The second working meeting, organized as part of the international research project funded by VisegradFund, “Logging Residue Torrefaction and Pressure Agglomeration as a Method to Conserve Fossil Fuels” (project ID 22420094), took place at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague from June 30, 2025, to July 3, 2025. The meeting was attended by scientists from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), the University of Agriculture in Krakow, the Czech University of Life Sciences, the University of Technology in Zvolen, and the University of Sopron (online).
The meeting was divided into an on-site (office) and a field session.
The office session of the working meeting covered five main topics: 1) a discussion of progress in preparing the scientific monograph, 2) a discussion of research progress, 3) preparations for the scientific conference, 4) a discussion of the preparation of a scientific publication presenting the research results, and 5) preparations for the next working meeting in Zvolen (Slovakia).
Re: 1) Preparation of the scientific monograph is progressing according to the work plan discussed at the working meeting in Krakow. The monograph will be distributed as part of the conference materials at the scientific conference organized by the project team in 2026. Each partner wrote and presented their part of the monograph. It was agreed that the final version would be completed by July 31, 2025. The text will then be submitted for translation into English. The partner from Prague (CZ) is responsible for the translation. Two months – until September 30, 2025 – are scheduled for translation and editorial revisions. The completed monograph is scheduled for submission to the Publisher in early October 2025. A risk analysis was conducted to ensure timely completion of the specified work, and a safety margin of approximately 20 days was adopted. It was determined that the final submission deadline for the monograph may be extended to October 30, 2025.
The publishing house selected for submission was Inżynierii Rolnicza in Kraków (Poland).
The title of the monograph was “ENERGY UTILIZATION OF AGGLOMERATED FOREST RESIDUES.”
During the meeting, the project leader (Poland) presented the first cover design. It was generally accepted with minor modifications. According to the publisher’s requirements, three reviewers from various research institutions (Turkey, Slovakia, Poland), other than the research institutions of the project partners, were proposed. Re: 2) The state of research related to torrefaction and pressure agglomeration of material obtained from forest logging waste was discussed. In accordance with the research schedule, the material collected from forest areas in each country was collected and transferred to the individual project partners on time. In Prague, the material was crushed and torrefactioned. Subsequently, the prepared samples of torrefacted material and reference material were sent to the partners in Zvolen (SK) and Warsaw (PL). The project leader (Warsaw, PL) conducted pressure agglomeration of the torrefacted material and strength tests on the resulting pellets. The partner from Zvolen (SK) performed chemical analyses of the submitted material, while the partner from Prague (CZ) additionally performed elemental and energetic analyses, and the partner from Hungary (HU) characterized the test material. According to the established deadline, all mechanical and strength tests (PL) and chemical analyses (SK) were completed. The elemental and energetic analyses at the partner from Prague (CZ) were 80% completed. These measurements will be completed by the end of July 2025. It was agreed that, if necessary, another series of mechanical and strength tests will be performed in September by the partner from Poland. At this stage, progress is satisfactory and it can be concluded that work is progressing according to the agreed deadlines. Re: 3) Conference Preparations. At the meeting, the conference title (title) and the composition of the Scientific Committee and Organizing Committee were established. The date of January 14-16, 2026, was confirmed, and room reservations at the Krynica Zdrój (Poland) center were confirmed. The organization and method of sending invitations were discussed. The organizing committee will be responsible for preparing and sending invitations, with the Krakow partner designated as the oversight body. A preliminary list of individuals and entities to whom invitations will be sent was established. A roll-up promoting the conference will be designed and created by the project leader (PL). A conference presentation template was prepared, taking into account the requirements of the VF project. A template for abstracts, which will be published as part of the conference proceedings, was prepared. The conference schedule, number of participants, and number of papers were initially determined. A 15-minute time limit will be allocated for each paper. Re: 4) Discussion of the preparation of a scientific publication presenting research results. During the fourth part of the meeting, a template for a scientific publication was developed based on the research conducted by the leader (PL) and the project partners (SK, CZ, HU). The title of the publication was determined and suggested journals to which the publication could be submitted were proposed. It was agreed that the journals should be categorized as Q1 or Q2. Each partner is required to submit the completed text from each chapter for literature review, methodology, research results, and discussion by September 1, 2025. The project leader (PL) will coordinate the publication, overseeing the entire publication and uploading it to journal editorial systems. The publication deadline is September 30, 2025. After this deadline, the publication will be sent to the journals selected at the meeting. Re: 5) Preparation of the next working meeting in Zvolen (Slovakia). During this part of the meeting, the preliminary agenda for the meeting at the partner’s office in Zvolen (SK) was discussed. This will be the final meeting summarizing the project. Reports and materials will be prepared at this meeting and posted in the VF system. Materials will be published and distributed electronically to all project recipients, including researchers, state forestry employees, forest biomass harvesting and pellet production companies, and pellet boiler manufacturers. The meeting is scheduled to take place in the first half of February 2026. The practical part, organized by Czech partners, included visits to three laboratories at the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences at the Czech University of Applied Sciences (CULS) in Prague. Laboratory-scale biomass processing technologies were presented in the laboratories. Participants were also introduced to modern and specialized laboratory equipment used for testing biological materials. The practical part focused on waste management and thermal, chemical, and mechanical processing methods. During the meeting, project participants had the opportunity to discuss issues related to biomass in general with biomass processing practitioners. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the potential for torrefaction and agglomeration of biomass on an industrial scale.
As part of the cultural and educational program, the Czech partners organized two excursions. The first was a tour of the old part of Prague Castle, where participants could see historical monuments and learn about the history of the former Czech capital. The second was a trip to the Wastewater Treatment Museum, where participants learned about waste processing technologies other than biomass.
The international Scientific Conference “SUSTAINABLE USE OF PLANT BIOMASS. TECHNICAL, TECHNOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LEGAL PROBLEMS” will be held on January 14-16, 2026. The conference will be held at the Forest Experimental Station in Krynica Zdrój, a branch of the Hugo Kołłątaj University of Agriculture in Krakow.
