Spaniards use olive stones as biomass in homes and industry
Farmers are moving to maximise crop value by refining pits
Price swings have affected demand in recent years

MADRID, Sept 12 Reuters Farmer David Jimenez Zamora barely flinched when gas and electricity prices in Spain soared with the energy crisis.

He kept heating the covered pool in the 18th century farmhouse he rents to tourists and the hot water running for as many as 26 guests at once without getting the terrifying energy bills hammering fellow Spaniards.

His secret? Olive stones.

We use olive pits from our trees to heat the swimming pool, the underfloor heating system and get hot water, said the 48yearold.

This is normally used from September onwards, he said, standing by a store holding 5,000 kilos of stones overlooking a sea of olive trees in the province of Granada, in the southern Andalusia region.

Olive stones also power the machines producing Spain39;s famed liquid gold olive oil at two agricultural cooperatives he39;s part of. Solar panels cover the rest of their energy needs.

The use of pits to fuel boilers in homes and small enterprises, mills and even flights in Spain39;s olivegrowing heartland shows the role the industry and the country39;s vast agricultural sector can play in helping decarbonise hardtoelectrify sectors, like aviation.

Using stones as biomass isn39;t new in oliveproducing countries like Spain and Italy. However, the energy shock following Russia39;s invasion of…