Development of Net-Zero Emission Olive Oil Mills in the Island of Crete, Greece

Olive oil industry is one of the main industries in the island of Crete, Greece. Olive oil is extracted in around 550 small-size olive oil mills in the island. These olive oil mills are characterized by low energy consumption utilizing grid electricity for powering the machinery and solid biomass for heat generation. Olive oil mills can generate in situ the electricity required in their operation while the can use olive kernel wood, produced in olive pomace plants, for heat production. Replacement of grid electricity with solar electricity generated by a solar photovoltaic system and using olive-based biomass for heating purposes an olive oil mill can eliminate all the net-carbon emissions during its operation. Solar photovoltaics systems are broadly used in Crete for green power generation while olive-based solid biomass is extensively used for heat production. Αn olive oil mill producing annually around 200 tons of olive oil can eliminate all the operational carbon emissions with the installation of a solar photovoltaic system with nominal capacity 13.33 kWp and with the use of 9,524 kg/year of olive kernel wood for heat production. Our work indicates that the use of reliable, mature and cost-efficient renewable energies in olive oil mills in Crete can achieve their complete decarbonization. The results could be useful to olive oil mills’ owners and to policy makers who can promote the decarbonization of the main food industry in the island.