Local biomass transforms energy production for small agri-businesses in the prefecture of Karditsa. In the Thessaly region of Greece, the TEAPOTS Project is demonstrating how local biomass transforms energy production for small agri-businesses. At the Filia Ghi winery, the TEAPOTS Integrated Solution (TIS) is being deployed as a pioneering example of how Europe’s agri-food sector can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels while creating value from materials traditionally treated as waste. The initiative also supports a family-run winery known for producing high-quality local wine, helping reinforce the economic fabric of the region.

Cutting-edge tech for local energy production

The Greek pilot is coordinated by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). For the energy technology, the project gathered key providers contributing different parts of the chain: ThermoDraft IKE supplies the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) module to convert low-grade heat into electricity; Agrimeccanica S.r.l. provides the pyrolysis unit for transforming agricultural residues into heat, syngas and biochar; and Stichting Biomeiler implements the Compost Heat Recovery System (CHRS), which captures heat from aerobic decomposition while returning high-quality compost to the vineyard. Together, these technologies form a real-life testbed for biomass valorisation and circular bioeconomy solutions, ensuring that no product or by-product goes to waste.

Project monitoring is carried out by the Portuguese research institute INL, which provides data analytics and a decision-support platform. Danfoss complements the system with efficient cooling and refrigeration technologies designed to run on the renewable heat and power supplied by the ORC and other components.

The successful preparation, coordination and optimisation of the pilot are supported by a wider consortium: WU (Wageningen University & Research) contributes biomass resource modelling, AUA (Agricultural University of Athens) and UNIPD (University of Padova) support agronomic and sustainability assessments, UTE (UpToEarth GmbH) offers virtual pilot and logistics modelling, DGS S.p.A. develops the TEAPOTS Digital Platform, STAM S.r.l. supports system integration and engineering, FENIX contributes remote sensing and visual communication and SMACT, as project coordinator, ensures strategic oversight, innovation management and dissemination. ERSAF facilitates engagement with agricultural stakeholders, while ECO FARM, host of the Sicilian pilot, contributes insights on replicability and scalability across rural SMEs.

Supporting small agricultural businesses in a complex environment

Thessaly faces persistent energy poverty, high energy costs for agricultural SMEs and vast unused biomass resources that often create environmental pressures. The region has also suffered from severe weather events, such as storm Ianos in 2020 and Daniel in 2023, that caused extensive damage to farmland and infrastructure and exposed the vulnerability of rural communities. These challenges highlight the need for decentralised, soil resilient and circular energy systems.

The TEAPOTS Project responds to these needs: through pyrolysis, vineyard prunings, olive branches, municipal prunings, cotton stalks, maize residues, organic waste and manures are converted into renewable electricity (via the ORC), usable heat, cooling and biochar. This energy supports the winery’s operations (electricity supply, heating and process cooling) significantly increasing energy autonomy and stabilising costs. In this way, local biomass transforms energy production for small agri-businesses throughout the whole production chain.

The CHRS further enhances circularity by converting organic residues into nutrient-rich compost while delivering low-temperature renewable heat. Biochar and compost produced on-site are returned to the vineyard, improving soil structure, water retention and fertility, while permanently storing carbon, an essential contribution for a region repeatedly affected by climate-driven events.

By powering a local winery with its own agricultural residues, the TEAPOTS Project shows how decentralised bioenergy can strengthen rural economies. It is a practical model where renewable heat, circularity and high-quality agricultural production work hand in hand.