Spain is the primary producer of olive oil in Europe, and growers are now finding a second source of income from their olives. Olive pits are a valuable source of biofuel, and now hundreds of thousands of olive pits are being repurposed to power homes in Spain. Before being used for biofuel, the pits were considered waste in the olive oil production process and tended to be discarded. Now, the pits are separated in the pressing phase of the production process, cleaned, dried, and ultimately used similarly to that of wood pellets in heating sources. The cost of using olive pits for home heating comes to about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, making it an affordable option that increases revenue for growers and keeps homes sustainable.
Image via Good News Network
Read other stories from the 10/7/24 newsletter:
Comments