Solid Biofuel Production Perspectives in Ukraine

Abstract

The reserves of fossil fuel resources in Ukraine are limited, that is why the usage of solid biofuel from renewable raw materials is one of the most important factors of state energy policy directed at the preservation of traditional fuel and energy resources and improvement of the environment condition. The analysis of biological resources is made in this paper, and it is determined that Ukraine has a sufficient potential which is available for energy production and constitutes around 29 million tons of equivalent fuel. Energy crops are an important resource therewith. A potential yield of solid biofuel from perennial energy crops can constitute approximately 35.8 million tons per year. It is shown that raw biomass has a number of disadvantages: low energy density, unstable granulometry, wide spread of moisture content, and low bulk density which are the main problems for its storage and transportation. In order to increase consumer performance properties of biomass, the granulation process is suggested to be used. The implementation of granulation process will allow to eliminate the shortcomings of biological raw material and to transform it into a high-efficiency fuel.  One of the most important conditions of effective and profitable functioning of granulated biomass production is the availability and regular supply of raw materials. Therewith, for Ukraine's conditions it is worthwhile to use sets of high-power equipment for its operation both in the places with high concentration of raw materials and small mobile units which can work in stationary conditions and move to the places with sufficient amount of raw materials decreasing the costs of biomass transportation to minimum. At the same time, there is a need in developing new homeland elaborations, both complex process lines and individual equipment units for different capacities.   The paper determines the main directions of using granulation products among which are: combustion in pellet boilers, common combustion with coal, and gasification of granulated biomass for obtaining motor oils. It is mentioned that the application of granulation technologies solves not only the energy problems but also a set of other problems: ecological, agricultural, forestry and social ones.