On 31 January in Vinnitsa city the Association ‘Ukrainian Agribusiness Club’ signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Association ‘Ukrsadprom’. The relevant agreement was entered into between Dmytro Kroshka, Head of Ukrsadprom, and Taras Vysotskyi, General Director of UCAB.

Memorandum was signed during the final seminar-meeting ‘Use of wood biomass from pruning and uprooting of agricultural plantings for energy purposes, determination of pilot projects’ that was held within the framework of the EU uP_running program ‘HORIZON 2020’.

‘The main purpose of signing the agreement is a scientific cooperation and expansion of innovative technologies. Cooperation between the associations will facilitate communication between market participants of the various branches of agricultural sector. Owing to collaborative work we will be able to involve fruit growers to discuss and participate in targeted projects in the field of horticulture’ informed Taras Vysotskyi.

The final seminar in Vinnytsia was dedicated to the possible chains of use of the solid biomass for energy purposes. The seminar identified pilot projects to be implemented during 2017-2018 and provided with information, consultancy and partially finance support for certain services under the project.

An idea of uP_running project is to show experience of efficient construction of chains for the use of gardening wastes as energy biomass which have successfully established themselves in Europe. In the EU after uзrooting of old plantings or pruning of trees, the wood wastes have been recycled for many years. Their burning is prohibited in both the EU countries and Ukraine.

Alla Kravchenko, coordinator of Horizon 2020 on behalf of UCAB, informed who would participate in the construction of such chains in Ukraine: ‘During previous seminars we identified 10 initiators who have expressed their interest to implement pilot projects. These include farmers-gardeners who need to dispose wastes, service companies manufacturing special equipment for production of pellets as well as energy consumers, e.g. companies that have solid biomass boilers. The initiators also include representatives of village councils that are interested in the alternative possibilities of heating schools, kindergartens, office buildings etc. At present, these initiators have been evaluated according to scale developed by the coordinators of working package from Italy’.

For reference. The uP_running project aims to open high potential of horticulture and viticulture wastes in the form of wood biomass derived from technological pruning and uprooting for sustainable use in the energy sector. The uP_running project was created with the ambition to become a ‘key’ to expand efficient use of the wood biomass of agricultural sector in Europe. Purpose of the project is to develop awareness of agricultural and energy sectors with regard to potential and additional benefits of such alternative fuel as wood biomass from plantings and gardens, as well as to reduce general level of skepticism concerning technological barriers and potential risks. Hence, the project should demonstrate the essential tools, convince market players in the profit of chain operation of plantings pruning and uprooting and consequently, extend energy utilization of the wood biomass as a secondary product of agricultural sector among many market participants in 7 European countries.