Vinnytsia hosted a workshop dedicated to replacing imported energy carriers with local fuel under the EU uP_running program ‘HORIZON 2020’. The event organized by the Association ‘Ukrainian Agribusiness Club’ and Scientific Engineering Centre ‘Biomass’ promoted discussion of processing wood biomass into thermal energy. The talks concerned profitability, barriers to development, and possibilities to fund such kind of alternative energy projects.

During the workshop titled “Possibilities to Use Wood Biomass from Pruning Fruit-Trees and Uprooting Aged Plants for Energy Purposes”, participants of operation process were selected (wood biomass supply, its recycling and processing into bioenergy); these companies will take part in pilot project events in 2017. In the result of discussions, representatives of the uP_running project (UCAB and SEC Biomass) and the selected participants reached a preliminary agreement on practical possibilities to arrange supply chains of horticulture reusable waste in the form of wood biomass for energy purposes.

UCAB and SEC Biomass assessed potential of wood biomass production in the course of field studies at local companies in Vinnytsia region. At present, laboratory study is going on to examine technical properties of wood in order to determine its acceptability level and use wood biofuel for production needs in energy area.

Reference. Seven countries take part in uP_running project titled ‘Increasing Level of Continuous Supply of Wood Biomass Obtained from Pruning and Uprooting Horticultural Plants’. The project is funded by the European Commission under ‘HORIZON 2020’ Program. Twenty pilot projects are to be implemented in different countries in order to prove profitability of using wood biomass from pruning and uprooting agricultural plants for energy purposes and stimulate such practice among farmers.

Wood obtained in the course of pruning or left after cleaning vine-yards, oil-gardens and orchards at the end of production cycle is a type of agricultural waste which is burnt or plowed under the ground to get recycled in the course of a common practice. Processing such waste is often a burden for the main agricultural activities and can cause additional expenses for farmers.

Ukraine is one of four countries participating in uP_running pilot projects (others including Spain, Italy and Greece). Agricultural partner of the project is Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, technical partner is Scientific Engineering Centre ‘Biomass’.