On April 20, an expert discussion on the topic: “The beginning of hydrogen energy production in Ukraine: opportunities and technical barriers” was held. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. During the event, UABIO Head of the Board of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine Georgii Geletukha spoke about the prospects of biomethane production in Ukraine.
“The potential for biomethane production is 7.8 billion m3. This is about 25% of natural gas consumption in Ukraine. What raw materials are needed? About half – due to crop residues such as straw, corn, sunflower stalks. This is quite unconventional for biogas production. But technology is evolving, there are projects in the world that work 100% on such raw materials, there are projects that use a mix of crop residues with different types of manure or silage. But most of the raw material potential we forecast for specially grown corn silage. It is various kinds of waste (manure, sugar beet pulp or other liquid wastes of agriculture and natural industry) “, – Georgii Geletukha told.
He added that according to the forecasts of UABIO experts, biomethane production in Ukraine will increase to 1.7 billion m3 / year in 2035 and to 3 billion m3 / year in 2050. That is why it is extremely necessary to adopt the draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on the Development of Production and Consumption of Biomethane”, which was prepared and submitted for public discussion by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection in April 2021. It will be recalled that UABIO is a partner of the EBRD’s sustainable agribusiness platform SAF.
Thus, the development of sustainable agribusiness in Ukraine will provide the biogas and biomethane industry in Ukraine with significant raw material sources. Due to the residues of production, agricultural producers receive their own energy resources, in addition, thanks to the digestate of biogas plants, it is possible to produce high-quality organic fertilizers, which will restore the fertility of Ukrainian soils.
The main accents in the speech:
- Why biomethane is not a “transitional” fuel to green hydrogen and will coexist with it;
- Biogas and biomethane potential;
- World indicators of biomethane development in the world;
- Decarbonization of the natural gas sector by 2050: the contribution of biomethane;
- EU biomethane plans;
- Raw materials for biogas/biomethane production in Ukraine (read more about the significant raw material resource in the materials on the SAF platform);
- Ukrainian legislation regulating the production and consumption of biomethane;
- Physical properties of biomethane and hydrogen;
- The concept of “green” hydrogen conversion into biomethane;
- REGATRACE project (Renewable gas trade);
- Zoning of biomethane production and assessment of the possibility and conditions of connection of biomethane producers to natural gas transmission and distribution systems in Ukraine within the project of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Download the presentation “Prospects for biomethane production in Ukraine” (in Ukrainian)