The importance of biomass for energy production is included in the government program “Energy Policy of Poland until 2040”. Biomass is one of the most stable renewable energy sources (RES), and its resources are the largest of all alternative energy sources. The paper presents and discusses the most important conditions that are related to the possible usage of the biomass that is obtained from agriculture for heating purposes. The aim of the study is to assess the energy potential of a selected agro-biomass and to indicate its effective use for the production of district heat. The research uses: in-depth statistical data analysis (data were obtained from the Central Statistical Office and the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture), inference methods, short- and long-term forecasting, the minimum spanning tree (MST) algorithm, and methods of single- and multi-criteria optimization for the selection of the most advantageous variant. The research covers three different scenarios: optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic. The results of the study present: technical and energy potential of biomass, taking into account its type, energy properties, and places of its collection; optimum location of intermediate storage and processing sites; and the optimum storage frequency of its transport to energy companies.

This paper presents the results of research describing the thermokinetics of brown coal’s (lignite) drying process in a fountain-bubble fluidized bed dryer. The drying medium was atmospheric air of a variable temperature in subsequent tests, which ranged from 27 to 70 °C. This paper presents the results of many experimental studies for two different types of brown coal: xylite, from the Bełchatów mine, and earth, from the Turów mine. The two types of brown coal are used to assess different sized coal particles and different air drying temperatures. The functions parameterizing the moisture content of dried coal at different air drying temperatures at any given time are also presented.

Transport plays a key role in economic development, ensuring the mobi_x0002_lity of people, goods and information, which facilitates trade, production and distri_x0002_bution on a global scale. Transportation allows one to move goods from one place to another, which is crucial for trade and the exchange of goods. Without transport, many industries would not exist, and globalization and international trade would be impossible. Thanks to transport, companies can export their products around the world, which allows for increased profits and economic development. Transport is necessary for enterprises to deliver their products to stores, customers, factories or wholesalers. Currently, the transport industry is facing difficulties in attracting and employing qualified drivers, which leads to problems with the fulfillment of orders and delays in deliveries. The main purpose of the study was to identify the scale of the lack of employees in transport companies, as well as to assess the level of difficulty in finding drivers. To achieve the goal, the literature on the subject was used and surveys were conducted via the Internet. 461 respondents representing various regions of Poland took part in the research. As a result of the conducted research and analysis, information was obtained that transport companies are still struggling with the problem of a shortage of qualified employees - professional drivers. Despite major shortages in the driver’s profession and growing problems with obtaining them, a noticeable problem is the lack of original strategies, methods and tools available to carriers to solve these difficulties. Transport odgrywa kluczową rolę w rozwoju gospodarczym, zapewnia mobilność ludzi, dóbr i informacji, co ułatwia handel, produkcję i dystrybucję w skali globalnej. Transport umożliwia przemieszczanie towarów z jednego miejsca do drugiego, co jest priorytetowe dla handlu i wymiany towarowej. Bez transportu wiele branż nie mogłoby istnieć, a globalizacja i handel międzynarodowy byłby niemożliwe. Dzięki transportowi przedsiębiorstwa mogą eksportować swoje produkty na całym świecie, co pozwala na zwiększenie zysków i rozwoju gospodarczego. Transport jest niezbędnym elementem w prowadzeniu przedsiębiorstwa. Dzięki niemu podmiot gospodarczy może dostarczać swoje produkty do sklepów, klientów, fabryk czy hurtowni. Obecnie branża transportowa mierzy się z trudnościami w pozyskiwaniu i zatrudnianiu wykwalifikowanych kierowców, co prowadzi do problemów z realizacją zamówień i opóźnień w dostawach. Głównym celem opracowania było rozpoznanie skali braku pracowników w przedsiębiorstwach transportowych, a także ocena poziomu trudności pozyskania kierowców. Do osiągnięcia celu wykorzystano literaturę przedmiotu oraz przeprowadzono badania ankietowe za pośrednictwem Internetu. W badaniach wzięło udział 461 respondentów z różnych regionów Polski. W wyniku prowadzonych badań i analiz uzyskano informacje, że przedsiębiorstwa transportowe ciągle zmagają się z problem niedoboru wykwalifikowanych pracowników – kierowców zawodowych. Mimo dużych niedoborów w zawodzie kierowcy oraz narastających problemów z ich pozyskiwaniem, zauważalnym problemem jest brak oryginalnych strategii, metod i narzędzi, którymi dysponują przewoźnicy w celu rozwiązania tych trudności.