[Sofia Mai]

Digestate management in Greece faces numerous challenges.

[Elli Maria Barampouti]

Digestate management in Greece faces numerous challenges that stem from both technical and institutional factors. Although anaerobic digestion offers clear environmental benefits, the proper handling and valorisation of digestate remain underdeveloped. Most biogas plants lack adequate infrastructure for digestate storage, treatment, and controlled application to land, which leads to environmental concerns such as nutrient leaching and odour emissions. In addition, regulatory gaps and the absence of national standards for digestate quality hinder its recognition as a safe biofertilizer. To move forward, Greece needs coordinated action—developing clear legislation, promoting research on digestate utilization, and supporting farmers with training and incentives—to transform digestate from a waste problem into a resource for sustainable agriculture.

[Sofia Mai]

I fully agree with this assessment. The situation in Greece reflects a broader European challenge where digestate management lags behind biogas development. Beyond regulation and infrastructure, one key missing link is the integration of digestate management into regional circular economy and nutrient recovery strategies. Many biogas plants operate independently without strong connections to the agricultural sector, which limits opportunities for closing the nutrient loop. Establishing regional hubs for digestate treatment and valorisation, such as evaporation, composting, or biochar integration, could help standardize quality and reduce logistical costs. Moreover, clear end-of-waste criteria and certification schemes would provide the confidence needed for market uptake. Combining these measures with pilot-scale demonstration projects and farmer engagement could turn digestate management into a viable and sustainable value chain for Greece.

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