Recycling Biosolids to Improve Marginal Lands for Bioenergy Feedstock Production in Ukraine

Abstract

Energy independence is one of the national priorities facing Ukraine today. Plant-based feedstocks have the potential to diversify Ukraine’s energy independence by decreasing dependence on petroleum-based energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding renewable fuel industries and creating job opportunities. However, biofeedstock needs to be competitive on availability, performance, and price to produce, market, and produce fuels. We hypothesize that domestically produced feedstocks from sweet sorghum, using proactive recycling of nutrient-rich biosolids on vast areas of degraded and marginal lands, could be a win-win energy independence strategy in Ukraine. Our goal is to create for generating a steady-state source of biofeedstock and disseminate science-based knowledge and training to the clientele. Specific objectives are to: (1) establish research studies to evaluate growth and feedstock productivity, nutrient removal, and feedstock characteristics of sweet sorghum fertilized with biosolids on degraded and marginal lands in Rivne, Kherson, Dnipro, and Kyiv regions of Ukraine; and (2) determine the impact of biosolids and sweet sorghum on soil quality. Data collected on growth, feedstock production, feedstock characteristics, fuel potential, and high-value co-products (biochar) of sweet sorghum and soil quality will be evaluated by multivariate statistics. Input, output, and outreach data will be subject to techno-economic analyses to evaluate the economically viability, environmentally compatibility, and social acceptability of the project. Traditional and electronic outlet activities will be utilized to disseminate outcomes and outputs and to evaluate project impacts.