Environmental research

Albania is a typical Mediterranean country with large surface area being cultivated under olive plantations. Due to an increased demand for olive oil in the global markets and the high quality of olive oil produced in the region, Albania has plans for a significant expansion of the area cultivated for olive trees. Olive fruit processing produces large amount of by-products, including liquid and solid wastes arising from olive oil extraction and the production of table olives. The disposal without any treatment of the olive waste is known to cause serious environmental problems. Olive mill wastes are valuable by-products and could be used for energy generation and as fertilizer or soil conditioner. This project will be providing coarse resolution information on the present practices in Albania related to disposal or recycling of solid waste coming out of olive oil production factories. It will also provide information on Best Practices of olive mill wastes disposal and recycling in Albania and in the Mediterranean using the template available in http://www.moreintelligentenergy.eu/index.asp. Most importantly, the project will provide detailed information on the feasibility for a follow up project that will have an applicative nature in two objects.

Albania