This document describes a measure in east Veneto, Italy where vineyard pruning residues are used for heat production rather than being disposed of in landfills. A cooperative called COAL developed a process where prunings are harvested, baled, transported, and chipped then used to fuel boilers and stoves. COAL manages around 50 small heating plants through contracting agreements and also operates a 1MWe cogeneration plant. This measure provides environmental benefits through sustainable energy production and reducing landfill waste while creating social benefits.

1. GOOD PRACTICE TEMPLATE
Title of the measure/initiative: Vineyard pruning cycle for heat production in east Veneto,
Italy. A contracting example in a co-operation model
Name of the organisation: Veneto Agriculture
Status of the organisation: Public Agency of Veneto Region
Address: Viale dell’Università, 14 - 35020 Legnaro (PD)
Contact person: Federico Correale Santacroce
Phone: 0039 0498293711 Fax: 0039 0498293815
E-mail: info@venetoagricoltura.org
Web site : http://www.venetoagricoltura.org
Topic (multiple answers are possible)
 Public Sector
X Private Sector
 Large Industrial Buildings
 Solar Plants
 District Heating
 Wind
X Biomass
 Geothermal energy
 Energy saving
X Energy efficiency
 Energy concepts
 Other, please specify ___________________________________________
Stakeholders (multiple answers are possible)
 Citizens
 Households
X Property owners
 Policymakers
 Local and regional authorities
 Energy service company (ESCO’s)
 Architects and engineers
X Other, please specify: Private wine manufacturers

2. BACKGROUND
Vineyard pruning and woody residues, traditionally burned directly on the field, are used for
energy generation solving in this way technical and economical problems of residues disposal
to landfill. Wood obtained from vineyards pruning is utilized to produce chips or pure/mixed
pellet, that can be burned in modern boiler or stoves. The practice has been developed in east
Veneto, Italy.
OBJECTIVES
Aim of measure: produce energy from vineyard prunings and woody residues utilisable for
heating.
Specific objectives: - to develop optimised method of harvesting, baling, transport / stocking
and chipping of vineyard pruning and woody residues, - to develop contracting system of
heat and/or electricity selling.
PROCESS
The best practise has been developed by Cooperative Agriculture Society Livenza - COAL –
Motta di Livenza (TREVISO) in which in 2009 were present: 150 farms, total 1.000 ha of
vineyards and 2.500 ha with other crops. Production of prunings in this area is 0,9-3,2 t /ha.
The process is carried out in the following way:
FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND PARTNERS
Actual costs to harvest and take out of field pruning residues to landfill is about 50 €/t.
Sources of funding: national grant for electric power production from renewables.
RESULTS
Depending on the type of activity please provide: quantity of the end-users attended, etc.
Describe to what extent the objectives listed above were realised, e.g. decision making
process influenced, behavioural change,
Other benefits: environmental (quantify the CO2 emission reduction, if possible) and social

3. and health benefits (e.g. jobs created).
There are two concrete scenarios in which the best practise has been applied:
1. Contracting: heat and/or electricity are sold to community, other farm, private
buildings, installing little stoves (60kwt up to 1 Mwt). COAL sell heat within a
contract benchmarked to fossil fuel price. The seller is responsible of all chain, from
supplying of biomass to manage plants. COAL manages about 50 little plants.
2. Medium scale cogeneration: COAL manages 1 plant of 1 MWe. Only 500 Kw are
sustainable in COAL area (about 5.000 Ha involved in prunings “production”) other
biomass needed is coming from forest wood and other cultural residues.
The environmental benefits are related to the heat and/or electricity production in a
sustainable way. This way of energy generation solves technical and economical problems of
residues disposal to landfill.
LESSONS LEARNED AND REPEATABILTY
The positive aspects of implementing the measure are following: - energy production in a
sustainable way, - use of renewable resources, - use of residues normally not utilised, - high
convenience at small-medium scale, - health benefits through CO2 emission reduction, -
social benefits.
The initiative could be repeatable in the areas where a significant quantity of vineyard
prunings is present. Contracting represents a good solution dimensioning the chain to biomass
locally available, while medium scale cogeneration is highly attractive with actual national
incentives (electric power from renewables).
PHOTOS: (please include up to 3 photos)