The port of Ibiza has launched a biotechnology pilot project that generates energy from plants
The port of Ibiza has launched a biotechnology pilot project that generates energy from plants
Eivissa
22/10/2024
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is running a pilot biotechnology project in the port of Ibiza that generates energy from the organic decomposition of soil in flowerbeds and then uses it to light a garden in a public area of the port. Special panels installed in the soil of the beds harness the organic matter produced by the plants to generate electricity.
This pioneering initiative in the general interest ports in the Balearic archipelago is the result of a not-for-profit collaboration between the APB and the company Bioo. The installation is able to generate electricity by taking advantage of the organic decomposition of the soil in a purpose-built garden next to the Botafoc children's playground. The system uses biotechnological panels to harness the natural micro-organisms in the soil, obtaining a 100% natural electrical supply that powers ten lights in the public area of the port.
According to Bioo, the installation of the biotechnological project in the port of Ibiza generates 23.8 Wh of clean energy 24 hours a day. It also prevents the emission of 804 kg of CO2 into the atmosphere, saves an estimated 109,000 litres of water per year, and lowers the local temperature by around 4.8 ºC. The initiative, which got underway in August, has taken two months to put into operation and has provided direct employment for fourteen people.
Testing grounds
One of the goals of the APB's environmental strategy is to become a benchmark in sustainability. With this in mind, several innovative environmental pilot projects are being carried out in the ports of general interest managed by the port authority to test their suitability and potential for export to other areas.
Some examples of these projects, which have EU backing, include the electrification of docks to connect ships to the shore using the OPS technique, the installation of sensors to measure atmospheric pollution with satellites in the Eiffel Project, and the installation of a hydrogen fuel cell in the port of Palma as part of the European Green Hysland project.
