Bruxelles, March, 25 2010
Bionenergy in the Veneto Region: strategic perspectives
and priority supply chains for the rural world
Creating regional chains
Federico Correale Santacroce
L‘Azienda Regionale “Veneto Agricoltura“
Veneto Agricoltura is an of the Veneto Region directly involved in
research, demonstration, technical advice, evaluation of new
technologies in agriculture, forestry, agri-food, aquaculture sectors.
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Veneto Agricoltura Bioenergy Action Plan
Since 2007 Veento Agricoltura have a specific department dedicated to
bioenergy and a new strategic Action Plan:
It is based on the following key assumptions:
Prerequisite: The ratio of the fossil energy input and the renewable energy
output should be largely positive.
“Money to farmers”: the biomass utilisation for energy should represent an
opportunity for income both for farms and forest entreprises.
Advantages for environment: Bioenergy development constitues a
sustainable source of energy. Its utilisation can contributes to improve the
environment of involved lands.
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Bioenergy and agricultural products
A wide variety of biomass potentially available
Some agricultural chains are already well
structured
Farmer point of view: Cost and profit
calculation, with an accurate evaluation of
incomes alternatives
We have to consider the reluctance to
innovation of cultivation techniques, sometimes
despite the interesting experimental results...
THE FARMER in our vision: is not just a
supplier of commodities, but need to play a
leading role within a complete chain (direct
contracting in energy trade)
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A stategy fitted to local contexts
Three “chain cases” to promote
Energy from wood residues, expecially vineyard prunings
Small-scale Biogas plants improvements, upgrade to biomethane.
Sustainable biofuels……..simply Pure Vegetal Oil
PLUS..
Research and innovation
……. And New markets and contracting solutions
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Vineyard prunings and woody residues (I)
Available biomass pruning residues in Italy
Crop Cultivated area (ha) Residue (ton/ha) Total biomass
obtainable (Mt)
Vineyard 871.597 2,9 2,53
Olive trees 1.170.362 1,7 2,00
Apple trees 64.447 2,4 0,15
Pear trees 45.826 2,0 0,09
Peach trees 67.458 2,9 0,20
Citrus trees 179.470 1,8 0,32
Almond trees 86.406 1,7 0,15
Hazel trees 69.561 2,8 0,19
TOTAL 2.555.127 - 5,63
Fonte, ISTAT, mod. Cotana F., Cavalaglio G.
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Vineyard prunings and woody residues (II)
Italian local laws forbid to burn prunings
directly on the field, a traditional practice,
and plants disease growth up leaving
residues on place.
Energy generation (exp. Heat) solve
technical and economical problems of
residues disposal to landfill.
Wood from vineyards pruning is good to
produce chips or pure/mixed pellet, and it
is possible to burn it in modern boiler or
stoves.
Energy used in all the chain (582 kWh/t) is
approximately 12% of total energy
obtained by biomass residues, while the
remaining 88% (4268 kWh/t) represents
the renewable energy quote (cotana F.,
Cavalaglio G., 2008)
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Pure Vegetable Oil (I)
Pros Cons
Well-established technical solutions Chain logistic not structured yet
Bifuel engines and kits)
Fiscal and legal problems (tax,
A better energy and environmental authorizations, stock controls,
balance than biodiesel and bioethanol etc.)
Simple technical processes
Dimensioning of chains not easy
Possibility to establish short chains
(single farm or cooperatives) Possible conflict food/no food
A chain totally established in agriculture
Tests “On Site” in VA Farm
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A rapeseed based chain totally established in a single
(group) Farm: small scale plant to fill 2 tractors
•Vallevecchia Farm: 900Ha
•Rapeseed for PVO: 24 (32)
Ha
“Vallevecchia” Farm
•½ of surface with no
tillage solutions (low energy
input)
•8 hybrid variety tested
Rapeseed
dedicated Area •Productivity: 3t/ha
•PVO: about 1t/ha
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PVO to recover energy in the farm
Little mechanical press to treat about
120 Kg of seed/h.; filters and
decanter to recover residues
From 120 Kg of seed: 40 (50) kg/h
(oil); 80 (70) kg/h presscake to feed
livestock.
2 tractors:
Fendt “820 Vario Greentec” 210cv
Lamborghini “Victory Plus 230”
(Elsbett adapted)
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Biogas production in Veneto Region (2007):
Total 44.981.500 m3
Provincia RO;
0
Provincia TV;
Provincia VR;
2.292.000
10.523.500
Provincia VI;
Provincia PD; 6.557.000
20.659.000
Provincia VE;
4.950.000
2007: 12 biogas plants (agriculture); 15,5 eMw
Feb 2010: 67 biogas plants (including new requests)
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Biomethane perspective.....
Veneto Region: 61.000 (6%) cars feed with methane
2008-2009: +41,8%
108 fill station (largely inadequate)
Upgrading to biomethane is a good solution to
optimize energy outputs from biogas plants (no
scattered heat), but actual lowest dimension of
plants make difficult a small-scale application of
this technology.
…….a new challenge for our Region…
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What about the farmer role?
.....some possible scenarios
Contracting
Selling heat and/or electricity to communities, other farms, private
buildings, installing little stoves (60kwt up to 1 Mwt) or the Cooperatives sell
heat within a contract benchmarked to fossil fuel price.
Seller is responsible of all chain, from biomass supply to plant
management .
Medium scale cogeneration
It’s an interesting solution as in Italy there is now very high national grant
for electric power production from renewables. (0,28 Euro/Kwh for plants till
1eMw))
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Veneto Agricoltura
Mr Federico Correale Santacroce
Mr Loris Agostinetto
Bionenergy Information Desk
sportello.bioenergie@venetoagricoltura.org
Web: http://www.venetoagricoltura.org
Thank you for your attention
E-Mail: info@venetoagricoltura.org
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