Rome, 31 October 2018 - Biogas is a raw material useful for the production of cleaner and more sustainable energy than many others and, above all, represents a potential wealth for those countries that have plenty of products from which to derive it. For this reason UNIDO ITPO Italy supported from 29 to 31 October 2018 a mixed delegation from Botswana in a series of meetings and study tours in Italy focused on this sector, in the framework of the project of technical assistance implemented by UNIDO ITPO Italy and funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea, supporting Botswana private sector and relevant institutions operating in the renewable energy (RE) sector through investment promotion and technology transfer.

The delegation was composed by four representatives of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), the State-controlled company which produces and sells processed meat products, two representatives of UNDP Botswana and a project coordinator of the Botswana Institute for technology Research and Innovation (BITRI).

During the first day of work UNIDO ITPO Italy successfully organized a dedicated meeting with the Italian institution SACE, the financial institution fully owned by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (Cdp, the Italian National Promotion Institution) which supports the externalization of Italian companies. In particular, SACE presented its current activities and future strategy in Africa (e.g. launch of the Africa Program) as well as its interest in Botswana, a country considered extremely attractive in terms of size and business opportunities for Italian companies.

Moreover, UNIDO ITPO Italy organized a 3-days study tour in the area of the Lazio Region and close to Lodi in the Lombardy Region. Through the visits to the biogas plants of the farm Damigelli and the company Inalca the delegates got the opportunity to get acquainted with cutting edge technology and innovative production processes. These activities prepared the way to potential collaboration and partnerships, in line with the scope of the project implemented in Botswana.

On 30^th November, the delegation visited the biogas plant installed within the farm Damigelli in Palestrina, near Rome. This moderate size plant, where all the farmers of the area can bring their livestock waste was particularly interesting for the delegates as it represented an innovative technology potentially replicable in the Botswana context.

Last day, the 31^st October, the delegation visited the biogas plant built by the company Inalca in its factory located in Ospedaletto Lodigiano, near Lodi. Inalca is a company part of the Cremonini Group, a global leader in the meat production, which exports meat products all over the world. This visit had been particularly important for the members of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), who had the opportunity to study an innovative plant which turns slaughterhouse waste in a resource safeguarding the environment.