Biogas from Zootechnical Refluents: Potentialities and Productive Realities in Italy and Sicily.

The use of agricultural biomasses for energy purposes plays an important role within strategies to diversify energy mix and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this paper is to outline different energy saving scenarios obtainable by biogas recovery from anaerobic fermentation of waste matter generated by livestock, with a specific look at Sicily. In particular, we identify the potential of the main categories of livestock to be found on national and Sicilian soil in order to set out the theoretical and real energy potential obtainable from livestock manure. Moreover, we have calculated the additional energy recovery from effluent which would be achievable through structural reorganization and the formation of partnerships between firms when animal numbers fall below the minimum required to justify investments in this sector. The results obtained from the research enable us to highlight the gap between the sector’s operative reality and its productive potential, and to estimate the amount of biogas production plants which are economically feasible both for the entire Country and for Sicily alone. In conclusion we underline the need for measures providing financial support to encourage the spread of these plants in order to allow the creation of an integrated productive system for a perfectly eco-sustainable agricultural sector.