Big Slovenian carbon dioxide (Co2) polluters will be free to produce 41.5 million tonnes of CO2 in the 2008-2012 period according to a plan for the distribution of emission coupons that the government endorsed on Friday.
A total of 98 operators of installations will be allowed to emit 8.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, Environment Minister Janez Podobnik told the press after Thursday's cabinet session.
This is down from 8.77 million tonnes annually in the 2005-2007 period.
Thermo-electric power plants and combined heat and power installations have been allocated 5.8 million tonnes per year, heat installations 205,853 tonnes and industry 2.1 million tonnes per year.
Podobnik said that 1.9% of the coupons had been set aside for the operators of new installations.
The energy sector received the bulk of the coupons. According to Radovan Tavzes, head of the environment directorate at the Environment Ministry, it will thus have the opportunity to restructure and improve fuel efficiency.
Meanwhile, industry is getting as much as it used up in the 2005-2007 period, Tavzes said.
The allocation scheme will now be submitted to the EU. Slovenia had already received formal warning from the European Commission that it failed to submit the plan in time.
The competent EU bodies will now have three months to submit remarks or confirm the plan. Podobnik was upbeat that the scheme would get the EU seal of approval although he expects remarks on traffic.
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