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In the Burhaniye district of Balıkesir province, one of the important olive production centres of Turkiye, olive seeds are used as fuel. Olive seeds, which are in great demand as heating fuel in the domestic market, are also exported to Greece.
While the olives brought by the olive producer partners in Burhaniye are pressed in TARİŞ’s (Olive and Olive Oil Agricultural Sales Cooperatives Union) headquarters and factory in Pelitköy, the separated kernels become environmentally friendly fuel.
Olive pits, which have been separated during the crushing and pulping of olives in the machine for 15 years, are in demand in Greece as well as in the domestic market. It is stated that the pit (kernel) has an average of 4 thousand 500 calories, equivalent to domestic and high quality coal and meets the heating needs of many homes. Another feature of the fuel obtained from the olive kernel is that it leaves approximately 30-40 kilograms of ash (waste) per 1 tonne.
While the olive pits extracted during the processing of olives at the Burhaniye TARİŞ Olive Oil Factory beccome the desired heating fuel, the export of the olive pits to Greece started 7 years ago. Olive seeds, which are offered to the market in 25-kilogram bags, are exported in 1400-kilogram bags too.
Environmentally friendly fuel goes like hot cakes!
Emrah Öztürk, Director of Burhaniye Tariş Cooperative, explained that olive seeds are very popular and said, “We have been producing olive seeds in our cooperative for about 15 years. At the squeezing stage, we separate the pits from the olives that come to our factory and sell them to the consumers. The olive kernel is an environmentally friendly fuel. It is a clean burner that has no ash and is very high in calories. It will be a very popular fuel.”
“For now, as in previous years, we both export abroad. We also supply to the domestic market in the country. We produce about 1000-1500 tonnes of olive pits per year,” Öztürk added…
