Project implementation period: September 27, 2023 - September 26, 2026

Al-Farabi KazNU as part of the implementation of the UN SDG goal #13 (Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) serving as a connecting university in the NATO-funded project NATO MYP G6094 titled "Mitigation of climate change through advanced phytotechnologies for military lands (MilClimATech)" for 2023-2026 years.

An online meeting was held with the participation of the main executor of the project, Professor of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem Dr. Valentina Pidlisnyuk, as well as Dr. Andrey Hertz from the V. Hnatyuk Ternopil National Pedagogical University (TNPU) in Ukraine.

Leading institutions:

• NATO country - Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Usti nad Labem (UJEP), the Czech Republic, NPD - Prof. Valentina Pidlisnyuk
• NATO partner country - Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University (TVHNPU), PPD - Dr. Andriy Hertz

Partners:

• Lviv Polytechnic National University (LPNU), Ukraine. Co-Director - Dr. Vitalii Stadnik
• University of Applied Science Zittau/Görlitz - Institute of Process Technology, Process Automatization and Measuring Technology (IPM), Germany. Co-Director - Prof. Tobias Zschunke
• Cluster WASTen”, the Czech Republic. Co-Director - Dr. Radek Horenovsky
• National University of Life and the Environmental Sciences (NULES), Ukraine. Co-Director - Dr. Tatyana Stefanovska
• Hendrix College (HC), USA. Co-Director - Prof. Peter Gess
• Royal Military College (RMC), Canada. Co-Director - Dr. Mariya Marinovа.

Linkage Institutions:

• KAES - The Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University (KSU), United States – Prof. Lawrence Davis,
• I2E3 - Innovations Institute in Ecomaterials, Ecoproducts and Ecoenergies, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Canada – Prof. Barbara Zeeb,
• KazNU – Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan – Assoc. Prof. Aida Kistaubayeva.

EndUsers:

1. Ternopil Military Regional Administration, Ukraine – Mgr. Igor Piatkivskyi
2. ENRESS, s.r.o., the Czech Republic – Mgr. Jaroslav Patek
3. NGO Sustainable Development and Ecological Education Centre “Dovkillya”, Ukraine – MSc. Felix-Roberto Lanier-Alvares
4. AGMEKO LT, s.r.o., the Czech Republic – Ing. Karel Prokes
5. Nemishayeve Vocational College, Ukraine – PhD Volodymyr Aljokhin

State Enterprise “Centre for certification and expertise of seeds and planting materials, Vinitza branch, Ukraine – Switlana Yurkevich.

The use of biomass as an alternative source of energy is a significant contribution to the mitigation of climate change. Beneficial conversion of biomass requires research into the thermochemical processes, including gasification and pyrolysis. However, these processes generate by-product residues (ash, biochar, and bio-oil); effective utilization of byproducts is important for ensuring the sustainability of the process.

The intensification of using biochar as carbon storage is another perspective direction in climate change mitigation. When applied to soils it results in long-term carbon sequestration from stable C in the biochar and amending soil. And finally, the production of C4 crops contributes to the mitigation of climate change, and among them, Miscanthus × giganteus is the most promising as it reaches true CO2 neutrality and functions as a CO2 sink. However, research into GHG mitigation during this plant’s multiyear production is very limited. The crop shows good phytoremediation potential, nevertheless, its successful utilization with the mixture of organic and non-organic contaminated soil has been studied only sparingly. The next steps need to involve field-scale experimentation.

The ongoing military conflicts around the world have caused widespread damage and complex contamination of military lands. The almost year-long Great War of Ukraine against Russian intervention has caused enormous contamination and damage to the country, including a tremendous negative effect on its natural resources. This includes direct contamination, remnants, pollution from weapons, destroyed military equipment, and the bombing of all Ukrainian territory. As of January 2023, the state authority reported 31,486 t of oil products and 2000 t of poisonous substances spilt to the soil1. These lands must be revitalized through various effective means, and the application of phytotechnology with M×g is a promising option.

The main goal of this project is to environmentally regenerate former military sites while also mitigating climate change by implementing advanced M×g phytotechnology over a multiyear period on complex contaminated military lands in Ukraine (Nemishayeve, Borodyanka rajon, Kyiv region and Dolyna, Ivano-Frankivsk) with the physicochemical conversion of biomass waste while ensuring by-product valorization.

The sub-goals of the project are:

1.  To test Miscanthus biochar produced from waste biomass via pyrolysis with the utilization of M×g advanced phytotechnology applied to mixed-contaminated military lands.

2.  To test the ash from M×g biomass gasification as a soil supplement in the M×g production cycle.

3.  To simulate syngas and bio-oil pathways and the valorization of trace elements-contaminated biochar.

4.  To verify the rhizosphere interactions and influencing factors that mediate phytotechnology.

5.  To illustrate the GHG mitigation effect during the utilization of advanced phytotechnology on mixed-contaminated military lands supplemented with by-products.

6.  To evaluate the sustainability of advanced technology, including the economics of biochar systems and related mitigation effects, based on selected indicators.

7.  To strengthen education on climate change and the circular economy.

8.  To transfer information on innovative advanced phytotechnology to end-users and to exchange knowledge among NATO and partner countries.

The main outcomes of the project will be (a) advanced M×g phytotechnology as applied to mixed contaminated military lands; (b) the GHG mitigation potential of advanced phytotechnology supported by by-products of physicochemical processing of M×g biomass; and (c) pathways for the valorization of by-products from gasification and pyrolysis of M×g waste biomass.

This project is relevant to the SPS Key Priority in Climate Change because it develops innovative and low-carbon advanced phytotechnology for the remediation of mixed contaminated military lands. The project is relevant to the SPS Key Priority in Environmental Security as it focuses on improving biomass waste gasification and pyrolysis, ensuring the valorization of by-products, and enhancing soil health. The project is referred to as an “Energy Security” priority, i.e.: “renewable energy solutions with military application,” because it implies the production of renewable M×g biomass at the former military sites. The project is in line with the outcomes of the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, with the new strategic concept focusing on the assessment of mitigation effects, such as carbon sequestration during multiyear M×g production on military soils and promoting low-carbon environmental technologies for broad operation.