Regarding the success and the positive dynamics of the Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency (CPEE) program in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved in early 2013, the initiation of the project of the Norwegian Society of Graduate Technical and Scientific Professionals (TEKNA) on holding a series of CPEE presentations and training seminars for the engineering and technical personnel of industrial enterprises of the Republic of Belarus.

Tekna’s strategic partner in Belarus became the International Sakharov Environmental University (ISEU), who signed a cooperation agreement with the Norwegian Society on August 28, 2013. The pioneer of the CPEE work in Ukraine – the Kherson Chamber of Commerce and Industry became another partner of the Belarusian program. The role of the Chamber was to provide Belarusian colleagues with all educational and promotional materials developed during the Ukrainian training cycles as well as to attract Ukrainian CPEE advisors to work with Belarusian enterprises within both training sessions and intersessional periods.

In December 2013, ISEU hosted the presentation seminar of the Cleaner Production training program, attended by top managers of the large enterprises situated in Minsk city and Minsk region: Milavitsa, JSC; Borisov Plant “Avtogydrousilitel”, JSC; Minsk Watch Plant, JSC; Borisov Automobile and Tractor Electrical Plant, JSC; Malinovschisnenski distillery – “Akvadiv”, Joint Ltd. and others.

Following the results of the seminar, from February to May, 2014 the first training program, attended by companies coming from Minsk and Minsk region (Borisov, Myadzyel, Nesvizh, Volma village), the cities of Vitebsk, Gomel, Mogilev, from Brest and Grodno regions was hold at the University.

Within the period from February to April, 2014 there were three plenary sessions held at the premises of ISEU. During the sessions, the representatives of the enterprises learnt the methodology of the Norwegian model of Cleaner Production, mastered their skills of problem identification and formulation, search and analysis of different options for its solution and presentation of the developed ideas. What is also important, they learnt how to calculate technical, environmental and economic effect of these solutions’ implementation. However, the main task of the course as seen by the Chief Lecturer of the Program Mr. Leiv Bjerke is that the participants should use the Cleaner Production principles in their working places, that they should subordinate their everyday work to the motto of the Program: “Pollution Prevention Pays!”

In between the sessions, when the participants were working to develop their final reports, they were coordinated by the Ukrainian national CP advisors: director of the Centre of Environmental Audit, Head of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Dnieper State Academy of Architecture and Construction Professor Grigoriy Shmatkov and Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemical Production Equipment of the Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology Mr. Sergiy Ptitsyn. In April, in between the second and the third sessions, both advisors visited the enterprises, supervised by each of them, and met the participants, their working groups and managers in order to help with the analysis of selected problem areas, in preparation and presentation of the final documents.

On May 28, 2014 presentation of the final reports developed by the participants of the first Belarussian CPEE group started at the premises of the International Sakharov Environmental University.

The organizers of the training course: TEKNA Cleaner Production Program Manager Mr. Bjorn Borgaas, program coordinator in Ukraine and Belarus Ms. Elena Berstad, President of the Kherson CCI Ms. Viktoriya Ostroumova, arrived to the university in order to listen to the presentations of the engineers. During the whole day, the participants were supported by their teachers: the Norwegian lecturer Mr. Leiv Bjerke, the Ukrainian advisors – Mr. Grigoriy Shmatkov and Mr. Sergiy Ptitsyn. Beside the representatives of the participating enterprises, the university, Tekna and the Kherson CCI, the final session was attended by the representatives of the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO): the Chief Investment Adviser, the General Representative of NEFCO in the Russian Federation Mr. Vitaly Artyuschenko and the Representative of NEFCO in Belarus Mr. Mihail Vasilevich; specialist in foreign trade activities of the Gomel Branch of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce Ms. Olesya Smirnova.

The Belarusian industry is already familiar with the financial instrument of the Norwegian Cleaner Production – NEFCO’s Cleaner Production Facility. For instance, in January, 2012, NEFCO and Vitebsk Meat Plant signed a loan agreement for production facilities modernization, according to which the company was to replace boilers and heat exchangers to upgrade sewage treatment plants. The NEFCO experts then noted that Belarus has accounted for only 0.3% of the total volume of loans from the two main funds of NEFCO – the Investment Fund and the Nordic Environmental Development Fund.

While greeting the participants and the guests of the final session, Mr. Vitaly Artyuschenko said that signing of the framework agreement between the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus is scheduled for October this year. This fact, as well as NEFCO’s participation in the CPEE presentation seminar in December 2013 together with their interest towards the projects of the first Belarusian group gives hope to increase the share of environmental loans used by the industrial enterprises of the Republic.

During the final session, the final reports were presented by the employees of the enterprises coming from Minsk: Minsk Gear Works, JSC; Milavitsa, JSC; BelUniversalProdukt, UE; Minsk Tractor Works, OJSC; Minsk Reinforced Concrete Plant, JSC as well as Borisov Plant of Automotive and Tractor Electrical Equipment (BATE), JSC – Managing Company of Automotive Components Holding (Borisov, Minsk region); International Environmental Innovation Park “Volma” (Volma village, Minsk region); Residential and Utilities Service Organization of Myadzyel City (Myadzyel, Minsk region); Sugar Beet Experimental Research Station, RUE (Nesvizh, Minsk region).

The participant of the training course coming from Mogilev Metallurgical Works, JSC (Mogilev) with the help of her coordinator was able to design her final report containing the technical, environmental and economic feasibility study of the developed idea. Unfortunately, she could not take part in the final session personally. In this regard, her report was presented by her supervisor Mr. Ptitsyn.

An environmental engineer from EVISTOR Plant (Vitebsk) unfortunately could not come to participate in final reports presentation too.
Following the results of the training course, there were two A (without any investment) projects, thirteen B (payback period less than 3 years, investment up to 350 000 Euro) projects and four C (payback period more than 3 years, investment up to 350 000 Euro) projects developed. Most proposals were aimed against high energy consumption and waste formation. Their total economic effect in case of implementation should amount to 1,731,753.00 US dollars a year. According to the participants, all proposals have been approved by their managers and are to be implemented in 2015-2016.

In total, 22 participants received their Cleaner Production certificates. They presented final reports of the 10 working groups, sometimes consisting of the employees coming from different enterprises. The total number of the companies having successfully completed the training program is eleven.

In order to summarize the results of the first CPEE program in Belarus and to discuss the terms of the second training cycle, and representatives of TEKNA and the Kherson CCI met the management of the International Sakharov Environmental University. TEKNA Program Manager Mr. Bjorn Borgaas thanked the University Rector Mr. Valery Dunay and his staff for cooperation and expressed his hope that the second CPEE program in Belarus, announced for the autumn this year, will also become successful.