For many years, sustainability in the agri-food industry has been addressed through incremental improvements: optimising resource use, reducing waste streams, or progressively integrating renewable energy. However, as projects grow in scale, ambition and territorial impact, this approach becomes insufficient. The challenge shifts from minimising impacts to redesigning the production system according to a fully circular logic.
This is the context in which Casa Ametller has been developed — the new agro-industrial hub promoted by Ametller Origen in Mont-roig del Camp (Catalonia). The project is significant in terms of investment, land use and infrastructure, and has been conceived as an integrated platform bringing together agricultural production, processing, logistics, research and innovation.
Casa Ametller is one of the Biobooster projects supported by Bioboost, receiving tailored assistance to analyse and strengthen its circularity potential, energy efficiency and positive territorial impact.
An integrated project with systemic challenges
Casa Ametller is not simply a new production facility. It is a complex agro-industrial system, characterised by multiple material, energy and logistical flows operating within a single site. This integrated vision creates clear opportunities for efficiency, but also raises strategic questions:
How can organic residues generated within the hub be managed efficiently?
Which technologies allow nutrient cycles to be closed without creating new external dependencies?
How can energy self-sufficiency be maximised while maintaining long-term economic viability?
At this scale, technological decisions cannot be taken in isolation. A systemic, data-driven approach is required to understand resource availability, identify feasible synergies and balance investment levels, energy performance and environmental impact.
From waste to resources: understanding material flows
A key component of the work carried out within the Bioboost framework has been the mapping of biomass and organic waste flows, both internal to the hub and available within the surrounding territory. Horticultural residues, vegetal by-products and other organic resources in the area represent a significant pool of valorisation opportunities.
Based on this analysis, different technological scenarios and resource combinations have been assessed, with the aim of optimising renewable energy generation while producing by-products that can be reintegrated into the production system.
In this context, anaerobic digestion has emerged as a central technology. It enables organic residues to be converted into biogas — which can supply renewable energy to the hub — and into digestate rich in nutrients. When properly treated, this digestate can be returned to agricultural soils as an organic amendment, reconnecting energy production, agriculture and soil management within a single system.
Integrating technologies with a balanced approach
The analysis has gone beyond a single technological solution. Complementary options, such as the pyrolysis of non-fermentable biomass, have also been explored. This process enables the production of biochar, a material with strong potential to improve soil health while providing long-term carbon sequestration.
Combining digestate and biochar opens the door to advanced organic soil amendments, offering benefits in terms of soil fertility, water retention and crop resilience. At the same time, this integration requires careful assessment: each additional layer of complexity introduces technical, economic and regulatory challenges that must be addressed progressively.
One of the key lessons emerging from the project is that larger volumes of biomass do not automatically translate into better energy performance. In some scenarios, significant increases in investment lead only to marginal gains in biogas production. Identifying the optimal balance between resource availability, system performance and cost is essential to ensure long-term viability.
The territory as an active component of the system
A project such as Casa Ametller cannot be understood without considering its territorial context. Local resource availability, the presence of other agri-industrial activities, existing waste-management systems and social acceptance all play a decisive role.
From a bioeconomy perspective, the territory is not merely a backdrop but an active component of the system. Integrating technical development with territorial dynamics is essential to generate shared benefits and to enhance the replicability of the model.
Learning to move forward
The Casa Ametller case highlights a fundamental insight for the future of large-scale agro-industrial projects: circularity is not an add-on or a communication narrative, but a different way of designing projects from the outset.
Through its role as a Biobooster, Bioboost supports this systemic approach, helping to translate technical and territorial potential into sound strategic decisions. When applied rigorously, this approach transforms waste streams into key productive infrastructure, strengthening both environmental performance and economic resilience.