Energy crops for bioenergy projects: prospects for Ukraine — conclusions and materials of the online seminar
On September 9, an online seminar “Energy crops for bioenergy projects: prospects for Ukraine” was held.
The event was attended by about 150 specialists in the bioenergy field, including biomass suppliers, government officials, politicians, equipment manufacturers, scientists, representatives of financial institutions, investors, and entrepreneurs interested in growing energy crops. More than 1,000 people joined the online translation.
Speakers: Kyrylo Tomliak – EBRD Program Manager, Yuriy Shafarenko – Deputy Chairman of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, Georgii Geletukha – Chairman of the Board of UABIO, Iryna Gnap – Director of Agri-Energy Company “Salix Energy”, Oleksandra Tryboi – Senior Consultant of SEC “Biomass”, Mykhailo Humentyk – Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet of NAAS of Ukraine.
Organizers: Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine (SAEE).
The online seminar took place within the project BIOPLAT-EU.
Speakers quotes
Kyrylo Tomliak – EBRD Program Manager:
“The potential of bioenergy in Ukraine is underutilized, although the benefits of this sector are undeniable, including the replacement of natural gas, the creation of new jobs and the improvement of soils.”
Yuriy Shafarenko – Deputy Chairman of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine:
“The development of bioenergy is a real step towards Ukraine’s energy independence! By using marginal land to grow energy crops for energy purposes, it is potentially possible to replace about 20 billion m3 of gas per year. “
- Presentation “Legislative policy to support the cultivation of energy crops”. Yuriy Shafarenko – Deputy Chairman of SAEE (in Ukrainian)
Georgii Geletukha – Chairman of the Board of UABIO:
“Ukraine is in difficult negotiations with the IMF for every billion, but at the same time, we pay $ 17 billion for imported energy. Therefore, the replacement of natural gas with local renewable energy sources is an urgent and very important task. Energy plantations create a guaranteed and predictable source of biofuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore soil fertility, and develop the local economy. “
Oleksandra Tryboi – Senior Consultant of SEC “Biomass”:
“The BIOPLAT-EU platform, created under the project, is designed to help a potential investor who plans to implement a bioenergy chain based on energy crops grown on underutilized lands to assess the environmental, social, technical, and economic sustainability indicators for such a project.”
Iryna Gnap – Director of Agri-Energy Company “Salix Energy”:
“Salix Energy has been on the market for 10 years and has a full fleet of its own specialized equipment, as well as a large selection of breeding varieties. We are ready to provide planting material and advise on building a business in the field of growing energy crops. Also, we provide services for harvesting energy crops. “
- Presentation “Energy crops growing in Ukraine. Salix Energy experience”. Iryna Gnap – Director of Agri-Energy Company “Salix Energy” (in Ukrainian)
Mykhailo Humentyk – Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet of NAAS of Ukraine:
“We can create bioenergy crops production line, supplementing wood crops with cereals. In particular, the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet has its own selection of varieties of miscanthus and rod millet, willow, which can be provided as planting material for energy plantations. The Institute has also prepared a number of monographs with recommendations for growing energy crops. “
