50 to 60% CH4); carbon dioxide (CO2): 30-60vol.% and other gases: 1-5 vol.% including hydrogen sulfide (H2S): 0-3 vol.%, hydrogen

(H2): 0-1 vol.% as well as trace quantities of ammonia and nitrogen oxides. Biogas is about

20 percent lighter than air and has an ignition temperature in the range of 650 to 750C. Thecalorific value of biogas is about 6 kWh/m3 - this corresponds to about half a liter of diesel

oil; the net calorific value depends on the efficiency of the burners or appliances.

The majority of the small scale agricultural biogas production facilities are operated at

mesophilic temperatures while thermophilic temperatures are usually applied in medium and

larger scale biogas production facilities with co-digestion when some of the inputs are from anon-agricultural origin. Mesophilic digesters are less complicated and more easily

maintained than thermophilic digesters, and have a wider range of acceptable temperature for

substrate treatment. It should be emphasized also that different types of manure (cow, pig, or

chicken) used for biogas production have different characteristics. Bicarbonate of soda andwater can be added if nitrogen levels are too high and the manure material is too dry. Biogas


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productivity is directly correlated also to pH/ water/ solid material ratio and carbon/ nitrogen

ratio.

Dependence of biogas production on composition of animal manure is shown in the Table 1

below.

Table 1. Dependence of biogas production on composition of animal manure

Type of

manure

Total solids

(TS), %

Volatile solids

(fermentable

solids) (VS),

% of TS

Biogas yield,

m3/kg VS

Methane

content, vol.%

Retention

time, days

Pig slurry 3-8 70-80 0,25-0,50 70-80 20-40

Cattle slurry 5-12 75-85 0,20-0,30 55-75 20-30

Chicken slurry 10-30 70-80 0,35-0,60 60-80 >30

Source: Steffen et al. Anaerobic digestion: making energy and solving modern wasteproblem. In: Feedstock for anaerobic digestion. AD-Nett report, 2000.

Potential for biogas production from animal manure is shown the Table 2 below.

Table 2. Potential for biogas production

n/n Livestock Biogas Amount Obtained from 1

kg of Biomass, m3

1 Cattle 0.04

2 Pigs 0.06

3 Sheep, goats 0,06

4 Poultry 0,07

5 Horses 0,04

Source: Tacis, 1997. In: Biogas production (analysis in Georgia)

Biogas effluent consists in general of 93 percent water, 7 percent dry matter of which 4,5

percent is organic and 2,5 percent - inorganic matter. Biogas slurry is rich in organics and

nutrients. The percentage of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) content in slurry onwet basis is 0,25; 0,13 and 0,12 while on dry basis it is 3,6; 1,8 and 3,6, respectively. In

addition to the major plant nutrients, it also contains micro-nutrients such as zinc, iron,

manganese and copper that are also essential for plants but required in trace amounts.However, to receive high quality fertilizer from effluent requires its further refining. Effluent

used as liquid fertilizers has a greater fertilizing value than enriched farm yard manure

(FYM) or fresh dung. Application of compost which can be also produced from the slurry

can improve soils physical structure, increase soil fertility; increase soil water-holding

capacity, and enhance activity of wholesome microorganisms. Composted effluent if stored

and applied properly, increases cereal crop production by 10-30 percent as compared to

FYM. The application of liquid effluent has proven to be very successful on wheat, maize,

cabbages, tomatoes, etc. The most responsive crops to compost are vegetables like root crops

(carrots, radish, potatoes), and fruit trees.

There are the following options to deal with effluents generated in on-farms biodigesters: (i)

the residual water is treated and discharged into the local waste water collection system; (ii)


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the residual water is directed to open lagoons and treated (e.g. dewatering and land

application). More commonly used practices for effluents treatment in on-farm biodigesteers,are those when residual water containing sludge flows into another tank (compensation tank)

where it then can be separated into liquid and solid fraction, and from this second tank the

bio-fertilizer can be dried or sent as slurry directly to the lands. The effluent from a digestercan be also retained in a holding pond and after treatment, used either as recycled flush water

or for irrigation.

Process flow diagram illustrating the process of methane capture, electricity generation and

treatment of effluents is presented in the Figure 1 below.

Fig. 1 Process Flow Diagram illustrating the process of methane capture, electricity

generation and treatment of effluents (source: V.Vidodo, A. Hendriadi. Development of

Biogas Processing for Small Scale Cattle Farm in Indonesia, 2005)

Distribution of biomethane. Biomethane can be distributed to its ultimate point of

consumption by one of several options, depending on its point of origin: distribution viadedicated biomethane pipelines; distribution via the natural gas pipeline and over-the road

transport (this option is neither technically nor economically feasible in Moldova). If the

point of consumption is relatively close to the point of production (e.g., about 1,5 km), thebiomethane would typically be distributed via dedicated biogas pipelines (buried or

aboveground). Costs for laying dedicated biomethane pipelines can vary greatly however

biomethane distributed via dedicated biomethane pipelines must compete with natural gas

prices in the marketplace. The natural gas pipeline network offers a potentially unlimitedstorage and distribution system for biomethane. Once the biomethane which meets the local

gas utilitys pipeline gas quality is injected into the natural gas pipeline network, it can be

used as a direct substitute for natural gas by any piece of equipment connected to the natural

gas grid, including domestic gas appliances, commercial/industrial gas equipment, etc.

The most common types of biogas plants in developing countries, and anaerobic digestion

technologies with summarized information on their principles, advantages and disadvantages

are presented inAnnex 1.


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Mitigation measures to be taken while using of various technologies for construction design,

manure delivery, residual water treatment, etc. which may be applicable for Moldova arepresented in the Table 6 Potential Negative Impacts and related Mitigation Measures

below.

5.2 Risks linked to Biodigesters Technology and their Possible Solutions

Investment Cost.There will be determined technology to be applied and available on-siteconditions including existing local infrastructure to assess investment cost. In future, while

implementing the project throughout the country, biodigesters manufactured locally and sale

of carbon credits will reduce investment cost.

Stable Manure Flow. The biogas production relies on the supply of manure from thelivestock farms and is, hence, directly dependent on the supply of livestock. For example, if a

farm experiences financial difficulty due to a depressed domestic animal market, the logical

recourse might be closure. This action would terminate the flow of manure to any adjacentbiodigester. The biodigester would be unable to function properly without permanent manure

flow while transportation of manure from other livestock farms would likely be prohibitively

expensive. To be economically feasible, the capacity of facility should be assessed properly tocorrespond as much as possible to manure flow from farms available for biodigestion. So, it is

essential to ensure that the digester is large enough to contain all the material that will be fed

through in a whole digestion cycle. One solution is to use a double digester, consuming thewaste in two stages, with the main part of the biogas (methane) being produced in the first

stage and the second stage finishing the digestion at a slower rate, but still producing another

20 % or so of the total biogas. Another solution might be a connection of private and

common household waste treatment facilities situated near to biogas plant, if appropriate. Risklinked to stable manure flow might me reduced through contracts with other farms/ farmers

to ensure regular supply by manure.

Temperature.For biodigesters, methanogenic microbial growth (hence, activity) takes place

between 10 and 45 degrees Celsius and optimal growth takes place between 30 and 35 degrees

Celsius. Within these temperature ranges emissions vary greatly. Thus, external temperaturechanges, diurnally or annually, can seriously affect the amount of methane produced.To be

economically feasible, the minimum average substrate temperature is between 20oC and

28oC. In Moldova, winter temperature can reach -20-25

oC which would require all piping to

be insulated and a heat exchange system for the digester. Substrate temperature can be moreefficiently maintained if the digester is located close to the source of the raw material and the

warmth of the animals bodies is retained. A biogas hot water boiler is also an effective

means of maintaining the digesters ambient temperature. Heated water can be pumpedthrough pipes within the digester, at the most 20% of the biogas will be expended to maintain

the required reactor temperature. This loss can be also combated by the saving accrued

through building of a appropriated sized digestion tank

Manure Properties.The constituent properties of the manure are affected by the feeding regime

for the animals (the amount of elements such as nitrogen in the feed is reflected in themanure; similarly, if the animals are treated with antibiotics this will be reflected in the

manure and, hence, the health of the digesting bacteria.). This, in turn, affects bacterial

activity and the manure gas production potential. Variability of emissions throughout the

manure handling process introduces a great deal of complexity (particularly, whenformulating a GHGs reduction strategy).


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Toxic substance. Biogas contains hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The hydrogen sulfide genearationis a critical factor for biogas technologies which causes severe problems with the gas

processing equipment. If the levels are too high, damage to gas treatment equipment is severe

and costly, and therefore it must be removed as much as possible before reaching the gasprocessing equipment. For farms adding substrates with very high sulfur content, additional

gas cleaning equipment must be provided.

6. Countrys Baseline Conditions and Sectoral Issues

6.1 Baseline Conditions

Population: The countrys population is 3,419 million people; the share of urban population

is 41%, rural - 59%. The gender ratio is 48% -males; 52% - females.

Location and landscape. Moldova is situated in the southeast of Europe between the

Carpathian Mountains and East-European Plain. Its territory lies within Dniester and Prut

Rivers. The countrys area is 33,846 thousand km2

and it is of 350 km length and of 150 kmwidth. The highest point (429,5 m) is in western part of the Codru and the lowest point (4,5

m) in extreme south of the country.

Climate. Moldova has a temperate continental climate which is formed mainly by the

Atlantic air mass from the west, the Mediterranean air mass from the southwest. It is

characterized by short mild winters and long hot summers.

Soils. Generally Moldova has the best in Europe soils for agricultural production and the

most productive soils - chernozems which are found in the northern and central parts of the

country, and cover 75% of all agricultural land.

Water resources. Surface waters occupy about 3 percent of the countrys total area. They are

mainly (90%) formed by the transit flow of the Dniester and Prut rivers, both originating inthe Carpathians in Romania and in Ukraine, respectively. The internal rivers network

consists of nearly 3,300 water courses with a total length of 16,000 km. In Moldova, there

are 57 natural lakes with total surface of 62 km2

and about 3500 big and small water

reservoirs with total surface of 333 km2; the estimate total storage capacity of small water

reservoirs is about 1,5 billion m3.

Groundwater. Ninety percent of Moldovas groundwater resources attributes to deepaquifers. Deep groundwater, especially from the lower Baden Sarmatian aquifer, underlying

the entire country, is an important source of domestic and industrial water. Shallow

groundwater is a major drinking water source for 50% of rural population

Geology and seismology.Moldova is a zone of articulation of tectonic platforms. Most of the

country is on the southwestern margin of the East-European Pre-Cambrian platform. Seismicactivity in Moldova is as a result of recent movements in the earth's crust of the Carpathian

Mountains. Southern part of the country is a subject of probable 8-point earthquakes on the

Richter scale, northern part and the Dniester left-bank area - 7-point, and the rest of the

country - 6-point.


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Land resources and land use. The Moldovas land resources have a few distinctive

characteristics, namely: (i) the prevalence of rich chernozem soils, with high productivepotential; (ii) the intensive land use (ca. 75%); and (iii) a fragmented landscape: 80% of

agriculture land is situated on the slopes. In 2007, the actual use of land in agriculture was

74% which is the highest percentage in Europe.

Mineral resources.Moldova does not have major mineral deposits but natural resourcesinclude deposits of gypsum and other raw materials for construction industry, as well as

small reserves of oil and gas, lignite and iron ore.

Biodiversity. The geographical location of the country provides conditions for rich

biodiversity. However, extensive land use and environmental pollution adversely affect thebiodiversity. Remained natural and near-natural ecosystem covering about 20 percent of the

territory are very fragmented and are at a permanent risk of man-induced impacts.

Vegetation and flora. The vegetation resources of the Republic of Moldova can be

categorized as forest, steppe, meadow, aquatic and marsh ones. The flora of the Republic of

Moldova comprises 5513 indigenous species, including 1832 vascular plants species. Thehighest specific richness is associated with forest communities (over 850 species), followed

by meadow (about 650 species), steppe (over 600 species), and aquatic and march

ecosystems (about 160 species).

Fauna.The fauna of Moldova comprises 462 species of vertebrates and ca. 15,000 species of

invertebrates (mostly represented by insects -12,000 species). Among vertebrates, there are

71 species of mammals, about 285 species of birds, 14 species of reptiles, 13 species ofamphibians and 79 species of fish.

Air quality. The energy and heat generation sector is by far the biggest contributor (about 80per cent of total atmospheric emissions). The main sources of air pollution are thermal and

power plants (35-40 percent), residential heating systems, motor transport and industrial

activity. At present, 2,289 stationary sources are registered in the country, including threepower and heat generation plants; 68 rayonal and 1,645 local boiler houses; 529 gasoline and

gas stations, and 24 big fuel storage sites. There are 9 zones of increased air pollution

representing the main urban and industrial areas (these are towns Chisinau, Bender, Cahul,

Ribnita, Soroca, Balt, Edinet, Tiraspol, and Rezina). Within last decades, the ratio of themain three gases with greenhouse effect (CO2, CH4, N2O) expressed in tCO2e, shows a

relative decrease in carbon dioxide and an increase in methane emissions.

Animal wastes.In 2007, the number of cattle was 232 thousand capita, pigs - 299 thousand

capita, sheep and goats - 853 thousand capita, horses - 58 thousand capita, poultry - 17

million capita of poultry. In 2007, the estimated volume of the produced animal manure was15890900 cubic meters. The breakdown of estimated volume of the animal manure in 2007 is

presented in the Table 3 below.

Table 3. Estimated annual production of livestock waste


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Livestock Cattle stock Daily Waste

Produced

(l/day/

capita)

Yearly

Volume of

produced

waste

(m3/year)

Dry

Matter

(%)

Animal Solid

Waste

(tons/year)

Cattle 232000 42* 9744000 9* 877

Pigs 299000 4,5* 1345500 6* 81

Horses 58000 27** 1566000 9** 141Sheep/

goats

853000 1,8* 1535400 10* 154

Poultry 17000000 0,1** 1700000 55** 953

Total 18442000 15890900 2206* Source: Tacis project Prut River Tributaries . Nutrient Management Study, 2001.

** estimate data

Animal waste significantly contribute to groundwater and surface water pollution mainly by

nutrients, organic matter and pathogenic microorganisms when it is improperly stored or left

uncovered, and applied in the fields. Within last decades, the nature of farming activity in thecountry has changed from intensive farming to keeping of a small numbers of animals by

individual households, and on mainly small farms.

Groundwater pollution. In rural areas, improper waste disposals, application of fertilizers,

improper raw animal manure handling and application, and household septic tanks are the

main sources of the microbiological, nitrate, and heavy metals contamination of thegroundwater.

6.2 Economy

Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. In 2008, GDP per capita was at the

level of 2400 US dollars. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits,

vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Moldovan economy, in2008 accounting for about 22 percent of GDP while industry 18 percent. Poverty is most

severe in rural areas, where 59 percent of the population lives accounting for 68 percent of

total poverty. In the total agricultural production structure, the share plant production makes52%, animal production 42%. The structure of the animal production is presented in the

Table 4 below.

Table 4. Structure of the Animal Production

Animal production, of which 41,9

Production of livestock and poultry, of them: 21,6

cattle 3,2

Pigs 11,5sheep and goats 0,5

poultry 6,4

Milk 13,3

Eggs 5,4

Wool 0,1

Source: National Bureau of Statistics, 2008

6.3 Energy sector


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Moldova is almost totally dependent on the imports of fossil fuels. The country imports bothprimary energy resources (natural gas, petroleum products and coal) and electricity. Nearly

half of the energy import is natural gas, about 25% are liquid fuels, and the rest is mainly

represented by electricity and coal. Most energy resources (over 70%) are used for electricityand heat production.

During the last decade, only about 4% of the consumed energy was covered from internalsources. The rest of 96% of primary and electrical energy was imported: natural gas from

Russia, electricity form Ukraine (30%), Romania (10%), Transnistria (30%), and only 30%

of electricity was produced from internal sources.

Moldova has minimal oil and natural gas reserves. A small coal industry produces low-grade

bituminous coal. The majority of the population lives in rural communities, where living

conditions are especially difficult in the cold winter months. In rural area, traditionally, coaland firewood is used for heating. Price of fuels, including coal, increased dramatically

resulting in collapse in coal consumption.

Total countrys hydropower potential is estimated at 2,100 GWh/year. Moldova has a

potential for production of energy from renewable sources however common use of these

technologies linked to lack of funds and skill. The technical potential of the renewableenergy sources available in Moldova was estimated at 2,7 tCO2 from which biological

sources including manure - 0,5 tCO2, hydropower - 0,3 tCO2, solar - 1,2 tCO2, and wind - 0,7

tCO2 (source: Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020).

7. Environmental Guidelines

7.1. Environmental Guidelines Scope

Environmental Guidelines is a document which contains specific measures to be followed

during assessment of and potential impacts prior to project implementation to identify andmitigate environmental risks. Although most renewable energy technologies are

environmentally sound, all of them can have negative impacts on the environment if poorly

planned and implemented.

These guidelines are specifically intended for systems in which a process of anaerobic

bacteriological fermentation (anaerobic digestion) converts a manure into a biogas andconsider environmental impacts associated with the processes of anaerobic digestion and

biogas collection. The document do not takes into consideration potential impacts associated

with the agricultural activities that originate the organic waste used for anaerobic digestion.

7. 2 EMP Approval Procedures

As mentioned above, site specific EMPs for two pilot biodigesters will be prepared once thesites for project locations will be selected and concrete technology to be used for biogas

generation will be identified.

According to the national requirements, biodigester construction project is a subject of the

State Ecological Expertise (SSE) before implementation. Hence, procedure for the national


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EMP approval will consist of the following steps:

Step 1. Getting location approval. Project applicant submits project proposal/description to

the local Council (where the facility will be located), gets approval of its location and

proceeds with the project design.

Step 2.Preparing the EMP.

Once the projectproposal

receives mentioned above approval,the applicant shall hire a consultant to develop site-specific EMP on his/her behalf using this

EMP as a format with considering of features of the territory where the biodigester will be

located and biodigester technology to be used (items to be addressed while conducting a

baseline analysis and updating the EMP in relation to the concrete territory where the

biodigester will be placed are provided inAnnex 2);

Step 3. Getting operation permits. The applicant shall initiate obtaining of permits/

endorsements from all concerned institutions which will form a part of projectdocumentation to be submitted for SEE.Notes: i) The applicant is responsible for obtaining all relevant permits; ii) Institutions issuing

relevant permits are: SEI (pollutants in effluents and emissions to air; volume of discharged

wastewater, water use from surface and underground sources); Agency for Geology and MineralResources (numerical limits for abstraction of underground water), Agency Apele Moldovei

(numerical limits for abstraction of surface water); local public authorities (construction certificates),

Ministry of Health (resolution of sanitary inspection); Ministry of Construction and Regional

Development (certificate of compliance of the equipments technical conditions with national

standards in force), etc.

Step 4. EMP disclosure and consultation. When the EMP is ready, the borrower organizes its

disclosure and public consultation with stakeholders (potentially affected groups, NGOs,etc.). For this purpose, the EMP have to be submitted to the local authorities they to provide

access to EMP in a publically accepted manner. After the consultation, the consultant

incorporates received recommendations into the EMP.Note: Formal minutes of the consultation meeting recording the participants as well asrecommendations raised towards EMP should be prepared by applicant. Before disclosing the draft

EMP the document should be submitted to the WB for no objection.

Step 5.State Ecological Expertise. The EMP should be included in those chapters of projectdesign documentation which contain environmental protection information. Project

documentation will include also description of the technical conditions for project design, its

location and map-scheme, engineering provisions, description of technology, equipment, etc.This documentation as well as permits/ endorsements and public consultations minutes are

submitted to SEI for conducting of SEE.Notes: i) if the biodigester technology was not applied in Moldova before, then it is a subject of prior

formal approval of the Institute of Ecology which has to be included in the set of documentssubmitted for the SEE; iii) if the biodigester equipment is imported in Moldova, the detailed

description of biodigesters technological process and its environmental safety from the foreign

company has to be provided.

Step 6. Project implementation. Once a positive decision of the SEE on projectdocumentation, and respectively, EMP is approved, the project can be commenced.


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The approved EMPs are disclosed in the country and will be used for further project

implementation. The EMP is to be also disclosed in the WB Infoshop.

7.3 Potential Environmental Impacts and proposed Mitigation Measures

7.3.1 General Remarks

Generally, all potential project impacts could be grouped as follows: (a) impacts on thephysical environment (e.g. air/ acoustic, water resources, soil, landscape/ aesthetic); (b)

impacts on the biological or natural environment (e.g. flora, fauna, micro-organisms); and,

(c) impacts on human socio-economic environment (e.g. in such aspects as human health,improving of living conditions in rural areas, more income, higher employment, etc.).

Of particular concern will be both constriction activities which result in wastes and noise

generation, and may affect workers health and those operational processes that may result in

air, soil and water pollution, and those linked to labor safety. The potential negative impacts

generated by project activities are expected to be easily mitigated through appropriate project

design, adherence of technological process and implementation practices, so the risk from

them is expected to be minimal. Properly conducted environmental supervision and

monitoring as well as appropriate institutional arrangements will further reduce the risk of

project environmental problems.

The project does not entail any direct negative social risks during its implementation, and

does not presume any job losses/ resettlement issues. On the contrary, it will create additional

employment and respectively income in localities.

7. 3.2 Positive Impacts

The project will generate numerous positive environmental and socio-economic impacts. The

main advantages of the biogas production are: uses of a renewable fuel; use of non-polluting

waste utilization technology which presumes consumption of methane that might otherwise

leak into the atmosphere and increase the greenhouse effect; biogas can be used on a small

scale, e.g. in livestock farms.

Positive Environmental Impacts. Currently, animal manure is mainly stored in open

anaerobic lagoons for about 3 months until it is applied on fields. Open anaerobic lagoons is

a source of direct release of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere as

the result of the anaerobic digestion process that takes place inside. Besides, currently used

and usually, improperly tightened open lagoons present also a severe environmental problem

due to groundwater contamination and severe odor in the surroundings of the lagoons.

Manure biodigesters consolidate the manure into large holding tanks, capture the methane,

and burn it. Captured methane could be used to offset fossil natural gas used for heating of

animal farms thus, reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources. The potential of

nonpoint source pollution resulting from heavy rainfall will be also lessened since the


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influent to the holding tank will have undergone complete digestion. Additionally, odor will

be controlled since all the gas will be burned prior to release into the atmosphere. Besides,when manure is stored in pre- and post-treatment tanks it is less likely to seep into

surrounding aquifers and pollute groundwater. Enclosed anaerobic digestion system for

biogas production is not subject to pronounced influences of the weather, making effluentsfrom digesters more stable and uniform than effluents from anaerobic open lagoons which

are currently commonly used.The remaining, non-digestable material which the microbes cannot feed upon, along with anydead bacterial remains constitutes the digestate (slurry) which includes potentially useful

materials and chemicals. To isolate and recover them the further processing is needed.

Particularly, from the slurry can be obtained NPK concentrate. As compared to raw manure,

the NPK concentrate has more valuable for soil nutrients (ammonia-N), is relativelyodourless, free of disease, germs, weed seeds and respectively, in case of application on

fields, is less prone to cause groundwater contamination. This type of waste may be used as a

valuable fertilizer, rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, urea, and organic matter. It should be notedthat in the past, biodigesters have been considered mainly as a way to produce combustible

gas from waste organic matter. However, because of increasing emphasis on the sustainable

use of natural resources in farming systems, it is now appreciated that biodigesters should beconsidered in a much wider perspective, and specifically in their potential role for the

recycling of plant nutrients what can help to reduce dependence on inorganic fertilizers and

make it easier to grow organically.

Manure biodigester facilities installed at the animal farms will generate GHGs reduction.

Methane (CH4) is a more severe greenhouse gas; it is 25 times more potent than carbon

dioxide at trapping heat and it lingers in the atmosphere for 12 years. Methanes longevity

and high infrared absorption properties contribute to about one-sixth of the net greenhouse

effect. Capture of the methane in biodigester can reduce the net greenhouse gas production

thus promoting the carbon trading under the Kyoto Protocol CDM.

To summarize, the construction of on-farm biodigesters with connected power generation

facility and effluent treatment facility will result in: (i) improvement of local waste

management; (ii) improvement of local air quality through reduction of odor; (iii) reduced

soil/ groundwater and surface water contamination, (iv) pathogen reduction from waste

stream; (v) improvement of local nutrient management; (vi) improvement of soil fertility

though application of high quality fertilizer, and (vii) reduction of GHGs emissions (mainly,

CH4).

Positive Socio-Economic Impacts. The project implementation will contribute to

improvement in the local economy. Effluent from biodigesters (waste heat) can provide

such services such as power generation that can be used on site(to heat nearby buildings, for

lighting, water heaters, the manure tank itself, and for water-pumping) or sold back to the

local utility. Additional income may come through reduced purchases from electric and gas

suppliers because of substitution of fossil fuels and sale of high quality fertilizer.

Implementation of the project will promote production of on-farm energy, contribute to

development of local infrastructure; improvement of human health due to reduced impact

posed by inadequate handling of manure, increased employment due to creation of new jobs,

increased income of local people due to selling of increased yields from improved soils.

Additional income could be also possible through production and further sale of high quality

fertilizer. Use of biogas can reduce also the consumption of natural gas, coal, propane, or


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power from commercial sources thereby reducing the running costs of operation of the power

generation facility.

Capture of the methane for use as a fuel can reduce the net greenhouse gas production thus

providing potential opportunity for earning carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol CDM.Hence, the project will generate revenue from greenhouse emissions offsets, promote use of

renewable energy technology and create awareness among private sector businesses toduplicate similar activities throughout the country. Given biodigester technology on a widerextent, Moldova has a potential to diversify its power generating capacity thus reducing

dependence on imported fossil fuels using local energy resources.

7.3.3 Potential Negative Impacts

In spite, most renewable energy technologies are environmentally sound in theory, all of them

can have negative impacts on the environment if poorly planned and implemented. Duringthe construction phase, impacts can arise from improper storage and handling of construction

wastes, these are also a risk of acoustic pollution and issues related to the occupational

safety. During the operational phase, the most severe impacts on environment may arise fromimproperly maintained manure storage and processing facilities, and biogas system

infrastructure. Of particular concern would be those facilities operations which may result in

air pollution and explosions which can occur during raw gas leaks and generation of mixtureof methane with air in limits of highly explosive methane concentrations of 5-15 vol.%. All

these impacts are expected to be easily mitigated through a good projects design and

implementation practices, adherence of technological process and labor discipline. As a

biodigester is a closed system and treated materials are not in contact with atmosphere, thetypical negative impacts can be easily minimized.

Summary of biogas production positive and potential negative impacts is presented in thetable 6 below.

Table 6. Summary of negative and positive impacts form the biogas production

Positive Impacts Potentially Negative Impacts

Quantified- Reduction of odor by on average, 80%

- 100 to 1000-fold reduction in pathogens

- Reduction of viability of weed seeds 70% to

90% (resulting in less herbicide use)

- Greenhouse gas reduction by 2 to 4 tones CO2equivalent per cow per year/ biogas generation

from 1 tone of manure will prevent emission of33 m3

of methane into the atmosphere

- Reduction of soil/water contamination by

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) by 40%, and

nutrients through seeping of manure

- Potential increase of nutrients emissions from

storage facilities (mainly, of ammonia - by 10%

to 20%)

Non Quantified- Generation of green renewable electricity orrenewable natural gas

- Diversion of solid and liquid organic waste

from landfills

- Increased truck traffic (during the

construction phase of the project and in caseof manure transportation by road vehicles)

- Increased nutrient load on farmland (if off-


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- Rural development including investments,

increased tax base, and job opportunities

- Additional revenue stream for agricultural

producers

- Additional revenue stream from sale of

produced surplus electricity into the national

grid.

- Improved local air quality (especially ifrenewable biogas is used to substitute fossil

fuels)

- Contribution to the value of the standing forest

saved

farm waste is imported)

- Potential for increased noise in the

immediate vicinity- Emissions from biogas combustion

(similarly with natural gas emission levels)

- Risk of expulsions (through generation of

mixture of methane with air in limits ofhighly explosive methane concentrations)

Source: G. Rogstrand, Waste Management Factsheet. Overview of on-farm biogas production. Ministry of

Agriculture and Land, Canada, 2008

More details of positive environmental and socio-economic impacts arising during project

implementation are provided in Annex 3, while details of potential negative impacts - in

Annexes 4 and 5.

Cumulative Impacts. Cumulative impacts result when the effects of an action are added to orinteract with other effects in a particular place and within a particular time. Project activitiesmay require additional water consumption which might result in some lowering of

groundwater table and contribution to surface and groundwater contamination. However,taken into consideration that (i) the scale of activities will be very small; (ii) construction and

operation technologies will be applied properly, and (iii) mitigative measures will be taken

appropriately, cumulative impacts are not likely to be an issue for the project.

7.3.4 Mitigation Measures

The EMP proposes a set of mitigation measures for both construction and operational phases.

Mitigation measures during construction phase will relate mainly to appropriate wastehandling management and noise prevention/ mitigation.

Mitigation measures during operational phase will be directed mainly at the prevention of

soil and groundwater/surface water pollution from pre- and post storage tanks and

bioigesters loading tank, prevention of air pollution by methane emitting from biogas

storage system, gas leakages from pipelines thus minimizing risk of exposure as well as at

the occupational safety.

The matrix identifying potential negative impacts which can be generation during the

construction and operational phases of the project along with recommended mitigation

measures are provided inAnnexes 4 and 5, respectively.

7.4 Monitoring

After implementation, it is important to continually monitor and evaluate the appropriateness

of the mitigation measures employed. Monitoring aims to assess the compliance with the

EMP and trace anticipated and unexpected environmental changes resulting from a project

activity, to assess efficacy of applied mitigation measures and take corrective ones, if needed.The results have to be reviewed by the management.


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7.4.1 Monitoring Activities

The EMP provides information on monitoring activities and in particular, on: what has to be

monitored, which parameters have to be monitored, monitoring frequency, institutionalresponsibilities, etc. at the construction and operational phases of projects implementation to(i) ensure early detection of conditions that require corrective or additional mitigation

measures, and (ii) furnish information on the progress and results of mitigation activities.

Any unexpected change from baseline conditions should initiate remedial action, or a change

in mitigation or management approach. Performance monitoring could include both the

collection of physical data, as well as input from potentially affected neighbors or parties.

During construction phase emissions to air (dust and emissions for vehicles) and noise should

be monitored to evaluate whether mitigation is sufficient and construction activities do not

affect environment and population or workers. Anaerobic biodigesters require close

environmental monitoring and also equipment maintenance. Hence, once the project is

commenced the following should be monitored regularly:

Ambient air quality (construction and operational phases);

Construction wastes (construction phase);

Noise levels at the site boundary (construction phase)

Biogas pipes and storage facilities checked for leaks and corrosion (operational phase);

Effluents (operational phase, if presumed by the technology).

7.4.2 Monitoring Plan

Monitoring of the environmental impacts within the implementation of the project will be

funded under the Project. Permanent and regular monitoring by PMT and record keeping willbe required to ensure that mitigation measures are being implemented, to determine whetherthere are no additional environmental impacts, which were not identified or overlooked in the

projects environmental assessment/ analysis. Periodic site visits will serve as the monitoring

mechanism both during construction and operation phases.

A sample of a Monitoring Plan for biodigesters construction is presented inAnnex 6. Since it

is not anticipated that the project will have a well definable decommissioning phase,

monitoring activities associated with decommissioning phase were not included in the Plan.

7.4.4 Monitoring Implementation Schedule and Reporting

Once the Monitoring Plan it is put in place in the context of site specific project, information

gathered by PMT during the monitoring activities, as well as the action taken, or operational

adjustments made should be recorded and reported quarterly to WB; these reports have to be

available any time at the WBs request and to the Banks staff during supervision missions.

PMT would prepare also short progress reports with regard to EMP implementation.

Furthermore, the PMT will ensure annual publishing of the results of the project monitoring

on the project website as well as dissemination on environmental issues related to the project

to all interested stakeholders and parties (e.g. NGOs, general public etc.).


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8. Environmental Management Plan Implementing Arrangements

8.1 Project Management Team

PMT established under the MOE will serve as the implementing agency, responsible for the

overall management of the project, planning and budgeting, use of funds and generation ofoutputs, accounting, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project, TORs preparation,

tendering and supervision of the sub-contracts, environmental safeguards and audit of

financial resources. The main objective of PMT will be regular monitoring of project

activities to ensure that mitigation is carried out, and identification and assessment of

unanticipated impacts. PMT will report on: (a) compliance with measures agreed with the

Bank on the basis of the findings and results of the site specific EMPs,; (b) the status of

implementation of mitigation measures; and (c) the findings of monitoring programs. PMT

will work also in close contact with the CFU under the MOE which is a National Focal Point

for implementation of Kyoto Protocol and will be responsible for BGAMPPs technical

implementation.

8.2 Institutional capacity of the PMT

The PMT has an assigned staff member with environmental safeguards responsibilities, and

adequate experience, as the PMT is also the implementing unit for the full-size GEF POPs

Stockpiles Management and Destruction Project, which is a Category A project. The results

of implementation of the GEF POPs project environmental safeguards were considered as

very positive.

9. Integration of EMP in project implementation

The EMP provisions will be integrated into the Project Operational Manual, as well as in site

specific EMPs to be prepared and used as part of all contracts involving equipment and

works. The site specific EMPs will be also integrated into the construction contracts for

individual sites, both into specifications and bills of quantities, and the Contractors will be

required to include the cost in their financial bills.

10. EMP Disclosure and Consultation

EMP disclosure occurred on March 1, 2010 through EMP Summary posting on the PMT

office website (www.molodvapops.md). At the consultation meeting representatives of

various ministries, State Ecological Inspectorate, NGOs, farmers, and other stakeholders

were invited. Consultation took place on March 9, 2010 at the MOEs premises.

At the consultation meeting were present representatives of the PMT and CFU Offices,

Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, State Ecological

Inspectorate and NGO.During the consultation, the Client has presented the EMP Summary.

Particularly, the public was informed about the project and its objective, EG, including

potential impacts which may by generated by project activities, measures to be taken to

prevent/ mitigate potential impacts and project monitoring, etc. The consultation meetings

attendees participated actively in the discussion which was focused mainly on the biodigester

technologies applicable for Moldova, affordability of biodigesters for farmers, monitoring


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responsibilities and costs, possibility to sell surplus electricity into the national grid as well

as projects sustainability.

Final version of the EMP approved by WB will be posted on WB InfoShop for its disclosure

and on Moldova POPs Office website.

Minutes of the EMP consultation meeting with stakeholders are presented inAnnex 7.

ANNEXES

to Environmental Guidelines

Content

Annex 1. Types of biogas plants and Anaerobic Digestion Configurations

Annex 2. Field Site Visit ChecklistAnnex 3. Positive Impacts

Annex 4. Negative Impacts and Mitigation Measures (construction phase)

Annex 5. Negative Impacts and Mitigation Measures (operational phase)Annex 6. Environmental Monitoring Plan for biodigestrers construction

Annex 7. Summary of the Consultation Meeting


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Annex 1

Types of Biogas Plants and Anaerobic Digestion Configurations

1. Types of Biogas Plants

The most commonly used types of biogas plants are:

Fixed-dome plants

Floating-drum plants Balloon plants

Horizontal plants

Earth-pit plants

Ferrocement plants

Of these, the two most familiar types in developing countries are the fixed-dome plants and

the floating-drum plants.

Fixed-Dome plantconsists of a digester with a fixed, non-movable gas holder, which sits ontop of the digester. When gas production starts, the slurry is displaced into the compensation

tank. Gas pressure increases with the volume of gas stored and the height difference betweenthe slurry level in the digester and the slurry level in the compensation tank. Its Advantages

are the relatively low construction costs, the absence of moving parts and rusting steel parts.If well constructed, fixed dome plants have a long life span. The underground construction

saves space and protects the digester from temperature changes. The construction provides

opportunities for skilled local employment.Disadvantages are mainly the frequent problemswith the gas-tightness of the brickwork gas holder (a small crack in the upper brickwork can

cause heavy losses of biogas). Fixed

moldova biogas generation from animal manure pilot project

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