REPORT#1

Green Shoots in Estonia - The Centre for Ecological Engineering Tartu (CEET)

Report about a journey in Estonia from a Swiss (Western) perspective

By Renate Müller, Switzerland.
Translation Andreas Schönborn-Schaller, Switzerland

Renate Müller is a Swiss journalist

Adress CEET:
Centre for Ecological Engineering Tartu
J. V. Jannseni St. 4 51005 Tartu,
Estonia
URL CEET: http://www.ceet.ee (in Estonian)
CEET in short

The sky above Tallinn was dull and grey when I approached its coast line from the Baltic Sea around noon of October 20, 2001. Strips of bright light were shimmering between the clouds above the skyline with its few prominent buildings. At that moment I didn't know that this first impression of Estonia was symbolic for my whole short journey in this so recently independent country.

The following few days I spent with people of the Centre for Ecological Engineering Tartu (CEET), standing for the dawning "new" Estonia. Similar to the strips of bright light, the skillful reports and remarks of CEET director Tönu Mauring are signs of hope amidst the seemingly omnipresent overgrown grassland, the deteriorating farmhouses of the Estonian countryside. The first impression of a wildly romantic, open landscape soon turns out as a symbol for an agriculture literally lying fallow. "Tragic but true", the CEET people confirm, "it seems to be cheaper for Estonians to import milk than producing it themselves".

Figure 1:
The CEET building in Tartu. On the photo: T.Mauring, J.Heeb and M.Strandbeer (from left to right)
Photo: R.Müller

Ecological Building and Wastewater Treatment

On my way to Tartu - the final destination of my journey - I encountered another "imported" product: natural colours. Their shine came from several palette samples, right out of a building under construction. Here - amidst a pittoresque landscape on the seaside - a house is being built in the community of Viimsi that can be called an ecological showcase.

Ecological construction has been a focus topic for CEET for years, according to Mauring. And in a consequent way, as the house we visited can prove. CEET was active as consultant during the planning, together with the architect and the builder. The simple and beautiful building is constructed mainly with native timber. The plasterings are done with clay products which contain seed fibres of the Typha plant as additive. The walls are painted with natural colours by painter Jyri Kuusmann. Interesting detail: Jyri has spent some time in Switzerland as intern of Swiss painter Carlo Vangnier. The knowledge (on natural colours, the translator) gathered there he is using now as independent painter in his home country.

The wood heating and the Typha pond on the North side of the house are yet other elements of the ecological house. The pond is not only a decorative element . It also treats the domestic wastewater in a natural way. The importance of this seemingly plain detail becomes obvious when Tönu Mauring says that 500 Estonian communities have no wastewater treatment at all. „In Europe, 95% of the wastewater problems have been solved. In Estonia it is probably the other way round“, says Mauring, underlining the importance of every, even small working wastewater treatment plant.

Figure 2: On one of his regular visits to rural Kôo, Tönu Mauring inspects the first Estonian pilot Typha facility (size 1 hectare)
Photo: R.Müller

Knowledge transfer back and forth

Within CEET, about a third of time and energy are being spent in the area of wastewater treatment (the other two thirds on ecological building and ecological agriculture, respectively). Wastewater has been a focus topic since the very startup of the Centre. In the words of Johannes Heeb, Switzerland, who accompanied the founding of CEET: „We recognized right away that Estonians had a problem in this area, and we had competences therein“.

When Estonians were able to profit strongly from the knowledge provided by the Centre of Applied Ecology Schattweid (Switzerland) in the beginning, CEET has developed this knowledge to a point, where knowledge transfer runs the other way round: In November 2001 a Typha-facility was built in Geuensee, Switzerland, which serves both for stormwater retention and wastewater reuse: Stormwater from the combined sewer system of the community of Geuensee together with nutrient rich surface water from a stream is directed towards ponds where it is used for the production of Typha (Cattails).

Typha is very suitable for use in the building industry (as insulation material or as additive to clay plaster). During my visit in Estonia I’ve seen that proven several times. For example, the walls of the CEET building in Tartu are plastered with clay plaster. In CEET’s meeting room, there is a shelf full of clay tiles and samples of natural colours. Tönu Mauring, who has completed his PhD last fall, will be travelling to Switzerland at the end of next February for a workshop about Typha-plant operation and Typha manufacturing. Thus, the once invested Swiss Francs come back to its origin as know-how. In addition to that, a Geuensee type of Typha-facility is 10 times cheeper than a comparable counterpart in concrete.

Bringing (ecological) agriculture back on stage

Walking through the wide ranges of weedgrown land in Estonia, I am thinking of the perfectly cleaned meadows of my home country. However, although there seem to be worlds between these two almost equally sized nations, making ones live as a Swiss farmer isn’t easy as well. If Typha could be established as raw material for the construction industry, it could become an interesting additional source of income even in Switzerland.

Low fines versus wastewater treatment

However, political signs are good for CEET and the environment: the fines for wastewater discharge will be raised drastically in 2002. A fine for illegal wastewater discharge higher than the operation costs of a WWTP should convince the population (even though it’s not well off, economically) of the Typha system. The CEET crew is currently working out ideas how constructed wetlands could be promoted in the future.

For example, the company „serveco“ (founded by CEET members) wants to offer a whole wastewater service to communities: Construction and financing of WWTP, operation and maintenance against fee paid by the communities per cubic meter of wastewater. „By doing it this way, we have a guarantee that the facilities will be maintained in a good state – something that often wasn’t the case with the old WWTP“, says Tönu Mauring, looking back at the numerous „rusted down“ WWTP in Estonia. In the past, several WWTP were built with financial help from outside Estonia. However, it is sobering to see that some of them had to be shut down or could only be maintained badly because maintenance was too expensive by far.

„Here also, constructed wetlands are a viable alternative“, Mauring says. „Their maintenance is much cheaper than with their technical counterparts. Cost development is much less prone to surprises.“ „At the same time, Typha can be used for various purposes: e.g. for heating or as additive for clay bricks“, Mauring continues. „It is an ideal combination of wastewater treatment with ecological planning and construction, because the benefit can be obtained at multiple levels.“

Under the wide open sky of Estonia turning orange (on the evening when I traveled back to Tallinn on my last day) everybody seems to be convinced that all – communities, the state, the CEET team and the environment - should come out of this development as winners.

Knowledge transfer as basic capital

„For CEET it was probably a big chance that Estonia has been going through a period of rapid change“, says Johannes Heeb, looking back at the last ten years. „In a period of change, and hoping that the whole nation might profit from it, a government is probably more willing to support young and growing institutions.“

Ten years after independance I as a visitor from a Western country find it hard to imagine, that in the beginning of the 90s shops welcomed their customers with empty shelves. Today, shopping centers are just about everywhere, not lagging behind their Western European counterparts. Even the prices are almost on the same level, even though the average salary in Estonia is still much lower.

Nevertheless – the people responsible for CEET seem to have an optimistic attitude about the future. The economical and political situation has developed in a way that there’s now not only a supply market, but also a demand market.

Looking at the immeasurable depth of the Estonian night sky at my departure, I wish that some of the many glittering stars may be stars of fortune for this growing young country.

Areas of work: CEET’s main goal is the development of sustainable technological concepts, e.g. the promotion of recycling systems and regenerative energies. CEET collaborators are focussing on: environmental consulting, - concepts, - research, - planning and - education, on wastewater treatment, ecological construction, landscape planning and development, and on ecological farming. CEET is e.g. administrating and coordinating the Estonian Society of Ecology and also publishes a journal. The Centre is also collaborating closely with Tartu University. Geography students are regularly participating in CEET projects.

People: Meritt Mikk (geographer) and Tönu Mauring (Agricultural engineer) are the main responsibles for CEET. They build and rely on a team of collaborators: Airi Vetemaa; Marek Strandber (Chemist); Eva Linde (Administration); Argo Peepson (Landscape planner). In addition to that 10-20 people more work at CEET projects at times.

Spinoff company: Collaborators of CEET have founded „serveco“ in the year 2000, a company that offers services in wastewater treatment. „serveco“ has a German and a Swiss (seecon international) partner company.