More about the exchange programme

Visit to the Ústí region

21-23 June 2022

Participating delegations led by: Municipality of Lukavac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Economic and Social Council of the Ústí Region (Czechia).

Among other participants representatives of: Banovići municipality, Živinice municipality, Aarhus Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trade union of the Banovići Coal Mine.

Topics in focus:

• Rehabilitation and repurposing of mining sites;
• Renewables and alternative energy solutions;
• Economic diversification and developing business opportunities;
• Just transition governance.

Included meetings with representatives of:

• Economic and Social Council of the Ústí Region, Ústí Region public authority, Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Ústí Region;
• City of Ústí nad Labem, City of Teplice, City of Most, Town of Horní Jiřetín;
• CzechInvest (the Investment and Business Development Agency of the Czech Republic);
• Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic;
• DIAMO/PKÚ (a state-owned land reclamation company);
• Jan Evangelista Purkyně University;
• Energy companies Sev.en Energy and ČEZ.

Field visits at:

• Reclaimed areas of former coal mines, now Lake Milada and Lake Most;
• Ongoing reclamation processes at Sev.en Energy company’s ČSA still-active mine, and future site of their “Green Mine" repurposing project;
• Plant-based treatment plant of mining-wastewater in Mariánské Radčice;
• ČEZ’s Tušimice Coal Power Plant, already being repurposed for greenhouses (tomato growing using waste heat from the TPP) and soon for photovoltaic power plants;
• Kryštofovy Hamry wind farm.

Relates documents

Visit to the Municipalities of Bitola and Novaci

6-8 July 2022

Participating delegations led by:  Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, with contributions from the Municipality of Kicevo (North Macedonia), and DCN Global, of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (region of Western Macedonia, Greece).

Among other participants representatives of: energy company ESM, Oslomej thermal power plant (North Macedonia), Florina Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Municipality of Florina (Greece).

Topics in focus:

• Regional strategy development;
• Rehabilitation and repurposing of mining sites;
• Renewables and alternative energy solutions;
• Smart agriculture for economic diversification and job security;
• Communicating the transition to and with citizens.

Included meetings with representatives of:

• Municipality of Bitola, Municipality of Novaci;
• EU Delegation in North Macedonia;
• Bitola power plant.

Field visit at:

• Bitola power plant and coal mine.

Visit to Silesian Voivodeship

12-14 July 2022

Participating delegations led by: Kosovo Energy Corporation with contributions from the Ministry of Economy and the Office of Prime Minister (Kosovo*), and the Association of Mining Communes in Poland (Silesian Voivodeship, Poland).

Topics in focus:

• Regional and local transition strategies;
• Repurposing of post-mining/post-industrial areas;
• Transformation challenges of coal-based enterprises in mining and utility sectors;
• Knowledge creation and partnerships for change.

Included meetings with representatives of:

• Village of Pawłowice, City of Jastrzębie-Zdrój, City of Rybnik, City of Bytom;
• Konin Agency for Regional Development (Wielkopolska Voivodeship);
• Office of the Marshall of Silesia;
• Ignacy Historic Mine;
• Central Mining Institute;
• Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas;
• Centrum Zimbardo, a local NGO;
• Katowice Special Economic Zone;
• Polish Mining Group;
• Energy company TAURON;
• SRK, a coal mine repurposing company.

Field visits at:

• Laboratories of the Central Mining Institute;
• Biomass experimental fields of the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas;
• Ignacy Historic Mine and Silesian Museum;
• Nikiszowiec district of Katowice.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and it is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.