20 January 2020
During the project AGROinLOG different machines for pruning’s residues harvesting and comminuting, actually available on market, were tested in order to demonstrate the feasibility of a pruning for energy supply chain in Greece. Study area was the Greek District of Agios Kostantinos, in which the IBLC would be developed. Tests were conducted to check these machines’ feasibility to Agios Kostantinos context. Investigated parameters were related to work productivity, biomass quality and economic performance. In a first phase of the project preliminary tests were performed in Greece and South Italy (very similar context to the Greek one) on four different machines: the Greek modified mulcher Fotopoulos FSR2000, the Italian towed shredders Tierre Plano and Facma Comby TR200 and the Italian stationary chipper Caravaggi BIO900. These preliminary evaluations were fundamental for identifying the best possible machinery alternative for the IBLC implementation in Greece. Results analysis showed substantially that a feasible machine was Facma Comby TR200, which showed good work productivity (Field Capacity: 0.49 ha·h-1, Material Capacity 3.20 t·h-1) , so limited costs (71.08 €·ha-1, 16.30 €·t-1) and an appreciable quality of the obtained biomass.