Practice seminar on import energy commodities replacement within regions and local communities in Horizon 2020 framework of uP-running project was held in Vinnitsa on May 31, 2016.

Seminar related to the topic of “Perspectives of agro wooden biomass usage for power generation” speakers have discussed with participators issues of profitability and costs optimization in agricultural business through wooden waste use for power generation via burning in power generating installations. Participants and speakers have discussed issues of financial capital rising for projects related to alternative sources of energy, including agriculture.

During seminar, speakers have presented a concept of three year project on “Intensification of stable supply of wooden biofuel growth” (uP-running project of Horizon 2020). Along with, European best practices results in successful usage of waste of orchards were presented to the audience. The aim of the uP-running project is to convince farmers to use wooden waste for power generation.

The aim of the seminar is organization of networking and communication within related to orchard farming businesses in Vinnitsa region for perspective cooperation in supply and demand chains of wooden biomass waste produced by farming entities. Participators which are interested in options of cost optimizations will be invited to take part in demonstrative projects planned for 2017.

In overall seven countries take part in the uP_running project “Take – off for sustainable supply of woody biomass from agrarian pruning and plantation removal”. The project is financed by the European Commission in the Horizon 2020 framework. Twenty demonstrative projects are planned to be conducted in different countries with one common goal to convince farmers that usage of wooden biomass from agrarian pruning and plantation removal as biofuel is value adding in issues related cost optimization and profitability growth.

In the end of production cycle farms produce wooden biomass waste after pruning and plantation removal of vineyards, fruit and olives orchards. Inefficient practice in from of burning or burying such wooden waste is common for most of farms due to utilization habits. Utilization of wooden waste is cost rising procedure for main business of farmers and thus, if such waste will be used efficiently as biofuel, farmers could optimize business costs and local communities will be supplied with alternative energy source.

Despite wide range of certain circumstances related to usage of such type of biofuel, the EU’s members have demonstrated notable successful results providing concrete evidence for business to revise the approach to wooden waste utilization. New initiative idea came up due to positive practices in the EU’s countries. “uP_running” project coordinators assured that the knowledge and experience of them able to drive scaling of wooden waste usage for power generation.

Ukraine is one of organization countries for demonstrating uP_running projects (others are Spain, Italy and Greece). The association “Ukrainian Agribusiness Club” became agricultural partner and technical one is Science and Tech Research Center “Biomass”.

Due to settled goals, the project aimed to provide farmers, vineyards owners and fruits producers and perspective consumers of biofuel with pragmatic arguments and concrete examples to confirm value adding usage of biofuel from wooden waste. This requires self-awareness and understanding that such projects and business models are achievable in competition framework from practice side through self-regulation and management, complex waste management and supply chains. Also such options of cost reduction and financial optimization are not always on the table and that is why farmers and business in cooperation with local communities have to analyze the market, farming business and biofuel demand side to write successful story.