The LIFE-VOICE project aimed to partially replace fossil fuels for energy production and transportation with straight vegetable oil from local agricultural supply chains. The project developed small-scale extraction technologies to produce vegetable oil from crops like sunflower, rapeseed, and soybeans. The extracted oil was analyzed and found to meet fuel quality standards. The oil was then used in converted diesel engines, microturbines, burners, and tractors. Economic and environmental analyses found the local vegetable oil supply chains could provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, especially for rural communities. The project supported policies to promote the development of biofuel supply chains and their associated socioeconomic benefits.

1. LIFE-VOICE
LIFE06 ENV/IT/000257-VOICE
Layman’s report
1

2. 2

3. 1 Premise
Francesco Martelli, David Chiaramonti
The increasing energy demand and the related environmental problems re-
quire the introduction of measures able to prevent or decrease the negative ef-
fects. In Europe, about one-third of primary energy consumption is associated
to transports, together with an enormous emissions quantity of pollutant gas and
greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason and for the nearly absolute European
reliance on oil fuel and imports (equal to 98% according to Commission White
Paper European transport policy for 2010), the European Commission issued
the Biofuel directive (2003/30/EC, 8th May 2003) that aims to reach 5,75% of
biofuels on 2010; this objective has been subsequently increased on March 2007
by the European Council to the 10% on 2020. During the last years, liquid bio-
fuels have been also used as feedstock for stationary generation of energy with
high power efficient (other sector responsible for about a third of the greenhouse
emissions in EU). Based on that, an extensive debate on liquid biofuels sustain-
ability has emerged. On December 2008 the European Parliament adopted with
plenary vote the bill of Directive on the promotion of renewable energy as part
of a package of energy and climate change approved at Strasbourg. Among all,
this Directive confirms the main targets in the Biomass field, in particular for
biofuels (in their different forms), but these determinations come with a spe-
cial attention to the environmental traceability and sustainability of the entire
chain, represent a fundamental condition to comply with forms of incentives for
renewable energy.
The LIFE-VOICE project tried to afford a contribute in this direction: the
commitment of researchers, of local governments, of associations and companies
partner of this project is orientated to develop an organic and matched approach,
it was oriented to analyze the supplied opportunities from the pure vegetable oil
chain, and to better set up the projects, aiming to the environmental, economic
and social sustainability.
2 Introduction
David Chiaramonti, Aldo Iacomelli
The direct use of pure vegetable oil as fuel is a niche application, however it
can represent a possible alternative (or better, an integration) to the traditional
fossil fuel, which is sustainable from the economic and environmental point of
view. For this reason the DirectorateGeneral of the European Commission has
chosen the VOICE project (Vegetable Oil Initiative for a Cleaner Environment)
for the support through the LIFEEnvironment program.
The main purpose of the project has been to develop models based on short
chain but also on industrial chain, for vegetable oil production destined to energy
and transports in rural communities. The pure vegetable oil represents a real
opportunity to decrease the fossil fuel consumption: it can be produced in an
economically and environmentally sustainable way by a large variety of seeds
on many grounds (as sunflower, oilseed rape, soy, Jatropha Curcas, linseed and
so on), which restrains the use of fertilizers.
Encouraging the diffusion of the agro-energetic chains, especially local, the
VOICE has contributed to achieve the purposes set by the biofuels directive,
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4. the European Council and the Directive on Renewable Energy Sources. One
of the projects main aim has been to create a connection between the energy
world and the agriculture world, apparently distant. In a complicated current
scenery, also for the news introduced by the revision of PAC, this project in-
tended to verify the possibility to develop the bio-energetic chains, transferring
to the South Europe countries, as Italy, Portugal and the Mediterranean coun-
tries, the experiences already obtained in Germany on the oilseed rape and
others crops like the sunflower. The most innovative activities in the project
regarded the definition of the best methods of cropping and the most interest-
ing species/varieties, on extractions technologies (presses and filters, industrial
extractions), the adaptation of energetic conversion systems for electric power
production and heat (engine, micro-turbine, burner for greenhouse) and the use
of pure vegetable oil in tractors (modified tractors). The project supported
the development of policies aimed at the promotion of this biofuel and at the
socio-environmental associated advantages in the rural areas.
3 The Project
David Chiaramonti, Matteo Prussi
3.1 Oil crops: the pure vegetable oil chain
Several types of crops species are grown in Europe for no-food oil production.
Based on that, the main goal of the LIFE-VOICE project was to partially
replace not-renewable energy source, i.e. fossil fuel, for energy production and
transports, especially in rural communities, through innovative technologies and
agronomic practices. The utilization of straight vegetable oil for energy genera-
tion in converted diesel engines is rather diffused in many European Countries,
while the use of this feedstock for transportation, above all for agricultural ma-
chineries, is not well known and not very widely implemented unless in few
Countries (such as Germany, Denmark and France).
The oil price rising and fluctuations are suggesting farmers to be involved
more and more in an home-made low-cost sustainable energetic production
chain, but it is essential to provide them with the right and reliable information
about this opportunity, especially considering middle and long-term scenarios.
The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aims moreover to improve
the economic and social integration of all rural areas. In the arable crops sec-
tor, these notably include the abolition of extraordinary set-aside and individual
base areas and the establishment of compensatory payments for oilseed cultiva-
tion. The new regulation provides a better use of rural development instruments
designed to promote not only agricultural activities, but also economic diversifi-
cation in rural areas, as the energy crop production. These instruments include
also agro-environmental measures, which have been strengthened. Further the
decoupling, the carbon credit for energy crops creates an activity that will re-
ceive a payment of 45 euro/ha plus the market return. Energy crops are clearly
a new market and there is considerable uncertainty about the returns from these
crops.
The oil crops are widely distributed in Europe and classified into Temper-
ate (i.e. oilseed rape, linseed, field mustard and hemp) and Mediterranean (i.e.
4

5. sunflower, safflower, castor oil, olive and groundnut) ones. Several oilseed crops
have been tested with good results for energetic purposes. Different species
are interesting due to their acid composition which can satisfy different end
user requirements. At present time, only sunflower, rapeseed and soybean have
reached production levels that can justify cultivation for energy use in Europe.
Regarding these well known crops, it can be assumed to reach sufficient en-
ergy production; the cultivation itself does not present any special technical
problem, since they have been cultivated for a long time for food oil (and soy-
bean for protein seedcake) and the growing techniques are well known. All
the production phases are totally mechanized and usually all the machineries
are available at farm scale because it is used on other crops during the year
rotations, mainly wheat and maize. Handling and storage also do not present
particular problems, with the exception of particular wet environments. Con-
sideration of annual variation on humidity, tests on water content at harvesting,
and finally ventilated storage silos are requested when the vegetable oil sup-
ply chain is designed. Rape and sunflower can be grown on set-aside land all
over the EU following established procedures and are the two most promising
species for further development in Europe. Rape can be grown over a wide area
of north-central Europe and in some southern area where, planted in the fall,
it can be a good alternative to wheat in wheat mono-cropping. Rapeseed is
mainly grown in southern and central Europe as an alternative crop to hard
wheat and, like sunflower, its energy balance is positive.
3.2 The oil extraction and cleaning
The oil can be obtained by two principal pathways: industrial plants, with
mechanic extraction followed by chemical extraction through solvents, or in
small scale plants (decentralized) with only one mechanical extraction (cold
milling). The small scale allows to adopt a consortium model, where both the
main and the co-product can be useful for the agricultural activities: vegetable
oil and protein cake for animal feeding (the usual residual of the cold pressing).
Figure 1: Conceptual scheme of the extraction plant.
In the LIFE-VOICE project a specific plant has been designed, based on the
study of analogous plants realized in Austria and Germany, hat operates mainly
with oilseed rape. The realized plant, originally installed at the Mondeggi farm,
5

6. allowed to process the seeds using a German press combined with an Italian
filtration system. The screw press (mechanical extraction process) is able to
squeeze 120 kg/h sunflower (previously dried at 8/9% of humidity and washed),
suppling about 40 kg/h of oil and 80 kg/h of expeller cake. The construction of
the screw press and the extraction modalities guarantee a maximum overheating
of seed less than 75C in the hottest section. This condition is required to produce
an oil with a small amount of phosphorus, suitable for the use in engines and
converted system. The filter system has been designed and realized in Italy,
this is able to guarantee the respect of qualitative parameters required for oil.
Different kinds of filters (automatic filters) have also been taken in consideration,
however the cost-performance ratio has not appeared to be right for small size
plants.
The farm-scale extraction, for the time being located in Mondeggi, moved
in the third year of the project to Il Trebbiolo. This option has been considered
thanks to great interest shown by the Il Trebbiolo owners for the project and
the achieved results during the first two years.
The productive process is rather simple. During the extraction stage, the
seeds taken from the storage by an automated screw are sent to a riddle for
a first cleaning. A magnetic sheet removes eventual metal material that could
damage the press. After that, the seeds gets into the press where the vegetable
oil is extracted.
Figure 2: The extraction plant of the LIFE-VOICE Project.
The measures carried out on the plant have let to verify that the oil tem-
perature on the screw is on the average between 50 and 70 C (figure 3). The
extraction cake is transferred through a conveyor belt to the temporary storage
and then sent to animal feeding. The expeller cake exit from the press in pel-
lets, to be easily storage and delivered. The oil is affected by a first decanter,
therefore it is pumped to the press filters; finally this is sent to a temporary
storage tank and then distributed to the users.
During the first-year project, 18 m3
of filtered oil were produced, with a
net productivity of around 32% in weight compared to the seeds processed.
6

7. Figure 3: Temperature recorded on the different part of the press.
The energy consumption for mechanical extraction plant, evaluated during the
extraction stage, shows an indicative value equal to about 4,6 kW h
ton .
In the LIFE-VOICE project it has also been extracted and analyzed oil com-
ing form the industrial extraction (partner ITALCOL). The industrial process
is characterized by two stages, the first one is a mechanical extraction followed
by a second chemical extraction (hexane). It has been decided to draw the oil
only from the first mechanical stage, this is because the chemical extraction
surely implies the need of proceeding with the next refining, before using the
pure vegetable oil as fuel.
3.3 The vegetable oil characteristic
Regarding the products quality, it was possible to obtain oil with high chemical-
physical characteristics. The quality of the oil obtained has resulted to be com-
patible with the German pre-standard DIN V 51605, which has been considered
as reference for the project, although this was developed for oilseed rape rather
than sunflower.
The oil obtained by small plants has been analyzed by ASG laboratory in
Munich. The analysis results are shown in figure 4 and 5.
The comparison with the DIN-standard showed that the obtained vegetable
oil meets the main limits defined by the standard. Some important parameters,
such as the iodine number (85 vs. maxDIN 125) and the oxidation stability (24
h vs. minDIN: 6h) were particularly good.
As regards the oil produced by the industrial extraction plant, the analysis
showed that it does not fit the fuel quality standard, for instance the measured
of the Phosphorus content after the decanter was equal to 160 mg/kg (figure 6).
It has therefore been sent to VWP in order to test the performances of a new
small scale cleaning/refining process, currently under development in Germany.
The oil sent was first washed. The oil has then been analysed again by the ASG
laboratory in Munich. The phosphorus content has been almost completely
reduced (well below the DIN limit), as well as other important parameters, thus
confirming the effectiveness of the cleaning process (figure 7).
The oil produced has then been used in different plants for the energy gen-
eration (power and/or heat) and transports (tractors).
7

8. Figure 4: Chemical analysis of the oil extracted by the decentralized plant.
3.4 The utilization oil and panel
In LIFE-VOICE project, two Senertec DACHS co-generators of 5 kWel and
about 10 kWth, have been converted by VWP. One of the two has been installed
at Tommasi Farm (Coltano, Pisa) while the other one, after a pilot experience
at Il Trebbiolo (that is now installing a 450 kW co-generator) is used to supply
heat in the CREAR facility. Moreover 50 kWel generator has been installed at
“Il Palagio”, Figline Valdarno (FI).
The conversion of 30 kWel IBT-CAPSTONE micro-turbine, to pure veg-
etable oil, probably represents the most innovative part of this project. Re-
spect to the reciprocating engines, this kind of techology requires a minimal
maintenance and it has lower levels of pollutant emissions. The micro-turbine
conversion was successfully performed.
The heat production has been also considered for greenhouses and school
heating. In particular, the “Cammelli Farm” is using the modified 140 kWth
Riellos burner in their own greenhouses. The Alberti school in Scandicci (FI)
has been selected for installation of the second burner. In both cases, there has
been a collaboration with Riello.
A John Deere 6230 Premium tractor has been finally bought by the Province
of Florence and converted inside VOICE by VWP partner.
For all the technology the performance and the emission have been monitored
by CREAR.
The protein expeller cake has been characterized, therefore tested for animal
feeding, with good results. The protein content of the high oleic sunflowers cake
has resulted equal to 21% in weight, the total fat equal to 15%, the humidity
content equal to 7,5% and the ash equal to 4,6%; it has not been found the
presence of toxins.
8

9. Figure 5: Acidic composition of the oil extracted by the decentralized plant.
Figure 6: Chemical analysis of the oil extracted by the centralized plant.
3.5 Economic and environmental sustainability
Sandro Sacchelli, Claudio Fagarazzi
On the side of economic sustainability, it has been carried an analysis based
on the data collected. The most relevant aspects are represented by the market
of the seed and by the farm dimension and organization (or productive sys-
tem). In particular, in the latest years, the considerable price fluctuation of
agricultural raw materials, which has never recorded such intensity before, has
introduced strong uncertainty in this market. In the VOICE project, the seed is
produced by the farmer who is interested in energy production. This approach
can release the farmer from agricultural market fluctuations, linking it to the
renewable energy market. The opportunity to create a stable entrepreneurial
activity provides a further added value for the agricultural sector. In the eco-
nomic analysis, the size of the agricultural system involved in the production
phases is as much as important. With the increasing of the farm size and the or-
9

10. Figure 7: Chemical analysis of the oil extracted by the centralized plant, after
VWP cleaning.
ganization, production costs decrease, at same specific agricultural productivity
level (t/ha of seed). In Italy, especially in Tuscany, it is difficult to hypothesize
farms that can use 100-150 ha for oil production, therefore the only possible
option to limit production costs appears to be the consortium model, where
services (and perhaps the plants themselves) are committed to the Consortium,
which is supplied by an elevated number of small-middle farmers.
As appeared in the preliminary analysis of the project, tax-breaks, the re-
gional, national and European incentives and the policies that support the re-
duction of climate-change emissions and the development of alternative sources
of energy, permit a margin of warranty extended in time for everyone who de-
cides to invest on agro-energetic chain based on vegetable oil use. From the
coordinated action among other stakeholders, like AIEL, it has been suggested,
in agreement with Conto Energia of the photovoltaic sector, the so-called Conto
Bio-Energia: this proposal has been essentially understood by the 2008 Finan-
cial Law (24 December 2007 Low, n. 244, published on the Official Journal n.
300, 28 December 2007), even though the thorny path of the Implemented De-
gree and the modifications hereby discussed have not yet clarified on regard of
this essential debate. The Financial Law 2008 aimed to supply a stable support
through an all-comprehensive value equal to 0,28 euro
kWel
for plants below 1 MWel
size. In any case, waiting for a complete definition of the motivating aspects,
one of the main strengths of the agro-energetic sector, is correlated with the
farmer possibility to differentiate the market exits (food and energetic field)
and to have a primary role in the energetic chain, not only as bio-fuel producers
but also as final users.
The economic analysis, developed during the project (based on 2008 Finan-
cial Law) highlighted how the bio-fuel purchasing price of farmers, for internal
business employment, can roughly be between 0,6 and 0,7 euro
lt , therefore ex-
tremely competitive with fossil fuels, also considering the constant increase in
the oil price. The estimated payback period of the investment for the extrac-
tion plant is equal to 5-6 years, also considering the valorisation of the proteins
contained in the cake.
10

11. Figure 8: 50 kW modified generator.
3.6 Economic and environmental sustainability
Sven Gartner, Lucia Recchia
From the environmental impact point of view, associated to the agro-energetic
chain proposed on LIFE-VOICE project, it has been developed an analysis of
the life-cycle (LCA) and an analysis of the impact (EIA) on short chain (decen-
tralized) and industrial chain (centralized). In both analysis, the most delicate
phases have been the data-gathering and the definition of case-studies. Further-
more, the Tuscany land use has been taken in consideration, parallel to these
studies, highlighting the changes happened in the past years and identifying the
most suitable areas for sunflower production.
The schematic life cycle of the basic scenario of vegetable oil production
and usage is exemplified in figure 10: the sunflower is cultivated; the seeds are
harvested, cleaned, stored and mechanically pressed in a local plant; the oil is
filtered and used as a biofuel in a tractor; the seed cake is used as feed replacing
soy meal from North America. For this chain, the VOICE system helps saving
GHGs and fossil energy carriers, whilst it increases acidification, nutrient input
and nitrous oxide emissions (see figure 11).
Alternative scenarios have been investigated and the obtained results have
highlighted that more fossil energy and GHGs can be saved.
In the EIA, regarding potential site-specific negative effects on the environ-
ment, sunflower shows advantages with respect to other annual energy crops
due to relatively low need for fertilizers and pesticides as well as due to its
low water consumption. Rather low risks of additional negative impacts on the
environment are expected if the cultivation of sunflower replaces annual crops
11

12. Figure 9: Heat generator in the greenhouse and emission measurement.
such as wheat. In contrast, risks are higher if fallow area is converted, especially
if long-term set-aside land is used for cultivation.
Based on the mentioned results of LCA and EIA, the VOICE system can
help saving energy and GHGs, especially if the following optimization potentials
are fully tapped:
• cultivation accounts for the biggest part of expenditures in all environ-
mental impact categories of the LCA and causes various additional nega-
tive impacts according to the EIA. A reduction of mineral fertiliser input
should be strived for by developing crop variants with low nutrient de-
mand and/or high nitrogen efficiency. Irrigation should be avoided by
adapting crop choices to local climatic conditions and/or by breeding
drought-resistant crop variants. If irrigation becomes necessary, efficient
technologies such as drip irrigation should be applied;
12

13. Figure 10: Schematic life cycle comparison of vegetable oil versus diesel fuel; red
arrows: options for different production and use options, alternative use options
concerning the co-product cake, etc.
• concerning yield, if the saving of energy and GHGs is given priority, high
yielding crops such as rapeseed and sunflower should be preferred;
• for the decision of whether to produce the oil locally or in a centralised
plant, results regarding energy and GHGs savings clearly favour a cen-
tralised production. However, regarding acidification and nutrient input
as well as from EIA point of view, the local production should be given
priority. In addition, to LCA and EIA, there might be socioeconomic
reasons for favouring local production such as rural development and job
creation;
• if the VOICE system is to be established in order to save fossil energy
resources and GHGs, the cake should be used for energy production rather
than as feed or fertiliser and the second best option would be its use as
animal feed;
• according to the LCA, the oil clearly should be used for a combined heat
and power production, whereas the EIA recommends the use in existing
plants or vehicles as a transport fuel or for heat production.
3.7 Conclusion
The LIFE-VOICE project has been a highly innovative experience of techno-
logical transfer and testing. Regarding to the bio-mass production, scientific
analysis has allowed for selection of the most interesting sunflower variety for
13

14. Figure 11: Results of the life cycle comparison (basic scenario) between sun-
flower oil or rapeseed oil versus conventional diesel fuel; the balances show the
resulting advantages and disadvantages for the vegetable oils; PE: primary en-
ergy.
energetic production, as well as testing others interesting corps: linseed, came-
line and oilseed rape. The study of cultivation modalities let also increase the
environmental benefits coming from this chain further, still raising the ground
quantity to be assigned to these productions.
The oil pressing through the use of plants specifically designed, permits to
reach high returns also on small plants or at a consortium scale. The use of
vegetable oil, produced and essentially conformed to DIN V 51605 standard,
has been tested in converted technologies for this kind of biofuel: generators
and co-generators based on Diesel-cycle, as well as innovative technologies like
a micro-turbine or more traditional systems, such as burners. The study of
motivation effects has finally allows the definition of suggestions of support
policies for this sector.
14

15. 4 Partner contributions
4.1 Technology conversion to pure vegetable oil: some ex-
periences
Georg Gruber,VWP - Vereinigte Werksttten fr Pflanzenltechnologie,
Allersberg, Germany
A future series fuel must be regenerative, not finite. It must be manufactured
in a neutral manner, as far as soil, water air (CO2 and climate) are concerned.
It must be affordable for the world population. And its production must not
compete with food production. As far as technology is concerned, it must be
possible to integrate this new fuel in established series engine concepts without
high additional cost. Plant oil is the one which may be produced in the most
cost-effective way. It has the highest energy density, and because of its high
flame point, it is explosion proof and not inflammable. There are, however,
various critical issues, including the threat of monocultures, the genetic modi-
fication of seeds, direct competition with rain forests and food production. It
was of paramount importance to find out whether plant oil might become an
excellent substitute for fossil fuels in the future ecological and economic con-
ditions on earth. Solutions concerning the adaptation of engine technology,
compliance with emission standards, functionality of fuel injection, combustion
processes and exhaust treatment, in state-of-the-art technology depend solely on
how much labour and capital is made available for the tasks in hand. Pure plant
oil was closest to the Diesel engine at the time of its invention. It is well known
that Rudolf Diesel himself early on experimented with plant oil fuel. Plant oil
in cars It took nearly a century, before in 1994, the worlds first fleet test was
carried out with 60 series engines suitable for plant oil testing. This field trial
had also been preceded, in 1990, by the so-called Porsche Test which was in-
tended to prove the functionality of plant oil in Diesel engines. Test programme,
by the Bavarian Economic Ministry, on 120 vehicles and TDI technology may
be seen as the start of the successful model of decentralised oil mills and series
Diesel engines adapted for use with plant oil fuel. After 15 years of develop-
ing plant oil technology in series Diesel engines, VWP has available at least
five different whirl-chamber and TDI engine concepts complying with EURO
III emission standards. These one tank systems show no difference in service
life, functionality, performance and emissions between plant oil and Diesel fuel.
Plant oil in trucks Since 2001, VWP have run two test fleets with about 50
Scania trucks with DI engines and pump-nozzle engines between 360 and 580
PS (6 cylinder V8 cylinder) in a long-term trial. All trucks are fuelled by pure
plant oil, after some internal engine modifications. They have an average of
750,000 kilometres between repairs, and the intervals for oil change was halved.
Plant oil in tractors The immediate use of pure plant oil in agriculture is one
of the most obvious applications, since economic and ecological efficiency would
be maximised with simultaneous cultivation, production and use of plant oil.
A 100 tractors programme initiated by the same Federal Government, in the
course of 3 years tested the functional suitability of plant oil tractors.
With a total number of 56 tractors, VWP had the highest number of vehicles
in this test programme and the lowest fault incidence. Development and test
benching of the John Deere 6.8 litre common rail engine with 4 valves, emission
tier 2, are now finalised. The fuel consumption, with the materials energy
15

16. density factored in, is identical for plant oil and Diesel. Referred to volume,
plant oil has an energy density of about 5% less than Diesel oil. With equal
consumption, the tractor engine power is therefore a little less with plant oil
than with Diesel fuel. The comparison of emission values shows that for NOx,
plant oil showed higher values than Diesel fuel. For all other emission elements
(CO, HC and particles), plant oil shows advantages over Diesel fuel.
4.2 Pure Vegetable Oil Chains: activities in Portugal
Joao Morais, Rui Barbosa, Nuno Lapa - Farultade de Cincias e Tec-
nologia, Universitade Nova de Lisboa, Portogallo
The Environmental Researching Unit (UBiA) of Faculty of Sciences and
Technology (FCT) of the New University of Lisbon (UNL), as partner of the
VOICE project, contributerd to the developemnt of the field activities. In par-
ticular, FCT-UNL performed in Portugal several interesting trials on camelina
sativa. The plants were sown in turf and trapianteted to pots with a soil mixture
prepared at the university lab. After a positive lab test the plantation has been
developed in field. The first experimental field was located in a farm located
in Montemor-o-Novo (Alentejo region) in which a cultivation of C.Sativa was
performed. Due to circumstances out of our control, the crop was lost: wild
animal eaten the plants. Due to the low amount of seeds available, it was then
decided to make a small experimental field at FCT-UNL campus, under more
controlled conditions. The experimental work will follow the following plan:
eight experimental fields have been prepared with the same area. In each one,
nitrogen application will be controlled. Generally, the plants that were irrigated.
In what concerns the irrigation levels, it can be concluded that the growth of
C.Sativa was highly influenced by the amount of water supplied. Nevertheless,
there were visual differences between the plants that were cultivated with the
addition of nitrogen and the plants to which no nitrogen was supplied. As the
plants developed, it came to notice that fertilization was responsible for more
visual differences than the irrigation.
Furthermore, the FCT/UNL team tested the pure vegetable oil extracted
from sunflower seeds, which was received from the Italian coordinator and the
pure vegetal oil that has been extracted from the seeds of Camelina sativa.The
samples of pure vegetable oil have been subject of chemical-physical analyses,
and used as fuel in a bench diesel engine of the UBiA/FCT/UNL, characterizing
the gaseous emissions produced from the combustion of the pure vegetable oil
and from diesel in the diesel engine.
4.3 The no-food chain like an opportunity for farm
Gennaro Giliberti - Province of Florence, Italy
Local authorities represent a fundamental partner in projects like LIFE-
VOICE. Florence province has been longer committed in the promotion and
development of alternative energy and energy saving: it participated to the bio-
fuel project, which has implied the purchase of a tractor, able to work with pure
vegetable oil, and, in collaboration with ENEL Research and University of Pisa
in Diamond Project (born on January 2008), which entailed the installation of a
photovoltaic integrated system for the direct production of electric current and
16

17. hydrogen, this is placed in the hysterical context of Parco di Pratolino- Villa
Demidoff in Vaglia council, near to Florence.
Within VOICE project, local authorities has been involved in the experimen-
tation of a short chain that starts from oil crop production, such as sunflower,
oilseed rape and linseed, to produce the vegetable oil through a mechanic ex-
traction system. The vegetable oil obtained is in part utilised in the agriculture
sector for the heating of some greenhouses and as fuel to feed a modified tractor
a gas turbine. In addition, a burner for the heating was installed in the gym
nearby Scandicci high school. From the outcome data, we can conclude that, if
correctly implemented on the territory, no-food crops represent an interesting
extra income for the farm, combining traditional activities with new cultiva-
tion forms and product transformations, while at the same time it strongly
contributes to greenhouse gass reduction.
4.4 The role of the ragional authority for the study and
diffusion of no-food chains
Paolo Bottazzi ARSIA Florence, Italy
The Regional Authority for development and innovation of agricultural-
forest sector (ARSIA) is the technical organism of Tuscany Region that works
as intermediary between the agricultural productive system, the research sector,
and who owns particular technologies, developing actions of researchs promo-
tion, test and innovations transfer and also carrying out activities of a specialized
technical assistance, in a logic of sustainable develop and preservation of terri-
tory and Tuscan agro-food resource. Within the activity performed in the latest
years, some of these are in general referred to no agro food sector, also through
the realization of guide initiatives and through the participation in projects of
resource and popularisation. In particular, the Authority has started resources
concerning the possibility to produce natural fibers for textile and technical
use, it has also promoted initiatives with agronomic nature for the cultivation
of species utilized for the production of natural coloring, it has developed study
based on the use of bio-lube in important sector, and it has finally financed
projects concerning essential oil production. A particularly deepen issue is the
renewable energy sector, with the activation of important initiatives on the use
of agroforest bio-mass for the supply of small-mid size plants. Others ongoing
guide initiatives regard the bio-diesel use obtained by local cultivations for the
supply of public transports and for the use of vegetable oil for generation of
power and heat energy.
In LIFE-VOICE project, ARSIA (connected with the partners in partic-
ular ISES ITALY) deal with the aspects related to the results dissemination
towards of the agricultural world, through the organization of workshop and
the realization of dissemination materials (movies and publications concerning
the results of the project), with a view to extend the entire chain to the others
Mediterranean countries.
4.5 The organization of farmers partner of the project:
Florence Coldiretti and CIA Tuscany
Marco Failoni, Barbara Trambusti CIA-Toscana, Florence, Italy
Coldiretti, Florence, Italy
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18. Coldiretti and CIA are professional organizations that represent and support
the interests of farmers, agriculture and the sustainable development of the rural
areas, and provide assistance to the members in the social, fiscal, administrative
and technical field. By this way, during the latest years they have performed a
constant action of promotion of the agro-energies.
Coldiretti Tuscany and CIA Tuscany have been the promoters of the LIFE-
VOICE project. Within the European partnership they have carried out the
point of view and the needs of farms, represented by themselves and they have
offered the technical skills and the experiences developed in the latest years.
Since years, the farms are involved in the development of the local agro-energetic
chains, which represent not only the contribution of agriculture to the mitiga-
tion of climatic changes but also an economic opportunity and an income. The
used criteria are the environmental, social and economic sustainability, the re-
spect of the primary vocation of agriculture for food production, the priority
to the chains that use the agricultural and forest wastes, the local finding of
raw materials, the production and the use of energy in the territory starting
from energetic self-sufficiency of farms. In this contest and within these limits,
it needs to be connected the opportunities to develop bio-fuels of agricultural
origin. In the LIFE-VOICE framework these two organizations have promoted
the experimentation of possible technologies use of pure vegetable oil, of the
boilers for heating of the engines for micro-generation of power energy and for
tractors, in their associated farms. It is important to underline that the VOICE
supply chain produces a protein seedcake, for the two-third of its input. This
seedcake, used as animal feeding, can be considered as a part of the human
nutrition supply chain. The vegetable oil, in this case, is a co-product of the
seedcake. Furthermore they have been directly involved in activities of infor-
mation and training aimed to farm entrepreneurs, through the publication of
materials connected to the project and to its results, through the organization
of formative meetings and the realization of courses and guided tours.
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