The National Plan of actions for renewable energy provides for an increase in the number of the Ukrainian renewable energy sources (RES) by five times within five years, while the capacity of energy generating stations from biomass should increase 40-fold.
According to preliminary estimates, this plan will require 17 billion euros without taking into account the need to modernize the heat supply sector. To attract this amount of investment, it will naturally be necessary to create favorable economic and legislative conditions.
Note that according to the Secretary General of the European Association of Biomass Jean-Marc Jossar, the share of RES in the European Union today is about 15%, and 60% of this amount is produced by using biomass. Unfortunately, the European economy so far is dependent on the import of fossil fuels, the reduction of which will lead to a decline in economic growth. Thus, the European community needs to develop a reasonable strategy for transferring industry to renewable energy sources.
As for Ukraine, the development of alternative energy sources in the contrary will lead to the development of the economy because, due to the climatic features of the country, biomass is an accessible local resource, and its use will give rise to jobs and increased budget filling due to paid taxes.
Today in Ukraine there are about 300 enterprises producing solid biofuel (fuel pellets and briquettes). At the same time, about 30 million tons of raw materials remain unused, which can be used for the development of this industry. Thus, the Ukrainian economy can replace about 13 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
This scenario corresponds to plans of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine for 30% reduction of gas consumption in the heating season 2015-2016. It should be noted that in the past heating season, heat generating companies reduced this figure by 23%, consuming 5.6 billion cubic meters of gas instead of 7.3 billion cubic meters. Also, about a quarter of a billion cubic meters was saved by the country's budget organizations.
The lеаding analyst of the Ukrainian biofuel portal pellet-wood.com Sergei Kozlov believes that a prerequisite for further reducing gas consumption along with market prices is the creation of a favorable investment climate. In the transition period of tariff increases, the government should take advantage of existing experience and make it as easy as possible for companies that are ready to invest in the Ukrainian alternative energy.
The beginning of this was laid last year by transferring budgetary organizations to solid biofuels. In total, the number of such facilities reached 400. In total, more than 140 boiler houses were reequipped in 16 regions of the country, which saved 42 million hryvnia. But this situation concerns only the budgetary sphere. Analysts of the industry consider it necessary to attract investments in other areas to compensate for the difference in tariffs for heat generated by renewable sources of energy.
Following this way, the state simultaneously solves several issues, such as stimulating its own production, reducing the import of hydrocarbons and creating new jobs by increasing the production of alternative fuels.
In addition, it is necessary to develop the mechanisms for implementing alternative energy sources used in the EU countries. Such as, state compensation for the purchase of solid fuel boilers, tax exemptions for the use of local resources and the possibility of selling electricity to national power grids.
Summarizing the all above, it can be stated that the implementation of the action plan for alternative energy primarily depends on the Ukrainian government and its ability to act consistently in the energy sector.
