3 million hectares of vineyards in Europe is a significant resource of biomass (prunings) to produce heat.

In the Penedés region, where the vineyards cover 25,000 hectares, this has been understood and introduced by the sustainable production of thermal energy for the municipality and businesses.

Our experts Tetiana Zheliezna and Semeon Drahniev visited the vineyard, where to optimize the process of grape pruning is collected mechanized: the technique of the cooperative NOU VERD.

Specialized trailed shredder (Italian manufacturer PERUZZO brand Cobra Collina B1400) selects a vine with a diameter of up to 5 cm directly from the rows of vineyards.

Productivity of the shredder is about 0.5 ha/h. This reduces farmers’ costs of extracting vines from vineyards. The shredder is equipped with a 1.5 m3 storage hopper, which rises to a height of 2.6 m during unloading, which makes it possible to unload biomass into tall trailers. The size of the crushed fraction is suitable for the use of such biofuels in the boiler supply system of the La Girada boiler house.

  • Productivity of the shredder is about 0.5 ha/h.
  • This reduces farmers’ costs of extracting vines from vineyards.
  • The shredder is equipped with a 1.5 m3 storage hopper, which rises to a height of 2.6m during unloading, which makes it possible to unload biomass into tall trailers.
  • The size of the crushed fraction is suitable for the use of such biofuels in the boiler supply system of the La Girada boiler house.

Such a cooperative provides harvesting of grape pruning from 44-46 farmers within a radius of 15 km.


This study tour and seminar “Use of grape pruning for heat production” took place within the Horizon2020 Project AgroBioHeat “Promoting the penetration of agrobiomass heating solutions in European rural areas” in which UABIO is involved. 

Organizers of the seminar “The use of grape pruning for heat production” and technical tours: the Spanish Bioenergy Association Avebiom and the Center for Research and Technology Hellas.


Read also:

  • how the biomass boiler house La Girada of the municipality of Vilafranca del Penedes uses grape pruning as a fuel
  • how the Spanish winery, one of the world’s most famous companies, Bodegas Torres uses a biomass steam boiler.