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CORESTA Congress, Berlin, 2016, Agronomy/Phytopathology Groups, AP 59

Energy saving and renewable energy production for a more sustainable tobacco crop

MILLI G.(1); BARGIACCHI E.(2); MIELE S.(2)
(1) Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi (FAT) & ITT, Città di Castello, Italy; (2) Italian Interuniversity Consortium for Science and Technology of Materials (INSTM), Firenze, Italy

Energy costs of tobacco, especially for curing and threshing, are a major expense and a potential threat to crop sustainability. Since 2006, an intensive program of renewable energy has been under development both at FAT, and the network of OPTA Cooperatives. At the same time, every energy-consuming operation through the crop production chain was revised, to maximise efficiency. The aim of this programme was not only to reduce energy waste and produce non-fossil energy, but also to make growers more conscious of the importance of being energy-efficient, becoming themselves energy suppliers. Over the years, the threshing line and all the curing barns have been upgraded with better insulation and computer-assisted programs, not mentioning the use of more energy efficient tractors and self-propelled equipment in the fields. Photovoltaic plants were installed, for the production of power (2,860,000 kW/y for 8 units, each one with 45 barns, and the factory). Two anaerobic digestion plants, cogenerate power (15,760,000 kW/y) and heat, the latter for running 34 barns. Three wood combustion plants produce heat for 162 barns and a small municipality. Growers were directly involved in production of silage crops for the anaerobic digestion plants, and collection of their wood from coppice and forest maintenance programmes, with more opportunities of income. Most of the farmers also installed photovoltaic and small combustion plants. Presently >65% of the yearly energy consumption of tobacco derives from renewable energy. However, this is a starting point for the pursuit of more efficient new technologies that lie ahead: combined charcoal-power production, biomass gasification, HydroThermal Liquefaction, and so on.