Ministry for Nature prepared bioenergy stimulation plan

Russian government approved the plan on stimulation of renewable wood resources utilization in heat and power generation. Development of this industry will require changes in the legislation and will be tested in five Russian regions, according to Russian Forestry News.

“Presently, usage of wooden biofuel is possible mainly at the public heat and power facilities”, Ministry for Nature concludes.

Amongst other things, the plan entails analysis of foreign experience and ways to use it in Russian conditions, development of online reference book on optimal technologies and solutions in bioenergy and forming the list of black oil boiler houses to be switched to renewable energy.

Implementation of this programme will require changes in legislation, in particular state-financed reforestation on forest plots used in biofuel investment projects.

It is also planned to ban construction and repairs of hydrocarbon energy stations in case there are enough unused wood resources in the region, as well as to preserve regional budget subsidies for heat for five years after reconstruction. Full text of the plan is published at the website of Ministry for Nature.