Research projects

ECOLOOP is a four-year research and innovation project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. Its main objective is to optimise the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in rural areas. The project addresses the interconnected challenges of energy, biodiversity and rural development, aiming to promote the sustainable use of natural resources, reduce carbon emissions and strengthen the resilience of agriculture and forestry to climate change.

The project is coordinated by ETRA I+D (Spain) and brings together 15 organisations from Slovenia, Spain, Estonia and Bulgaria, including the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia.

Project Objectives

ECOLOOP develops and demonstrates a set of solutions to:

• optimise the use of various distributed renewable energy sources (biogas, biomass, agri-PV, geothermal),
• meet local energy demands (electricity, heating, cooling, transport, waste management),
• improve soil health and biodiversity,
• promote circular economy models and regional development in rural areas.

The project focuses on three core dimensions:

1. Energy – creating local energy ecosystems that promote energy independence, resilience, and environmental sustainability.
2. Biodiversity – developing sustainable agricultural practices and bio-based products that enhance circularity and soil quality.
3. Social – supporting regional development through new opportunities for farmers and foresters, contributing to local growth and stability.

Expected Results

ECOLOOP tests and validates seven innovations across four pilot sites (in Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, and Bulgaria), with the aim of ensuring replicability, scalability, and market uptake:

1. Biogas production
2. RES integration
3. Soil health
4. Decision support system
5. CO₂ sequestration
6. Farmer support
7. Soil Living Lab

The pilot sites represent diverse climatic, geographical and socio-economic conditions in both agriculture and forestry.

In Slovenia, the pilot site is located at the Jablje Infrastructure Centre of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, where an existing micro-scale biogas plant is being upgraded to produce biomethane for use as fuel in agricultural machinery.

Funding

ECOLOOP has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101118127.