Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development

Waste innovation in small island: the GE.RI.N project

About us

• ENEA is the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development

• It is a public RTO (Research and Technology Organization) operating in the fields of energy, environment and new technologies to support Country’s competitiveness and sustainable development

• ENEA’s mission is to develop new technological solutions to meet the societal challenges, fostering transition to the low carbon and circular economy

• The institutional mandate of the Agency is to disseminate and transfer knowledge, innovation and technology to industry, institutions and civil society at large

Activities

ENEA mainly operates to promote and carry out basic and applied research and innovation activities:

• Research: basic, mission-oriented, applied and industrial research, also through development of prototypes and product industrialization

• Technology Transfer: dissemination and transfer of research results to industry and exploitation for production purposes

• Advanced services: studies, measurements, tests and assessements to both public and private bodies and enterprises

• Training and information: activities aimed at broadening sector expertise and public knowledge and awareness

Research facilities and staff

Human Resources

2555 permanent staff (30.09.2015):

•36% women •59% graduates

Research facilities

• 9 Research Centres • 5 Research Laboratories • 11 territorial offices • Brussels Liaison Office • Headquarters in Rome

Foggia Laboratory

Waste Management integrated with…

enhancement of biological structures and geomorphological along routes subsea of Favignana

management and reuse of beached sediments and plant biomass (Poseidon ocean),

assessment of the effects of fishing on biological resources (oceanic Posidonia and fish fauna)

Training of local authorities

…Natural marine resources

The sea grass wrack issue

The carrying capacity of pocket beaches can be significantly influenced by the presence of infrastructures, waste and other human activities on shore. In addition, during the winter, beached seagrass biomass (seagrass wrack) is deposited along the coasts: poorly tolerated by tourists, it is very often removed during the summer.

Flow diagram of management options for seagrass wrack

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Beached biomass management

Posidonia oceanica meadow

Banquette

Characterization of beached biomass at Favignana

Reuse of beached Biomass 1. beach restoration and improvement of the beach access; 2. compost production; 3. restoration of the meadows and the seabed showing signs of

regression of Posidonia (due, for example, to the anchors or the illegal trawling at the coast).

Preparation of bio-mats

Multipurpose facility, designed and built with beached biomasses covered by a casing made with biocompatible fibre padding and with biomass harvested from the beaches. The different usage of the structures are: 1. A first use of the structure is “in situ”. On

stretches of rocky coast adjacent to the point of collection, the “mattress” can be arranged in order to obtain an area useful for bathing and tourist recreation and to overcome those rocky outcrops that otherwise do not allow to take advantage of sharp and rough surfaces.

2. A second use, is to dive the structure, preferably below the closure depth

3. A third use is to create paths along the sea side

4. Finally it can be used to avoid access of tourists close to unstable rocky shore

Schematic representation of the usage of the natural structure

A and B) in situ deposit displacement to avoid access of tourists close to unstable rocky shores and positioning of mats on rocky outcrops to increase the beach. C) Example of immersion of the bio-mats on the seabed. D) Example of application of bio-mats to create paths

Immersion of the bio-mats on the seabed

In addition, the prospective for compensation strategies is promising, as many infrastructures and works are often not approved due to the environmental impact they may have on the Posidonia oceanica meadow, which is an ecosystem with a very high economic value

Such application, essential for maintaining the presence of the meadow, which is an indicator of the health status of the sea, is also crucial to reduce coastal erosion through the root system that holds the removal of sand during storms.

Next steps…

Three-dimensional rendering of biocompatible products for multifunctional structure and their potential use in coastal areas

Thank You

Contact person: Sergio Cappucci sergio.cappucci@enea.it

On line pub. : http://www.enea.it/it/pubblicazioni/EAI/anno-2015/n-4-luglio-agosto-2015

The project team: •Sergio Cappucci, Carla Creo (ENEA, Sustainable Territorial and Production Systems Department)

•Vincenzo Cristallo, C. De Simone, I. Simoncelli (University of Rome “Sapienza”)

•Stefano Donati, Monica Russo (Marine Protected Area of Egadi Islands)

Based on the adopted methodology, and the actions of management and environmental restoration described above, the GE.RI.N project was awarded with the Green Coast Award 2013.