uP_Running

Project uP_running: Take-off for sustainable supply of woody biomass from agrarian pruning and plantation removal.

Funding: This EU contribution-financing through Horizon 2020 is based on Grant Agreement no. 691748, signed between the project consortium and the European Commission.

Aim of the project: Take-off for sustainable supply of woody biomass from agrarian pruning and plantation removal.

uP_running project aims to unlock the European strong potential of woody biomass residues produced by Agrarian Pruning and Plantation Removals (APPR)and to promote its sustainable use as energy feedstock. uP_running has been constructed with the ambition of being the prelude of a self-expansion of APPRwood utilization in Europe. Its vocation is to increase awareness of the agrarian sector and energy sector, that this biomass can be an alternative source for energy, and to reduce general skepticism, as regards the technical difficulties and the occurrence of non-successful experiences. Therefore it aims to firstly demonstrate and produce key tools, then convince the actors to be involved in APPRvalue chains, and finally expand APPRutilization through the involvement of multiple local actors in 7 EU countries (Spain, Greece, Italy, Ukraine, Portugal, France, Croatia).

Ukraine has been selected as one of the project’s strategic partners because we have a high potential of fruit trees and vineyards and therefore the potential of utilizing production wastes for energy.

The uP_running project will include events such as demonstrations, seminars, workshops, which you can follow on the project site in Ukraine and the Biomass Center.

Objectives of the project:

1. To produce tools for industry and policymakers in government to understand and set the instruments that will overcome the barriers for the advancement of the APPRwood in the bioenergy sector.
2. To create real evidence that biomass from APPRwoody residues is feasible and can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of agrarian exploitations, by reducing the APPR residues management costs and impacts, and by providing niches for diversifying the economic activities of farmers and rural areas. Particularly, uP_running will carry out 20 demonstrations in 4 key European countries and will monitor 4 new APPRbiomass value chains.
3. Identification and documentation of keys for success and applicable business models and solutions to be transferred to the European value chain actors. uP_running will base in the analysis of the business models identified as most suitable for the application.
4. Creation of a permanent capacity of consultancy for supporting the decision making of farmers, cooperatives, agro-industries and other value chain stakeholders in Europe.
5. Triggering the future self-development of the mobilization of APPRwood to reach a utilization rate of 50% by 2030.
6. To place at the disposal of a large audience of target and key actors the project key materials and results for its utilization during and beyond the project life-span.
7. To promote changes in the mindset of the value chain actors and clusters and in policy actors and the society, leading to a favorable climate before the decision making of the implementation of new supply chains on APPR. uP_running will lead a strong communication campaign for a continuous penetration in the main target groups and to the public community with tailored messages to transfer ideas.
8. To correct existing policy barriers and to influence political decision-makers to cause the current framework to better satisfy the needs of the APPRvalue chain actors.

uP_running is an action addressing the agrarian, biomass and energy sectors. uP_running actions are, therefore “for”, “by means of” and “with” the stakeholders of the targeted sectors, and have been conceived to approach and dynamize them. Single stakeholders can benefit from uP_running products and actions.
Apart from individual agrarian, biomass and energy sector stakeholders, a set of uP_running actions and products address their associations and representatives.

Target Actors in Ukraine:

• Farmers, caves, fruit producers (APPR biomass producers)
• Biomass suppliers, service companies, biomass consumers, ESCOs (intermediaries and final users)
• Consultants, extension services, agrarian associations
• Clusters, associations, platforms

Additional information about uP_running project you can find on the official project website.

Contact person in Ukraine: Semen Dragnev (dragnev@secbiomass.com)

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