Using Biomass as Substitute for Peat – Examples for Wet Peatland Management (Paludiculture) in Belarus

Authors:
Wendelin Wichtmann, Aleg Sivagrakau, Andreas Haberl, Nina Tanovitskaya, Vyacheslav Rakovich, Aleh Rodzkin

Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Stockholm

Keywords:
biofuels, biomass, paludiculture, peat-factory, rewetting

Documentfile:
Wichtmann et al 2012: Using Biomass as Substitute for Peat – Examples for Wet Peatland Management (Paludiculture) in Belarus

Summary:

Theme II. Peat for horticulture, energy and other uses

SUMMARY

The wet and sustainable utilisation of degraded and abandoned peatlands (paludiculture), with site adapted harvesting machinery and the combustion of the harvested biomass is an innovative approach in peatland management. Recently two pilots for the substitution of peat with biomass from rewetted peatlands have been realised in Belarus in Lida District of Grodno Region and Sporovski zakaznik (Berioza District). The pilots cover the development (in the former), and the analysis of a fully set up (in the latter), of production chains for the harvesting of biomass for biofuel production (sensu stricto).
It is envisaged in both pilots that an EU funded project will aid the further implementation and optimisation of paludiculture and its product chains, in close cooperation with national research institutions.