The first stage of the implementation of the joint international project “Transformative Pilot Action (TPA) Project on  Bioenegy for Boryslav” on increasing the level of energy efficiency and sustainable use of bioenergy in Boryslav Gymnasium № 9 has been completed. The program was initiated by the Center for Development and Environment (CDE) / University of Bern, Switzerland in the cooperation with Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zurich-Birmensdorf, Switzerland, Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) and Boryslav City Council.

For project implementation, a grant of 7,000 Swiss francs were allocated and spent on purchasing material for Boryslav Gymnasium № 9. In particular, 13 window and 9 door blocks made of PVC-profile, with energy saving, were installed (Fig. 1-2).

Fig. 1. The process of installing door blocks in Boryslav Gymnasium № 9, Lviv region in December 2022

Fig. 2. The process of installing window blocks in Boryslav Gymnasium №9, Lviv region in December 2022

All work on the installation of window and door blocks was performed by the supplier, technical staff of the Gymnasium, and parents of schoolchildren.

To ensure the uninterrupted energy supply of the educational institution and thus satisfy the normal functioning of the reconstructed boiler house on firewood and other bioenergy resources, a diesel generator Suptech with a capacity of 7.5 kW was purchased in the frame of the project (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. The diesel electricity generator Suptech in work in Boryslav Gymnasium № 9, Lviv region in January 2023

In addition, a Dnipro-M DSE-24DS electric chain saw was purchased for sawing firewood, which is used as fuel in the boiler house of the education institution, as well as spare parts and consumables (chain oil, chain and saw bar). Firewood is chopped in a storage room for solid fuel, built with the prize money received by the gymnasium as a result of the victory in the competition “Wood for Energy: Best Practices for Wood Biomass for Energy Production”, held in 2018 by the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. The electric chain saw in work in the woodshed in Boryslav Gymnasium № 9, Lviv region in January 2023

The purchased material helped the Gymnasium to save and preserve energy resources.

The next stage of the project implementation will be the preparation of a bilingual (Ukrainian-English) leaflet/analytical note, as well as the publication of joint scientific works on Action Research and Implementation on the general topic “Bioenergetics/Energy efficiency at the communal level in Ukraine on the example of Boryslav City Council and Drogobytsk Agglomeration”.

The Kickoff meeting of project partners was held online in autumn with the participation of the Mayor of Boryslav City Council – Mr. Ihor Yavorskyy and the Head of the Center for Ecology, Tourism and Sustainable Development of the Boryslav City Council, scientist – Mr. Myron Zeitler, at which, in addition to the tasks of the mentioned project, the problem of green waste management in the city and ways to solve it, as well as directions for implementing further energy-efficient and energy-saving measures in the Boryslav community was discussed.

The results of the project implementation were presented at the “Europe of the Carpathians” (Fig. 5) conference, which took place on February 24-26, 2023 in the Castle of Krasiczyn, Poland.

Fig. 5. Presentation of project results at the “Europe of the Carpathians” conference

Project coordinator prof. Heino Meessen and PhD, project manager Oksana Pelyukh presented project at the panel discussion “30 years of the Carpathian Euroregion. Carpathians, Alps”. Recording of conference video by link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HIbj1_iKAU (1:13:19 - 1:27:58).

Oksana Pelyukh
PhD, researcher of UNFU,
project manager of NGO ForestCom

Lyudmyla Maksymiv,
PhD, Associate Professor,
researcher of UNFU