POTENTIAL PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL IN THE ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE VOIVODESHIP (POLAND).

The overwhelming majority of energy in Poland is produced using non-renewable energy sources. The resources are, however, slowly being depleted and traditional methods of energy production deteriorate the natural environment. This calls for a search for alternative sources of energy. Additionally, as a member of the European Union, Poland is obliged to increase the share of renewable sources of energy in its total energy consumption. Therefore, the focus on development of a power production sector based on renewable sources of energy, including biofuels, is increasingly greater in today's Poland. Agricultural biomass may be an important contributor to the energy balance of a region. This depends not only on its availability but also on the technology used to obtain and process it and then on how it is used. This paper looks at the potential of production of bioethanol in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland). The purpose of this paper was to analyse and assess the production capabilities and the amount of potential energy that could be generated from specific crops. The analysis used data for the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship published by the Statistical Office in Kielce. As a result of the study, the authors determined the bioethanol production capacity of individual districts of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and attempted to assess whether the studied area could be used to produce bioethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]