Proceedings World Bioenergy 2010

some optimisation in local employment was achieved and
a few seasonal work places were created [63,61]. Third,
the installations brought climate co-benefits due to GHG
emission reduction from fuel substitution [34,63].
The reasons for a transition towards straw use for
energy were of economic and environmental origin. Boiler
managers [63,61] were interested to substitute expensive
imported fuel with locally sourced biomass, and also
improve environmental conditions in the village. In the
case of Drozdy the installation of a straw-fired boiler also
had a demonstration purpose as it was the first straw-fired
boiler installed in UA [34].
Comparing ABF 3 to Danish and Swedish
experiences, it should be noted that “medium scale” is
defined differently for Ukrainian and Western European
context. In UA these are small installations up to 1 MW
(Fig. 1) while in WE medium scale implies that the boiler
has a capacity larger than 1 MW [11,12] and thus
represents a more complicated technological system
(Fig. 2) with automatic straw feed in and shredding. It is
rather the nature and shape of organisational factors and
forms that enables comparability and certain degree of
analogy between the systems in UA and WE.
The reasons for transformation in SE and DK were
somewhat different from those in UA, and included
political and legal support in addition to economic gains
achieved with fuel substitution. In UA one of the key
drivers for transformation towards bioenergy on different
scales is the issue of energy security provision.
Figure 2: Straw-fired boiler house (1 MW) and straw
storage, Horreby, Denmark
V DISCUSSION
5.1 Straw-to-energy realities in Ukraine
Examples of Ukrainian initiatives on energy
production from straw clearly demonstrate that straw-toenergy
markets and the whole sector are in their latent
phase of development, and straw is not commercialised
as an energy carrier in the country yet. Working strawfired
installations do not exceed 1 MW. This is to certain
extent linked to the fact that in UA there exist no
technological production lines of straw-fired boilers or
heat-generators larger than 1 MW. UTEM is the
dominating straw-fired boiler manufacturer in the
country.
The majority of straw-fired installations in rural areas
in UA do not supply hot water in addition to heat supply.
This can be most likely explained by the scarcity of
central water distribution networks and sewage systems
in the villages. However, potentially all of the boilers
could supply hot water.
Neither of the functioning boilers in UA have air
emission abatement equipment. According to the law,
flue gas cleaning systems are not required to be installed
in small combustion facilities.
Almost in all cases straw bailers are owned by
agricultural enterprises, who are feedstock growers and
straw suppliers either to their own boilers or to the boilers
owned and operated by local municipality. In two cases
bailers are rented by the farmers from their neighbours,
which demonstrates that there exist a practice of sharing
machinery and equipment between the actors in a strawsupply
chain.
Farmers and agricultural enterprises that have
installed straw-fired boilers in UA are quite well off.
They can both allow to purchase a boiler and to own
necessary machinery and equipment for straw handling.
In the case of private boilers no permits were noted to
be required for the boiler installation and operation. Also
since these installations are privately owned, not much
intrusion from the side of local authorities is observed.
Written contracts are put in place when there are a few
actors involved, and a need for straw-supply agreement
exists.
The role of actors and human factor is noted
important in the transformation towards straw use for
energy in UA. Many farm managers who own straw-fired
installations have higher education and sometimes hold a
PhD degree. Often a determining role for the success of
the project can be attributed to its enthusiastic initiators
and leaders (i.e. businessmen, researchers, consultants,
school teachers, representatives of local municipalities,
etc.).
In most cases it is reported that no additional jobs
directly linked to the boiler operation and maintenance
were created. However, a positive co-benefit observed in
all cases is that money is kept and is circulating within
the local budget. In all cases in UA valorisation of wasted
straw, crop residues and sometimes wood waste was
achieved with the installation of straw-fired systems.
All straw-fired owners and operators report to be
satisfied with the work of installations and quite happy
with their payback periods.
A more smooth and easy transition pathway towards
straw use for energy can be attributed to the existing DH
networks and old tradition of biomass use for energy in
rural areas in UA. On the other hand, the absence of
transparent governmental influence and targeted support
could be attributed to the factors hindering the success of
straw-based energy systems in the country.
5.2 Comparison of straw use for energy in Ukraine and
Western Europe
The analysis yields three different generic
frameworks for organisation and action in UA, two of
which (ABF 1 and ABF 3) have been encountered in
Western European context while one (ABF 2) is rather
specific for Ukrainian conditions. All ABFs share key
components but differ in accordance with the nature of
goals and energy end-use needs, ownership of the
installations, number of actors involved, degrees of
system complexity and formalisation.
For all ABF types in UA sizes of farms are larger on
average than in WE. In UA on small scale the main users
are not only grain-dryers but also enterprises. Besides,
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