Chapter 6: Slovenia
(continued)
Demand for air-related technologies was moderate. Growth in demand was expected for technologies related to air sampling and laboratory analysis equipment for gaseous emissions and ambient air, for those technologies used in emission abatement and cleaner production, and for air pollution control and flue gas purification equipment. However, the sector still accounts for the largest share of environmental expenditures.
Demand for water and wastewater technologies was also moderate, with growth tendencies expected for technologies relating to the treatment of industrial wastewater. Technologies likely to be in increasing demand included equipment for the monitoring, sampling and laboratory analysis of industrial wastewater, and for instrumentation, process control and software for industrial wastewater treatment. Some growth in demand was also expected for those technologies relating to pollution prevention and waste minimization in industrial wastewater treatment and drinking water supply.
Waste management was the only area where high demand for environmental technologies was identified, with technologies related to radioactive and hazardous waste in highest demand. Specifically, high demand was identified for technologies for waste disposal, and waste prevention/minimization for radioactive waste; those technologies relating to recycling and resource recovery from industrial waste; and for equipment for landfill disposal of hazardous waste. Increasing demand was expected for technologies which could be used for recycling and resource recovery (including those for composting and biomass conversion) for municipal waste management; equipment for landfill disposal of industrial and municipal waste; and technologies relating to pollution prevention and waste minimization for hazardous and industrial waste. Other technologies where demand was expected to rise included those for spillage control and decontamination from radioactive waste; and equipment for collection, transportation and storage of municipal waste.
Demand for energy-related technologies was moderate. Higher demand for energy-related technologies was expected in the "energy and power generation sector" than in "other industrial sectors." Growing demand was noted for alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants, while other areas where demand was expected to increase included technologies for heat recovery and energy savings (e.g. insulation) in the energy sector; new and efficient energy and heat generation systems; and retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing energy systems in both power generation and other industrial sectors. Alternative or renewable energy systems (e.g. geothermal, biomass, and solar) were deemed other possible growth areas.
Demand for technologies related to noise, vibration, and occupational health and safety was low to moderate, with some growth in demand expected for OHS protection equipment.
There was little demand for most other technologies. Limited but slow-growing demand does exist in Slovenia for a handful of technologies, including those for the inspection and reconditioning of existing supply and collection networks for drinking water, and water recycling and reuse for drinking water and municipal wastewater.
The following scale was used in ranking: 5 - highest, and with rapidly growing demand, 4 - high demand, likely to grow, 3 - moderate slowly growing demand, 2 - low demand, will not grow, 1 - very low and decreasing demand, blank no opinion. Figures in cells show the average score, while those in brackets represent the number of responses.
| TABLE 6.18: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DEMAND - AIR | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ambient air | Gaseous emissions | |
| Air sampling/laboratory analysis | 3.6 (9) | 3.5 (8) |
| Continuous-basis monitoring | 3.3 (10) | 3.3 (9) |
| Air pollution control/flue gas purification equipment (e.g. filters, scrubbers) | - | 3.4 (11) |
| Gas detection/warning devices | 3.3 (5) | 2.8 (5) |
| Emission abatement/cleaner production (e.g. low emission burners) | - | 3.5 (9) |
| Instrumentation and process control/software | - | 3.3 (9) |
| Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #1 air sampling/laboratory analysis (ambient air and gaseous emissions); #2 emission abatement/cleaner production (gaseous emissions); #3 Air pollution control/flue gas purification equipment (gaseous emissions). Note: The standard deviation for figures is 0.4 to 0.8. |
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In the researcher's opinion, demand for technology related to the monitoring and analysis of air can be associated with Slovenia's recent revision of laws that now define the highest permitted values of emitted pollutants and which require constant monitoring of emissions into the environment.
Also, when interpreting the apparent low demand for air-related environmental technologies, one has to be aware of the fact that some important environmental problems related to air pollution have already been solved in Slovenia. For example, a flue gas desulfurization unit was installed at Sostanj thermoelectric power plant (another desulfurization unit is under preparation), and natural gas has been widely introduced as the domestic heating source.
| TABLE 6.19: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DEMAND - WATER AND WASTEWATER | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface and Groundwater | Potable Water | Municipal Wastewater | Industrial Wastewater | |
| Monitoring | 2.9 (14) | 3.0 (12) | 3.2 (14) | 3.6 (14) |
| Sampling/laboratory analysis | 2.8 (11) | 3.1 (12) | 3.3 (12) | 3.6 (13) |
| Construction of collection/supply networks | - | 2.3 (8) | 2.9 (9) | 2.8 (8) |
| Inspection and reconditioning of existing supply and collection network | - | 2.8 (8) | 3.0 (8) | 2.8 (8) |
| Standard physical, chemical and biological treatment processes | - | 2.9 (7) | 3.1 (11) | 3.1 (12) |
| Advanced (tertiary) treatment processes (e.g. UV/ozonation, activated carbon, phosphate removal, reverse osmosis) | - | - | 2.9 (10) | 3.0 (10) |
| Sludge treatment and disposal | - | - | 3.1 (10) | 2.9* (9) |
| Pollution prevention/waste minimization | 2.8 (4) | 3.3 (3) | 3.0 (10) | 3.5 (12) |
| Water recycling and reuse | - | 2.3 (4) | 2.2 (6) | 3.0 (10) |
| Spill control, containment, and clean-up | 2.6* (5) | - | 2.7 (9) | 3.0 (10) |
| Quality restoration and decontamination | 2.8 (8) | 3.4 (7) | - | - |
| Instrumentation, process control/software | - | 3.3 (7) | 3.0 (11) | 3.6 (11) |
| Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #1 monitoring; and sampling/laboratory analysis (industrial wastewater); #2 instrumentation, process control/software (industrial wastewater); #3 pollution prevention/waste minimization (industrial wastewater and potable water). * Standard deviations for indicated figures are 1 to 1.1, while for the remainder the standard deviation varies from 0.3 to 0.9. |
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As with air related technologies, demand for equipment related to monitoring and analysis of wastewater is driven by the recent revision of laws that now define the highest permitted values of discharged pollutants, and which require constant monitoring of emissions into the environment.
It is necessary to note that the ongoing privatization of utilities is based upon the Public Utility Services Act (Official Gazette 32/93). In the future the expected trend will be wastewater treatment plants to be established under the build-operate-transfer scheme, whereby the private investor constructs and operates the plant for a specified number of years, after which the ownership of the plant is transferred to the municipality.
| TABLE 6.20: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DEMAND - WASTE MANAGEMENT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal Solid Waste | Industrial Waste | Hazardous Waste | Radioactive Waste | |
| Waste collection/transportation and storage | 3.7 (9) | 3.4 (8) | 3.4 (8) | 3.2a (5) |
| Sample analysis/waste characterization | 2.8 (9) | 3.1 (9) | 2.9 (8) | 3.2a (5) |
| Site monitoring | 2.9 (9) | 3.1b (10) | 3.0b (8) | 3.5b (6) |
| Landfill disposal | 3.7b (9) | 3.8 (9) | 4.0 (8) | 4.6 (7) |
| Incineration | 3.4 (7) | 3.2 (9) | 3.8 (8) | - |
| Composting/biomass conversion | 3.6 (9) | 3.0b (5) | - | - |
| Pollution prevention/waste minimization | 3.4 (10) | 3.6 (10) | 3.8 (8) | 4.5 (4) |
| Recycling/resource recovery | 3.9 (8) | 4.0 (8) | 3.2b (6) | 3.0a (3) |
| Spillage control/decontamination | 2.7b (10) | 3.2 (9) | 3.4b (8) | 3.8a (5) |
| Site remediation/clean-up of contaminated land | 3.4 (8) | 3.4 (8) | 3.4 (6) | 3.4a (5) |
| Technologies in high demand: #1 landfill disposal; and pollution prevention/waste minimization (radioactive waste); #2 recycling and resource recovery (industrial waste); #3 landfill disposal (hazardous waste). Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #4 recycling/resource recovery (municipal waste); #5 landfill disposal (industrial and municipal waste); #6 pollution prevention/waste minimization (hazardous and industrial waste); #7 spillage control/decontamination (radioactive waste); #8 waste collection/transportation and storage (municipal waste); and #9 composting/biomass conversion (municipal waste). a) Indicated figures show standard deviations of 1.3 to 1.6. This is due to a relatively low number of answers for the category of radioactive waste and to the constant low ranking of the technology needs in this area given by one participant (OIKOS). b) The indicated figures show slightly higher standard deviation (1 to 1.2) compared to the majority of the figures where the standard deviation varies from 0.5 to 0.9. |
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Increasing demand was expected for technologies for recycling and resource recovery (including those for composting and biomass conversion) from municipal waste; equipment for landfill disposal of industrial and municipal waste; and technologies relating to pollution prevention and waste minimization for hazardous and industrial waste. Other technologies where demand was expected to rise included those for spillage control and decontamination from radioactive waste; and equipment for collection, transportation and storage of municipal waste.
The high demand for technologies for disposal and minimization of radioactive waste can be attributed to the fact that Slovenia must find sites for the disposal of radioactive waste in the immediate future in order to maintain the operation of the Krsko Nuclear power plant. Since this has become something of a political issue, the results of the interviews are probably the partial result of the impact of public opinion concerning the problem of radioactive waste disposal in the country.
The already mentioned Public Utility Services Act of 1993 has already had a strong impact on the waste management sector. There are a number of Western (primarily Austrian) companies already operating in Slovenia, and they mostly bring waste management technology from their home country.
Finally, discussions are currently taking place at the Ministry of Environment concerning the construction of two large-scale incinerators for municipal waste. The issue is politically sensitive, but if the project is approved, there will be significant demand for incineration technologies.
| TABLE 6.21: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DEMAND - ENERGY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Energy and Power Generation | Other Industrial Sectors | |
| New/efficient energy and heat generation systems | 3.5 (8) | 3.4 (5) |
| Retrofitting/rehabilitation of existing systems | 3.5 (7) | 3.4 (5) |
| Process management and control (e.g. bioler tune-up and fuel efficiency optimization) | 3.4 (6) | 3.0a (3) |
| Heat recovery and energy savings (e.g. insulation) | 3.6 (7) | 3.0 (4) |
| Alternative/renewable energy systems (e.g. geothermal, biomass, and solar) | 3.5 (6) | 3.0a (4) |
| Alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants | 3.8 (4) | 3.3 (4) |
| Instrumentation | 3.2 (5) | 2.7 (3) |
| Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #1 Alternative refrigerants (non-cfc) (energy and power generation); #2 heat recovery and energy savings (energy and power generation); #3 new and efficient energy and heat generation systems, and #4 retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems a) For indicated figures, the rating from all answers was equal. Typical standard deviations of other figures range from 0.4 to 0.8. |
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Other areas where demand was expected to increase included technologies for heat recovery and energy savings (e.g. insulation); and new and efficient energy and heat generation systems, and retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing energy systems in both the power generation and other industrial sectors. Some growth in demand was also expected for alternative or renewable energy systems (e.g. geothermal, biomass, and solar).
It is also interesting to note that only limited demand was identified for process management and control, and instrumentation. These two areas were usually ranked high in the other surveyed countries.
| TABLE 6.22: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DEMAND - NOISE, VIBRATION, AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Noise and Vibration | Occupational Health and Safety | |
| Instrumentation, measurement, and control devices | 3.3 (3) | 3.3 (3) |
| Protection equipment | 3.3 (4) | 3.8 (4) |
| Abatement (insulation, absorbtion) | 2.8 (5) | 3.0a (5) |
| Electromagnetic field exposure | - | 3.0b (4) |
| Technologies where demand is expected to rise: Protection equipment (OHS); a) Standard deviation for the indicated figure is 1.0, while for other figures (excluding b), the standard deviations range from 0.5 to 0.8. b) All four of the respondents for this question gave the same answer. |
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| TABLE 6.23: MAJOR END-USERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES | |
|---|---|
| Category | End-users by Sector |
| Air | Municipal power generators, transport, and the chemical and paper industry |
| Water | Municipal services, the chemical industry, agriculture, the food industry, heavy industry, and mining |
| Waste | Municipal waste management services, the chemical industry, the wood processing sector, heavy industry, and mining |
| Energy | Municipal power generators and industry in general |
| Noise and Vibration | Transport, industry, and mining |
The ranking of end-users by sector is affected by the decrease of industrial production after 1991. During this period, several factories ceased production owing to financial problems resulting in a decrease in environmental pollution. In addition, some major environmental problems with their origins in industry have already been solved. Therefore, the major focus is now on pollution from the municipal sector, which until now has largely been neglected.
