ANNUAL REPORT - HSE

Energy − CH 2
OICE project, HSE is taking part in formulating
sustainable criteria for the use of renewable
energy sources. The project is co-financed via the Intelligent
Energy Europe programme. Its goal is to set
up a suitable HPP certification procedure aligned with
the Water Directive and the Directive on the promotion
of electricity produced from renewable sources in the
internal electricity market. The formulated certification
procedure will be tested on actual hydro power
plants in Slovenia and Italy. The ultimate project objective
is to formulate a certification procedure which
could then be implemented at the EU level.
significant are the strengthening of HSE's reputation
as a company investing in knowledge, caring for the
environment and implementing socially accountable
actions, and establishing HSE's role as a responsible
player solving the energy challenges of the future.
Energy Act
Important legislative amendments were also introduced
in the Slovene energy legislation. The entry into
force of the draft amendments and supplements to the
Energy Act resulted in harmonisation of the Slovene
energy legislation with its European counterpart.
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Technological development
Technological development plays an important role in
further energy development. Research and development
in the field of new technologies and new energy
sources receive more attention and funds. The development
policy focuses on closer integration of all European
and global research potential and co-operation
of industry. As a partner, HSE is involved in various research
projects and strives to additionally consolidate
the activities in this area, thus securing itself privileged
access to important information about new technologies
which would at a given moment represent a major
competitive advantage. The development activities of
the HSE Group are oriented towards monitoring the
development of CO 2
capture, transport and storage
technologies, the development of "clean" coal technologies,
efforts to distribute the burden originating from
greenhouse gas emission reductions, and the production
of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Greenhouse gas emission
reduction project
The project "Greenhouse gas emission reduction in the
Slovene energy sector in the post-Kyoto period" is in
the final phase. In addition to HSE, nearly all Slovene
thermal energy companies joined the project, which
enjoys the support of the Ministry of the Economy and
the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning.
The project represents the basis for implementing the
requirements of the climate-energy package in the
Slovene thermal energy sector.
For HSE, the goal of participating in such projects is
the transfer of new knowledge and technologies which
the company can transpose into its operations. Also
The amended act stipulates a new method for providing
and allocating support to qualified electricity producers
and to producers of electricity from domestic
energy sources, which affected the operations of HSE
and its subsidiaries TET and TEŠ. Owing to the resulting
changes, HSE carefully considered the planned
investments to re-evaluate their justifiability.
Co-operation with expert
associations
Through active participation in professional associations
of electricity producers and consultative bodies of the
EU, HSE takes part in the preparation of energy policy
and, by presenting its proposals and views, influences
the drawing up of energy legislation, which has an important
impact on the operations of the HSE Group.
Future development activities
Company co-operation, joint investments in R&D, and
other joint investments can strengthen the European
energy industry and thus ensure the suitable competitiveness
of the entire sector. That is why HSE assigns
great importance to timely co-operation and entry into
various forms of partnerships, both in technological
research – involving mainly technologies related to
the use of existing fuels in thermal power facilities –
and investments in the production of electricity from
renewable energy sources.
Development projects of the
HSE Group
In order to optimally implement and prepare all development
activities and individual projects, the HSE
Group introduced a method of early identification of