The importance of biomass as an energy source in Spain

  • Europe has a renewable self-sufficiency potential for 66 days.
  • Biomass represents a key option for heating and cooling in the EU.
  • Spain still has untapped potential, using only 30% of its forest biomass.
  • Biomass contributes to sustainability and employment in rural areas.

forest use

The Old Continent, or more specifically, those countries that are part of the European Union, face several energy challenges, one of the main ones being the High dependence on oil and gas as energy sources. These fossil fuels, which represent a very high percentage of EU energy imports, represent a major geopolitical and environmental disadvantage.

To mitigate this dependence, the European Union has opted for renewable energies, which are not only cleaner, but also more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Evolution of energy dependence

En 2014, the average energy dependence of the EU-27 reached the 53,4%, a percentage that has been increasing over the years. This situation has led European countries to look for alternatives, especially from Brussels, to reduce this dependence on fossil fuels, which represent nearly 99% of net energy imports.

A clear alternative is renewable energy, within which biomass has taken on a special role. According to a study carried out by the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), Europe could be self-sufficient in renewable energy during 66 days a year, and of these days, 41 could be covered exclusively with biomass.

“Bioenergy is the most important renewable energy source in Europe. It is close to overtaking coal to become the first indigenous energy source,” said Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM (Spanish Association for Energy Recovery).

biomass Spain

Sweden: A role model

Sweden leads the ranking in Europe in terms of days of self-sufficiency in energy through biomass, reaching 132 days, surpassed only by Finland with 121. In contrast, Spain has less than 28 days of self-sufficiency and is ranked 23rd, sharing a place with Belgium.

This data is indicative of how countries like Sweden and Finland are maximizing their forest potential, while Spain still has a long way to go in terms of biomass utilization.

“We are still far from the countries that lead the table, such as Finland or Sweden,” says Jorge Herrero, Project Director of AVEBIOM.

Role of bioenergy in the European Union

Despite the differences, biomass is set to play a crucial role in the coming years, as this renewable source is projected to be essential to meet the EU targets for 2020. Experts point out that bioenergy will contribute half of the energy target set, thus achieving a 20% renewable energy production throughout the region.

In 2014, bioenergy accounted for 61% of all renewable energy consumed in Europe, which corresponded to 10% of the gross final energy consumption on the continent.

pellets for heating

Using biomass for heating and cooling

One of the sectors where biomass has gained greater relevance is in the thermal use, especially for the heating and cooling. Both uses represent about 50% of total energy consumption in the EU, and of that percentage, 88% is covered by the bioenergy generated from biomass.

This means that biomass has a key role in the fight against energy dependence, especially in terms of heating and cooling, covering the 16% of gross energy consumption in Europe.

Biomass growth in Spain

Spain has experienced a exponential growth in its biomass production and use capacity in recent years. Between 2008 and 2016, the number of facilities using biomass has grown from just over 10,000 to over 200,000, with an average of XNUMX. 1.000 MWt (thermal megawatts) installed.

An interesting fact is that the Forest potential in Spain can be considerably doubled, without the need to allocate more land exclusively to biomass production.

However, Spain only takes advantage of the 30% of biomass is extracted from forest clearing, while other countries such as Austria, Germany or Sweden optimize between the 60% and 70% of what is extracted. This highlights the untapped potential in the country.

This development has boosted the economy of the sector, which moves around 3,700 million euros per year, representing the 0,34% of GDP. In addition, biomass has generated more than 24,250 jobs, many of them in rural areas, which contributes to the development and revitalization of these areas.

Sustainability and energy security

One of the main benefits that biomass provides is its positive impact on reducing CO2 emissions, since it is a renewable energy source considered carbon neutralThis means that, although CO2 is released during combustion, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is compensated by the amount that plants absorb during their growth through photosynthesis.

In addition, the use of biomass contributes to improving management of mountains and forests, thereby minimising the risk of forest fires, which can be so devastating, especially in a country like Spain, where fires are a constant threat.

Biomass not only offers an environmental benefit, but also a socio-economic one, by promoting local employment and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

The future of biomass is promising if its use is optimized, technological improvements are implemented and sustainable forest management is adopted that allows maximum use of this energy source.

In a context where energy transition is vital to reduce the planet's carbon footprint, biomass presents a solution that can take advantage of natural resources responsibly and efficiently.


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