Valorisation of agricultural by-products in different agro-energy districts: A case study in northeast Italy

The development of renewable energies requires a preliminary study of the availability of bioresources and their spatial distribution over the territory considered. Special attention must be dedicated to the technical and economic feasibility of the bioresources. The present research aims to perform an analysis of the main by-products available for energy purposes in the Veneto region. This analysis tried to answer the following questions: i) which are the primary sources of biomass (crops and livestock) for biogas production? ii) how are they distributed in the municipalities? iii) what is the share for each municipality of the energy available but not yet used? The analysis showed that the bio-energy potential is 2,38 GWh per year, and the most important sources are maize (Zea mays L.): 861 GWh, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): 428 GWh, livestock by-products: 362 GWh. Considering the present exploitation of these resources by biogas plants, bioenergies can increase their contribution by 39%.