Territorial Impact Assessment for Coal Sites in Transition
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
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- Territorial efficiency refers to resource efficiency with respect to energy, land and natural resources; competitiveness and attractiveness; and the internal and external accessibility of each territory.
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- Territorial quality refers to the quality of the living and working environments (including ecological aspects); living standards across territories; and access to services of general interest, knowledge and other resources.
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- Territorial identity refers to enhancing “social capital” by developing a shared vision of the future; safeguarding local specifications; and strengthening the productive vocations and competitive advantages of each territory.
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- The intensity of the policy (or project) application may be different in the different regions, or even nil.
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- Its territorial impact is likely to be different in different regions depending on their geographical and socio-economic specifications.
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- The importance of the single criteria in the assessment methodology is likely to be different in different regions: different development stages, different histories and cultures, and different shared values would determine different views concerning the relative relevance of impacts on growth, on the environment, on social wellbeing and on competitiveness.
- Territorial efficiency
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- Value added: The value added reflects the economic efficiency relating to the return on investments (considering CAPEX, OPEX and profits) as well as salaries, interest and rental income generated by an action; it is an essential economic indicator of territorial efficiency and is assigned, based on internal expert judgement, a sensitivity sub-weight of 0.4.
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- Introduction of process/product innovations: The sub-criterion process/product innovation reflects the contribution of a specific action to technological progress or to efficiency through dynamic interpretation, and can be measured as mentioned by specific patent applications, with a metered sub-weight of 0.3.
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- Recycled waste: One of the purposes of the POTENTIALS project is to provide specific options in the circular economy and support the reduction in waste, which can be measured in “tons” of recycled waste (lower waste, more value), with a metered sub-weight of 0.2.
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- Space required to develop the option: For a TIA and the dimension territorial efficiency, it is important to assess how much of the space of a location is used again in a productive matter and how much space is freed for other options (less space, more value), measured in square meters of usable ground; this criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.1.
- Territorial quality
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- Estimated low GHG emissions during the lifetime of the applied technology: Because it is the aim of all projects connected to the European Green Deal (and thus, the POTENTIALS project) to pave the way for climate neutrality in the European Union and its territories, it is evident that the reduction in GHG emissions, measured in tons of CO2 equivalent, is now a must-have and a very weighty criterion for territorial quality, with a metered sub-weight of 0.4.
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- Reduction in (other) environmental impacts: The territorial quality reflected by aspects of the environment is not restricted to GHG emissions, but has to encompass all other environmental impacts of an action on the territory outside the location, especially in the context of environmental life cycle assessments (LCAs); it may be concentrated in this context on the pollution of air and water, because other environmental aspects are recorded by other sub-criteria and can be measured using officially available indicators. It has to be taken into account that former coal activities have to already be in accordance with European legal standards for environmental impact. This criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.2.
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- Environmental impact in the place of operation: Environmental impacts are not restricted to the territory outside of the location, but could also happen in the place of operation. This is especially the case for soil in the place and its corresponding indicators. This criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.2.
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- Quality of offered services within the project, especially stability of energy supply: Besides the environmental dimensions, the territorial quality is determined by the quality of offered services for the stability of the energy supply. Above all, regarding the contribution to the stability of the power supply for the surrounding industrial and/or residential areas, this could be measured by the specific SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). This criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.2.
- Territorial identity
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- Capacity for renewable-energy production: A central question for establishing the territorial identity of a former energy-producing area, such as an area of (end-of-life) coal mining and coal power generation, is the question of the capacity for new energy production using renewable energies, measured as the power generation capacity in MW (Megawatt). It must be taken into account that the new capacity for more sustainable energy production on the same territory will be lower than the old capacity for coal energy because of the lower energy density of renewable energies such as wind and solar power. This criterion has a metered sub-weight of 0.3.
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- Energy users connected to the smart grid: Of similar importance to the capacity for renewable-energy production for establishing the territorial identity of an area of energy production is how many energy users and what magnitude of users are connected to the smart grid under the new operations and their services to the grid. This criterion has a metered sub-weight of 0.2.
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- New jobs created by the operation (full-time employment): Fundamentally important to establishing territorial identity and the subject of territorial cohesion in the affected region of closed coal mines and power plants is how many new jobs are created by the new operations in the location, measured in full-time equivalents. This criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.4.
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- New (full-time) researchers: Besides the new jobs in (commercial) operations for energy production and services, the application of new added innovative technologies will require research and development and thereby the establishment of some new specific job opportunities for researchers, which should be recorded separately because of their special quality, but also measured in full-time equivalents. This criterion is assigned a metered sub-weight of 0.1 [5].
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- No;
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- Low;
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- Medium–low;
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- Medium;
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- Medium–high;
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- High impact.
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
CAPEX | Capital Expenditures |
COTER | European Committee of the Regions/Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget |
CO2 | Carbon dioxide |
ECA | European Court of Auditors |
ESPD | European Spatial Planning Document |
ESPON | European Space Observatory Network |
GHG | Greenhouse gas |
H2 | Hydrogen |
LCA | Life cycle assessment |
MW | Megawatt |
OPEX | Operational Expenditures |
PIM | Potential impact |
POTENTIALS | Synergistic potentials of end-of-life coal mines and coal-fired power plants, along with closely related neighboring industries: update and re-adoption of territorial just transition plans |
RFCS | Research Fund for Coal and Steel |
SAIDI | System Average Interruption Duration Index |
TEQUILA | Territorial Efficiency, Quality and Identity Layer Assessment |
TIA | Territorial impact assessment |
TIM | Territorial impact |
TRL | Technology Readiness Level |
References
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- European Commission. Available online: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/research-fund-coal-and-steel-rfcs_en (accessed on 15 February 2024).
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Macro/Sub- Criteria | Weight (Macro) | Weight (Sub) | Value Score (Sub) 0–5 (PIMr,c) | TIM (Sub) (TIMc) |
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Territorial Efficiency | 0.333 | |||
Value added | 0.4 | 3 | 0.40 | |
Process/product innovations | 0.3 | 4 | 0.40 | |
Recycled waste | 0.2 | 1 | 0.27 | |
Space required | 0.1 | 3 | 0.07 | |
Territorial Quality | 0.333 | |||
Lower GHG emissions | 0.4 | 3 | 0.40 | |
Reduction in other environmental impacts outside the location | 0.2 | 5 | 0.33 | |
Reduction in environmental impacts in the place of operation | 0.2 | 5 | 0.33 | |
Quality of offered services | 0.2 | 5 | 0.20 | |
Territorial Identity | 0.333 | |||
Capacity for renewable-energy production | 0.3 | 3 | 0.30 | |
Energy users connected to smart grid | 0.2 | 1 | 0.07 | |
Employment (number of jobs by operation) | 0.4 | 3 | 0.40 | |
New jobs for researchers | 0.1 | 2 | 0.07 | |
TIMr,c | 3.24 |
Macro/Sub- Criteria | Weight (Macro) | Weight (Sub) | Value Score (Sub) 0–5 (PIMr,c) | TIM (Sub) (TIMc) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Territorial Efficiency | 0.333 | |||
Value added | 0.4 | 2 | 0.27 | |
Process/product innovations | 0.3 | 4 | 0.40 | |
Recycled waste | 0.2 | 1 | 0.07 | |
Space required | 0.1 | 2 | 0.07 | |
Territorial Quality | 0.333 | |||
Lower GHG emissions | 0.4 | 2 | 0.27 | |
Reduction in other environmental impacts outside the location | 0.2 | 3 | 0.20 | |
Reduction in environmental impacts in the place of operation | 0.2 | 4 | 0.27 | |
Quality of offered services | 0.2 | 3 | 0.20 | |
Territorial Identity | 0.333 | |||
Capacity for renewable-energy production | 0.3 | 4 | 0.40 | |
Energy users connected to smart grid | 0.2 | 1 | 0.07 | |
Employment (number of jobs by operation) | 0.4 | 4 | 0.53 | |
New jobs for researchers | 0.1 | 3 | 0.10 | |
TIMr,c | 2.85 |
Example A (Eco-Industrial Park with Green H2 Plant) | Example B (Eco-Industrial Park with Biofuel Production) | Difference in TIM in Each Macro-Criterion | |
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Territorial Efficiency | 1.14 | 0.81 | 0.23 |
Territorial Quality | 1.26 | 0.94 | 0.32 |
Territorial Identity | 0.84 | 1.10 | −0.26 |
Total TIM | 3.24 | 2.85 | 0.39 |
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van de Loo, K.; Haske, J. Territorial Impact Assessment for Coal Sites in Transition. Mining 2024, 4, 248-259. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining4020015
van de Loo K, Haske J. Territorial Impact Assessment for Coal Sites in Transition. Mining. 2024; 4(2):248-259. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining4020015
Chicago/Turabian Stylevan de Loo, Kai, and Julia Haske. 2024. "Territorial Impact Assessment for Coal Sites in Transition" Mining 4, no. 2: 248-259. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining4020015