The Lubelskie Voivodeship is a self-government responsible for regional development and planning, transport, education, energy, culture and protection of culture in the Lubelskie region in the eastern part of Poland. The organisation is also responsible for elaboration, implementation and monitoring of the Regional Operational Programme for Lubelskie Voivodeship 2014-2020 which defines actions for low carbon economy and climate change.
The Lubelskie Voivodeship is a typically agricultural region. The agri-food industry, including agriculture and agri-food processing, forms one of the largest, dynamically developing segments of the economy of the Lubelskie Voivodeship. Agricultural land in the region constitutes 68% of the total area (first place in Poland), and the voivodeship is one of the largest domestic producers of cereals, ground vegetables, fruit from trees and fruit from bushes. A feature of the Lubelskie Voivodeship is also the high level of development of organic farming as well as agri-food processing, which employs over 25% of all employed in industry and is one of the main branches of the region's economy.
Thanks to its geographical situation and favourable geographical and natural conditions, the Lubelskie Region demonstrates high potential in terms of producing bio-fuels and developing green energy. Every year the region increases its share of renewable energy resources in the overall energy production. In 2012-2013 it recorded the highest increase in this respect among all voivodeships in Poland, achieving 24.9% while the national share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption in Poland is currently 13.7%.
However, again this excellent data is mainly based on big RES plants while small installations are scarce. In addition, the rapidly growing costs of energy carriers used in the agriculture and food sectors are unfavorable and make it difficult to compete on global markets. The solutions currently available to support enterprises in the transition to energy from renewable energy sources should be used. There is also a need to work on improving them and looking for completely new tools based on cooperation with other regions.
Lubelskie Voivodeship will integrate the lessons learned during the AgroRES project into the revision of regional policies and the action plan will lead the region to potential changes in different levels and improvements in the governance and management of the policy (Regional Operational Programme for Lubelskie Voivodeship 2014-2020) by adoption of better methodologies. Currently agriculture and promotion of RES in all its production chains is largely under supported and, therefore, the policy requires revision.
Lubelskie Voivodeship will be able to achieve their goals by changing the strategic direction of the policy instrument, e.g. by supporting new branches of the economy related to the agricultural sector on the basis of known good practices and lessons learned from the AgroRES consortium, as well as experience gained under other innovation projects in renewable sources of energy implemented by the province.
Photos: UMWL
