PRESPES BIOGAS COMMUNITY

“PRESPES” BIOGAS COMMUNITY

Description: The “Prespes” region is located in a rural area in the Florina county, Western Macedonia, Greece and is shared among Greece, Albania and FYROM. It includes two lakes (“Mikri Prespa” and “Megali Prespa”), as well as the wider lakes’ basin, while a large part of the Greek Prespa National Park is included in the NATURA 2000 network of protected areas.

Members:

• PRESPA municipality;
• Society for the Protection of Prespa (Non-Governmental Organization);
• Management Body of Prespa National Park (public entity);
• Livestock Association of Municipality of Prespa;
• Agricultural Cooperative of Bean Producers “PELICAN”;
• Local Land Reclamation Organization (public entity).

Main actions so far:

• Organization of various events aiming at presenting the concept of biogas community, motivating the local stakeholders and establishing a collaboration framework;
• A first estimation of the biogas potential of the region consisting of:
  • Gathering data on the types and quantities ofavailable biomass in the region (e.g. manure, reeds from the lakes);
  • Estimation of the energy production of the potential biogas plant;
  • Rough estimations regarding the costs and revenues of the potential biogas plant;
• Awareness raising actions regarding the new/ upcoming Greek law about Energy Communities and the requirements to be fulfilled by Prespes Community to become recognized as an “Energy Community” under this law.

Next steps:

• Identification of feasible alternative locations for a biogas plant according to current National and European legislation;
• Elaboration of a complete feasibility study for the biogas plant operation;
• Exploring of potential funding sources.