The Role of the University of Sopron in the VisegradFund Project – The Researchers Met in Krakow

In the VisegradFund international project, alongside the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Sopron, the participating institutions include the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the University of Agriculture in Krakow, the Czech University of Life Sciences, and the Technical University in Zvolen. The joint research aims to explore the possibilities of utilizing residues as a conserved fossil fuel substitute („Logging Residue Torrefaction and Pressure Agglomeration as a Method to Conserve Fossil Fuels” (Project ID 24242)).

Thanks to the participation of the University of Sopron, white locust wood samples from the Iván forest section of the Lowland Forestry Unit of the Tanulmányi Erdőgazdasági Zrt. have been included in the research. The preparation of the wood chips in the laboratory is currently taking place in Prague, while torrefaction is being conducted in Zvolen. According to the project schedule, in February, the participants reviewed the progress of the research, outlined the next tasks and their timeline, and planned the preparation of publications, a scientific monograph, and the upcoming workshop programs.

In addition to discussions, participants visited laboratories dedicated to renewable energy utilization (Laboratory of Biofuel Production Technology and Quality Assessment) and a waste processing and recovery plant (Thermal Waste Processing Plant in Krakow, also known as Eco-incinerator Krakow). As part of the cultural program, they also had the opportunity to explore historical remains of Krakow’s underground old town at the „Rynek Underground” museum.