ON SOME PERSPECTIVES OF THE USE OF BIOMASS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRALIZED HEAT SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Abstract

As a result of the inconsistent and non-systematic policy regarding the transition of the housing and communal economy of Ukraine, in particular, the field of centralized heat supply, to work in market conditions, significant difficulties have arisen in providing heat to consumers. The untimely development of the regulatory and legal framework for the settlement of these issues led to a poorly predicted policy in the field of heat supply. Excessive liberalization regarding the introduction of individual heat supply in the zone of centralized heat supply led to the "washing out" of the most solvent consumers, significantly complicating the financial situation of heat supply companies. The Government has approved the Concept of the program for the introduction of efficient centralized heat supply in Ukraine, which foresees a significant increase in the share of renewable energy sources, waste heat energy, and the use of cogeneration technologies. The increase in the share of RES in the production of thermal energy is mainly carried out on the basis of the use of biomass. Analysis of the structure of the current consumption of biomass/biofuels in Ukraine shows that the dominant role here belongs to woody biomass, the available potential of which is already used by 90%, and sunflower husks by 83%. Further prospects and opportunities for increasing the volume of energy production from biomass are primarily related to the use of crop production by-products (straw, corn stalks, etc.) and the cultivation of energy crops. Ways to realize this potential should arouse the greatest interest. For this purpose, it is proposed to amend the current legislation regarding the definition of the term "energy plants", to improve the legal basis for the development of farming for the cultivation of energy plants, the conditions for the lease of plots on unproductive and degraded lands. For the further development of market relations in the field of heat supply in Ukraine, it is expedient to develop and adopt the draft Law on the Thermal Energy Market, which should also regulate the conditions for the transition to individual heat supply in the area of centralized heat supply, based on the requirements and experience of the EU.