Lecture Notes on Grumello Cremonese's Palazzetto Farm

Introduction

• Location: Grumello Cremonese
• Farm Name: Palazzetto Farm
• Main product: Milk
• Number of dairy cows: 400
• Total animals: ~900
• Part of Granarolo controlled supply chain (since 2 years)

Renewable Energy Initiatives

• Biogas Production
  • Started: 2009
  • Purpose: Generate renewable electricity
  • Capacity: 1 MW
  • Initial material: Slurry from the old stable
• Biomethane Plant
  • Started Production: December 2022
  • Capacity: 630 Scm of biomethane
  • Materials used: Slurry, agricultural products, biomass
  • Infrastructure: Membrane upgrading plant
  • Integration: Connected to Snam pipeline network

Agricultural Practices

• Double Cultivation
  • 80% of the farm
  • Utilizes: Farm products, waste water, agri-food industry by-products
• Photovoltaic Panels
  • Installation above old stable: 100 kW
  • New stable roof installation: 350 kW
  • Supplemented by: Cogeneration unit for gaps in photovoltaic production
• Water Saving Technologies
  • Fixed pivot irrigation systems with dripping wings

Digestate Utilization

• Fixed plant for immediate field introduction
• Self-sufficient in fertilization
• No chemical fertilizers purchased

Circular Economy

• Process: Fields → Stable → Biomethane plants → Digestate → Fields
• Goal: Contribute to sustainability of milk production in Granarolo chain
• Focus: Maximizing resource utilization from the environment