Until December 30, 2024, exhibitors who confirm their participation will receive a 10% discount on the rental price of the space. In addition, AVEBIOM members will have an additional 10% discount.

The fifteenth edition of EXPOBIOMASA will be held from 6 to 8 May 2025 at the Valladolid Fair; organized by the Spanish Biomass Association (AVEBIOM), EXPOBIOMASA has established itself as one of the most important in the bioenergy sector, both in the Iberian Peninsula and globally. In the last edition of 2023, it attracted thousands of professionals from more than 30 countries.

The first recruitment period, which ended on 30 June, has already attracted a significant number of companies, confirming their participation and the optimism of the sector in all its areas of activity.

What can be seen at EXPOBIOMASA 2025?

EXPOBIOMASA will continue to show the latest solutions for domestic heating, with an extensive representation of the most important manufacturers of pellet, bone and wood stoves and small and medium power boilers, with all the necessary accessories for their correct installation.

Producers will also be present. solid biofuels and the manufacturers and distributors of equipment for its production and transfer, together with the suppliers of machinery for the handling and initial transformation of all types of agroforestry biomass.

Another central theme will be the generation of energy industrial scale, both thermal and electrical. Given the growing need for decarbonisation of the industry, high-power biomass boilers are proving to be a reliable, efficient and economically attractive solution. As a result, their installation is increasing significantly in various industrial sectors.

The heat networks Biomass-based power plants will also occupy a prominent place. They have been positioned as an extraordinary solution to decarbonise cities, capable of eliminating hundreds of chimneys that emit pollutants from fossil fuels, and of supplying renewable heating, cooling and hot water to thousands of homes and buildings.

Technologies that expand the range of solutions from biomass

One of the outstanding novelties in the 2025 edition will be the presence of technologies related to the biochar and other bioenergy-related carbon capture and storage technologies (BECCS). Solutions that can play a significant role in strategies for net and long-term carbon removal from the atmosphere, in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors and in the sustainable management of biomass.  

The liquid biofuels, a necessary and essential complement to electrification and renewable fuels of non-biological origin, will also be present at EXPOBIOMASA. Attendees will be able to learn about second-generation biofuels produced from waste, as well as advances in new sustainable crops. In addition, the latest developments in biorefining will be presented, such as the co-production of food, biomaterials, renewable hydrogen and synthetic fuels derived from biogenic CO2, including methanol and SAF (sustainable aviation fuels), which are charting a solid path worldwide.

18th International Bioenergy Congress

EXPOBIOMASA 2025 will host the 18th edition of the International Bioenergy Congress, which will focus on the Keys to the future of bioenergy and its technologies, addressing how European sustainability and other policies influence the deployment of bioenergy. These sessions will be an excellent opportunity for attendees to broaden their knowledge of emerging technologies and decarbonisation strategies.

EXPOBIOMASA will once again be the key place to explore innovations, their practical application in various sectors and a unique opportunity for manufacturers, distributors and professionals in the sector to establish new alliances.

More than 400 exhibitors are expected to participate, showcasing the latest technologies, products and services related to biomass.

ENGIE, which will participate in Expobiomasa 2025, has signed an agreement with the multinational Viscofan to install a biomass boiler at its plant in Cáseda, Navarra. The project is a world pioneer as it will use forest biomass and residual cellulose casing for meat products as fuel.

It will be the first boiler in the world to combine forest-based biomass and cellulose meat casing as fuel.

It is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2025 and will generate 7,5 tonnes of steam per hour (5 MWt) from forest biomass and nearly 4.000 tonnes of cellulose casing waste from the production process. Its high calorific value will help optimise the plant's energy efficiency.

Thanks to the combustion gas treatment systems and continuous monitoring of emissions, CO emissions will be reduced by 9.000 tons per year.2, which will therefore contribute to the decarbonization of the Viscofan company.

ENGIE will be responsible for managing its operation until 2040. This project, in addition to contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will be an example of energy recovery from industrial waste and a pioneering energy solution for the circular economy.

This collaboration strengthens ENGIE's position as a leader in renewable and sustainable energy solutions, while Viscofan takes an important step towards reducing its carbon footprint.

The works to expand the heat transport pipeline network in Ponferrada, which began in June 2024 and are scheduled to be completed in April 2025, will be able to meet the demand of more than 2.800 homes and 43 tertiary buildings and will mean the shutdown of more than 100 fossil fuel chimneys in the city.

The new infrastructure will have a renewable thermal energy production capacity of 32.000.000 kWh/year. The total budget required for the complete development of all parts of the project will be approximately 12,5 million euros.

Ponferrada's district heating is an important energy infrastructure that uses as fuel Renewable forest biomass (forest chips from forestry work in the mountains of Castilla y León)The network extends across the western part of the city to meet the heating and hot water demands of both public buildings and private buildings interested in connecting. Currently, 15 tertiary buildings are connected to the heating network: schools, institutes, heated swimming pools, the Rosaleda retirement home, etc.

The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved with this important environmental project amounts to 8.300 tonnes of CO2/year. The associated job creation will be 12 stable jobs, both direct and indirect.

The building constructed for the generation plant has a constructed area of ​​1.029 m2 and is divided into four different areas. The heat generation area houses the installed biomass boiler with 4.500 KW of thermal power. This is a hot water boiler with mobile grate technology that uses forest biomass as fuel - mainly poplar, pine and oak - and has continuous combustion control to minimise emissions into the atmosphere. In addition, it has an advanced smoke filtering system consisting of a multi-cyclone and an electrofilter. The rest of the elements of the thermal energy production facility are also located within this area.

The heat generation plant in its current initial phase has a 4,5 MW boiler, and will be expanded in the future with two more boilers, which in its final phase will reach 18,5 MW of thermal power.

The construction works for the first phase of the renewable thermal energy generation plant and the heat transport pipeline network have been completed and have been in operation since December 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the works for the extension of the generation plant for the installation of the second biomass boiler will be put out to tender.

The objectives are:

• To provide an urban service for the centralised supply of thermal energy to which both public and private buildings can be added, thereby achieving important synergies at all levels.
• Replacing the use of fossil fuels with renewable, sustainable and indigenous energy (biomass) that contributes to generating employment in rural areas, reduces the energy dependence of the region and contributes to the prevention of forest fires in our autonomous community.

The advantages for future users:

• Absence of own heat production equipment, fuels and chimneys (0 breakdowns, 0 replacements, 0 combustion risks, 0 noise and vibrations, 0 maintenance costs)
• Savings on energy bills (between 20 and 40%)
• Reduction in boiler maintenance and replacement costs
• Improving the energy rating of buildings by using a renewable energy source
• Permanent technological updating
• Greater guarantee, stability and security in energy supply

Heat networks in Castile and Leon

• Spain is the third country in Europe with the largest forest area and the ninth in the use of its resources.

• The Spanish Association of Stove, Kitchen and Fireplace Manufacturers (AEFECC) highlights the importance of good sustainable management of forests in order to prevent fires.

Compared to recent years, Spain is not suffering major forest fires. However, according to forest fire statistics in Spain, an average of 17.000 forest fires occur, affecting around 114.000ha of forest area.

Of them, according to the records of the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies: an annual average of 80 forest fires have consequences on the population, mainly due to preventive evacuations, but we must also regret deaths, injuries, and cuts to communication routes. and services, damaged infrastructure.

Through the extraction of excess biomass, in addition to balancing the ecosystem, fires can be avoided by using said material as a source of clean, sustainable and low-cost energy. The potential of this forest mass as a source of thermal energy is very high and is the best alternative to fossil fuels.

The cleaning of forests and the reuse of forest surplus are part of the secret of the countries with the largest forest area in our environment so that large fires are not as devastating as they are in our country, where 41% of the burned area corresponds to only 0,2% of claims.

The World Environment Forum (WWF) assures that the time to put out a fire is 20 years before, through the restoration, preparation and care of forests.

THE THIRD EUROPEAN COUNTRY WITH THE MOST FORESTS

Spain is the third country with the largest forest area in Europe, but the ninth in use of these resources. It only takes advantage of a third of the remaining forest mass. The rest, 63% of this surplus, remains in the forests, exposed, in most cases, to fires.

We are precisely one of the countries with the highest rate of fires in the European Union, with summer being the time of highest incidence.

Although some of them originate naturally, caused by lightning, about 80% of fires, according to Greenpeace, are caused by humans.

Agricultural burning, to obtain grass, smokers, machines and engines, bonfires, acts of vandalism, among others, are some of the reasons why fire devastates thousands of hectares in our country every year.

“Reducing the amount of biomass accumulated in forest areas by collecting firewood or branches would favor the regulation and functioning of the ecosystem, preventing the uncontrolled spread of fires, since there is less material susceptible to burning,” says Carlos Oliván, president of AEFECC.

USE TO SAVE ENERGY

AEFECC estimates that increasing the percentage of single-family homes with biomass heating systems by only 18% (almost 1,4 million homes) would mean not only savings of almost 500 million euros annually and great progress towards achieving environmental objectives for greenhouse gas emissions but rather a reduction in energy dependence.

The use of biomass as a heating system contributes to reducing pollution, since the emissions generated by its combustion are offset by the absorption of CO2 during its life cycle.

On the other hand, firewood, compared to any other fuel, does not require industrial transformation processes, so its ecological footprint is completely clean.

Furthermore, biomass generates 135 jobs per 10.000 inhabitants in rural environments and contributes to the cleaning of forests and the maintenance of the forest area of ​​our country.

AEFECC is an ally of EXPOBIOMASA

A team of researchers from Pontevedra is carrying out pyrolization tests on forest and agricultural remains to obtain biochar, carbonaceous material that can be used as a soil amendment and improve its fertility and structure and contribute to carbon capture among other uses.

The project, promoted by Luis Ortiz, Antonio Vázquez, Juan Luis Rodríguez Somoza and Óscar González Prieto from the Energy Technology Research Group of the University of Vigo, aims to offer a viable option for the sustainable management of forest remains and reduce the risk of fires forestry, a recurring problem in the region.

A pyrolytic oven was used to carry out the tests. of own design based on a double grid system previously patented by Ortiz. From the tests carried out with three materials, a high quality biochar has been obtained with a fixed carbon concentration between 76% and 78%.

Pyrolysis takes place inside the oven, a thermal decomposition process in the absence of oxygen that allows biomass to be converted into biochar without generating emissions. The device uses forest remains to generate heat and, in another version, uses butane gas for more precise control of the temperature in the rector.

The biochar obtained contributes to mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon and, if available on the ground, improves soil quality, increasing its capacity to retain water and nutrients.

In addition, the possibility of using biochar is being explored in applications that require materials with high buoyancy and absorbent properties, similar to those of activated carbon. This opens opportunities to develop filters capable of trapping heavy metals and liquid contaminants.

The production of biochar offers another solution to sustainably manage forest and agricultural remains and can generate new economic opportunities in rural areas.

The next edition of Expobiomasa, the reference fair for the biomass sector in Spain held in Valladolid, from May 6 to 8, 2025, will dedicate an exclusive space to this technology.

The latest statistical report on the wood pellet market in Europe, published by the European bioenergy association, Bioenergy Europe, offers the information necessary to understand its recent evolution, the factors that have influenced consumption and production, and the financial implications. underlying...

Wood pellets are an essential component within the technologies offered by bioenergy. Thanks to their high energy density and their uniformity demonstrated thanks to certifications, they have become a competitive energy source that is also contributing to meeting the climate and energy objectives of the European Union.

Production and consumption of pellets in the EU

In 2023, pellet production in the EU reached 20,7 million tonnes, while consumption amounted to 21,9 million tonnes, reflecting a slight deficit covered by imports from reliable partners such as the United States and Brazil. The EU continues to lead both in global production and consumption of pellets, despite the interruption of imports from Russia due to sanctions imposed in 2022.

The wood pellet market in Europe has shown a remarkable capacity to adapt to disruptions that had not been previously known. While industrial consumption has temporarily decreased due to fluctuating prices, residential and commercial use has remained solid.

Reduces industrial pellet consumption

Total pellet consumption in Europe (EU-27 + UK) decreased for the first time in two decades, going from 32,1 million tonnes in 2022 to 30,1 million tonnes in 2023. This contraction is mainly attributed to volatility in the prices of industrial pellets caused by the energy crisis resulting from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although prices have stabilized, they are still higher than the historical average, affecting the profitability of the use of pellets for electricity production.

Stability in the residential pellet market

In contrast, the pellet market for the residential and service sectors has shown notable stability. In 2023, residential and commercial consumption represented 59% of the total, the highest percentage in a decade. This relative increase is due to a significant decrease in industrial consumption, especially in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where consumption fell by approximately 900,000 tons.

Winter 2023-2024 was characterized by a marked decrease in heating degree days (a unit used to measure the level of winter severity) with reductions of 10% in Spain, 15% in Belgium and almost 22% in Austria. It is notable to note that this trend of lower heating demand due to milder winters has not negatively impacted residential pellet consumption, which indicates the resilience of the residential market in the face of climate variations.

Quality certification ensures consumer confidence

The quality certification of ENplus® biofuel has been key in the consolidation of the pellet market. This certification scheme ensures quality from the factory to the final consumer, which is beneficial both to users, who obtain an efficient biofuel, which reduces emissions and prolongs the useful life of heating equipment, and to the environment.

Continuing to ensure the sustainability and quality of the product is vital for the pellet market to continue growing in the future and contributing to a cleaner and more efficient energy system.

Some recommendations for policies that favor the pellet market

To encourage sustained growth of the pellet market and maximize its contribution to the EU's energy and climate goals, Bioenergy Europe recommends that, when implementing the European Green Deal and the Anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), administrative burdens be minimized; It also considers it necessary that support for the renewal of heating systems with renewable technologies includes pellet equipment; and that progress is made in the recognition that the use of pellets in the industry together with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) are vital to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Fountain. Bioenergy Europe Statistics

Hamerkop Climate Impacts and the International Biochar Initiative publish the “Biochar Carbon Removal Handbook”, a comprehensive guide for investors, producers and other parties interested in harnessing the potential of biochar as a sustainable carbon sink.

Biochar is a carbon-rich material obtained from the pyrolysis of organic matter that is gaining recognition for its potential for carbon capture and climate change mitigation. The manual offers a guide to navigate the complexities of biochar certification as a carbon removal tool, its role in the carbon market, variability in production, project design and certification processes.

The carbon market

Biochar can play a leading role in the voluntary carbon market by offering a reliable method for long-term carbon capture. In fact, already in 2023, biochar accounted for 94% of long-term carbon removal credits. The carbon market is an incentive for new biochar projects, allowing them to monetize their carbon capture efforts through the sale of credits. A financial incentive that will promote the growth of the industry with the socio-environmental benefits that it entails, especially in regions where biomass is used and in those that will receive biochar in their soils.

The carbon capture potential of biochar varies significantly depending on the source materials and production methods used. Source materials can range from agricultural waste to forestry waste, each of which affects the carbon content of biochar and co-products such as bio-oil and syngas. Production technologies, from small-scale furnaces to industrial pyrolysis plants, also influence biochar characteristics and production costs.

The manual provides a basic outline for successfully carrying out a biochar project; from how to determine the scale of production from mapping available resources and stakeholders, to selecting the appropriate source material, considering its availability, processing requirements and sustainability. Deciding on the technology and location of the facility are important steps, as is identifying the end use of the biochar, ensuring it provides long-term carbon storage and is integrated into a circular economy, and valuing the co-products that can be generated.

Finally, a section is dedicated to certification; how to select the most appropriate certification standard for the project that quantifies and validates the eliminations achieved.

Certification Standards

There are several certification standards that provide methodologies to quantify and verify the carbon removal capabilities of biochar.

Each standard has developed specific requirements for source materials, production technology, carbon accounting and monitoring.

• Pure.earth. First standard for biochar carbon credits, offering a methodology to quantify carbon removal from biochar.
• Carbon Standards International (CSI). It provides two methodologies: Global Biochar C-Sink and Global Artisan C-Sink, aimed at different production scales.
• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Managed by Verra, it includes the VM0044 methodology for the use of biochar.
• Climate Action Reserve (CAR). Targeted at projects in North America with the biochar protocol for the US and Canada.
• Riverse. It focuses on large-scale projects in Europe with its BECCS & biochar methodology.

The next edition of EXPOBIOMASA will dedicate a prominent space to the capture and storage of biogenic carbon, including biochar, a technology that is already being promoted by companies in Spain.

Learn more

In the month of May 2024, the Spanish Biomass Association has carried out a comparative analysis of the prices of different solid biofuels such as ENplus® certified pellets, wood chips and olive pits and other energy sources available in Spain, and its behavior over the last 10 years.

To do this, data from EUROSTAT, IDAE, MINETUR and MIBGAS have been used, and the biomass price indices (IPB) prepared by AVEBIOM quarterly since 2012 for wood pellet, splinter and olive pit.

A comparison to make informed decisions

In a context of constant fluctuations in energy prices, Spanish consumers may encounter reasonable doubts when deciding which energy source best suits their needs and budget. Choosing the most appropriate energy source to heat our homes requires considering both the average cost per kWh and the stability of prices over time.

Paul Rodero, president of the European Pellet Council and responsible for certification at AVEBIOM, recommends to the consumer "seriously consider biomass as a source of energy for heating your home because, in addition to being an economical and stable option, it contributes significantly to environmental sustainability.”

Electricity, natural gas and C diesel, at the high end of prices

The price of the electricity for average consumption (2500 - 5000 kWh) is significantly higher than that of the rest of the energy sources, with a sustained increase over time and a significant peak of €30,71 cent/kWh in June 2022. Even when used to power a bomba de calor, and considering a realistic SCOP for the center of the peninsula of 2,5, it is located in the range of the highest prices for domestic heating, as the graph shows.

El gas natural offers various rates to meet the different needs of consumers. Both the TUR2, for consumption greater than 5000 kWh/year, and the TUR1, for lower consumption, have shown a general upward trend, with a maximum price of €18,55 cent/kWh for the TUR2 in December 2022. Considerable fluctuations over time, with large spikes and dips, especially in the last two years, can complicate cost planning for consumers.

As to diesel C, an option commonly used for heating in cold regions, has been losing market share in the last decade. The notable variability in prices over time, reflecting the uncertainty in fossil fuel markets, and the penetration of more sustainable alternatives for heating may be behind this situation. The average price at the end of 2023 was close to €10 cent/kWh, in line with the electric heat pump and natural gas.

Solid biofuels: the sustainable and economical alternative

The prices of energy for heating obtained from biomass, represented by pellets and wood chips and olive stones, are below those of electricity and fossil fuels.

The pellet distributed in tanks, with a price of €7,72 cent/kWh at the end of 2023, maintains a clear downward trend and, according to the IPB factory forecast for June 2024, is already close to the prices of the first quarter of 2022, at the beginning of the global energy crisis. Regardless of this exceptional circumstance, pellets have demonstrated great price stability since they entered the home heating market. With an average price of €5,71 cent/kWh and a very low deviation (0,14).

The same can be said for the olive pit distributed in tanks, with a price of 7.59 cent€/kWh in December 2023, it is gradually returning to normal. With 2,99 cent€/kWh at the end of 2023, Wood chips are the most stable solid biofuel that can be used for domestic heating.

IPB download:

The six projects that use biomass to reduce CO2 emissions in energy-intensive industries stand out. They will receive 55 million euros, 57% of the budget allocation.

The García-Carrión Winery Group, through VILLANUEVA BIOTHERMAL (BIOVI), will receive 2,7 million euros to build a biomass plant to generate thermal energy in Gádor, Almería, which will replace natural gas, reducing CO2 emissions by 7.000 tons per year.

Member States and the European Parliament have provisionally approved the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF). This new framework, which is expected to be formally adopted and published by the end of 2024, is a key piece in the EU's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase carbon removal activities.

Achieve climate neutrality by 2050

The CRCF aims to facilitate the implementation of carbon removal activities within the EU. It establishes quality criteria, rules for verification and certification, and standards for the operation of certification schemes and their recognition by the European Commission. Although the framework will be voluntary, it is expected to establish a general rule for carbon removal across the EU.

The framework covers three main categories of activities: permanent carbon removals, carbon farming or carbon farming, and carbon storage in products.

Permanent carbon removals include industrial technologies that capture carbon, such as BECCS, and store it safely for centuries. Carbon farming encompasses practices in agricultural lands, wetlands, forests and coastal environments that sequester carbon through biological processes, also generating benefits for biodiversity. Carbon storage in products involves capturing and storing carbon in durable products such as wood building elements and biobased insulation materials.

These activities can generate four types of certified units: permanent carbon removal units, agricultural carbon sequestration units, soil emissions reduction units, and product carbon storage units. To be certified, activities must meet four main criteria: quantification, additionality, long-term storage and sustainability.

Implications for the bioenergy sector

Bioenergy Europe has actively worked to ensure that the CRCF does not impose additional requirements for sustainable bioenergy production and that it includes a broad definition of carbon removal, including biochar. The CRCF may open new opportunities for biomass-using industries, which could now develop carbon removal technologies or products for long-term carbon storage.

Consult the report prepared by Bioenergy Europe on this matter (in Spanish)

The Spanish Biomass Association (AVEBIOM) announces the dates of the 15th edition of the reference event for the bioenergy sector in the Iberian Peninsula. The international fair for biomass technologies will be held on May 6, 7 and 8, 2025 at Feria de Valladolid.

In addition, the first contracting period for EXPOBIOMASA 2025 is now open with discounts of up to 30% for exhibitors who decide before June 30.

Increases interest in industrial facilities and in the domestic sphere

Biomass is gaining more and more interest in the industry, which inevitably needs to be decarbonized in the coming years. According to the AVEBIOM Biomass Observatory, the installation of high-power biomass boilers has increased since 2022 in all industrial sectors. This increase is due in part to the rising costs of power generation with fossil fuels, along with the recognition that biomass offers an efficient, renewable and sustainable alternative.

In fact, remember Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM, “in the 2023 edition, we already observed an increase in exhibitors related to energy generation from biomass in large industrial boilers and heat networks, where biomass represents 60% of total installations.”

For the 2025 edition, Javier Díaz assures, “we expect significant participation from manufacturing companies and providers of technology and solutions in this field, from all over the world.”

Moreover, the stoves and boilers sector Biomass continues to gain ground as an option for heating homes, especially since the price of pellets and other solid biofuels began to normalize in December 2022. A survey carried out at the end of 2023 across Europe on consumer behavior clearly reflects that pellet It has the favor of users: 90% of pellet consumers assure that they will continue using it.

EXPOBIOMASA 2025 will be the ideal place for manufacturers and importers to reach agreements with new distributors for their home heating products with pellets and other biomass throughout the country.

For more information and to contact them, go to

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