Since 2021, in Catalonia has invested several million euros to support new facilities more sustainable, such as microgrids, boilers and stoves that replace fossil fuels with biomass.
The Barcelona Provincial Council has active service plans at energy and forestry levels that make this possible technical and legal support for all biomass network projects. In addition, they strive to promote joint or municipal planning forestry.
According to the AVEBIOM report on heating networks, in 2023Catalonia leads the number of installations, with a total of 241 networks. The councils demonstrate that biomass is a key solution for the energy transition, combining environmental sustainability, economic savings and rural development. Their models provide replicable examples for other regions.
Barcelona: innovation in biomass and commitment to the environment
The Barcelona Provincial Council is committed to biomass as a source of clean, renewable and local energy. Marc Serra Solédelegate chairman of the Climate Action and Energy Transition Area, emphasizes this «Biomass is a great ally in decarbonizing our municipalities.»
Over the past two years, municipal projects have been financed for more than 15 million euros. By the end of 2024, 56 new facilities will be operational The second edition of the Renewables 2030 program will be launched in the spring of next yearwith an initial budget of 30 million euros for heat and biomass networks.
Since 2009, the municipality has supported 93 biomass installations, including 52 heating networks, with a total capacity of 27 MW and a consumption of 12,000 tons of biomass from sustainable forestry. This transition has avoided 16,000 tons of CO2 emissions. In addition, the new projects will generate annual financial savings of 2.6 million euros.
Serra emphasizes that “the use of biomass instead of natural gas or dieselin the last two years of very high fossil fuel prices, has helped municipal authorities enormously thanks to the financial savings it has brought them.»
The main challenges in these years were territorial planning, training of municipal technicians and improving the quality of biomass. Since 2012, more than 20 municipal technicians have been trained every year to ensure proper maintenance and proper operation of the boilers. In addition, environmental education and collaboration with municipalities and the private sector are promoted to expand this model.
Under the recommendations to othersThis delegation emphasizes the importance of promoting installations in areas of high consumption, providing technical support to local authorities, seeking financing to reduce costs and ensuring quality projects with specialized companies. In addition, the need for monitoring, emission control and periodic maintenance is emphasized to ensure the proper functioning of the installation.
Gerona/Girona and sustainable forest management
The provincial council of Gerona has been promoting the use of biomass as an energy source for heating networks since 2014, encouraging the consumption of local wood chips from sustainable forest management. With 72% of its surface covered by forests, of which 57% is wooded, the province has been working on strategic lines to combat climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Remei Aldrich Tomásenergy efficiency engineer in the field of Territory and Sustainability, emphasizes that “Biomass is not only a source of renewable energy, but also an important tool for forest management and fire prevention.”
79 boilers and heating networks have been installed that generate 19,873 MWh of energy reduce 5,258 tons of CO2 annually. With an investment of 13.39 million euros and 4.88 million in subsidies, these networks contribute to the management of 14,317 hectares of forest and have enabled the creation of 26 jobs in rural areas.
The The biomass used mainly consists of forest chips and although the price has increased after the crisis in Ukraine, the facilities have met depreciation forecasts. In addition to the economic savings, environmental savings are also added, by reducing the risk of fires and improving ecosystems.
The tenders include a mixed contract, for works and services, with a minimum of 3 years of preventive and corrective maintenance and a full warranty on the installation. Furthermore, the system was developed together with the Forest Technology Center of Catalonia ForestHeat.cat, a system that makes this possible record thermal consumption, chip consumption and its quality and traceability.
The solving challenges in engineering design, thermal optimization and contract managementhas resulted in an experience that is being converted into a vademecum of good practices to share knowledge about implementation and operation.
The deputation advises to give priority to: replacing fossil installations with biomass in buildings with high consumption and promote municipal networks according to the model of bioenergy communities, due to their better profitability and faster return on investments.
That is currently the caseon new municipal networks with greater capacity. The main challenge is to secure financing and subsidies to absorb natural gas price fluctuations and make investments more attractive.
The Environmental education is also crucial to ensure the acceptance and development of networks. In this sense, educational guides and communication campaigns have been developed to raise awareness about the benefits of biomass. “Citizen awareness is essential to consolidate this sustainable energy model and move further towards the ecological transition,” says Aldrich.
Tarragona is a replicable model
Since 2013, the Tarragona Provincial Council has been developing the project “Near Heat Network” within the Covenant of Mayors, with the accession of 182 municipalities of the 184 that the province hosts. This program made the construction of the first nine heating networks with wood chips and pellets possibleusing local resources.
According to Josep M. Prunerahead of the Ecological Transition Service, “the The reduction in energy costs has been exponentialallowing savings of 70% and reducing emissions by 500 tons of CO2 annually.” The high performance of the modern boilers installed has encouraged the replacement of old diesel boilers.
The project had a total budget of 2.19 million euros, financed by the FEDER Operational Program, together with municipal contributions. The management included the design of the projects, the tendering and the management of the works by the Provincial Council. The most common problems related to the location of boilers, silo design and local logistics for the supply of chips. Challenges that were overcome thanks to detailed planning and the necessary adjustments.
Prunera emphasizes that the project worked as a pilot and is an example for other municipalities to follow. The make biomass installations possible “promote the rural economy and job creationthat promotes the fight against depopulation”, and besides, they are “an excellent instrument for forest management and fire prevention.”
On the other hand, it points out the importance of strengthening the role of agricultural biomass in cooperatives or high-consumption centers in rural areas, promoting: In addition to reducing emissions, the circular economy.