Small-scale composting tests in Sicily

From 12–17 October 2026, Anran Li from Wageningen University and Federico Illuminati from the University of Padua travelled to ECOFARM in Sicily to carry out small-scale thermocomposting tests as part of the TEAPOTS project.

The goal was to characterise local agricultural by-products and identify suitable feedstock mixtures for the upcoming pilot of a Compost Heat Recovery System (CHRS), a technology that captures the heat generated during composting.

Over five days, the team built and filled two small-scale composting reactors using different feedstock mixtures. Four local agricultural residues were characterised during the tests: grape pomace, grape stalks, peach tree prunings and unmarketable fruit, including peaches and melons.

To monitor their performance, the team also installed an automated irrigation system, a weather station and temperature sensors at four different heights in each reactor.

The reactors are now being monitored, and the data collected will help the team understand how the different mixtures perform and optimise the full-scale pilot.

These small-scale tests support the preparation of the full-scale CHRS pilot at ECOFARM, helping the team identify suitable mixtures of locally available agricultural residues and gather the data needed for the next stage of the pilot.

Through this work, TEAPOTS continues to explore how agricultural residues can be transformed into valuable local resources, supporting renewable energy production and more sustainable agri-food systems.