The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat has released a new technical assistance report examining the feasibility of a biomass energy plant for the Aeolian Archipelago, part of its ongoing support to island communities under the EU’s clean energy transition programmes. The study offers a detailed initial assessment of how a bioenergy facility could be developed to strengthen local renewable energy generation and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The report, titled Pre-feasibility Study for a Biomass Plant for the Aeolian Archipelago, focuses on the potential for a small-scale plant on the island of Lipari, designed to process the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) generated across the archipelago. It provides preliminary sizing and cost estimations, as well as an assessment of transport and emissions costs associated with moving and processing the waste.
Drawing on data supplied by local municipalities, the study estimates that a plant sized to handle approximately 2,500 tonnes per year of organic waste in the near term, rising to about 3,300 tonnes in the future, would best fit the region’s needs. Researchers identify dry-feed, continuous-flow, single-stage thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) coupled with a combined heat and power (CHP) unit as the most suitable technology for the archipelago. This configuration is already well-established in municipal waste processing, is less water- and labour-intensive than some alternatives, and yields both electrical power for the grid and usable heat for plant operations.
The economic viability of a local biomass plant is framed around a central challenge: whether a small-scale facility can be competitive with much larger mainland plants — often exceeding 30,000 tonnes per year — once waste transport costs from the islands are factored in. The report emphasises that transport expenses will be a key determinant of overall competitiveness and should inform subsequent, more detailed planning phases.
As a pre-feasibility study, the analysis highlights the opportunities and constraints facing a biomass solution in the Aeolian context, setting the stage for deeper evaluation of technological, legal and economic dimensions in future work.
This publication adds to the secretariat’s portfolio of technical guidance aimed at equipping island energy transition teams with the evidence and options needed to make informed decisions on renewable energy planning and investment.
Read the full report here: Pre-feasibility study for a biomass plant for the Aeolian Archipelago