In the quiet town of Libohovë, nestled in the southern hills of Albania, a 70-year-old mechanic has turned a lifetime of hands-on experience into a practical innovation that is drawing attention beyond his hometown. Fatmir Meçani, a lifelong mechanic who once worked for various state-run enterprises, has built a machine that recycles olive waste into fuel for heating—an invention born out of necessity and creativity.
“I had a lot of olive pulp left over because I own many olive trees,” Fatmir explains. “So I tried to come up with something. I modified an old sewing machine I brought from Greece and used a washing machine drum along with its bearing support. I added a transmission pipe from a car and managed to make it work. It gave great results. To run it at full capacity, though, you need at least three people.”
Despite the ingenuity of his work, Fatmir humbly refrains from calling it an invention. But word has spread, and interest in his recycled olive heating system has grown—not only in Libohovë, but also in neighboring areas.
“People are surprised when they see it,” he says. “They come here, they buy it. I keep what I need for myself, and sell the surplus. But I can’t meet the demand. I have regular clients now, and I save a portion just for them.”
Nothing goes to waste in Fatmir’s process. The olive pulp—what’s left after oil extraction—is pressed into briquettes for burning. “Not a gram is wasted,” he says. “What used to be thrown away or used as fertilizer, now becomes valuable fuel. It’s much more useful this way.”
For Fatmir, the olive tree is sacred. “The olive is the king of all trees,” he says. “It’s been respected since ancient times. It lives for centuries. You can eat its oil, preserve its fruit in brine, and now, even the waste can be used for heating. You could compare it to gold.”
His work is taking root in the broader region. In Gjirokastër and the surrounding areas, more and more people are turning to olive cultivation, building what Fatmir hopes will become a new tradition—one that combines sustainability, innovation, and deep respect for the land.