Event Management

International Industrial Conference and Exhibition «Biofuels. Ukraine – 2008» managed by FGL Energy and supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, the European Commission and GTZ GmbH was successfully held on April 2-4 in Kyiv. The Conference was attended by more than 150 participants from 14 countries: leading international and Ukrainian experts, scientists, representatives of the Ukrainian Government and the European Commission, MPs and others.

The Conference and Exhibition were officially inaugurated by Mr O.Shevschenko, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine; Mr B.Aliev, Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine; Mr R.Vierhout, General Secretary of European Bioethanol Fuel Association; Mr S.Pashynsky, Member of Parliament of Ukraine; Mr I.Cherkashyn, Head of National Agency for Efficient Use of Energy Resources of Ukraine; and Mr G.Kaletnik, Head of UkrBioEnergy Association.

«Taking into account that Ukraine is secured with only 10-12% of own energy resources and from the other hand has a huge bio-energy feedstock potential, we have a unique chance to become a leading European biofuels producer», stated Mr.O.Shevschenko, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine. This great potential is used by 0,83% only. Conference participants agreed that Ukraine has to make serious steps forward to the development of renewable energy sources, that will help to increase the level of its ecological and energy security and to provide agrarian and transport sectors with biofuels of own production and in such way to decrease the dependence of national economy on import of oil products.

Nowadays Ukraine has a solid economic background for biofuels production and distribution: spare land for growing grain and oil plants, scientific and human resources potential, increasing internal demand for liquid biofuels, enormous export opportunities. The current status of Ukrainian biofuels industry requires joint efforts of state and business to be undertaken for creating favourable investment conditions and formation of biofuels market of Ukraine. As a result of discussions related to the development and usage of liquid biofuels, the Communication from the conference participants to the Ukrainian state bodies was developed containing recommendations for further development of biofuels industry.

Industrial Exhibition was held in the framework of the Conference to demonstrate existing leading technologies, up-to-date equipment and innovative solutions. The Exhibition presented leading Ukrainian and International companies producing equipment for biofuels industry: GEA Wiegand (Germany), Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH (Germany), Desmet Ballestra Group (Italy), AlfaLaval Ukraine, Biodieseldnepr Ltd (Ukraine), Trend Ltd (Ukraine), Ivano-Frankivsk Institute of Agri-industrial Production (Ukraine), Alimentarmash (Moldova), Nizhin Mechanic Plant OJSC (Ukraine), Spetsyalni Tehnologii Ltd (Ukraine), KoronAgro Ltd (Ukraine).

During the Investment Round Table that was held in the framework of the Conference on 4 April three biofuels investment projects were presented. Round table participants discussed major problems concerning the projects’ implementation and investment attraction to the biofuels sector.