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The study analyzes mobility in Lääne-Viru County, finding a high reliance on private cars due to sparse settlement patterns. It highlights the importance of rail connections to Tallinn and the need for demand-responsive transport to support an aging population. Key recommendations include improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, integrating different transport modes, and implementing traffic calming measures in residential areas.

The report investigates the feasibility of producing biomethane from organic waste and energy crops in Harju County, Estonia. It compares two primary scenarios for the Hinnu pig farm: using biogas for combined heat and power (CHP) or upgrading it to biomethane for transport fuel. The analysis concludes that while CHP may offer higher immediate business profitability due to feed-in tariffs, upgrading to biomethane provides greater overall social and environmental benefits, particularly when considering the EU Emissions Trading System.

The report investigates the feasibility of producing biomethane from waste in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. It identifies a total biomethane production potential of up to 24.4 million m3/a by 2020, with energy crops as the largest resource. The study proposes a pilot plant in Rakvere using wet digestion technology and amine scrubbing for purification. While combined heat and power (CHP) is more profitable for a private operator due to feed-in tariffs, the report concludes that using biomethane as motor fuel provides higher social and environmental benefits for society as a whole.

The document finds that Estonian transport trends are unsustainable, characterized by rapid increases in private car use and road freight, leading to transport fuel use per unit of GDP that is twice the EU average. It argues that current policies are insufficient to meet EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits for 2020 and proposes a combined approach of technical vehicle efficiency improvements and modal shifts to achieve sustainability.

The report identifies significant distrust and dissatisfaction among stakeholders regarding Estonia's environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) processes. Key issues include the perceived lack of independence of experts hired by developers, the incompetence of decision-makers (local governments), and a general decline in the protection of public interests. The study suggests that the system requires refinement, particularly in integrating SEA with planning processes and increasing the leading role of decision-makers to ensure objectivity and the protection of non-market values.

This report examines Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) practices in Estonia. A survey of 118 local governments reveals that most environmental specialists handle waste and water management rather than EIA, with only 5% having extensive EIA experience. The report notes a significant increase in building permits between 2003 and 2005, though very few of these triggered an EIA process.

The W-Fuel project investigated the feasibility of producing biomethane from locally sourced biodegradable waste, sludge, manure, and energy crops in northern Estonia. The study focused on two pilot sites: the Hinnu pig farm in Harju County and a proposed plant in Rakvere, Lääne-Viru County. Findings indicate that while CHP production may be more commercially profitable due to existing feed-in tariffs, upgrading biogas to biomethane for transport fuel is more socially and environmentally beneficial, particularly when accounting for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS). The report also provides detailed biomass availability forecasts for 2020 and recommends specific waste prevention measures and governmental support schemes to facilitate the transition to gaseous renewable fuels.

The study provides a detailed breakdown of waste composition in Estonia, finding that biodegradable waste (48%) and plastics (18.1%) are the largest components of mixed municipal waste. It notes a decrease in the share of glass, paper, and biodegradable waste compared to a 2007/2008 study, while highlighting that current landfilling of mixed waste would exceed legal limits for biodegradable content. Analysis of separately collected streams shows that packaging waste consists primarily of plastics (45%), and electronic waste is dominated by large household appliances.