479 heat and cold networks with biomass in Spain

In 2022, 17 new biomass networks were put into operation, an increase of 3.7% compared to 2021, and there are already 479 installations, while in potential the increase has been 10.1%, reaching 462 MW.

The Spanish Biomass Association publishes its latest report on biomass heating and cooling networks in Spain with data until 2022, general and broken down by autonomous communities and provinces. Since the previous inventory review, in 2021, 46 new networks have been built.

Wood chips are the most used biofuel, followed by pomace and pellets. In total, biomass heating and cooling networks consume around 200,000 tons of biofuels per year .

In 2020 and 2021, the majority of new installations were of small power, surely as a consequence of the pandemic situation. In contrast, in 2022, fewer networks have been installed than other years, but with greater unit power.

Catalonia and Castilla y León continue to lead prominently in number of networks and installed power . The first has 218 installations (93.5 MW), 45.5% of all inventoried networks. In the Castilian-Leonese community there are 69 networks and 141.5 MW installed, more than 30% of the total power in Spain.

Each of them are following different promotion models and strategies . While in Catalonia the provincial councils and regional councils promote the construction of networks in small municipalities, sensitized to the management and use of their forest heritage; In Castilla y León, the public company SOMACYL, through agreements with interested municipalities, and private initiative are behind large-scale projects in provincial capitals and other locations.

It is notable that only 10 networks offer cold, four of which are located in the Balearic Islands.

Future of biomass heat networks in Spain
Companies and promoters such as Veolia, Engie, REBI, DH Ecoenergías or SOMACYL continue to advance with new projects in different cities in Spain. During the Round table dedicated to heat networks, organized at EXPOBIOMASA 2023 by AVEBIOM and ADHAC, its representatives conveyed to the audience their vision on the fit of this infrastructure in the generation of thermal energy for citizens in the coming years.

An interesting field opens up to increase efficiency and reduce primary energy consumption in networks through the hybridization of biomass with other renewable technologies and with the injection of industrial waste heat in existing and newly built networks.

The electrification of the consolidated housing stock is considered difficult both technically and economically. However, heat networks could well become electrical energy storage systems.

Among the needs that the heat networks sector needs to solve to accelerate its implementation, the definition of a specific regulatory framework stands out; that they be considered public utility infrastructures of general interest to accelerate the awarding of licenses; or that the VAT on heat generated in biomass networks be reduced.

Despite the difficulties, the objective of decarbonizing the economy established by the EU requires all possible avenues, and biomass heat networks are, without a doubt, one of those that will be developed in the coming years.