In late fall, as part of agreements with the “Ukraine Energy Autark” association aimed at promoting innovative research projects and their implementation to achieve Ukraine’s energy self-sufficiency, Olga Vlasenko, senior lecturer at the Institute of IATE at the Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, and Dina Koltysheva, assistant at the Department of Bioenergy, Bioinformatics and Ecobiotechnology at the FBT Dina Koltysheva, successfully completed an internship in Germany on the topic “Biogas and Energy Biomass Utilization” (pictured).
The internship took place November 17–28 in cooperation with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH in Jena at the facilities of “Bio-H2 Umwelt GmbH”—a company with over 20 years of experience engaged in research and development in the field of biomass processing and the production of energy carriers and other products.
The internship was quite intensive: attending lectures, participating in discussions and calculations regarding the latest technologies for biomass processing and biofuel production, visiting biogas plants in Jena, as well as conducting laboratory studies on the characteristics of substrates and inoculants.
Active work in the laboratory using modern high-precision equipment allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the substrate, which is a crucial step in the design of methane tanks. During the internship, participants were able to familiarize themselves with European experience in biomass processing and biofuel production; the challenges facing scientists; and modern technical and technological solutions for creating optimal physicochemical parameters of the culture medium, to which methanogens are particularly sensitive. Waste from the agricultural and livestock sectors, the food industry, and household organic waste still contain a large amount of organic matter even after processing in methanation tanks, so the participants and organizers also devoted significant attention to discussing these challenges. After all, digestate (fermented residue) can itself serve as raw material for further processing and the production of useful products, and the separation of the solid and liquid phases prior to fermentation will also stimulate the production of new useful products for the economy and sustainable development.
In addition, the participants actively took part in the discussion of a master’s thesis defense, which took place during the internship; in particular, questions were raised regarding the feasibility of using a consortium of exo-electrogens and methanogens.
It should be noted that virtually all topics covered during the internship were highly relevant to current circumstances, particularly given the current state of Ukraine’s damaged energy infrastructure and within the context of global strategies for transitioning to renewable energy sources, specifically bioenergy. Among the relevant topics discussed were the following: “Analysis of biomass feedstock, pretreatment, and process optimization,” “Containerized systems,” and “Decentralized biogas systems.”
The participants plan to apply the new knowledge they gained in training specialists within the disciplines they teach, as well as in their research work to promote sustainable development in Ukraine.
It is worth noting that a cultural program was also offered during the internship: for example, together with the staff, the participants visited a pre-New Year’s fair and had a pleasant time getting acquainted with Thuringia’s festive winter traditions. We are grateful to the team at “Bio-H2 Umwelt GmbH” for their warm welcome and the experience gained. Working with a team of dedicated specialists who are passionate about their work inspires us to continue our research and apply the knowledge gained in the educational process. We also express our gratitude for the tangible support and the interesting and productive time spent.