Regional Biogas Development Strategy and Action Plan - Tartu

fossil fuels and to reduce pressure on the natural environment. The objective of the development
plan is to reduce the dependence of Estonia on imported energy resources and to enhance the use
of biomass as a raw material for energy which coincides with the objective of the Development
Plan of the Energy Sector to guarantee continuous energy supply by diversification of energy
sources and more even distribution in the energy balance 30 .
3.4. National and European Union regulations of construction and operational safety
of a biogas plant
The construction and operational safety of a biogas plant are governed by several national and
European Union regulations, of which the following are the most important:
1) Directive of the European Parliament and Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States concerning equipment and protective systems intended for use in
potentially explosive atmospheres (94/9/EU); and
2) Directive of the European Parliament and Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and
amending Directive 95/16/EU (2006/42/EU).
The construction of a biogas plant must conform to the following Estonian legislation:
1) Building Act, adopted on 15 May 2002;
2) Planning Act, adopted on 13 November 2002;
3) Water Act, adopted on 11 May 1994;
4) Ambient Air Protection Act, adopted on 5 May 2004;
5) Waste Act, adopted on 28 January 2004;
6) Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Auditing Act, adopted on 22 February
2005;
5) Machinery Safety Act, adopted on 10 October 2008;
7) Public Health Act, adopted on 14 June 1995;
8) Public Procurement Act, adopted on 24 January 2007;
9) Requirements for noise, noise level measuring and noise level tracing in equipment used
outdoors and conformity assessment procedure of equipment used outdoors. Regulation no. 124
of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications of 16 December 2009; and
10) Noise limit values in residential and recreational areas, dwellings and public buildings and
noise level measuring methods, stated in the Regulation no. 42 of the Minister of Social affairs of
4 March 2002.
4. Economic, social and environmental aspects
4.1. Biogas production and consumption, socio-economic aspects and impacts
Major socio-economic impact related to the construction of a biogas plant is:
1) labour force;
30
Development Plan 2007 – 2013 for Enhancing the Use of Biomass and Bioenergy http://www.agri.ee/index.php?
id=11014
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