Ukrainian scientists seek investors to organize production of biofuel from plants

By Svetlana Sytina
The Ukrainian Times

The Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics under the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine seeks investors to implement two projects.

Specifically, the first project provides for the organization of production of bioethanol from sorgo. Today bioethanol is made in the world from barley, wheat, sugar beets and corn. Above all, food crops should be used as food. Sorgo is not a staple foodstuff and it yields ethanol two times more than sugar beet and corn.

Last year 400 tons of bioethanol fuel were produced at the Institute by means of research-and-industrial equipment. Organizing of full-blast production requires $11 million. According to authors’ estimates, the project will bring the pay-back in four years.

The second project, which was drawn up by researchers of the Institute, envisages the organization of production of biodiesel fuel from dodder seeds. Ukrainian scientists have already created highly productive varieties of this plant, capable of yielding 45-50% of oil and about four tons of seeds per hectare. Output of biodiesel fuel amounts to 1-1.4 tons per hectare and a profit is estimated at 8,000 grivnas or so.

To date, specialists of the Institute have built the research-and-production line that has a capacity to turn out a ton of biodiesel fuel per day. It is necessary to invest five million grn in a pilot plant, the purchases of raw materials and elaboration of documents.

Experts of the Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics think that even a partial transition to mixed fuel would enable Ukraine to decrease the import of oil by several million tons a year. At present, only 40% of home-produced fuel is consumed in this country while arable lands are used ineffectively.