Analytical Note No. 1: Advanced biomethane production from intermediate and cover crops
We would like to present an important and voluminous document, which was developed by a number of UABIO experts. In this analytical note, you will find all the necessary information on the cultivation of intermediate and cover crops in Ukraine and the further use of these plants for biogas and biomethane production.
The Analytical Note aims to reveal the potential for intermediate/cover crops growing, harvesting, logistics and pre-treatment to obtain raw materials for the production of advanced biomethane in Ukraine.
Download Analytical Note No. 1 “Advanced biomethane production from intermediate and cover crops” (in Ukrainian)
Download Analytical Note No. 1 “Advanced biomethane production from intermediate and cover crops” (in English)
Analytical Note No. 1 was prepared by: Georgii Geletukha, Tetiana Zheliezna, Semen Drahniev, Petro Kucheruk and Volodymyr Kramar.
Prospects for Ukraine
In Ukraine, so far, intermediate and cover crops have been grown for further use as green manure or for feed production. The usage of intermediate and cover crops for biomethane production emphasizes an innovative approach, which requires a thorough analysis of feasible opportunities and prerequisites for successful implementation within Ukraine’s context. The obtained biomethane can be consumed domestically as replacement of natural gas and fossil motor fuels, as well as exported.
Ukraine can potentially capture up to 20% of the European biomethane market, produce over 20 bcm of biomethane a year and attract up to 40 billion EUR of investment in this sector. Biomethane from intermediate and cover crops, which is the subject of the Analytical Note, may contribute by about 46% (9.2 bcm/y) to this total amount. For the development of domestic biomethane production, it is important to create prerequisites for the rational use of existing and prospective resources of sustainable biomass feedstock.
Key topics of the Analytical Note No. 1
- General approach to growing intermediate and cover crops for biomethane production;
- The impact on soil and sustainability issues related to the use of intermediate and cover crops for biomethane production;
- International experience of growing intermediate/cover crops for bioenergy;
- Potential of intermediate and cover crops for energy in Europe and the USA;
- Opportunities for growing intermediate and cover crops for advanced biomethane production in Ukraine including the regional aspects;
- Feasibility of growing and harvesting intermediate and cover crops in Ukraine;
- Feasibility study of biomethane production from intermediate and cover crops in Ukraine;
- Assessment of biomethane production potential from intermediate and cover crops in Ukraine.
In addition, at the end of the note, you can find a list of typical crops that are cultivated as intermediate and cover crops in different parts of the world and directions of their additional application.
We definitely recommend you to read the analytical note and pay attention to these crops grown in the time intervals free from the cultivation of main crops in a crop rotation. We are confident that intermediate and cover crops are a valuable additional source of sustainable biomass.
The analytical note was prepared within the framework of the project “Ukrainian Biomethane Sector Development”, funded by the Energy Community with the support of the UK Agency for International Development (FCDO) and implemented by the Public Union “Bioenergy Association of Ukraine” (UABIO).
In the future, experts of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine will develop two more analytical notes that will outline the prospects for biomethane production from lignocellulosic raw materials and biomethane production from microalgae.
