EVOP Energy Valorisation of Olive Pits: Traceability, Circularity and Industrial Sustainability in Olive Mills

Challenge

Olive mills generate large quantities of olive pits while often continuing to rely on fossil fuels to meet their thermal energy needs. This creates both a waste-management challenge and an opportunity to make better use of locally available biomass.

Solution

EVOP transforms dried and crushed olive pits into biomass fuel that can be reused within the olive-oil value chain. The project combines this local energy loop with digital traceability and environmental assessment, helping monitor biomass flows and quantify the benefits of replacing fossil fuels with an agricultural by-product. The model is designed to be replicated across olive-producing regions, with cooperatives, biomass operators and business organisations supporting its uptake.

Impact

The EVOP pilot reports approximately 5,155 litres of diesel avoided per year and around 76.9% lower greenhouse-gas emissions compared with the previous fossil-fuel baseline. By turning an existing agricultural by-product into a local source of renewable energy, EVOP demonstrates how circular approaches can reduce fossil-fuel dependency, lower operating costs and create additional value within rural and agro-industrial ecosystems.