Bioenergy can replace natural gas in heat production, help overcome its deficit - Bioenergy Association head
The natural gas deficit in Ukraine creates preconditions for the development of bioenergy, which can replace it with biomass in heat production, believes chairman of the board of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine Heorhiy Heletukha.
"There is already a shortage of gas. However, there is a grain of optimism here - the situation with natural gas can contribute to the development of bioenergy, they can turn their face to us. We, bioenergy, can cheaply replace natural gas in heat supply, and use the gas that is released for electricity," Heletukha said in a blitz interview with the online portal Energy Reform.
"I don't see where we'll get enough natural gas. Import is good, but it's expensive. Gas generation is slowly developing, and consumption will grow," he added.
The head of the association cited Lithuania as an example, where the share of heat from biomass in centralized heating was 90%. According to him, a biomass boiler house can be built in no more than six months.
At the same time, Heletukha emphasized that subsidizing heat production for the population is holding back the replacement of natural gas in heat supply, and the existing heat and power complex is not interested in opening their de facto monopoly market.
"And if the heat tariff for the population was unsubsidized now, we would have a whole bunch of biomass boiler houses. This is the economic side of the issue. But these boiler houses also need to be put into the network, so that there is competition," the head of the association explained.
According to him, the market signal is the norm of law No. 4213-IX of January 14, 2025 (large energy bill No. 9381, signed by the head of state on February 6), that independent heat energy producers have the right to non-discriminatory connection to heating networks, but there must be a next step.
"The law should say not just to facilitate, but to necessarily connect the heat supply facility if it offers cheaper heat," he explained.
As reported, Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko in a blitz interview with Interfax-Ukraine said that Ukraine would have to import at least 1 billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the year. Former Minister of Energy Olha Buslavets named the figure of 2-3 billion cubic meters of gas. The former head of GTSOU, Serhiy Makogon, reported that Naftogaz imported 150 million cubic meters of natural gas in February at UAH 28,000/thousand cubic meters.