Background Agro-industries are major sources of industrial pollution. Technological development has meant that agro-industry wastes have become more complex, and agro-industries more than other industrial sectors require a dynamic and comprehensive approach if appropriate waste management is to be achieved. Some agro-industrial sectors, such as olive oil mills, cheese factories and dairy farms, represent a considerable share of the Mediterranean economies. In Achaia, agro-industry is at the heart of the economy. Industries processing agricultural raw materials such as fruits, vegetables, meat and milk, generate millions of tonnes of waste and by-products. These are generally unexploited, while having significant impacts on the environment. The production facilities are scattered throughout the countryside and the wastes are produced seasonally, varying significantly both in quantity and content. Over the last 10 years, anaerobic digestion for producing electrical and thermal energy, and composting for material recovery from wastes, have become widespread in many European countries. Objectives The overall objective of the project is to use agro-wastes (agricultural plant residues) and agro-industrial wastes (e.g. from olive mills, piggeries, etc.) as a sustainable fuel source. This fuel source can be integrated into the existing energy infrastructure in the medium term, while in the longer term, it will provide a safe and economical means of supplying the needs of a developing hydrogen and biogas fuel economy. The project will demonstrate a prototype plant for the integrated management of agro-industrial wastes. The plant will aim to maximise energy exploitation from the wastes, and will employ optimum processes for aerobic composting or vermicomposting of digested material along with other available agro-wastes. The project will produce experimental data for the production of water suitable for irrigation, using either membranes or electrolysis of anaerobically-digested wastes. The project will generate a wide-range of other relevant data including: Accurate energy balances for selected types and mixtures of agro-wastes based on their seasonal and spatial availability; Anaerobic degradation rates and ultimate hydrogen/methane yields of selected types of agro-wastes and mixtures thereof; and Forecasts of biogas and hydrogen energy production per unit of agro-waste mixture. The project will also carry out a cost-benefit analysis and an Environmental Impact Assessment Study as a basis for dissemination of its results, and will seek to increase the awareness of the public, local stakeholders, students and potential investors in integrated agro-industrial waste management.