Delegation of "Emerging Leaders" from Ukraine Discusses Renewable Fuels with Advanced Biofuels USA

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Invited by the U.S. Ukraine Foundation as part of its Open World Leadership program, Advanced Biofuels USA’s executive director, Joanne Ivancic, met with a delegation of “emerging leaders” from Ukraine to discuss biofuels, feedstock, logistics, conversion technologies and the role renewable fuels can have in addressing environmental problems from climate change and pollution control to energy security.

The Open World Leadership Center, an entity within the U.S. legislative branch with offices at the Library of Congress, funds programs designed to enhance understanding and capabilities for cooperation between the people of the United States and the countries of Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the Baltic States, by developing a network of leaders in the region who have gained significant, first-hand exposure to America’s democratic government, free-market system, and nongovernmental sector. This presentation was part of a week-long program of events and meetings for a group of five from Ukraine.

Ivancic’s presentation included a brief “Biofuels 101” introduction that explored why transitioning to renewable fuels is important. She emphasized that if we want to stop relying on fossil fuels for energy, particularly in the short term renewable fuels are essential. She pointed out that in the US over 70% of petroleum use is for transportation making it essential to find renewable substitutes for liquid fuels for vehicles on the road today and for the next decades; and for modes of transportation that are not easily electrifiable such as aviation, long-haul heavy-duty trucking and maritime shipping. Renewable fuels are certainly a near-term and mid-term way to achieve this goal.

She pointed out the value ethanol has had in the US as a high octane replacement for MTBE, a toxic, carcinogenic chemical that was used as an oxygenate and banned by many states. An interesting discussion ensued assuring the correct translation and understanding of these chemicals and their properties; and the role ethanol played in cleaning up nearly 10% of US ground transportation fuel.

That petroleum is finite and, before it runs out, more dangerous and difficult to extract was illustrated with photos from the BP Gulf oil spill and the continued oil spill resulting from oil well damage from Hurricane Katrina. Renewable fuels present an alternative to these scenarios.

Delegates nodded understanding of the proposition that there are geo-political reasons to transition to home-grown fuel; that any country that does not make its own fuel and depends on others for energy has a boot on its neck. That the other countries or entities holding their energy lifeline have a powerful weapon to influence social, economic and political life.

Ivancic also brought up the need for “fair trade” standards for components of electric vehicles, comparable to the sustainability criteria that renewable fuels must meet.

She also included illustrations of the many types of feedstock that can be used for sustainable, renewable fuels ranging from purpose-grown crops to agricultural and forest wastes and residues to recycled plastics, used cooking oil and other municipal waste, including sewage.

Ivancic also talked about biofuels as a co-product or co-benefit of solutions to other problems such as burning crop stubble on fields, taking toxins out of emissions, keeping contaminated used cooking oil out of the black market, providing cleaner burning cooking fuel, cleaning up industrial flue gases, managing dairy manure, remediation of contaminated or mining fields, erosion control and more.

One of the delegates, having worked on the FORBIO project (Fostering Sustainable Feedstock Production for Advanced Biofuels on underutilized land in Europe), reinforced the potential value of energy crops for remediation of former mining and marginal land.

Extra emphasis was given to biofuel use for heat as a number of delegates work in that area. For example, Ensyn’s renewable fuel oil (RFO) and lists of companies involved in industrial flue gas and biogas were of interest to those focused on finding renewable options for heating buildings.

The group discussed in some detail renewable energy policies in the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and in California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

The group returned to the topic of optimizing engines and fuels, reviewing the work of Brian West and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Advanced Biofuels USA white paper on the topic.

Andrii Olehovych Nazarenko, a Senior Scientific Worker at the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. He is also a deputy in the Boyarka City Council and works in the field of heating systems that use renewable energy sources as well as with the implementation of energy-saving programs at the city and state levels. His focus is on using renewable energy sources for heating buildings.

Anna Volodymyrivna Pastukh, a Lawyer & Secretary of the Board for the Public Union "Bioenergetic Association of Ukraine." In her work she seeks to facilitate the development of alternative energy sources, particularly bioenergy. She works closely with governmental bodies to improve legislation in this field and is particularly interested in U.S. state & federal approaches to renewable energy regulation.

Maksym Yuriiovych Tkachuk is the Head of the Finance & Budget Department for Berezdiv Village Council. He is preparing a strategy to regulate a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources; working on substituting gas in municipal buildings with local renewable energy sources such as straw briquettes and working on reducing the thermal demand of community buildings.

Oleksandra Volodymyrivna Tryboi, a consultant with the Renewable Energy Agency, a non-governmental organization, consults on renewable energy issues, notably bioenergy. This includes assessing the potential of biomass in different regions of Ukraine. She has worked on projects designed to help transition Ukraine to 100% renewables by 2050.

Vitalii Ihorovych Zubenko, a Scientific Worker with the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics at the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, works on research and development of technologies that derive liquid fuel from biomass via quick pyrolysis. More broadly, he is working on developing new renewable energy technologies with a special emphasis on wood, straw, corn, and other agricultural waste.

The value of person-to-person international exchanges cannot be overemphasized. Exchanging frank discussions, observing body language, collaborating to explore and create new ideas in the moment grow out of such events. Those who present learn as much as they hope to impart.