Project funded by the SMP-COSME-2024-REC call

Consortium

The AgriCom project consortium brings together leading European actors in the field of energy transition and sustainable development in the agri-food sector. The project is coordinated by TH!NK E (Belgium) and involves six partners from five European countries:

• TH!NK E (Belgium) – Project Coordinator. Consultancy specialized in energy efficiency, innovation, and the development of renewable energy communities.
• Energie Commune (Belgium) – Cooperative focused on the promotion and development of local energy communities.
• DAFNI Network (Greece) – Network of sustainable Greek islands that promotes energy transition and territorial resilience.
• Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione (Italy) – Federation of cooperatives from the Trentino region, experienced in social economy and renewable energy initiatives.
• Zelena Energetska Zadruga – ZEZ (Croatia) – Green energy cooperative with a strong background in renewable energy projects and citizen participation.
• INNOVI – Catalan Wine Cluster (Spain) – Innovative business association promoting sustainability and digitalization in the Catalan wine and agri-food sectors.

Background

The European agri-food sector is a cornerstone of the economy and rural development but also a major energy consumer, especially in processing, refrigeration, and distribution activities.

In a context of green transition and volatile energy prices, renewable energy communities (RECs) emerge as a key solution to move towards more sustainable, collaborative, and resilient energy models.

The AgriCom project addresses this challenge by providing technical and strategic assistance to agri-food businesses and rural SMEs to help them create, manage, and sustain local energy communities based on renewable sources.

This approach will reduce costs, improve energy security, and strengthen territorial cohesion, contributing to the goals of the European Green Deal and the transition towards a circular, low-carbon economy.

Objectives

The main goal of the AgriCom project is to support the creation and consolidation of renewable energy communities in the European agri-food and rural sectors through knowledge transfer and technical assistance to 15 pilot beneficiaries (three per country).

Derived from this general goal, the specific objectives are:

• Provide multidisciplinary technical assistance and advisory services to SMEs, cooperatives, and local authorities for the development of RECs.
• Promote sustainable and replicable business models based on territorial collaboration.
• Foster the adoption of renewable energies (solar, biomass, wind, etc.) and efficient storage technologies.
• Strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of agri-food actors to actively participate in the energy transition.
• Create synergies between countries and regions to share best practices and successful experiences.
• Generate demonstration impact and contribute to the European framework for energy communities in rural areas.

Actions to be developed

The project begins with a mapping of best practices related to energy management, renewable energy use, and the creation of energy communities in the European agri-food sector. This will be supported by data from studies, previous experiences, and regional reports, with special attention to rural and cooperative initiatives already implementing shared energy generation models.

Later, collaboration will be promoted through a European network of agri-food energy communities, which will define a common strategic agenda and facilitate knowledge exchange among sector stakeholders. Moreover, knowledge transfer will be encouraged among SMEs, cooperatives, and local authorities through working groups, training workshops, and collaborative missions.

The activities proposed, grouped into work packages (WP), focus on:

• Identifying and selecting pilot cases from the agri-food sector across five European countries to test and demonstrate the potential of local energy communities.
• Providing multidisciplinary technical assistance (technical, legal, economic, and organizational) for the creation of 15 renewable energy communities in the agri-food sector.
• Promoting transnational cooperation among clusters, business support organizations, and public institutions to strengthen SME capacity in their energy transition.
• Developing knowledge transfer resources, such as practical guides, roadmaps, and training materials for the agri-food sector.
• Engaging local, regional, and European organizations in the promotion of collaborative energy models through events, seminars, and dissemination activities to give visibility to the project’s outcomes.