Any conversation about a new material sooner or later comes down to one question: where will the raw materials come from in industrial quantities? For thermolabile wood and similar lignocellulosic biocomposites, the answer consists not of one resource, but of a combination of several – and each already has its own history in the Ukrainian field.
Miscanthus giganteus produces up to 25 tons of dry biomass per hectare and, according to the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, contains 64–71% cellulose in its stems – this is what determines its technological value for composites. The plantation works for up to 20 years without reseeding, and the powerful root system (up to 2.5 m) restrains erosion and secures slopes. In 2024, in the Zhytomyr region, the Miscanthus Technology company for the first time in Ukraine collected miscanthus into rolls for further rolling and granulation – that is, the logistics of collection are already being worked out, and do not exist only on paper.
The main limitation is not agronomy, but infrastructure: specialized equipment for harvesting and processing is still scarce, and the initial investment in a plantation hinders the mass spread of the crop.
From 2025, it will be possible to grow industrial hemp without permits – it is enough to register in a special register, and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy predicts an increase in areas to 8 thousand hectares this year. For comparison: in 2024, the Ma’Rijany company alone sowed 900 hectares with hemp, and in 2025 – already 1200, and in parallel launched a primary processing plant with a capacity of about 14 thousand tons of hemp per year. The profitability of growing hemp for fiber, according to industry analysts, can reach 32–62%, and for dual-use varieties (seed + fiber) – up to 184%.
By-products of processing — tinsel and non-textile fiber — are already being used by manufacturers in construction and non-woven materials. This is the raw material niche that biocomposite production can occupy without competing with the textile industry for high-quality long fiber.
Long-stem flax is still grown in Ukraine in a fragmented manner, mostly next to hemp – some companies are even restarting old flax mills for combined production. The role of flax in the composite is different than that of hemp: not volume, but surface quality and thin reinforcement, so it is more of a component for premium panels than for mass-produced press materials.
Fibrous nettle is an even narrower niche: there is no raw material for the industrial flow, but there is a marketing effect of a “living” premium material for designer products.
The cellulose fraction from waste paper is the most undervalued resource in this model. Unlike agricultural crops, it does not require a sowing season and is harvested all year round, and its cost as a secondary raw material is lower than that of primary cellulose. Lignin acts as a natural polymer matrix – the very component that replaces part of the petrochemical binder in classic composites.
| Raw | Role in composite | Readiness in Ukraine | Scaling risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical hemp | Main reinforcing fiber | High, growing every year | Shortage of processing capacity |
| Miscanthus | Filler, cellulose base | Medium, there are pilot farms | Lack of specialized equipment |
| Linen | Stiffness, thin reinforcement | Fragmentary | Limited acreage |
| Wastepaper | Cellulose matrix, cheaper | High, stable flow | Sorting quality |
| Stinging nettle | Premium niche component | Very low | Lack of product volume |
Which raw material is most ready for an industrial launch right now? Technical hemp and waste paper – both streams have an existing infrastructure for collection and primary processing in Ukraine today, unlike miscanthus or nettle, where the infrastructure is still being formed.
Is it possible to build production on one type of raw material? It is risky. The yield, humidity, and harvest times of agricultural crops are seasonal and unstable, so the industrial model should include a combination of 2–3 streams, rather than dependence on one.
Why is miscanthus still not widespread, despite its high yield? The high initial investment in the plantation, the lack of specialized harvesting equipment, and the absence of long-term contracts for the purchase of biomass are holding it back – there are practically no agronomic restrictions here.
Does the raw material for biocomposites compete with the textile or energy direction of hemp and miscanthus processing? Partially not: for composites, it is the side streams that are valuable — fescue, non-textile fiber, waste paper fraction — that textile and energy processing rejects anyway.
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