Possibilities of Creating Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions Olive Pomace Plants Due to Energy Use in Crete, Greece

Abstract

Olive pomace plants process olive paste, a waste product of olive mills which produces crude olive kernel oil and olive kernel wood. Olive kernel wood has very good burning characteristics, high heat content, low cost and it is used as a renewable solid fuel replacing liquid fuel and heating oil. Part of the produced olive kernel wood is consumed inside the factory for heat generation and the rest is sold to heat consumers. It has been estimated that a typical olive pomace plant located in Crete, Greece consumes 42.86% of the produced olive kernel wood for its own heat generation, while the remaining 57.14% is sold to various heat consumers. 99.1% of the energy used in these plants is consumed for heating and the rest, 0.9%, for lighting and the operation of various electric devices. Olive pomace plants utilize a renewable solid fuel, which is carbon neutral, for the production of thermal energy. Therefore their CO2 emissions regarding energy utilization are due to electricity use. Installation of solar-PV panels in the plant could generate annually all the electricity needed for its operation. The current legal framework in Greece through net-metering allows the offsetting of grid electricity consumed in factories with PV electricity. The required capital cost of a solar-PV system installed in a typical olive pomace plant located in Crete, Greece in order to offset the grid electricity consumed annually has been estimated at 185,832€, the payback period of 5.33 years and the net present value at 555,671€. Since the plant could utilize only solid biomass for heat generation and could offset the grid electricity consumption with solar electricity, its total CO2 emissions due to energy use would be zero contributing positively to climate stabilization.

Creation of Zero CO2 Emission Plants Due to Energy Use: A Case Study in Crete, Greece

“…The authors stated that most cane sugar factories have been designed to be energy self-sufficient using a bagasse-fired co-generation system providing all the required heat and electricity in the plant, leaving little surplus bagasse. A report on the possibility of creating zero CO 2 emission olive pomace plants due to energy use in Crete, Greece has been presented (Vourdoubas, 2016). The author stated that heat requirements in those plants have a share of more than 95 % in the total energy needs.…”

“…Masdar city is planned to become a carbon-neutral city and will probably be a leader in the future regarding sustainability and low-carbon economy. A study for the creation of zero CO 2 enterprises in Crete due to energy use has been presented (Vourdoubas, 2017). Analyzing data concerning heat and electricity consumption in five SMEs in Crete, Greece, the author proposed the replacement of fossil fuels with locally available renewable energies for covering all their energy requirements.…”