Ministerial Decree No. 94 validating the State Program “Peat” for 2008-2010 and for the period until 2020.

The scope of the State Program “Peat” is to increase the volume of peat extraction and use in energy and agriculture, creating new and improving existing technologies for the development of peat deposits, extraction, processing and use of peat.
Considering the importance and urgency of the problem of providing the republic with local types of fuel and peat-based products in conditions of maintaining the stability of the natural environment, it is necessary: (a) to substantiate the criteria for the allocation of target funds and develop a rational scheme use and protection of the national peat resources for the period up to 2020; (b) to identify new sources of peat fuel consumption among energy facilities and public utilities; (c) to develop and implement energy- and resource-saving technologies and equipment for the extraction, processing and combustion of peat; and (d) to carry out a range of research and development work on the development of alternative areas for the use of the national peat resources with the development of their production.
The objectives of the State program “Peat” shall be as follows: (a) increasing the use of peat resources; (b) minimizing the impact of peat deposit development on environment; (c) development and mastering of new, improvement of existing technologies and equipment for the extraction, processing and use of peat; (d) development of production of organic, organo-mineral fertilizers, fertilizer-amelioration mixtures and plant growth stimulants; and (e) development of agricultural production based on sapropel.
Expected results: (a) ensuring the needs of the national economy for products based on peat and sapropel, increasing the supply of peat-base products for export; (b) introduction of new and improvement of existing technologies and equipment for the extraction, processing and use of peat for the production of thermal and electrical energy, and in agriculture; (c) creation of new energy capacities operating on peat fuel; (d) creation of technologies for re-wetting land areas disturbed by peat and sapropel extraction; (e) inclusion of peat fuel in the national fuel balance in 2008-2020 in the amount of about 12.1 million tons of equivalent fuel, which is equivalent to replacing natural gas in the amount of 10.5 billion cubic meters; (f) meeting the demand for peat in agriculture: 2010 - 0.85 million tons, 2015 - 1.7 million tons, 2020 - 3 million tons; (g) ensuring the production of 9.6 million tons of compost using 3 million tons of peat for compost preparation, which will ensure an increase in agricultural yields of 192 million feed units; and (h) creation of technical and economic conditions to ensure the profitability of agricultural production of 18 - 20 percent by 2020.