RESOLUTION
of the Second International Ukrainian Conference on Biomass for Energy
20-22 September 2004, Kyiv, Ukraine

Organized by:
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of
National Academy of Science of Ukraine
Scientific Engineering Centre "Biomass".

Energy production from biomass is developing dynamically in most European countries. The share of renewable energy was 74.3 mill tons of oil equivalent in EU countries in 1995 that came to about 6% of the total primary energy consumption. Of them biomass share was more than 60% that came to about 3% of the total primary energy consumption. In some countries contribution of biomass to the total primary energy consumption exceeds average European level significantly: in the USA biomass share is 3.2%, in Denmark - 8%, in Austria - 12%, in Sweden - 18%, in Finland - 23%. According to the program for renewable energy development (White Paper, 1997) biomass will make up about 74% of the total renewable energy contribution in 2010 in EU countries that will amount to about 9% of the total primary energy consumption. It is obvious that biomass is one of the most powerful and dynamically increasing sectors of renewable energy in EU.

Presently Ukraine covers 0.5% of total need in primary energy (0.7 mtoe) at the expense of biomass (mostly wood residues). Ukraine has rather big potential of biomass available for energy production. Biomass can provide about 12-14 mill toe/year (without share used by other industry sectors). That comes to about 8-10% of the total primary energy consumption in Ukraine. Utilisation of such amount of biomass is equivalent to 20% rise in domestic fuel extraction. Under proper efforts the following actual goal can be reached for Ukraine: by year 2010 the share of biomass in the total primary energy consumption can be in the range of 3-5%, by 2020 - 6-9%, by 2030 - 9-12% or even higher.

Results of feasibility studies show that heat production from biomass is competitive even with the use of western expensive equipment. The most attractive is implementation of landfill gas power plants (recovery and utilization of biogas from landfills).

The following technologies can be considered as the most promising for commercial use in Ukraine in the near future:

• 1-10 MW wood-fired district heating plants and 0.1-5 MW industrial wood-fired boilers for installation at timber enterprises and wood processing enterprises;
• 0.1-1 MW farm and neighbour heating straw-fired boilers and 1-10 MW straw-fired district heating plants;
• 40-100 kW wood and straw-fired domestic boilers;
• biogas plants for large-scale cattle farms, pig-breeding farms, poultry farms and food industry enterprises, municipal waste water treatment plants;
• landfill gas recovery and utilization systems for big landfills (0.5-5 MW mini power plants)
• co-firing biomass (wood chips, wood pellets or straw bales) and coal in existing power plants;
• production of motor fuels from biomass like bioethanol and biodiesel.

The most promising strategy for the development of bioenergy technologies in Ukraine, at least at the first stage, seems to be production of corresponding licence European equipment at industrial enterprises of Ukraine, getting a variety of Ukrainian companies into the market. At the same time organisations of Ukraine develop technologies and equipment that is already under introduction in foreign countries.

If proposed conception is realized what is realistic by 2030, total installed capacity will come to 12000-15000 MWth and 1200-1500 MWe. The replacement of fossil fuels will be 8-10 mtoe and reduction of CO2 emission will come to 60-80 mill t/year. Development of bioenergy technologies will reduce dependence of Ukraine on imported energy sources and raise it's energy security through the implementation of energy supply systems based on local energy resources. It will also create a lot of new jobs mainly in rural areas and improve environment, give an impulse for the development of agriculture, forestry and also machine building.

To speed up production and utilization of energy from biomass the conference recommends:

1. To consider that bioenergy is one of the highest priorities for RES and energy development in Ukraine. The goal is to reach 8-10% of the total primary energy consumption covered at the expense of biomass as soon as possible.
2. To take into account Ukraine's bioenergy potential when developing "Energy strategy of Ukraine for the period till 2030 and further prospects" which is now under development by the order of President of Ukraine.
3. To create in Ukraine in the near future a mechanism allowing Ukrainian organizations to take part in Joint Implementation projects according to Kyoto Protocol in order to attract additional foreign investments for the implementation of bioenergy projects.
4. To implement bioenergy projects by all possible means, e.g. through Technological Park "Institute of Engineering Thermophysics" as one of the stimulation form of bioenergy sector development; and also through all other institutions, organisations and bodies that will work actively to reach set bioenergy goals, including local and regional governments.
5. To develop and pass a set of laws and acts on bioenergy for stimulation, support and development of bioenergy technologies (first at all, heat production from solid biomass and biogas technology followed by many other kinds of technologies).
6. Research organisations and enterprises of Ukraine have gained wide experience in the development and production of bioenergy equipment, which is nearly of the world quality level and can serve as a basis for large-scale utilisation of biomass. So, it seems to be reasonable to develop and pass the program for bioenergy development, to define responsible agency or governmental body (at the level of State Committee or Ministry).
7. To increase financing of R&D and demonstration projects in bioenergy field under Ministry of Education and Science, Presidium of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, State Committee for Energy Conservation, Ministry of Fuel and Power, Ministry of Agrarian Policy, State Committee on Municipal Economy. To provide them with priority-driven financing for the development of demonstration examples of bioenergy equipment.
8. Commercialisation of bioenergy equipment through wide dissemination activity on projects implemented by all involved organisations. To raise awareness of companies by means of seminars, training actions, educational programs at Universities and Technical High schools. Steps towards commercialisation should be taken as fast as possible concerning the most promising bioenergy systems with short payback period in industry, agriculture, forestry and food sector.
9. To organise International Ukrainian Conference on Biomass for Energy every two years. To hold Third International Ukrainian Conference on Biomass for Energy in 2006. (recommended organisers are the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of NASU and Scientific Engineering Centre "Biomass").