Ricerc@Sapienza

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF PLANTS FOR THEPRODUCTION OF BIOGAS FROM LIVESTOCK WASTE: A CASE STUDY IN THEMUNICIPALITY OF PONTINIA.
The presence in the municipality of Pontinia of an intensive livestock activity has led to assess the possibility to realize a biogas production plant, aimed at the generation of electricity and thermal energy.

Extra virgin olive-oil (EVO) production is an important economic activity for several countries, especially in the Mediterranean area such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. The two major by-products from olive oil production, solid-liquid Olive Pomace (OP) and the Olive Mill Waste Waters (OMWW), are still mainly disposed on soil, in spite of the existence of legislation which already limits this practice.

With an estimated worldwide production of 190 billion kg per year, and due to its high organic load, cheese whey represents a huge opportunity for bioenergy and biochemicals production. Several physical, chemical and biological processes have been proposed to valorise cheese whey by producing biofuels (methane, hydrogen, and ethanol), electric energy, and/or chemical commodities (carboxylic acids, proteins, and biopolymers).