On Wednesday 7th March 2018, the 1st technical seminar for the LIFE Green Link project organized by Centre of Research and Technology Hellas/ Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute (CERTH/CPERI) in Kozani. The technical seminar targeted mainly to the stakeholders, such as the municipalities, Regional Authority, PPC and technical chambers (geotechnical and engineering). Hence, invitations were sent to these entities, in order to set up a very powerful forum of speaker.
The technical seminar was successful, since all the local authorities, as well as PPC attended the technical seminar. More than 50 persons attended the meeting.
More specific, Mr. Lefteris Ioannidis, Mayor of Kozani; Mr. Savvas Zamanidis, Mayor of Eordaia; Mr. Konstantinos Theodoridis, Mayor of Amyntaio; Mr. Athanasios Kosmatopoulos Mayor of Servia-Velvento; Mr. Evangelos Simandrakos, Alderman of Regional Unit of Grevena and Mr. Dimitrios Mavromatidis, president of Technical Chamber of Greece (Department of Western Macedonia) and representative of the Regional Authority of Western Macedonia introduced the current situation in the area. They highlighted the importance of the implementation of innovative activities in the area regarding the land reclamation of lignite mines focusing mainly on the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens, as well as to on the creation of new jobs in the agricultural sector.
Mr Panagiotis Grammelis, Research Director in CERTH; Mr. Dimitrios Tsimplinas, Vice-President of Geotechnical Chamber of Greece; Mr. Dimitrios Alvanos, Director Directorate of Environment and Spatial Planning in the Region of Western Macedonia; Mr. Dimitrios Kourkoumpas Research Engineer in CERTH and Mrs. Marina Tentsoglidou Head of Environmental Protection & Land Reclamation Sector were the invited speakers of the technical seminar.
In specific, Dr Grammelis presented CERTH activities especially on restoration land sector and he highlighted new developed technologies to be implemented in the post lignite period. Mr Dimitris Tsimplinas presented the activities of the geotechnical chamber, focusing mainly on the selection of suitable seedlings. Mr. Dimitris Alvanos stressed the necessity for determination of a strategic plan for the restoration of PPC’s lands based on the submitted environmental impact assessment study. Mrs Marina Tentsoglidou presented the activities of PPC regarding restoration of the lignite mines up to know, emphasizing the need for harmonization with the EU directives. She praised the work of CERTH regarding the activities of Green Link, since she thinks that this project works very well at the area of the exhausted mines of PPC. Then Mr Kourkoumpas, presented in details the objectives, results and the progress of the LIFE Green Link project. Specifically he presented the results from the two planting periods of 4000 seedling in the area. Moreover he presented to the audience the cocoon technology and how it is installed and works. The results seem till now to be better comparing to the relevant results of PPC concerning conventional cultivation methods. The particiapnts declared their interest about the project and they ask more details about technical specification of cocoon, the price as well as the type of seedlings to be cultivated by using this method.
Hence, a fruitful discussion between all the stakeholders was carried out especially how the LIFE Green Link concept could be incorporated in the strategic plan for the restoration in the area of lignite mines. Main emphasis was given to the European Commission’s ‘Platform for Coal Regions’’ and the priorities set in this platform.
Leaflets of the project, as well as guidelines of the cocoon installation were distributed among to all the participants.
