Ministry Of Mines Research Articles

The Geopolitical Implications of the TAPI Pipeline for Regional Stability in Afghanistan

This paper analyzes the geopolitical and economic significance of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline and its implications for Afghanistan’s economic development and regional stability. The study focuses on how the TAPI project offers Afghanistan significant financial benefits, including transit fees, energy independence, job creation, and infrastructure development. It also explores the strategic importance of Afghanistan as a key transit country and the geopolitical challenges posed by regional rivalries, particularly between India and Pakistan. The role of global powers such as the United States, Russia, and China in shaping the pipeline’s success is critically assessed. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively analyze the geopolitical and economic implications of the TAPI pipeline for Afghanistan’s regional stability. Qualitative methods include document analysis, reviewing government reports, policy briefs, and academic literature concerning the TAPI project. Quantitative data on transit fees, job creation, and projected gas revenues are gathered from governmental and organizational sources such as the Asian Development Bank and the Afghan Ministry of Mines. Case studies of similar pipeline projects (e.g., Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Nord Stream) are used for comparative analysis. This mixed-methods approach provides a holistic understanding of TAPI's potential for fostering stability or exacerbating regional tensions.

Impact assessment of public policies in the municipalities covered by the Brazilian Incentive program for alternative electricity sources (PROINFA)

Assessing the impacts of public policy allows us to show if public resources were used in an efficient way and if it has reached the population in a democratic way. The expansion of the electric sector benefits the entire population, providing social well-being and not only an interventionist economic policy. This article has assessed the impact of public policy in the municipalities covered by PROINFA - Incentive Program for Alternative Energy Sources. This program was based on the insertion of renewable sources on Brazilian power matrix, hitched to the principles of energy efficiency, economic development, and the promotion of social well-being. A program analysis ex post e ex ante was performed and used the econometric models PSM and Diff-in-Diff about socioeconomic indicators, from 2002 to 2018. The control group was the municipalities that received power plants benefited by PROINFA and the treatment group, those municipalities that showed similar features through the selected covariates. Results has showed that PROINFA presented a 10 % rise in per capita incoming on municipalities, 13,82 % in number of formal workers and 0,39 % in capital expenditure, demonstrating that program beneficiaries have achieved economic and social development. The ex-ante e ex post analysis of the public policy has indicated a good program coordination level between the organizations which has planned and executed the policy, MME and Eletrobrás, and used suitable methods for the achievement of the purposes in the implementation of the policy. It is concluded that PROINFA made positive impacts to the municipalities within its scope and collaborated with its regional development, as a policy aimed to ensure the sustainability of the economic development, which certainly requires planning and government engagement.Assessment of the impacts of public policies can confirm if public resources were used efficiently and if the population was reached democrately. Expansion of the electric sector benefits the entire population, going further than just an interventionist economic policy and providing social well-being. This study evaluates the impact of public policies in the municipalities covered by the Brazilian Incentive Program for Alternative Electricity Sources (PROINFA). This program was based on introducing renewable sources in the Brazilian electricity matrix, aligned with the principles of energy efficiency, economic development, and the promotion of social well-being. Ex-post and ex-ante analyses are carried out for the program, employing the econometric models Propensity Score Matching and Difference-In-Differences, from 2002 to 2018. The control group encompassed the municipalities that benefitted from PROINFA (which received power plants) and the treatment group (municipalities that presented similar features through the selected covariates). Results show that PROINFA increased per capita income by 10 %, increased the number of formal workers by 13.82 %, and led to a growth of 0.39 % in capital expenditure, demonstrating that beneficiaries achieved economic and social development. The ex-ante and ex-post analyses of the public policy indicated good coordination between the organizations (responsible for planning and execution), the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Eletrobrás. Suitable methods were employed for the achievement of the purposes in the implementation of the policy. PROINFA positively impacted the municipalities within its scope and collaborated with regional development as a policy aimed at ensuring the sustainability of economic growth.

Constrained Maximization of the Economic Production Model of Lithium Ore Exploration in Nasarawa

Over 20,000 years ago, mining was discovered as one of the oldest production industries generating over US$700 billions’ of revenue in the world by a few mining companies. For some time, mining work has resulted in a very demanding affair as a result of greater depth, low-grade, limited resources, and complex geo-mining conditions. Therefore, optimization of the mining system plays a vital role in profit maximization with the satisfaction of many constraints. However, today’s mining industry uses complex and sophisticated systems whose reliability has become a critical issue. This work adopted the financial market theory of development to propose a maximized constrained optimization economic production model for lithium ore exploration in Nasarawa, Nigeria using three methods such as: the break-even principle method of cut-off grade between revenue earned and cost incurred; the mortimer’s method principle to determine ore based in two cut-off criteria (original and average good) and the lane method for net profit value thereby maximizing processing capacity. Data obtained from the field and the Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals were analyzed using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) showing the presence of lithium. The froth flotation technique used showed the beneficiation thereby achieving improved lithium concentrates and the inductively coupled atomic emission revealed a high presence of lithium of over 1859 parts per million (ppm) and other minerals.

Hidrocarburos y cambio climático: análisis del enfoque propuesto por la Resolución 40066 de 2022

Introduction: This paper presents a legal analysis of Resolution 40066 of 2022 of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, since its implementation in Colombian regulations; the benefits and challenges for companies in the hydrocarbons sector; and its legal connection with hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation contracts. Objective: Study the legal framework, balances, challenges, and prospects of Resolution 40066 of 2022, as part of the global strategy to combat climate change in terms of control in the detection, repair of leaks, utilization, flaring, and venting of natural gas. Methodology: The methodology of the paper is the documentary analysis of national doctrine and current regulations. With these sources, the information collected in legal and specialized databases was classified and, as a result, the authors analyzed the Colombian constitutional, legislative, and regulatory context. Conclusions: The paper presents some considerations of the assembly process of the resolution with the hydrocarbon exploration and/or exploitation contracts.

Mineral extraction and governance in the Nigerian Mining Industry: An examination of regulatory conflicts amongst Nigeria’s three tiers of government

Nigeria’s abundant mineral potentials can be harnessed to significantly contribute to her socio-economic development if the regulatory framework of the Nigerian Mining Industry (NMI) is properly articulated and implemented, devoid of the regulatory conflicts that have been observed amongst various regulatory and government entities. This article analyses a 2019 – 2020 study undertaken by the Ministry of Mines and Steel development in the Federal Capital Territory and 17 out of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which exposed mining sector-related regulatory conflicts amongst the Federal, State and Local Governments and their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The study also revealed that, despite certain extant Constitutional and statutory instruments vesting the control of minerals and mining activities on the Federal Government and its Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the implementation of other national and subnational statutory instruments has generated regulatory conflicts and controversial interferences in the governance of mineral resources in the country. This development has led to adverse political and socio-economic implications and outcomes. Thus, after an in-depth consideration of these regulatory conflicts and its implications, the article recommends, among other salient solutions, the amendment and/or repeal of all applicable mining statutes and regulations to remove these regulatory conflicts, and this will better position the NMI on the path to restoration and ultimately surpassing its glorious past.

The Climate Change-induced Global Decisions and Destiny of Afghanistan's Coal Resources

This paper examines the implications of global decisions on climate change for Afghanistan and the fate of its coal resources. As a responsible member of the international community, Afghanistan must consider the extent to which these decisions may impact its national interests. The global demand for energy has not only increased but also accelerated the search for energy resources, with coal being a widely used source. Afghanistan possesses vast reserves of coal, which are considered a significant national resource. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum anticipates that this sector will play a vital role in terms of national income and investment in the future. However, the exact quantity of coal reserves in Afghanistan remains uncertain, ranging from 100 to 400 million tons or approximately three billion cubic meters. Environmental protection, public health, and social security are key concerns at the governmental level, as the combustion of coal and its byproducts contribute to climate change. Failure to address these issues could pose a significant threat to national resources, particularly coal. The findings of this study suggest that Afghanistan's mining sector, specifically the coal industry, may be impacted by international decisions on climate change in the long term. However, with the formulation of appropriate policies, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities.

Sustainable Management of Red Mud: Life Cycle Assessment and Treatment Techniques

Red mud is a strongly alkaline leaching solid hazardous waste material generated in the Bayer process of alumina production. India ranks 4th place in alumina production. According to the Ministry of Mines (Oct 2022), India produces 9 million tonnes of red mud annually. In nature, red mud is highly alkaline. The high alkalinity and caustic content of red mud will contaminate the groundwater and fertile soil, and also there is a limitation on the utilization of red mud. Due to its low utilization ratio, large amounts of red mud are stacked in disposal areas, which may cause water pollution, soil salinization and heavy metal pollution. Red mud contains toxic metals such as arsenic, chromium, lead, nickel, zinc and radioactive elements such as thorium, potassium, and uranium, which cause severe effects on the environment and also on our health. The objective is to examine the environmental impact, utilization methods and treatment process of the red mud (bauxite residue). Also, scrutinize the biodegradation of heavy metals in red mud.

Brazil’s New Gas Law: Analysis, Implications, and Remuneration of Gas Processing Plants with Non-Discriminatory Access to Customers

Brazil will increasingly rely on the availability of natural gas as new discoveries in the Pre-Salt portion are explored. Currently, a substantial amount of the gas produced associated with oil is reinjected (60,84 million m³/day in 2021, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy), with the lack of structure being one of the factors for this non-energy purpose. The New Gas Law proposes to fill this gap by stimulating investments in infrastructure. In this sense, market opening has the potential to promote the rupture of natural monopolies by providing access to infrastructure, including Natural Gas Processing Plants (NGPP). This units, in addition to conditioning the gas for sale, allow the recovery of higher molecular weight fractions, or (Natural Gas Liquid). However, the instructions for this access required by the government are insufficient for issues related to the NGL recovery efficiency of these units, as well the method of remuneration arising from the NGL production capacity. It is proposed in this paper to include a processing tariff, based on static simulation of available technological routes. Comparison of energy spent and NGL recovery efficiency will allow to formulate the gas price, unfolding from the price of the molecule.

Sea Bed Mining

The seabed is surely one of the last mining frontiers on earth remaining for mankind, to extract economic mineral deposits. It is hence imperative that India with its Obvious Geological Potential (OGP) area on the land surface amounting to 0.57 million km, for which baseline geoscience data has been generated and mineral exploration activities are ongoing, needs to be supplemented with mineral wealth on our sea beds, within our Territorial Waters (TW) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Studies by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other agencies for mineralized horizons in the terrestrial OGP areas have been a continuous process. The baseline geoscience and mineral exploration data are published regularly by GSI and Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and made available to respective stakeholders. India has a 2.02 million km area under its TW and EEZ. Our East and West Coasts of the Peninsular India are endowed with phosphate, manganese nodules, lime mud and monazite sands with rare earth elements (REE) and thorium that have been surveyed by the Marine and Coastal Survey Division (MCSD) of the GSI with their research vessels to establish the potentiality. According to the data available, 1,53,996 million tons of lime mud within the EEZ off Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts, 745 million tons of construction grade sand, off Kerala coast, 79 million tons of heavy mineral placers in the inner-shelf and mid-shelf, off Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, phosphorite in the Eastern and Western continental margins, polymetallic ferromanganese nodules and crusts in Andaman Sea and Lakshadweep Sea have been reported. The CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography has been embarking on research for seabed mineral deposits. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023, passed by Lok Sabha on 01.08.2023, has amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, OAMDR Act (Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India, 2002). It envisages major initiatives to allow auction of mineral blocks 45° X 45° (latitude and longitude) in respect of any mineral or prescribed group of associated minerals, under one or more operating rights (taken together). The Act has a provision for setting up of a non-lapsable Offshore Areas Mineral Trust to maintain a fund under the Public Account of India. This fund will be financed by a yet to be determined, additional levy on the production of offshore minerals that will be used for exploration, research, disaster relief and for mitigation of adverse impacts of seabed mining. We have the National Exploration Trust and the District Mineral Foundation Trust funds, to which royalties are paid by stakeholders for onshore mining.

Power over Deforestation on the Selected News Articles about Diamond Mining in Buxwaha Forest, India

Deforestation for mining can threaten the balance between human life and nature. This research was aimed to reveal language and power in some media to report deforestation in Buxwaha protected forest of Madhya Pradesh, India. The data were obtained from The Quint and The Times of India as most influential English-language digital media. Fairclough’s CDA theory was used to analyze the data for scrutinizing the connection of language in social use, power, and capitalism as the ideological element. Noticeably, the results showed power represented by local government and mining ministry that tend to accede to the proposed project without considering the ecological collapse Firstly, based on SFL theory, as the textual analysis the total of 40 data proved dominant process of material, mental, and verbal. Secondly, there was bias media to support the mining project by both online newspapers as the discursive practices. Thirdly, in prioritizing the beneficial business, India as a developing country and private company were elaborated as the socio-cultural contexts. Thus, this research expectantly participated to reconsider awareness on the ignorance of deteriorating social and environmental effects for capitalist goals. Keywords: Buxwaha Forest, Capitalism, Deforestation, Language and Power, Mining

Unveiling Fernando de Noronha Island's photovoltaic potential with unmanned aerial survey and irradiation modeling

The universalization of electricity still presents significant obstacles to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There are still many remote areas, such as oceanic islands and isolated communities disconnected from the grid, that depend on fossil fuels to make it viable. Fernando de Noronha, a tropical oceanic island in Brazil, is a typical case where replacing the diesel-based power plant for renewable energy is imperative, therefore, it served as a testbed for this investigation. This paper presents the implementation and results of a low-cost framework for assessing the photovoltaic potential of rooftops. Using a real case study, the objective is to explore how effective rooftop photovoltaic systems could be on Fernando de Noronha Island by applying low-cost aerophotogrammetry, geospatial analysis and scenario creation. The first approach was mapping buildings, open spaces and solar obstacles using unmanned aerial photogrammetric survey that delivered high-quality digital elevation surface. The 3D rooftop surfaces fed the solar irradiation models and enabled to compute the photovoltaic potential of suitable rooftops. Findings show that 83.3% of the total building rooftop area was deemed economically viable for photovoltaic installations. Furthermore, 80.0% and 60.0% of the rooftops receive annual irradiation levels >1600 kWh/m2 and 2000 kWh/m2, respectively, indicating high potential for exploiting solar resources on decentralized, highly irradiated rooftops. The scenario with the highest photovoltaic potential is three times higher than the lowest. The results indicate that the suitability of rooftops for various photovoltaic system sizes offers the possibility of deploying a combination of smaller and larger urban photovoltaic installations. Furthermore, the decentralized photovoltaic rooftops can compensate for between 66 and 199% of the estimated annual consumption of 31 GWh in 2031. The method is highly transferrable and limited solely by the availability of sources of geospatial data and coordination with stakeholders. The investigation meets the needs of the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy, therefore meeting the environmental needs of the energy sector by promoting renewable energy for the island which is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and Brazilian National Marine Park and Environmental Protected Area. The investigation demonstrated that creating photovoltaic potential scenarios that nurture informed decision-making processes is a crucial initial step in urban renewable energy planning. The pioneering 2000-ha unmanned aerial photogrammetric survey proved to be a cost-efficient method for producing accurate data for modeling the irradiation and photovoltaic potential in urban areas. The investigation fills the literature gap on modeling photovoltaic potential for remote islands by blending unmanned aerial vehicles and geospatial tools.

English

As one of the key drivers of the African international political economy of the last two decades, China growing economic involvement on the continent has sparked mixed responses. Is Beijing South-South Cooperation model just a rebranded version of the old North-South relationship or China is actually contributing to helping Africa securing and playing a more important new position on the global scene? This paper analyses the validity of the Chinese win-win foreign policy discourse using the Lobé iron ore deal signed by the state-owned company Sinosteel with the Ministry of Mines of Cameroon as case study. To that end, the paper discusses the conceptual pillars of the Chinese leadership’s economic cooperation approach with Africa in general. Regarding the mining cooperation with Cameroon in particular, the paper shows that China having an essentially ‘utilitarian’ relationship with Cameroon, the deal reflects more Beijing’s ambition to expand and consolidate power in its ambition to achieve global hegemony than actually catering for Cameroon’s development needs. The paper further argues that the Lobé deal has not provided enough evidence to convince tall the Cameroonian stakeholders that it can be regarded as an example of a mutually profitable cooperation deal as announced by Chinese authorities.    Key words: China, Cameroon, mining, win-win cooperation, Win-lose relationship.

Potentiality of Solar Photovoltaic Energy in Paraiba, Brazil, and the Relation with Sustainable Development

The use of non-renewable energy has been a major environmental concern and, therefore, there is a need to look for other renewable energy sources, especially photovoltaic’s. In view of this, an attempt was made to quantify the potential of solar irradiance in the State of Paraiba, as an alternative source for conversion and use in electrical energy, these determinations being the main objectives. Global solar irradiance and solar photovoltaic data were extracted from scientific publications and/or made available on the websites of the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the National Electric Energy Agency, among others. For the case study, semi-structured questionnaires were applied in different business establishments in Campina Grande, with questions related to socioeconomic aspects and photovoltaic technology. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics criteria and using an Excel spreadsheet. The main results indicated that the Brazilian energy matrix is predominantly from renewable sources. The Northeast is the second region with the highest production of photovoltaic solar energy and the State of Paraiba occupies its fourth position in the generation of this type of energy. The option of photovoltaic technology is a promising alternative, especially for rural areas, where there is not always a conventional electricity grid. The high availability of solar energy in northeastern Brazil, in almost all months of the year, especially in the state of Paraiba, demonstrates the existence of a high potential to generate electricity from photovoltaic systems. This technology contributes to local sustainable development, as it is an activity that generates employment and income, without degrading the environment.

Identifying Ethiopian National Mining Cadastre System post implementation success factors: the case of Ministry of Mines of Ethiopia

Identifying Ethiopian National Mining Cadastre System post implementation success factors: the case of Ministry of Mines of Ethiopia

Market analysis of the relationship between Brazilian Federal Government and the geospatial industry

ABSTRACT The public sector’s possibilities of using geospatial technologies are vast and can improve public management. In the Brazilian Federal Government, the use of geospatial technologies is unknown, nor is it known the main applications and public and private actors involved. This research proposes to analyze the geospatial technologies market in the Federal Government between the years 2011 and 2019 through public data of contracts. Through the individual analysis of 600 contracts, we concluded that R$ 804,747,626.99 were negotiated during the period. The contracts mainly involved Remote Sensing and Aerophotogrammetry (50%) and Geographic Information Systems (33%) solutions, applied primarily in the thematic areas of Oil & Gas (39%), Infrastructure (19%), and Environment & Natural Resources (10%). Fototerra was the leading company, providing R$ 155,553,107.03 in products and services. The foremost acquiring institution was the Ministry of Mines and Energy, contracting R$ 410 million, of which Petrobras acquired R$ 311 million. This paper showed how different federal institutions use Geography’s technological bases to fulfill their missions, improve social well-being, and contribute to a more developed, less unequal, and fairer country.

E&P Notes (July 2022)

E&P Notes (July 2022)

EFFECTS OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF MINISTRY OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT IN ZAMBIA.

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of Performance Management System on Employee Performance in the Civil Service, specifically the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development (MMMD) in Zambia. The research consists of four main parts: The effects of Performance Management System on Employee Performance; The effects of Performance Management System on Staff Development; The relationship between Staff Development and Employee Performance; and the mediating role of Staff Development on the effects of Performance Management System on Employee Performance. A quantitative approach was adopted in this study, with the population of interest consisting 250 employees who were randomly selected from six Departments under MMMD in Lusaka. The data was collected with the aid of structured questionnaires, and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and excel. The findings of the research study indicates that Performance Management System: improves employee performance, efficiency and attitude towards work; identifies employee individual strengths and weaknesses; helps in identifying training needs and employee competencies; and also helps align employee qualifications/skills to the job requirements (job specifications). The research concludes that, Performance Management System has effects on Employee Performance and Staff Development. It also concludes that the relationship that exists between Staff Development and Employee Performance is that Staff Development enhances Employee Performance, which in turn improves career progression of employees as they acquire new knowledge and skills of doing their job. Further, the study concludes that Staff Development plays a reconciling role between Performance Management System and Employee Performance. The role played include: assisting employees gain knowledge and understanding of the job requirements, to enable them achieve the set performance standards and goals; facilitates for effective monitoring of employee performance; and helps to bridges gaps between identified employee incompetence and performance requirements.

Energy Refurbishment of Serbian School Building Stock—A Typology Tool Methodology Development

Energy refurbishment of school buildings is a priority regarding both energy consumption in buildings and improving comfort conditions for sensitive young occupants. During 2016–18, a group of teachers and associates from the Faculty of Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering from the University in Belgrade participated in the project “Energy efficiency in public buildings” in cooperation with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture and Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia. During 2016 and 2017, a comprehensive survey and database of public buildings were conducted by the local community. The focus of the research was the facilities of children’s institutions, and detailed data were collected to determine the current building stock conditions, energy consumption, and possible improvements. This paper presents the methodology of the project based on defining the typology of buildings, determining the representatives of the characteristic periods of construction, and analyzing their energy performance. Five possible scenarios were considered: designed condition, existing state, and three levels of a building improvement. The main goal of this project was to ascertain the entire fund for school buildings, indicate the potential for energy savings of this type of public building at the national level, and use this as a starting point for developing strategic decisions and further energy efficiency policies. This paper presents the complete results of the research on school buildings in Serbia, their energy performance, and possible energy savings. Key findings show that a great majority of schools are in a poor state in terms of their energy efficiency, but at the same time, there is a large potential for improvement of building envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems, which can cut the current energy need for heating to up to 80%.

Guinea’s Bauxite Resources Evaluation and Forecasting Using Elasticity Demand Method

Based on the economic theory, this paper analyzes and presents Guinea’s bauxite reserve, domestic demand, the export prediction based on China’s consumption using the GDP elasticity of demand method to determine the elasticity and forecast based on the Ministry of mines and geology bauxite mineral resources data, and some other data sources (Annual production quantity, Annual Exportation quantity, Exported quantity to China) and the GDP growth rate from 2000 to 2020. This article also describes the evaluation of Guinea bauxite resources, including reserves in national conditions; grade; distribution status; development and utilization status; supply and demand; pricing and future forecasts.

Potencijal reindustrijalizacije Republike Srbije uz korišćenje biomase kao obnovljivog vida goriva

In the context of the current geopolitical situation and energy uncertainty, the aim of the paper is to affirm the use of biomass as a domestic energy source and to point out guidelines for its proper and efficient use. According to the official data of the Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia, biomass represents by far the greatest potential for renewable energy in the country. Over 60% of the estimated potential of renewable energy in the Republic of Serbia belongs to biomass (not counting large hydropower plants). The possibility of energy use of biomass, further, does not depend on weather conditions, time of day or season, unlike other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. In addition to this and other advantages that biomass as the only carbon - CO2 - neutral renewable fuel has, it should be noted that facilities for the conversion of energy from biomass through combustion are relatively technologically simple and can be produced entirely in our country. If these facilities were used in district heating systems with the possibility of using thermal energy for technological processes in the cultivation and processing of agricultural products even out of the heating season, the potentials and effects of biomass utilization would increase. Facilities for processing and finishing agricultural products (such as dryers) can also be largely produced in the Republic of Serbia. Advantages and the degree of utilization of biomass as a renewable energy source are even more pronounced when used in cogeneration plants. When all the above is considered, it can be concluded that the use of biomass can take a significant place in the overall reindustrialization of our country, which will be discussed in more detail in this paper. The paper also points out some of the obstacles to the realization of these efforts as well as examples of good practice.