The stressful situation at the gas market of Ukraine made the Ukrainians reconsider the use of wood pellets.
Throughout 2014, the Ukrainian producers and traders of wood pellets noted a steep increase in the demand for their production at the domestic market of the country. This fact is due to a massive transition to solid biofuel of the social service establishments and of some private households. According to official statistics, throughout the year solid fuel boilers were installed in more than 400 social service establishments. This work has been conducted at the expense of the means allocated by the state budget and in the framework of the financing by the foreign investors as well. The expedience of modernization was regarded efficient at the end of the current heating season. On average, fuel economy amounted to 200 thousands of hryvnias in each establishment, that equaled 15% of the total amount of the means.
Together with the budget organizations, the commercial establishments also transit to the use of pellets. For example, pellet boilers have been installed at such enterprises as Nikopol plant "Trubostal", elevator "Agrotechnika" Limited Liability Company, Melitopol Public Utility Company "Vodokanal" and others. Ukrainian agrarians have also found it expedient to use alternative fuel. Pellets offered a comprehensive solution for many of the small hothouse economy, 6 – 10 hectares in square, which have confronted many difficulties owing to the increase in prices for utilities.
The analysts of Ukrainian Biofuel Portal pellets-wood.com note that the western regions hold the leading position in the transition to wood pellets as they possess enormous forest resources, particularly Ternopil Oblast, Volyn Oblast, Rivne Oblast. In 2015 it is expected that Kharkiv Oblast, Odessa Oblast and Zaporizhia Oblast will undertake the same initiative, moreover they have already conceived a number of the large-scale projects on the implantation of the alternative types of fuel.
Author: Ivan Prokhorov
