Expobiomasa 2023 concludes in an optimistic atmosphere

biomass fireplaces wood stoves forestry industry
The event has favored the conclusion of agreements between professionals to promote new projects with biomass

The fourteenth edition of Expobiomasa ends in an atmosphere of renewed optimism shared by the exhibitors and the 9.596 visitors who have attended the event organized by the Spanish Biomass Association (AVEBIOM), from May 9 to 11 at the Valladolid Fair.

Javier Diaz, president of AVEBIOM, points out that “The profile of the visitor to Expobiomasa is increasingly specialized, more professional; something that the exhibitors appreciate because it makes it easier for the contacts at the fair to materialize in the form of profitable operations”.

Forest biomass suppliers and promoters of projects to generate thermal energy on an industrial scale have established their first agreements at the fair in these three days and, in the domestic heating sector, confidence has reigned in the recovery, already begun, of sales of stoves and boilers thanks to the gradual return to affordable prices for solid biofuels for consumers.

Good prospects for the pellet market and for heating networks

As a finale to three days of activity, the conference room once again reached capacity in its last two sessions, dedicated to two topics of great importance for the sector: the pellet market in Spain and Europe and the situation of heat networks with biomass in our country.

Manolis Karampinis, responsible for business development at Bioenergy Europe, highlighted that last year bioenergy, including pellets, was the most competitive form of energy in Europe, and also in Spain, despite the increase in production costs that shook the sector and pushed up consumer prices. “We have learned from our mistakes”, has exposed, “And for the next heating season we don't expect prices to rise as sharply as in 2022, as supply chains are getting organized earlier and better.”

The representatives of the most important associations in the country related to biomass -AVEBIOM, APROPELLETS, AEFECC, Bioenergy Cluster of Catalonia y Galician Biomass Cluster- have agreed with Karampinis' analysis and foresee a more balanced campaign between supply and demand in Spain for the coming season, due to easier access to raw material than the previous year and due to the stocks in the hands of users and distributors.

They also harbor the hope that the reduced VAT will be maintained for pellets and convey the need to extend its application to all solid biofuels (such as olive pits or almond shells) and also to combustion equipment and to the renewable heat supplied by ESCOs and heat networks to citizens and industry.

Biomass is the most competitive renewable energy for district heat networks

Veolia, Engie, REBI, DH Ecoenergías and Somacyl and Valladolid City Hall, builders and promoters of the largest biomass heat networks in the country, have participated in the last session, co-organized by AVEBIOM and ADHAC.

 The speakers made it clear: heating networks with renewable energy, and especially those that use biomass as the main source, are a perfect solution to profitably and efficiently decarbonise cities. But its deployment on a large scale and faster than the current one requires a specific regulatory framework, more information to citizens about the economic and environmental advantages, and a greater number of companies technically trained to tackle projects from start to finish.

ADHAC presented its report on heat networks showing that 8 out of 10 work with renewable energy and that 76% of them use biomass.

Expobiomasa 2023 in figures

9.500 professional visitors, 20% more than in 2021

460 exhibiting firms from 34 countries, dedicated to the manufacture of forestry machinery, solid biofuel and pellet industries, manufacturers, distributors and installers of air conditioning systems, promoters of heat networks, engineering, auxiliary industry, energy service companies and groups investment.

https://www.expobiomasa.com/