Renewable energy from the production residues of vineyards and wine: evaluation of a business case

The recovery of agricultural biomass, such as vine trimming wastes, for energy purposes represents one of the most significant innovations in the agricultural sector: apart from relieving producers of disposal costs, the process also has an economic return resulting from the conversion of biomass into energy and the related commercialization on the national market. In Sicily, the significant economic potential related to the conversion and energy exploitation of residual biomass from the wine sector could play a strategic role for the immediate future of the island and for the numerous wineries and wine bottling companies operating within the territory. This research project has the objective of analyzing the case of the largest Sicilian winery, Settesoli, which has recently launched a project to implement a 1-MW electric generator that uses the vine canes – from pruning – in conjunction with pomaces, and wastes from winemaking process