Energy and rural landscape, a renewable source with a "mitigable" impact: the case of biogas in zootecnics

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IPSAPA/ISPALEM - UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE

DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE AGROALIMENTARI AMBIENTALI E ANIMALI

IN COLLABORAZIONE CON UNIVERSITÀ MEDITERRANEA DI REGGIO

CALABRIA,DIPARTIMENTI DI AGRARIA E ARCHITETTURA E

TERRITORIO

IPSAPA/SPALEM-UNIVERSITY OF UDINE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL,FOOD,ENVIRONMENTAL AND

ANIMAL SCIENCE

IN COLLABORATION WITH MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY OF REGGIO

CALABRIA,DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

ISBN: 978-88-942329-2-9

Proceedings of the 20

th

IPSAPA/ISPALEM

International Scientific Conference

Reggio Calabria (Italy) July 7

th

– 8

th

, 2016

The Erratic Behavior of the Landscape-cultural Mosaic:

Emotion, Energy, Experience

Atti della XX Conferenza Scientifica

Internazionale IPSAPA/ISPALEM

Reggio Calabria (Italia), 7-8 Luglio 2016

Il comportamento erratico del Mosaico paesistico-culturale:

Emozione, Energia, Esperienza

Udine, Italy

2017

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IPSAPA/ISPALEM-UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE

DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE AGROALIMENTARI AMBIENTALI E ANIMALI

IN COLLABORAZIONE CON UNIVERSITÀ MEDITERRANEA DI REGGIO CALABRIA

DIPARTIMENTI DI AGRARIA E ARCHITETTURA E TERRITORIO

IPSAPA/ISPALEM-UNIVERSITY OF UDINE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL,FOOD,ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMAL SCIENCE

IN COLLABORATION WITH MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY OF REGGIO CALABRIA

DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

ISBN: 978-88-942329-2-9

Proceedings of the 20

th

IPSAPA/ISPALEM

International Scientific Conference

Reggio Calabria (Italy) July 7

th

- 8

th

, 2016

The Erratic Behavior of the Landscape-cultural Mosaic:

Emotion, Energy, Experience

Atti della XX Conferenza Scientifica

Internazionale IPSAPA/ISPALEM

Reggio Calabria (Italia), 7-8 Luglio 2016

Il comportamento erratico del Mosaico paesistico-culturale:

Emozione, Energia, Esperienza

Udine, Italy

2017

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Collana: Il mosaico paesistico-culturale Book series: The Landscape-cultural Mosaic

Volume 3

Atti della XX Conferenza Scientifica Internazionale IPSAPA, Reggio Calabria, Italia, 7-8 Luglio 2016. pp. 512.

Proceedings of the 20th IPSAPA International Scientific Conference, Reggio Calabria, Italy, July 7th -8rth 2016. p 512.

Curatori/Edited by L.C. Piccinini, T.F.M. Chang, M. Taverna, L. Iseppi

Editorial Board: F. Angelucci, A. Barresi, C. Battaino, C. Bellia, A. Chiumenti, D. Di Gregorio, M.A. Lepellere, A. Pagliano, P. Parisi, P. Pedrocco, D. Privitera, G. Pultrone, M. Rizzo, M. Sepe, M.R. Trovato, A. Voghera

Ogni autore è responsabile del contenuto del suo articolo

The author of the paper takes responsability for the content of the paper

I lavori di questo volume saranno inviati per la pubblicazione a Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge ISI Conference Proceedings data base. http://www.isiwebofknowledge.com/.

The papers of this issue of publications after the conference will be offered for publishing on Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge ISI Conference Proceedings data base.

http://www.isiwebofknowledge.com/.

Conference link: https://sites.google.com/site/landscapewonder/2016-conference

The conference is supported by

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Chairperson of the International Conference Program

Prof. Ting Fa Margherita Chang, University of Udine, Di4A Department

Co-Chairpersons of the program

Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Massimo Baldari, Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Alessandra Barresi, Ph.D. prof. Aggr.

Matteo Bognanno, Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Donatella Di Gregorio, Ph.D. prof. Luca Iseppi Chairpersons of the international scientific committee

Ph.D. prof. Livio Clemente Piccinini, Pres. IPSAPA/ISPALEM (Interregional Society for Participation in Agribusiness Landscape and Environment Management)

Prof. Placido Rapisarda, Pres. of CORERAS (Regional Consortium for Applied Research and Experimentation), Palermo, Italy

Dr. prof. Gilberto Marzano, Pres. of Ecoinstitute of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy and prof. at Rezekne Higher Education Institution, Latvia

Prof. Piero Susmel, President of the Scientific Board of the Journal Agribusiness Paesaggio & Ambiente

International Scientific Committee

Prof. Corrado Barberis, Pres. Istituto Nazionale di Sociologia Rurale, Rome, Italy Prof. Carlo Blasi, Past Pres. Società Botanica Italiana, Italy

Prof. Francesco Braga, Board of Directors of IAMA, Guelph, Canada

Prof. Paolo Ceccon, Head of the Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (Di4A), University of Udine

Prof. Ernesto Chiaccherini, Honorary Pres. Accademia Italiana, di Scienze Merceologiche, Italy Prof. Paul Davies, Past Board of Directors of IAMA, Royal Agricultural College, UK

Prof. Nunzio Famoso, former Dean, Faculty ofForeign Languages and Literature, University of Catania, Italy

Prof. Almo Farina, Past Pres. International Association of Landscape Ecology Prof. Melanie Fritz, FoodNetCenter, University of Bonn, Germany

Prof. José M. Gil, Head of the CREDA, Centro de Investigación en Economía y Desarrollo Agroalimentario, Barcellona, Spain

Prof. Velta Lubkina, Head of Personality Socialization Research Institute (PSRI), Rezekne, Latvia

Prof. Augusto Marinelli, Past. Pres. Ce.S.E.T. and SIDEA

Prof. Davide Marino, Associazione Italiana di Ingegneria Agraria

Prof. Alfredo Massart, Past Pres. Associazione Italiana Cultori di Diritto Agrario Prof. Jerry Miller, Past Pres. International Sunflower Association, US

Prof. Danilo Monarca, Head of the ArTe Department, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria

Prof. Alfonso Morvillo, Head of the dell'IRISS Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, Italy Prof. Gianfranco Neri, Head of the Department ArTe, Università di Reggio Calabria

Prof. Jože Perić, Dean Faculty of Tourism and Hospitaliy Management, University of Rijeka, Croatia

Prof. C. Ford Runge, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Applied Economics and Law, University of Minnesota, US

Prof. Vincenzo Russo, Past Pres. Associazione Scientifica Produzione Animale Prof. Arturo Semerari, Pres. Istituto Studi Mercati Agricoli (ISMEA), Rome, Italy

Prof. Zeno Varanini, Past Pres. Associazione Italiana Società Scientifiche Agrarie (AISSA) Prof. Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Head of the Agraria Department, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria

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Prof. Decio Zylbersztajn, Head of the Centre of Studies of Law, Economics and Organization at the University of São Paulo, Brazil

Chairpersons of the organization

Prof. Aggr. Mario Taverna, Prof. Arch. Giovanni Tubaro, Prof. Aggr. Maria Antonietta

Lepellere

National Organizing Committee

Prof. Bertrando Buonfantini, Politecnico di Milano Prof. Ting Fa Margherita Chang, Università di Udine Prof. Giuseppe D’Acunto, IUAV, Venezia

Prof. Andrea Giordano, Università di Padova

Prof. Giovanni Gulisano, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria Prof. Maurizio Lanfranchi, Università di Messina

Prof. Davide Marino, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria Prof. Francesco Nesci, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria Prof. Agata Nicolosi, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria Prof. Palma Parisi, Università di Catania

Prof. Aggr. Piero Pedrocco, Università di Udine Prof. Aggr. Marcella Rizzo, Università di Catania Prof. Rossella Salerno, Politecnico di Milano Prof. Michelangelo Savino, Università di Padova

Dr. Arch. Marichela Sepe, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

Local organizing Committee (Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria)

Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Massimo Baldari Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Alessandra Barresi Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Matteo Bognanno Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Donatella Di Gregorio Ph.D. prof. Aggr. Gabriella Pultrone

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INDICE CONTENT

Introduction Livio Clemente Piccinini

The Erratic Behavior of the Landscape-Cultural Mosaic: Emotion, Energy, Experience

Introduction by IPSAPA President ... 13

The Reading of Reality Salvatore Giuffrida, Maria Rosa Trovato, Vittoria Ventura

Grammatiche urbane e paesaggi in divenire. Un approccio generativo alla riproduzione della città storica

Urban Grammars and Evolving Landscapes. A Generative Approach to

the Reproduction of the Historic City ... 27

Livio C. Piccinini, Mario Taverna

From Order to Erraticity ... 43

Marina Tornatora

The Ambiguous Edges of Landscapes in Motion ... 59

Ting Fa Margherita Chang, Luca Iseppi

The Erratic Behavior of the Natural Resources Market and the Impact on the Landscape-Cultural Mosaic ... 73

Grazia Napoli

L’erraticità della centralità. Valori simbolici e valori monetari nella città di Palermo

The Erratic of the Centrality. Symbolic Values and Monetary Values in the City of Palermo (Italy) ... 85

Chiara Cavallaro, Francesca Proia

Le reti di economia solidale: comunità resilienti

The Economical Solidarity Networks: Resilient Communities ... 95

The Erratic of Perception Irina-Virginia Dragulanescu, Daniela Simona Nenciu

Economic and Socio-environmental Aspects in the Evolution of the

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E. Maino, D. Torreggiani, G. Gatta, P. Tassinari

Lavorare con le tessere del paesaggio rurale: un progetto di valorizzazione del bosco della Saliceta

Working with Rural Landscape Tesserae: a Project for the Enhancement

of the “Bosco della Saliceta” (Italy) ... 119

Salvatore Giuffrida

Le intermittenze del paesaggio. Etica della discontinuità nell’esperienza dell’“essere urbano”

Landscape Intermittences. Ethics of Discontinuity in the Experience of the “Urban Being” ... 127

Giulia Bonafede, Grazia Napoli

Erraticism and Multicultural Permeability of Urban Fabric in Palermo ... 139

Maria Laura Pappalardo

Consonno, un falso d’autore dal fascino perverso

Consonno, Author’s Forgery with Perverse Fascination ... 151

Marichela Sepe

Interactive Mosaics ... 163

The Sign and its Mutability Gabriella Pultrone

Sustainable Development Paths through Creative Interactions between Cultural Heritage and Tourism ... 177

Anna Pellegrino, Gilberto Marzano, Francesco Chinellato

La lettura dei segni rimossi in una chiesa postconciliare di Udine

The Lack of Some Christian-Catholic Symbols in a Modern Church in Udine ... 187

B. Bertoli, C. Cirillo, L. Scarpa, G. Acampora, M. Russo

The Recurring Theme of Water in Garden History ... 197

Maria Laura Pappalardo

Simboli di ieri, funzioni di oggi: edifici di Verona tra caducità e paradosso

Symbols of Yesterday, Functions of Today: Buildings of Verona between Transience and Paradox ... 209

Claudio Bellia

Food & Heritage: the Case of Quality Agri-Food Products in the Territory of Castelli del Nisseno ... 221

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Federica Capriolo

Rigenerazione urbana e percezione

Urban Regeneration and Perception ... 233

Routes and Distances Palma Parisi

Il riuso del patrimonio ferroviario dismesso come risorsa per il turismo rurale

The Recovery of the Disused Railways as a Resource for Rural Tourism .... 245

Maria Rosaria Vitale, Zaira Barone, Salvatore Giuffrida

La costruzione del paesaggio ibleo: reti deboli, segni forti

The Construction of the Hyblean Landscape: Weak Frameworks, Strong Signs ... 257

A. Nicolosi, L. Cortese, G. Romeo, V.R. Laganà, M. Petullà, C. Marcianò

Erraticità e bellezza della Costa Viola: borghi marinari, viticoltura eroica e turismo gastronomico

Erratic Behavior and Beauty of Costa Viola: Sea Villages, Heroic

Viticulture and Gastronomic Tourism ... 269

Anita Calegari

Mosaico paesistico-culturale lungo la Via Sancti Columbani

The Landscape-Cultural Mosaic in the Oltrepo’ Pavese along the Via Sancti Columbani ... 289

Domenico Enrico Massimo, Mariangela Musolino, Alessandro Malerba

Landscape and Sprawl. Diachronic Quantitative Assessment ... 301

Emotion Rinaldo Grittani, Bernardo C. De Gennaro

La Fotografia tra racconto e ricerca sul paesaggio

The Photography between Story and Landscape Research ... 315

Maria I. Simeon, Assunta Martone, Fernando Cinquegrani

Cultural Heritage and Digital Communication: an Analysis of the

“Museum Week” Event ... 327

Teresa Cilona, Maria Fiorella Granata

Paths and Erratic Emotions of Natural and Cultural Landscapes:

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Gilberto Marzano, Luis Ochoa Siguencia

Sharing Emotions and Experience: how Social Media can Affect Travelers’ behavior ... 351

A. Nicolosi, L. Cortese, V.R. Laganà, C. Marcianò

Le preferenze dei consumatori a sostegno della piccola pesca creativa e sostenibile del Mezzogiorno d’Italia

Consumer Preferences in Support of Small Creative and Sustainable Fishing in Southern Italy ... 359

Energy Salvatore Giuffrida, Maria Rosa Trovato

La rigenerazione dell’area della centrale ENEL Tifeo ad Augusta: energia e (in)form(azione) per un’assiologia della contaminazione

The Regeneration of the Area of Tifeo Power Station in Augusta: Energy

and Information for an Axiology of Contamination ... 377

C. Cirillo, G. Acampora, B. Bertoli, M. Russo, L. Scarpa

The Erratic Character of the Landscape-Culture Mosaic of the Phlegrean

Coastline: Regeneration of the Bagnoli Former Steel Area ... 391

Maria Rosa Trovato

A Participatory Approach to the Design and Management of Residual

Urban Areas: a New Order between Values, Functions and Social Actors 403

Grazia Napoli, Maria Rosa Trovato, Salvatore Giuffrida

La gestione del demanio marittimo nella evoluzione del paesaggio costiero

The Management of the Coastal Public Property in the Development of the Coastal Landscape ... 417

Ting Fa Margherita Chang, Luca Iseppi, Maurizio Droli

Business to Business Networks in the Waste Recycling Industry ... 429

M. Baldari, M. Bognanno, N. Biondo, D. Di Gregorio, P. Zappia

Energy and Rural Landscape, a Renewable Source with a "Mitigable" Impact: the Case of Biogas in Zootecnics ... 443

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Experience Paola Barbera, Maria Rosaria Vitale, Salvatore Giuffrida

Esperienza e produzione di paesaggio in Sicilia: la testimonianza degli architetti in viaggio

Experience and Construction of Landscape in Sicily: the Commentaries of Traveling Architects ... 455

Federica Capriolo

Organizzazione del territorio. Il passato iridescenza del futuro

Organization of the Territory. The Past, Iridescence of the Future ... 467

Assunta Martone, Marichela Sepe

An Integrated Vision of the Complex System of a Park: a Responsible Approach for PPES and EMS ... 477

Luisa Sturiale, Alessandro Scuderi

Le nuove forme del verde nel mosaico urbano: verso una pianificazione agro-urbana per riattivazione di spazi e funzioni

The New Forms of Green in Urban Mosaic: towards an Agro-Urban

Planning for Reactivation of Spaces and Functions ... 487

Annamaria Kisslinger, Donatella Tramontano

The Impact of Social and Cultural Participation on Well-Being and Resilience in the City of Naples ... 501

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Proceedings of the 20th IPSAPA/ISPALEM International Scientific Conference Reggio Calabria (Italy) July 7th - 8th, 2016

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ENERGY AND RURAL LANDSCAPE, A RENEWABLE SOURCE WITH A “MITIGABLE” IMPACT: THE CASE OF BIOGAS IN ZOOTECNICS

Massimo Baldari Matteo Bognanno Nicola Biondo Donatella Di Gregorio Pasquale Zappia Department of Agriculture Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria

Abstract. The study investigates the economic viability of installing a biogas plant at a studied enterprise, on the basis of data obtained from leading zootechnical enterprises in Calabria that have introduced such innovations. The evaluations were carried out using the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, calculating the net present value (NPV) and the internal rate of return (IRR) relative to the installation and operation of a biogas plant appropriately sized for the structural and productive parameters of the enterprise studied.

Keywords: Biogas, NPV, IRR, technical-economic viability.

Introduction

In the field of residual biomasses, namely those that originate as waste from agricultural or zootechnical production processes, biogas is the one that has seen the most interest in the academic and research world over the last few years. This is for several reasons, but two appear to be most relevant: the first is the possibility for productive enterprises to increase the availability of precious energy resources, drawing on the internal consistency of the production process; the second, but no less important, concerns the possibility for the enterprise to transform what, in the zootechnical productive process, represents a problem of waste disposal, with inevitable impacts both from the economic and the environmental points of view, into an energy resource that can be immediately utilised.

It must be emphasised that the success of a biogas plant starts with the design aspect and continues through its realisation to its management. No aspect can be underestimated or overlooked: the sizing, the design, and the management of the plant are all aspects that contribute, in equal measure, to the production of the electrical energy. In addition, the management of the plant requires attention and accuracy: inserting a biogas plant into a zootechnical enterprise is equivalent to activating a new breeding, specifically in this case of microorganisms, with all their nutritional and environmental needs, and for this all the analytical parameters of the process must strictly be kept under control, along with the

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M. Baldari, M. Bognanno, N. Biondo, D. Di Gregorio, P. Zappia. Energy and Rural

Landscape, a Renewable source with a "Mitigable" Impact: the case of Biogas in Zootecnics

444

internal temperature of the digester and the perfect functioning of the precision instrumentation for reading the data.

The study, after having introduced the principal aspects of the production of biogas, suggests the possibility, for a zootechnical entrepreneur, of feeding energy into the production chain, utilising waste, namely deriving from corporate activities. In particular, the work proposes an analysis of the technical-economic viability of installing a biogas plant at a studied enterprise, on the basis of data obtained from leading zootechnical enterprises in Calabria that have introduced such innovations.

The evaluations were carried out using the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, calculating the net present value (NPV) and the internal rate of return (IRR) relative to the design, installation, and operation of a biogas plant, appropriately sized for the structural and productive parameters of the studied enterprise.

Biogas in Europe and in Italy in the framework of energy requirements

In terms of both installed power and of energy produced, the leading country at a European (and also global) level is Germany, which alone holds about two-thirds of the plants and accounts for approximately half of the electricity produced from biogas in Europe. The reasons for this, aside from the strong propensity for innovation that can be found in all German productive realities, can be identified in the early incentive policies of these technologies that have been in force since 2000 and, in addition, also in the specific characteristics of the primary sector in Germany; in fact, numerous large scale agricultural enterprises have installed plants with a power capacity exceeding 1 MW.

The history of the evolution and development of biogas in Italy has been characterised by two distinct phases: a first phase, which we could define as experimental, dating from the 1980s, and a second phase that started in the subsequent decade.

In the first phase, especially, large sized plants with a power capacity exceeding 1 MW were installed, managed by agricultural cooperatives and intended to stabilise the impact of the slurry and meet part of the energy needs of the associates. This brought a number of difficulties due, principally, to the difficulty of managing very large plants and, moreover, to the fact that these plants were essentially designed for the industrial sector but were instead installed in agro-zootechnical enterprises that were very often not commensurate in terms of size, quantity, and quality of energy consumption.

The second phase was initiated in the 1990s and was characterised by the spread of simplified and low-cost plants that allowed agro-zootechnical enterprises to recover energy while at the same time stabilising the burden of slurry and other waste.

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sector, has experienced a steady growth. In the four-year period 2010-2014 the production of biogas and, consequently, of electricity, represented one of the main investments in the agro-zootechnical sector. In fact, only in the two years 2011-2012, the number of plants rose from 510 to 994, while the installed electrical power increased from 350 MW(e) to 756 MW(e).

Table 1.

Biogas plants in Italy by type of biomass

Type 2009 (N.) 2009 (MW) 2014 (N.) 2014 (MW) From Effluents 193 306.9 346 410.8 From Slurry 11 5.8 68 40.8 From Manure 19 12.7 379 192.5

From Agricultural and Forestry Activities 16 40.2 920 753.2

TOTAL 239 365.6 1713 1397.3

One of the main reasons for this positive trend was certainly the great economic opportunity offered by the incentive system, in particular from the all-inclusive tariff of €280 / MWh paid for the energy which was fed into the grid.

In the last two years, however, the development of the German biogas sector has undergone a drastic decline; in fact in Germany, as well as in Italy, there has been a net reduction of the incentive tariffs, to a greater incentivisation for smaller sized plants and to the elimination of agricultural tax on the revenues deriving from the sale of electricity produced. These measures have thus lead to a reorganisation of the sector itself, and created the need for a restructuring which for now has translated merely into a diminution of the size of installations.

The production of Biogas: anaerobic digestion

Biogas is obtained from the degradation of the organic material present in biomasses in the absence of oxygen - a condition that is defined as anaerobic. This biological process, called anaerobic digestion, transforms the organic matter into biogas, namely a mixture that consists principally of methane and carbon dioxide. The process through which biogas is obtained, and during which highly specialised bacteria are involved, is divided into two main phases. In the first phase, different groups of microorganisms transform the organic matter into acetic acid, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen; in the second, the compounds thus obtained undergo a transformation into methane and carbon dioxide through the intervention of methanogenic microorganisms. The biological reactions take place inside an anaerobic reactor, called a digester, where the optimal conditions for the success of the entire process are recreated that, involving various groups of microorganisms with different growth and development needs, requires an environment with very precise characteristics.

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The environment of the reaction must be characterised by: • Absence of oxygen (anaerobic environment);

• Temperature stabilised at around 35°C, if operating with mesophilic bacteria, or at around 55°C, if operating with thermophilic bacteria; it is also possible to conduct the process using psycophilic bacteria, and then at a temperature of between 10°C and 25°C;

• Neutral environment (i.e. with a pH value between 6.7 to 7.4); • High humidity of the substrate (> 50%);

• Carbon/nitrogen ratio of 20/40.

Another essential requirement is that the temperature inside the digester is as stable as possible, given the extreme sensitivity of methanogenic bacteria to sudden thermal variations, because at higher temperatures the production of biogas is quicker due to the fact that bacterial activity increases as temperature rises; in fact, the retention time of the biogas in the digester in case of mesophilic activity is 16-30 days, which decreases in case of thermophilic activity (14-16 days). The advantage of anaerobic digestion resides in the possibility of obtaining, from organic matter, renewable energy in the form of immediately-combustible gas; in addition, the process of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of organic biomass is particularly suitable for application in livestock breeding because it:

• speeds up the stabilisation process of slurry intended for storage and subsequent agronomic use;

• enables a good reduction of odours and emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia;

• allows the recovery of sewage and other livestock waste.

Conversely, the main disadvantages are the slowness of the process (the microorganisms usually have low growth and reaction rates) as well as the necessity of maintaining the environment of reaction in optimum conditions for the success of the process.

In addition, for the production of biogas, substrates rich in organic biomass are introduced into the productive process, and, in particular, types of matrices with greater energy density are used to increase the energy yield of the plants, such as crops dedicated to energy production.

Production technologies applicable to the anaerobic digestion process

A biogas plant is composed of several technological components, namely: • substrate feeding system (pumps, conveyors, hoppers);

• anaerobic digester (tank, cover, heating systems, mixers, safety valve);

• system for the treatment of biogas (dehumidification, desulphurisation, filtration);

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• cogeneration unit (motor, alternator, heat exchanger, cooling circuit, and exhaust flue);

• electrical installations and connections to the network (control panels, transformer cabin, meters);

• instruments for the automation and control of the process; • storage tank for the digestate.

The technologies applicable to the anaerobic digestion process, however, are varied and principally depend on the dry substance content of the substrate that feeds the reactor. The substrates to be fed into the digester for the production of biogas must, in fact, have specific characteristics.

Calculation of the economic viability of a biogas plant: objective of the analysis

The proposed work aims to investigate the technical-economic viability of installing a biogas plant at a studied firm, based on data obtained from leading zootechnical enterprises in Calabria that have introduced such innovations.

The studied enterprise is located in a considerably anthropised agricultural context, a high plateau at about 1,200 m.s.l., connected by a decent road system (20-30 minutes by asphalt road) to the provincial capital of Reggio Calabria. It makes use of 120 tethered breeding stalls, and produces about 2,700 pigs annually, sold at different stages of growth. The industrial rearing facilities

extend over an area of about 1,500 m2, for the most part covered by

prefabricated sheds (964 m2) and concrete buildings (445 m2).

The productive process is developed through a series of spaces equipped according to the relative biotechnical phases: gestation; farrowing; weaning; growing up to 30 kg; growing up to 80 kg; and fattening and finishing. Every phase utilises automated and computerised systems of air-conditioning, watering, and feeding. The breeds raised are typical international ones: the large white, landrace, etc. The marketing is done via both the short circuit, with direct sales to private individuals of live pigs at various stages of growth, and via the supply chain route of DOP Calabria cold cuts, with sales of carcasses of heavy pigs to charcuterie producers.

Methodology adopted

The evaluations were carried out using the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, calculating the net present value (NPV) and the internal rate of return (IRR) relative to the installation and operation of a biogas plant appropriately sized for the structural and productive parameters of the enterprise studied.

The evaluations of revenues and costs for estimating the economical viability of an anaerobic digester sized according to the characteristics of the studied

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448

enterprise are based on the market value of the electricity produced (Pe) annually, on the absence of expenditure for electricity compared to the current situation, and on all the costs for the installation and operation of the plant calculated annually for the whole economic life cycle of the investment. In order to calculate the optimum capacity of the digester that should be installed, and consequently the deliverable power output of the associated cogenerator, we considered the daily volume of pig slurry estimated for the rearing enterprise in question.

Therefore, considering an average annual production of pig slurry of 45 m³ per tonne of live weight present, with a yield of 70% of organic substances (Volatile Solids), a generation of 0.5 m³ of biogas per kg of VS, and finally a power output of 1.71 kWh/m³ of burnable biogas, the installation of a plant of about 200 kW of power capacity was hypothesised.

With reference to the costs, two distinct types of cost have been identified and evaluated: investment costs and management costs.

The investment costs consist of:

• civil works necessary for construction of the structures of reception and treatment of the biomass, of production and storage of the biogas, and of storage of the digestate;

• electromechanical works, including the equipment for the loading of the matrices, the electrical connections, etc.;

• the cogenerator;

• design, direction, and inspection of the works; • contingency costs.

The annual management costs consist of: • servicing the cogenerator;

• ordinary maintenance of all the equipment connected to the plant’s production chain (anaerobic digester, pumps, agitators, etc.);

• extraordinary maintenance, decommissioning expenses at the end of the cogenerator’s working life (generally 60,000 operating hours, corresponding to 7-8 years of life), and periodic electromechanical works (generally every 10 years);

• chemical analysis; • general overheads.

The annual operating revenues consist of:

• sale of electrical energy to the network operator. The quantities of electricity sold to the network operator must take into account the self-consumption by the digester and the auxiliary systems of the cogenerator. The selling price for the energy applied is based on the incentives provided for in the Ministerial Decree of 6.7.2012 relative to the type of feedstock.

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• absence of expenses for the purchase of electricity.

The revenues were estimated in relation to a digester (according to the hypothesis of the study case) with a power output of about 200 kW and an electrical output of 1,700,000 kWh/annum, net of self-consumption by the auxiliary systems and consumption by the digester.

The electricity produced would be sold to GSE S.p.A. - Italy’s national electrical services manager - and valued according to the parameters reported in the Ministerial Decree of 6.7.2012. The feed-in price of the electricity was taken as €0.20 per kWh.

Results of the analysis

On the basis of the estimates of revenues and of the annual costs relative to the investment life cycle, a financial cost-benefit analysis was carried out that has enabled us to evaluate the profitability of the investment.

In particular, certain indices have been calculated such as the Net Present Value (NPV), and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) that represents the discount rate limit below which the investment would be financially viable, and which also indicates the rate of interest at which the investment would be remunerated. The Net Present Value represents the current actual value of the project as the difference between the actual flow of expected benefits and the actual flow of foreseen costs for the duration of the project. According to such a methodology, the project under consideration will be realised if the net present value is shown to be positive.

The Internal Rate of Return, on the other hand, represents the discount rate r, at which the present net value of all cash flows (both positive and negative) becomes zero. In practice, the IRR represents the rate at which the present value of the benefits is rendered equal to the present value of the costs. Obviously the IRR cannot be determined a priori, but only by trial, that is, by successive approximations. On the other hand, the IRR constitutes a limit rate in that at higher rates the NPV becomes negative.

Table 2.

Overview of investment costs (values in €)

Power capacity of digester (KW) 200

Civil works 428.693,20

Electromechanical works 322.020,80

Cogenerator 221.247,20

Technical expenses 28.038,80

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With reference to the operating costs, they can be divided into ordinary and extraordinary costs.

The first are attributable to the annual costs of maintenance, related to the ordinary maintenance of all the equipment connected to the production process (anaerobic digester, pumps, agitators, etc.). The second, on the other hand, are representative of the extraordinary expenses at the end of the useful life of the cogenerator (generally 60,000 operating hours, corresponding to 7-8 years of life (CGSO Y8 in Tab. 3)) and by the electromechanical works (generally 10 years (CGSO Y10 in Tab. 3)).

Table 3.

Overview of operating costs (ordinary and extraordinary)

As far as the revenues are concerned, these can be divided into two distinct types: the annual operating revenues consist of: revenues deriving from the sale of electricity to the network operator, and revenues deriving from the absence of expenses for the purchase of electricity.

Table 4.

Annual revenues

* equal to 90.6% of a median 1,700,000 kW per annum at €0.20 per kW ** equal to 9.4% of a median 1,700,000 kW per annum at €0.20 per kW

From the cost/revenue analysis, an NPV is obtained of €545,314.20 per year and an IRR of 18.73, which permits us to express a positive opinion of the viability of the proposed investment.

It would, however, be opportune to carry out some simulations in order to evaluate the deviations from these results, varying the market conditions of the generated energy, the incentive scheme, and the discount rates applicable in relation to the general economic situation.

Power capacity of digester (KW) 200

Ordinary management costs € 72.860,00

Extraordinary management costs:

CGSO Y8 € 97.799,63

CGSO Y10 € 149.083,70

Annual revenues

Revenues from the sale of electricity to the operator * € 340.000,00

Revenues from the absence of electricity costs ** € 35.275,94

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Concluding considerations

The zootechnical enterprise represents one of the rare cases in which the matrices for the feeding of the digesters (animal wastes) are produced as waste from the productive process, which (except in the case of mature manure) almost always constitute an ecological problem in terms of their disposal and the olfactory pollution they determine.

Unlike the cases in which, for the generation of electricity, sacrifices are made of large areas of agricultural land (as in the case of photovoltaics or wind turbines) or enormous quantities of agricultural production (as in the case of biomass), in the case of biogas combined with zootechnical production, the production of energy has a twofold advantage: on one hand it solves the problem of the disposal of the waste, originating from the productive process, that impacts the zootechnical enterprise on both an environmental and an economic level, on the other hand it also enables the enterprise to become a net producer of energy sources itself, without impacting the environments that often qualify our territories, characterise our rural landscape, and constitute one of the foundations of our material culture.

The constructive features of biogas plants not only do not have a decisive impact on the skyline of our countryside, especially when compared to the wind turbines or electric distribution pylons, but actually has an visual impact that is easily mitigable, for example through ad hoc colouring and coatings, combined with the planting of trees around the structures themselves.

Summary

The study, after introducing the principal aspects of the production of biogas, advances the possibility of entering the energy production industry using wastes deriving from industrial activities combined with particular types of biomasses, such as energy crops, that are capable of increasing the energy output of the plant due to their high concentrations of organic substrates. Specifically, the work presents an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of installing a biogas plant within a studied enterprise, undertaken on the basis of data gathered from the leading zootechnical enterprises that have introduced such innovations. The evaluations have been determined using the methodology of cost-revenue analysis, by calculating the Net Present Value (NPV) of the project, and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) that represents the discount rate at which the present value of all future cash flows is equal to the initial investment, therefore being the discount rate limit for the cost-effectiveness of the project. The IRR also represents the interest rate obtainable by investing in the design, installation, and operation of a biogas plant that considers the structural and productive parameters of the selected enterprise.

Acknowledgments and recognitions.

The study is the fruit of the scientific collaboration between the authors.

A month after the conference in Reggio Calabria came the loss, suddenly, in a car accident, of our esteemed friend and colleague Massimo Baldari, a member of the Ipsapa Association since its establishment.

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There are so many indelible memories of his charismatic character.

As a scholar we will always remember the way he was passionate, original, driven by an irrepressible thirst for knowledge and profoundly respectful of methodological rigor, also in this final common contribution.

As a friend we will miss him forever.

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Massimo Baldari Department of Agriculture Mediterranea University

of Reggio Calabria, Italy

E-mail: massimo.baldari@unirc.it

Matteo Bognanno Department of Agriculture Mediterranea University

E-mail: matteo.bognannno@unirc.it

Nicola Biondo Department of Agriculture Mediterranea University

E-mail: nicolabiondo83@gmail.com

Donatella Di Gregorio Department of Agriculture Mediterranea University

E-mail: donatella.digregorio@unirc.it

Pasquale Zappia Department of Agriculture Mediterranea University