Center for Development and Environment (CDE), Bern University (Switzerland) within the action research and implementation program in Boryslav (Lviv region) and in cooperation with the Boryslav City Council, Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) and NGO “Forest initiatives and community” (NGO ForestCom) started the implementation of a project aimed at carrying out a Transformative Pilot Action (TPA) to increase the level of energy efficiency and sustainable use of bioenergy in Boryslav Gymnasium No. 9. On Thursday, October 20, a Kickoff meeting of project partners was held online.

The meeting was chaired by the representative of CDE, Bern University, Switzerland, Dr. Heino Meessen, who expressed his support for Ukraine in these difficult days of the war and assured that this is not the last project that will be implemented for the bioenergy transition of Ukrainian small towns. This project will be realize in the cooperation triangle – innovative for further project cooperation: NGO – Local government – University – involving younger research generation and Boryslav staff for action research and implementation of TPA.

The Mayor of Boryslav City Council - Igor Yavorskyy took part in the meeting. At the moderator's request to describe the consequences of attacks on the energy system, Mayor reported on the energy supply situation in Boryslav after russian attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine.

“The problem is complex, after damage to critical infrastructure there are interruptions in the supply of electricity in the city. Repairs are underway to restore full power. The city introduced an energy-saving mode, in particular, the evening street lighting was turned off.” - Igor Yavorskyy.

Also, the Mayor emphasized the importance of supporting international partners in the development of bioenergy in the city.

“This cooperation means more than just getting a financial resource and improving the material base. In the time of war, we understand all the risks and threats that we have now. But you (Swiss - author's note) do it and help us, it means that you believe in our victory. When we have such partners who help us and believe in us, our country has no choice but to defeat the evil that is against peace and democracy around the world. Your trust and faith in us will return to you a hundredfold.” - Igor Yavorskyy.

The meeting was also attended by the head of the Center for Ecology, Tourism and Sustainable Development of the Boryslav City Council, scientist Myron Zeitler, who emphasized the critical problem of green waste management in the city of Boryslav (wood, branches, mowed grass, fallen leaves, garden waste, vegetables, fruits in large amount) and described two ways of solving it in the city: composting and shredding wood waste. For waste composting, a pilot site for composting waste has already been built near the Boryslav Center for Ecology, Tourism and Sustainable Development, where local residents can bring organic waste for the production and further use of biohumus. To implement the second approach, as experts of the city's communal services believe, the use of a wood waste chipper will help; the city is actively looking for financing sources for its purchase.

By chance, Mr. M. Zeitler demonstrated to the audience three monitoring stations that allow real-time monitoring of the state of atmospheric air in the city, in particular, the content of methane, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, etc. This testifies to the real concern of the employees of the Boryslav City Council and its services for the lives and health of citizens.

Project coordinator, PhD - Oksana Pelyukh gave a presentation with information about the NGO ForestCom and the humanitarian activities that the organization began to implement after the start of the war. In particular, Oksana shared the information about the humanitarian aid kits received by internally displaced persons living in the Boryslav community during the past months as part of the implementation of the project “Meet urgent humanitarian needs of IDPs aged 30+” with the support of the “United Voices in Action” program. Also, Oksana noted that the implementation of the current project with the aim to increase the level of energy efficiency and sustainable use of bioenergy in Boryslav Gymnasium No. 9 was preceded by a thorough theoretical study of the prospects for the implementation of measures for the development of bioenergy in the Boryslav city and practical steps for their implementation.

In particular, Lyudmyla Maksymiv, PhD, associate professor and researcher of the Research Department of UNFU coordinated the work of the Swiss-Ukrainian project, which was carried out with the financial and organizational support of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zurich, Switzerland “Identifying the opportunities of green energy in the Ukrainian Carpathians”. The project became a component of the WSL large-scale research program "Energy Change Impact" (2014-2020) and was carried out in close cooperation with the head of the program and project, Dr. Astrid Bjoernsen. As part of the project, a promotional video was created about the energy past, present and future of Boryslav, as well as the competition “Wood for energy: Competition of the best practices of using wood biomass for energy production” was held. The victory in the competition was won by the Boryslav Gymnasium No. 9, which received an innovation grant in the amount of 1,300 Swiss francs, which was used to build a fuel storage facility for the reconstructed boiler house.

Within the framework of the current project, it is planned to purchase the necessary goods and services for the implementation of measures to increase the energy efficiency of the Gymnasium, namely generator, an electric chainsaw, window and door blocks with subsequent installation, etc. Halyna Novytska, director of Boryslav Gymnasium No. 9, noted that the implementation of the project will help ensure and save energy resources. Therefore, to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements for the temperature regime in educational institutions in the winter period and to conduct the educational process during the current and next academic years in comfortable sanitary and hygienic conditions.

Words of support for the implementation of the project and hope for further fruitful cooperation regarding the development of bioenergy in the Ukrainian Carpathians were sent by Vasyl Lavnyy, Doctor of Science, Prof., Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of UNFU, and Dmytro Karabchuk, PhD, Executive Director of NGO ForestCom.

Oksana Pelyukh
Lyudmyla Maksymiv