The adoption of renewable energy measures and energy efficiency in the agri-food sector will play a key role in decarbonization and climate change mitigation.
There are 4,000 industrial pig farms in Portugal, mainly distributed along the coast between Coimbra and Santiago do Cacém. The pig farming sector has significant economic importance and is strategic for food self-sufficiency. Additionally, it has notable energy needs for feed production, animal heating, etc. On the other hand, pig farming produces a large volume of pig slurry which can have a negative environmental impact but, if managed properly, can be used as wet biomass for energy recovery. At the same time, agri-food industries generate large quantities of residual biomass, which can be integrated into bioenergy production processes, namely in anaerobic co-digestion with animal slurries. The exploitation of solar resources is also relevant in the agro-energy transition and can be used for local production of electrical and thermal energy.
The RE-FEED project will demonstrate energy recovery from endogenous resources (solar and biomass) on a pig farm, involving partners from the agricultural and floriculture sectors. The demonstration unit includes an anaerobic co-digestion pilot with a capacity to process 0.15 m3/day of a mixture of pig slurry and agri-food biomass, a photovoltaic system with a peak power of 1.84 kWp, and a solar thermal system for digestate sanitization. The fertilizing value and sanitization level of the digestate will be assessed to ensure its safe use as an organic fertilizer.
The RE-FEED project will also promote energy efficiency through conducting energy audits on pig farms, defining energy efficiency plans, and developing a voluntary certification scheme. The pig farm classification may be improved according to the extent of application of the solutions and innovations implemented in the RE-FEED demonstration. In this way, RE-FEED will contribute to the energy transition, reduce energy dependence and greenhouse gas emissions, promote rural development, and create value for stakeholders.
