A PROPOSAL OF A LOGISTICS MODEL FOR THE USE OF BIOMASS FOR ENERGY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The paper presents a concept for a digital platform model for the biomass logistics network for local communities. This concept refers to the strategy for the development of renewable power engineering in Poland to the year 2020, adopted by the Polish government. The status and prospects for biomass production are presented, from which it results that plant production for energy purposes may in the nearest future constitute an important alternative to food production. In turn, main problems connected with the organization of biomass market at the local and regional levels are also discussed. In the proposed model the digital platform would be available on the Internet for all links of the logistics chain, starting from producers and ending with buyers (processors) of biomass. Primary benefits of the implementation of such a system include the development of local energy biomass markets and maintenance of their effective operation; comprehensive utilization of local energy biomass resources for the production of green energy; initiation of an appropriate development of biomass power engineering as an element of sustainable rural development.