GO SIMBAV: Agro-poultry symbiosis: towards the modernization of the sector through digitalization and circular economy strategies
- Type Grupo operativo
- Status In progress
- Execution 2024 -2027
- Scope Supraautonómico
- Autonomous community Castilla y León; Galicia
- Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
In Spain, meat production linked to the poultry sector has increased by more than 10% for chicken and more than 50% for turkey from 2011 to 2021, making Spain the second largest producer of chicken meat and the fifth largest producer of turkey meat in the European Union in 2021. This growth is closely linked to an increase in the amount of manure mixed with animal bedding materials that is generated, by-products known as chicken manure or turkey manure.
The solutions proposed in SIMBAV can contribute to progress in the development and application of the sector's measures, included in the Specific Guidelines for MTDS for poultry farming (MAPA, 2023) and which affect all relevant environmental aspects of the activity, including water and energy consumption, efficient manure management and control of its emissions.
The sector is demanding actions aimed at improving operating margins by optimising costs derived from energy and food consumption, without undermining animal welfare. Consequently, this project focuses on modernising and improving the competitiveness of the poultry sector through a strategy based on the efficient management of its resources thanks to the use of digitalisation tools that allow for the control of energy efficiency and animal welfare.
Activity 1
Act. Design and implementation of advanced sensorization system
Act. Improvement of the poultry manure drying process
Act. Pretreatment of materials
Act. Study of main sources of water consumption
Act. % energy demand of the farm covered by thermochemical valorisation of by-products
Act. Evaluation of nutrient solubility in ashes for the preparation of regulated liquid fertilizers
Act. Environmental impact analysis
Activity 2
Act. Design and implementation of an industrial IoT communication system
Act. Improving the combustion of chicken manure: co-combustion with agricultural waste
Act. Physicochemical and thermogravimetric characterization
Act. Proposal for water saving alternatives and installations
Act. Analysis of the plant's energy behaviour. Sources of residual heat susceptible to recovery
Act. Agronomic trials
Act. Technical-economic analysis
Activity 3
Act. Design and implementation of a database
Act. Analysis of generated gaseous emissions and comparison with emissions without mixtures. Evaluation of the need for cleaning systems
Act. Gasification of chicken manure/turkey manure only with air
Act. Installation of the chosen improvements
Act. Analysis of the use of residual heat
Activity 4
Act. Massive data analysis and implementation of predictive algorithms
Act. Definition and implementation of emission control systems
Act. Co-gasification with agricultural waste
Act. Measuring water savings and room for improvement
Activity 5
Act. Industrial virtualization of animal welfare and energy flows.
In Spain, meat production linked to the poultry sector has increased by more than 10% for chicken and more than 50% for turkey from 2011 to 2021, making Spain the second largest producer of chicken meat and the fifth largest producer of turkey meat in the European Union in 2021. This growth is closely linked to an increase in the amount of manure mixed with animal bedding materials that is generated, by-products known as chicken manure or turkey manure. Therefore, taking advantage of the by-products generated in this activity for the benefit of the sector's own producers becomes a necessity due to the environmental and economic problems it entails and the potential it presents.
Given the importance of this sector in the global economy and in the Spanish economy in particular, and the growth in the volume of species raised on poultry farms, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based on animal welfare standards of the European Commission, recommended reducing the population density of conventional broiler chickens to a maximum of 11 kg/m2, which would considerably reduce the profitability of this type of farm.
To counteract the imposition of these limitations on the number of kilograms produced for the same surface area, the sector demands actions aimed at improving operating margins by optimising costs derived from energy and food consumption, without undermining animal welfare.
On the other hand, the improvement of environmental performance, as well as social, economic and industrial performance, is identified by public policies at national and European level such as the National Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or the Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2021-2027, which specifically includes the importance of both issues in its main objectives 3 and 6 and, in addition, identifies the smart and sustainable agri-food chain as one of its strategic lines. However, uncertainty in the sector about the technical needs or economic implications of applying sustainable strategies is often a barrier to the introduction of innovative technologies.
Promote the modernisation and improved competitiveness of the poultry sector through a strategy based on the efficient management of its resources thanks to the use of digitalisation tools that allow the control of energy efficiency and animal welfare, the achievement of circular economy actions and energy symbiosis that will help reduce its energy and water consumption, and the energy use of bio-waste generated on the farm itself and on nearby farms.
- Reduction of the number of deaths by at least 1% by optimising existing energy consumption.
- Recovery of at least 50% of the thermal energy from biofuels by optimizing the combustion system for use in the poultry sector.
- Recovery of at least 70% of the thermal energy from biofuels by optimizing the gasification process.
- Reduction of between 20-50% in the farm's water consumption.
- Evaluation of the % savings in overall energy costs with the solution proposed in the project.
- Reduction of at least 60% of inorganic fertilizers to be applied on specific crops.
- Determination of the environmental profile and technical-economic feasibility of implementing digitalisation and circular economy actions.
- Coordinator name: Galician University Business Foundation (FEUGA)
- Postal address: Galician University Business Foundation (FEUGA), R/Lope Gómez de Marzoa S/N - Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña
- Coordinator email: l.carbia@feuga.es
- Phone: +34 981534180
Royal Legislative Decree 1/2016 establishes the priority of avoiding or, when this is not possible, reducing and controlling the pollution of the atmosphere, water and soil, through an integrated pollution control system. Specifically, for incineration infrastructures, the technical and legal requirements for their authorization and operation are established in Royal Decree 815/2013. On the other hand, one of the main objectives of RDL 1/2016 and Directive 96/61/EC from which it emanates, is to guarantee the prevention and integrated control of pollution in facilities through the application of the considered best available techniques (BATs) included in the reference documents (BREF) approved for each sector by the European Commission.
- Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega (FEUGA)
- Yarima Torreiro Villarino
- Manuel José Dopico Dopico
- María del Pilar Bernal
- José Antonio García Blanco
- Raúl París de Pablo
- Félix del Villar
- Agustín de Prada Rodríguez
- Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega (FEUGA)
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