On October 30, SIE, ALFA’s consortium partner, organised the fourth capacity-building seminar “Leveraging the potential of biogas in the livestock sector” at the SEPOR Fair in Lorca, Murcia, presenting the project’s efforts to promote biogas technology within the livestock sector. Supported by the European Union, ALFA focuses on transforming manure from farms into a renewable energy resource, aiming to reduce emissions from animal waste and support sustainable energy practices in agriculture.
The seminar opened with a welcome, followed by presentations from key figures in the biogas and energy sectors. Carla Sebastiani and Daniel Matilla from Sustainable Innovations, serving as Spanish Hub Managers for ALFA, introduced the project and its goals. They explained essentially how the project aims to assist farmers and biogas plant operators. They also outlined ALFA’s role in addressing challenges faced by biogas technologies, including technical knowledge gaps, regulatory issues, and varying levels of public acceptance. ALFA has established regional hubs in six European countries—Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Italy, and Slovakia—providing free technical and business support along with digital tools to aid decision-making and encourage knowledge sharing.
Additionally, the agenda featured presentations by:
- Luis Puchades (AEBIG), who discussed Spain’s potential for biogas development and opportunities for synergies between livestock farming and the energy sector.
- Amparo Fresneda (IDAE), who presented Spain’s Biogas Roadmap and explained the pre-feasibility studies offered by IDAE, which support farmers in assessing biogas project viability.
- Jacobo Bouzada (JB Ingenieros), who shared insights from BIOGASTUR, a large biogas plant converting dairy farm waste into energy, highlighting the project’s contributions and challenges.
The event also included structured networking sessions, allowing participants to exchange perspectives on the topics discussed and consider potential applications within their operations.
Daniel Matilla closed by highlighting ALFA’s outreach and communication efforts, including to build awareness and acceptance of biogas in agriculture. He noted SEPOR’s role as a well-established platform for advancing sustainable technology in the livestock and agri-food sectors, reinforcing the value of ALFA’s participation at this 57th edition of the fair.
