Olive oil is one of the most important products of the Mediterranean. Spain, with 780,000 tons produced in 2022/2023, is the leading producer of olive oil in the European Union. For every liter of olive oil produced, between 4 and 6 kg of olive pomace are generated ―a mix of olive skins, pulp, pits, and water. In Spain, between 6 and 9 million tons are generated annually, which are processed in mills to extract the oil. The resulting dry residue has high calorific value and is valorized for energy through incineration, generating CO₂ emissions. However, the mills’ capacity is insufficient to manage the quantity of this byproduct, especially during harvest time. In addition, due to high energy costs in 2022, 40% of Spain’s olive pomace mills closed down.

As part of the OLIFECycle project, the Barcelona-based biotech SME Dapibus Tech S.L.; the Austrian insect farming company LIVIN farms; and inèdit will develop a circular solution to valorize olive pomace into high-value products. The first industrial-scale plant capable of processing 10,000 tons of olive pomace annually will be built and operated; through the farming of the black soldier fly, high-quality protein, oil, and organic fertilizer will be produced. The solution is expected to be scaled up to process 100,000 tons annually by 2027, and replicated in five more plants by 2035. inèdit will carry out environmental, economic, and circularity assessments of the project.

The project, funded by the LIFE Environment and Climate Action Programme, has a duration of 30 months and a budget of €7,370,812.7, with a contribution of €4,422,487.62 from the EU.

“There is an urgent need to manage olive pomace and thus maintain a sustainable development of the olive oil value chain,” explains the project team. Therefore, “it is essential to find innovative methods and processes that are less energy, water, and carbon-intensive, to create high-value products through a circular economy approach,” they affirm.

What results are expected?

The expected results include a reduction in energy consumption by 58.3%, water consumption by 62.4%, and CO₂ emissions by 61% compared to traditional olive pomace mills; compared to other organic waste treatment methods, such as incineration, it will result in an 86% reduction in water consumption and an 88% reduction in CO₂ consumption.

Insect meal is an alternative protein source that can be used for animal and human feed; insect oils can be used for novel foods or in the pharmaceutical and beauty industries; organic fertilizer for agriculture.