Chapter 1: Regional Overview

1.4 Demand for Environmental Technologies

Summary and Overview

Overall, the demand for technologies was moderate to high. Technologies related to wastewater are in high demand in Estonia and Lithuania, while moderate in Latvia. Demand for waste and energy related technologies was found to be high in Latvia and Lithuania; however, these were only of moderate to high importance in Estonia. The demand for air pollution reduction technologies was cited as high for Lithuania but only moderate in Latvia and Estonia.

Considering the priority assigned by all three countries to water supply in environmental policy, it is surprising that only moderate demand was identified for water supply technologies across the region. This can be explained by the fact that technologies in this sector are available more readily than those for other sectors and that many water related projects are already under way.

Similarly, a high number of air quality related projects account for the generally moderate levels of demand found for the air sector in Estonia and Latvia. In other words, when interpreting the data, one must be aware that some important environmental issues have already been dealt with or are currently being addressed.

Table 1.8 presents an overview of those technology sectors experiencing high demand areas. Environmental technologies related to energy were given priority in all three countries, while industrial and municipal wastewater and hazardous waste management related technologies were ranked second. It is expected that within the next few years, focus will remain on end-of-pipe technologies with only the gradual introduction of pollution prevention and waste minimization technologies.

The following sections provide an overview of the demand for specific environmental technologies in each sector.

Air

Air pollution control technologies tend to include scrubbers, filters and equipment to reduce emissions of particulates, sulphur dioxide, carbon oxides, etc. The market in the Baltic countries is mainly dominated by foreign companies. Technologies for cleaner production are becoming increasingly important due to the expected shift from end-of-pipe solutions to pollution prevention measures.

Table 1.9 presents the demand for air related technologies and where future growth is expected.

Water

In all three countries, the highest demand was indicated for treatment processes, although Lithuania also indicated high demand for the inspection and reconditioning of existing supply networks. Estonia indicated water recycling and reuse as the next highest technology in demand. Almost all of the countries indicated monitoring/sampling/laboratory analysis and instrumentation/process control/software as areas expected to grow in the near future.

A number of surveyed experts also mentioned the need for technologies regarding the actual operation of drinking water collection stations and reservoirs and water treatment plants.

Table 1.10 displays the high demand water related technologies and technologies where demand is expected to rise.

Wastewater

All the countries' respondents indicated pollution prevention/waste minimization (of industrial wastewater) as the technology most in demand, followed by physical, chemical and biological treatment processes. Estonia also indicated high demand for advanced treatment processes of industrial wastewater. In the future, the demand for advanced treatment processes and the inspection and reconditioning of existing collection networks are expected to grow in Estonia.

In Latvia, high demand was also indicated for sampling and laboratory analysis. Monitoring and spill control and containment, as well as sludge treatment and disposal, are areas where demand is expected to rise in the future.

Overall the highest demand for wastewater technologies was identified in Lithuania. In addition to the high demand areas mentioned above, instrumentation/process control/software and the inspection and reconditioning of existing collection networks was mentioned as being in high demand by the respondents. Sludge treatment and disposal and monitoring/ sampling/laboratory are areas where demand is expected to increase in the future.

It should be noted that conventional treatment systems are locally available, based on domestic technologies. However, advanced wastewater technologies, in particular tertiary treatment, specialized industrial wastewater treatment, etc., are often imported and often ranked as being in high demand by industrial users.

It is interesting that all three countries listed strong demand for pollution prevention/waste minimization technologies while those technological measures currently used include end-of-pipe solutions. This indicates an interest in preventive measures and a clear opportunity for cleaner production technologies.

Table 1.11 presents the demand for wastewater related technologies.

Waste Management

Overall, the demand for technologies related to waste incineration is insignificant, but increasing demand was indicated for technologies used in landfill disposal, both for municipal and hazardous waste. Most landfills in the surveyed countries are reaching capacity, and new waste disposal sites have to be built in the future.

Site remediation technologies, and decontamination and clean-up equipment were also in high demand, particularly in Lithuania, although serious land contamination can be found throughout the Baltic countries. High clean-up costs and the lack of liability and responsibility are seen as barriers to investment in such technologies.

The technologies expected to experience a growth in demand according to respondents in all three countries are recycling and resource recovery. Various other technologies such as site monitoring, site analysis and waste characterization are also expected to grow in demand.

Radioactive waste management is not one of the highest priorities in the waste sector, being ranked lower than hazardous and municipal waste management. Therefore those technologies in this sector were not listed at all.

Table 1.12 presents those waste-related technologies most in demand and technologies where demand is expected to rise.

Energy

By far, the most frequently cited technologies in demand were new and efficient energy and heat genertion systems as well as the retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems, in particular for the power generation sector. However, demand is also expected to rise in other branches of industry. Heat recovery and energy saving technologies were listed in high demand, which also reflects the growing costs of energy.

The technologies expected to experience increased demand in the future are related to process management and control (e.g. boiler tuning, fuel efficiency optimization) as well as instrumentation. Interestingly enough, demand for alternative sources of energy were not mentioned, even though national environmental policies indicate the use of alternative energy sources as a goal for the future in all the surveyed countries. This illustrates the more urgent need for the modernization of existing systems and for improving their efficiency.

Table 1.13 outlines those areas where energy related technologies are in demand and where demand is expected to rise.