Biomass Availability From Olive Farming and Olive Oil Industry in Italy. Amount and Location Estimates For the Valorization Under an energetic point of view

Renewable energies as indigenous source of energy will have an important role to play in reducing the level of energy imports, mitigate climate change and enhance energy security (Ericsson, 2006). Biomass offers a large unexploited technical potential and is currently competitive and economically viable (COM (97) 599). This study deals with the availability of the raw material (woody residuals from olive trees cultivation -pruning- and residuals from the olive oil extraction process -pomace-), its location and potential as a biomass source for energy production. A web-based survey was administered to farmers and olive oilproducers. The main aim was at identifying the most productive areas to assess suitable places for locating fuel production plants (ready-to-use fuels, namely synthetic natural gas (SNG) and diesel obtained through the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process). Collected data were elaborated together with official statistics (Metadata from EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union) and estimates of biomass amounts in the targeted areas were performed. The basic framework was drawn from conceptualization of the production frontiers. The coeffi cient, determined by mean of collected data average yield, had been used to assess the total biomass production at local level (regions) using data (olive growing areas and yields) derived from EUROSTAT.