Germany Support Ukraine to Produce Biofuel

 

Ukraine and Germany will intensify cooperation in the field of bio-energy. Germany also will facilitate the implementation in 2013-2014 years of promising projects for the production of biofuels in Ukraine. This was discussed during the Ukrainian-German meeting on cooperation in the development of energy production from biomass. Using German technology and equipments, these pilot projects will produce thermal power and biogas out of the agricultural waste, currently, Ukraine has around 30 such projects on offer. Viktor Tymoshchuk, expert at the Department of engineering and agricultural machinery, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine announced this year both countries have decided to work together in cooperation to a new level by bringing to life biofuel projects. Moreover, these pilot projects will be used for advancing its biofuel production, including the establishment of a pilot bio-energy village, along with Polish state-owned company PGNIG-energy, Germany will put the project. German side of the positive changes that have occurred in the domestic legislation in terms of promoting the production of bio-fuels.

 

Possessing a large agricultural sector that produces notable amounts of agricultural waste and manure, Ukraine has a significant potential for bio-energy production. At the moment, the Eastern European country produces entry-level 700,000 tons of solid biofuel per year, Comparably, an average German biofuel plant provides 800,000 tons of solid biofuel per year. In October 2012, Ukraine launched its first pilot project for solid biofuel production, and this year it is planned to build 10 biofuel plants. The plant producing wood pellets is located in Turbiv, the urban-type settlement in Vinnytsia region,central western Ukraine.

    

The Eastern European country has set its eye on constructing a total of 10 such plants. Wood pellets will be produced from straw purchased from local farmers. Arguably, combustion efficiency of wood pellets exceeds 85 percent. 
 

So far, the country has six functioning biogas units and two more are to start operating this year. In addition, two poultry farms, which could generate 30 to 35 million cubic meters of biogas, starts operations in 2013 in the western and southern region of Ukraine. To further boost its biofuel production, Ukraine also aims to create a pilot bio-energy village, which will serve as a hub for the sector, and to export biogas to other member countries of the European Union.