This issue was a main theme of the workshop chaired by the Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine (SAEE) Serhiy Savchuk. The event was attended by the Chairman of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine G. Geletukha and other experts, representatives of central and local authorities.

According to Serhiy Savchuk, the Agency has done a lot to reduce gas consumption and replace it. In particular, the program of concessional lending for people to buy alternative boilers is successfully working. The mechanism to stimulate heat generation from other fuels except natural gas is launched. There is no region today where positive dynamics of installation of industrial boilers for heat generation from alternative fuels in the public sector and at enterprises wouldn't be observed. It's time to systematize all the established mechanisms, to spread them in regions together with specific objectives to reduce gas consumption and replace it.

"Our task is to develop a typical roadmap that will make mayors think about how within energy decentralization to balance existing capacities of facilities that produce heat and electricity with the demand which exists in the region and to identify ways how to meet it", - said the Head.

The preliminary draft roadmap developed by the Agency provides for a number of tasks for the regions of Ukraine: from defining objectives and measures to reduce gas consumption and replace it with other fuels by 2020 till reporting on implementation of a plan.

According to the words of the Chairman of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine Georgiy Geletukha, regions have to determine intermediate objectives and measures to reduce gas consumption by 2020 for each sector: utilities, public sector, industry, population.

In turn, the Scientific Head of the Institute of Intellectual Investment Valentyn Pidvysotskyi said: "First of all, the main task of the regions is to provide high-quality services such as heat and energy supply for consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a systematic approach to develop a map, namely, to improve the whole regulatory framework, considering human resources, information and training, financial, logistical components". He also stressed the importance of the legal status of the roadmap.

At the end of the meeting the participants agreed on the need to revise the document based on suggestions of the stakeholders. The draft roadmap will be submitted to the Government soon.

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