A new cooperation project by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and the Finnish Forest Centre is paving the way for decentralized energy production in Ukraine. The aim is to increase the use of forest biomass and improve the sourcing of sustainable raw materials in Ukraine.
The project “Sustainable raw material supply for forest-based energy in Ukraine (Forest energy Ukraine)” focuses on strengthening research and development capacity to support the efficient and sustainable supply of raw materials for forest-based energy production in Ukraine. A case study will be conducted to build capacity for assessing forest energy potential and analysing the most efficient supply chains for raw materials. Based on the findings, an operational model will be developed to secure a biomass supply for energy production, alongside recommendations for improving wood procurement practices.
In addition to forest energy, the project places strong emphasis on forest data management. Reliable, up-to-date forest information is essential for industries that rely on wood as a raw material. Ukrainian partners will benefit from Finnish experience in producing and using high-quality digital forest data, which will enhance data reliability and supply chain transparency in Ukraine. The initiative will also strengthen Ukrainian partners’ ability to adopt the latest technologies for forest measurement and monitoring.
"It will be interesting to delve into Finnish experience on managing forest information and explore how we can leverage the expertise and methodologies in Ukraine,” said Maryna Bohush from the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine.
"Building forest research capacity related to forest energy and applying the latest remote sensing technologies helps fill knowledge gaps and opens new opportunities," added Serhii Sydorenko from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after G. M. Vysotsky.
In addition, the project partners include the Ukrainian State Forest Management Planning Association “Ukrderzhlisproekt.
The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and supported in its implementation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.
