ZEFFIROS
Zero‐waste energy‐efficient agricultural communities in the
Greece - Republic of North Macedonia cross‐border area
DEVELOPING CIRCULAR ECONOMIES BASED ON BIOWASTE
FLAGSHIP PILOTS
ZEFFIROS project aims to implement TWO unique BIOGAS ENERGY PRODUCTION PILOT UNITS in the cross-border area, located in Serres (40 KWel) and Dojran (10KWel).
The 2 pilot biogas units are designed and operated through inter-municipal cooperation demonstrating effective solutions to existing problems in the cross-border area.
DEMONSTRATING SOLUTIONS TO LOCAL PROBLEMS
- Illegal disposal of waste from farming and animal husbandry and non-utilisation of by-products
- Misuse of chemical soil-fertilisers with implications on food and water safety
- High cost of biowaste disposal that jeopardises business viability (e.g. municipal slaughterhouse)
- Negative impacts on financial and environmental sustainability from dependence on fossil-fuels
BRINGING ADDED VALUE TO THE CROSS BOARDER AREA
Operational models for biogas units
Develop a complete business value chain and an operational model for each pilot unit to continue operation after the project ends
Training for farmers & animal breeders
Train farmers, animal breeders and other food-processing professionals to reap the benefits of the circular economy
Compost certification as soil conditioner
Deliver guidelines towards compost certification to promote its use as a fertilizer or soil conditioner for farming
Neighbourhood composting pilots
Raise citizens' awareness by running neighbourhood-bin compost pilots for compost production in (sub)urban areas
The Interreg IPA CBC Programme ”Greece – Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020” is a cross-border cooperation Programme co-financed by the European Union under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II). The strategy statement of the Programme is “to enhance territorial cohesion by improving living standards and employment opportunities holding respect to the environment and by using the natural resources for upgrading of the tourism product”. The total budget of the Programme for the period 2014-2020 is 45.470.066,00 €.
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