With the launch of the harvest season for olives, the kick-off meeting of the project "Integrated Energy and Environmental Exploitation of Olive Oil by-Products - OLIVENERGY" took place in Patras on Friday 15th October 2019. The project was approved for funding on April 2019, and is being implemented in the framework of the Action "Strengthening RIS3 Priority Areas Research and Innovation Plans" and co-financed by the European Union and national resources through WESTERN GREECE 2014-2020 (project code: MIS 5045458).
The liquid waste of the mills (olive mill wastes – OMW) is the by-product of the olive oil production process. This agricultural activity is of particular social and economic importance for the Region of Western Greece. Huge quantities of waste are produced each olive season and, in combination with their characteristics, render OMW an unsolvable problem as it is hazardous for its direct disposal in the environment. OLIVENERGY proposes the development of a high rate anaerobic digestion system for olive oil by-products, to produce biofuels to partially meet the energy needs of the oil mill in which the plant could be located. The project will also study physicochemical methods of solids removal from both the raw material and the effluent of the anaerobic unit. The solids will be used in combination with other agricultural waste for compost production.
The project’s partners are: Green Technologies Ltd based in Patras (www.green-technologies.gr), and University of Patras, Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology (www.lbeet.gr). The meeting was attended by representatives from both entities and more specifically: from Green Technologies Ltd., Dr. Nantia Zafiri (Engineer - Administrator) and Dr. Dimitris Zaglis (Engineer), and from University of Patras, Dr. Michael Kornaros (Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering), Dr. Panagiota Tsafrakidou (Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering) as well as members of the Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology Laboratory.
Green Technologies Ltd, is the project coordinator.
