AVIENERGY is a project carried out by a supra-autonomous Operational Group (covering the regions of Galicia, Castilla y León and Murcia) whose purpose is to promote a more efficient use of resources in the poultry sector by applying a strategy based on foundations of the circular bioeconomy, enabling a more efficient use of the waste generated in poultry activity to improve the sector’s competitiveness and environmental impact.

This strategy focuses on the recovery of the manure generated in poultry farms (meat and egg production) for its use as an input to obtain a source of renewable energy and fertilizers and components for the use of nutrients in the soil. Chicken manure and turkey manure represent some of the mo

st abundant and problematic waste in the poultry sector and the proposed solution aims to become an efficient and environmentally sustainable tool with which to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases while improve the competitiveness of the sector itself.

The project will value the chicken manure and turkey manure thermochemically (combustion) by means of a burner specially adapted to this type of waste that will allow the obtaining of thermal energy that can be used to satisfy the existing heat demand on the farms. The ashes produced during combustion will be considered a valuable by-product that can be applied directly to the soil to take advantage of existing nutrients, favoring crop growth. Additionally, the feasibility of implementing a micro-cogeneration system based on an organic Rankine cycle will be analyzed to obtain electrical energy that can be used on the farm itself. This innovative solution would make it possible to reduce the energy dependency of farms.

The Operational Groups, main actors in the implementation of the AEI-Agri (European Association of Innovation in productive and sustainable agriculture), are one of the key tools in the execution of the National Rural Development Program 2014-2020 to promote innovation in the agri-food and forestry sector within the European sphere. This is the grouping of agents with different profiles with common interests, such as farmers, ranchers, companies, research centres or training and dissemination centres, who come together to launch an innovation project in order to provide a joint response and multisectorial to a problem or need.

More information:

• Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/rural-development_en
• National Rural Development Program 2014-2020: https://www.redruralnacional.es/politicas-desarrollo-rural

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