Global processes of solid biofuel production: Trends and prospects of its development in Ukraine

The article highlights current global energy problems concerning the consumption of fossil fuels, their negative consequences, and trends in the growth of the consumption of renewable energy resources. It has been established that one of the most promising alternative energy sources in the world and Europe is solid biomass of plant origin, an environmentally friendly and rapidly renewable energy resource. An intensive process of growth in production and consumption of fuel briquettes and pellets, which in 2014–2020 made up averagely 27.2 %, can be observed in Ukraine. The constructed trend line of fuel briquettes and pellets production and consumption in Ukraine from 2014 to 2025 has a high level of reliability with a 0.92 coefficient of determination. Based on the analysis of the consumption of fuel briquettes and pellets in the regions of Ukraine, they were divided into low, medium, high, and very high levels of consumption. The developed miscanthus cultivation technology ensures: 20–25 t/ha dry biomass yield; 25–28 t/ha solid fuel yield; 500–520 GJ/ha solid fuel energy output; 160–190 % production profitability. The developed switchgrass growing technology provides: 15–20 t/ha dry biomass yield; 8.5–12.0 t/ha solid fuel yield; 150–220 GJ/ha solid fuel energy output; 160–230 % production profitability. The further development of solid biofuel production will ensure the expansion of technologies for the combined generation of electrical and thermal energy, which will be obtained due to the cheap biological resources processing. Development of domestic bioenergy engineering can be considered as an additional socio-economic effect. © 2024 The Authors