Digestate protagonist of the energy transition: the CIB’s experience told in Europe

On 14 July in Brussels, CIB President Piero Gattoni spoke at the event “From waste to resource. The role of digestate between livestock, energy and agriculture”, organised by MEP Carlo Fidanza to talk about the value of digestate in the Italian Biogasfattobene model.

In particular, Gattoni highlighted, in addition to the role of digestate in bringing organic substance back to the soil and for the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, the good practices of Italian farms that every day demonstrate how the ecological transition starts from the soil. 

The President pointed out that of the 35 billion biomethane estimated by REPowerEU as a European target, 80 per cent is attributable to the agricultural and agro-industrial sector. Anaerobic digestion, to be applied on a scale and allow Europe to have in biomethane an alternative to renewable gas built with a 100% European supply chain, must develop in close synergy with the agricultural sector.

Digestate and anaerobic digestion allow organic matter to be returned to the soil, providing food fuel and energy to a growing population across Europe.

Piero Gattoni also touched on the issue of the competitiveness of farms and the contribution of the energy market in this sector, and recalled that in Italy the CIB has developed the Biogasfattobene model, which starts from the culture of quality agro-food, where anaerobic digestion is integrated with agricultural production.

From by-product to strategic resource, digestate is now a key ally for
– regenerate soils,
– reduce the use of chemical fertilisers,
– reduce emissions,
– strengthen the synergy between agriculture and energy.

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