Bioenergy

Bioenergy is a branch of energy sector that involves the use of biomass as a fuel.

Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy derived from organic materials known as biomass. Types of biomass commonly used for bioenergy include wood, dedicated energy crops, agricultural residues, municipal waste and waste from industries (in particular the food industry and wood processing).

Ukraine has great potential for the development of the bioenergy industry due to its large agricultural sector and vast areas of land suitable for growing undemanding energy plants as well as the necessary human and material resources. Most importantly, there is a growing interest in biomass use to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, diversify energy sourcing and strengthen Ukraine’s energy independence.

The role of bioenergy in the heat generation sector is particularly important, as biomass and biofuels can replace traditional fuels and energy sources in heat and electricity generation, as well as in transport.

In recent years, Ukraine has seen a gradual increase in the number of facilities and installed capacity for the production of thermal and electrical energy from biomass. The gas crisis at the end of 2021 confirmed the prospects and necessity for developing Ukraine’s bioenergy sector. Against the background of record high prices for natural gas (= fossil gas), bioenergy was able to cover part of the natural gas deficit in thermal energy production. As a result, in 2021, a total of 21 MW of biogas plants and 43.1 MW of biomass plants were commissioned, which was double the 2020 increase in bioenergy capacity.

At the beginning of 2022, the total installed capacity of bioenergy power plants was 273.9 MW (excluding the 2 MW biomass power plant located in the territories temporarily occupied by russia before February 24, 2022). As of today, 5.7 MW (1.3 %) of bioenergy facilities are under occupation. It is known that at least four plants were shelled and damaged. (Source: Ukrainian energy sector evaluation and damage assessment — X ).

Apart from being used for the production of heat and electricity, biogas, more specifically biomethane, could also effectively replace fossil gas as a fuel for transport and as a raw material for the chemical industry. Almost half of all potential for biomethane production is concentrated in 6 regions of Ukraine: Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. The total biomethane production in Ukraine could reach 1.0 billion m³/year in 2030 and 4.5 billion m³/year in 2050. (Source: Prospects of biomethane production in Ukraine )

At the same time, it’s important to ensure that bioenergy development in Ukraine is done in a sustainable way. Land and vegetation are carbon sinks, they function as an absorber and storage of carbon, thereby helping curb global warming. Biomass production and harvesting need to take that sink function into account. Moreover, biomass is also needed as a raw material for the bio-industry, for example, to replace plastics. To avoid competition for scarce materials, the bioenergy sector should primarily focus on the use of residues: the type of biomass that cannot be used as a raw material for other purposes, or after it has been used for other purposes.