Economic analysis and energy valorisation of by-products of the wine supply chain: the case of the ‘Mamertino wine PDO’

The paper reports the analysis of biomass derived from maintenance of a vineyard, to assess its potential as an alternative energy source, instead of the usual disposal of the wine supply chain’s residuals. The site studied is within the province of Messina, Sicily, in the area of Mamertino wine PDO, a wine of superior quality. The analysis suggests that use of this kind of biomass may allow a fossil fuel such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to be replaced by a wine wood chip biomass boiler, thus meeting economic and environmental criteria by reason of recycling for sustainability.