The number of biomass stoves and boilers in Andalusia has grown by 22%

Andalusia is the leading region in the use of biomass as heating fuel in technologically advanced stoves and boilers, both in terms of the number of installations and the jobs generated, according to data from the Biomass Observatory Annual Report, presented by the Project Director of the Spanish Association for Energy Valorization of Biomass, Avebiom, Jorge Herrero Cabrejas.

At the end of 2017, a total of 64,306 'technified' biomass heating stoves and boilers were operating in Andalusia, 22.5% more than the previous year; an increase that is slightly below the national average (23%).

However, this increase has not translated into increased business revenue (145.89 million eur), which fell by 13.8% in 2017 due to negative growth, compared to the previous year, recorded in five of the eight Andalusian provinces (Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Huelva and Jaén).

This decline is primarily due to the mild temperatures recorded during the winter of 2016-2017 and the low oil prices. In other words, these were temporary factors that have completely changed this year, marking a very positive trend for the sector during the first half of 2018.

By province, the largest number of operating biomass systems are located in Granada (11,000), followed by Seville (10,173), Córdoba (9,232), and Jaén (9,147). In terms of business, Granada leads the eight Andalusian provinces with a figure of eur316 million in 2017, followed by Jaén (€290 million) and Seville (€264 million).

The productive activity carried out by the sector around the most technologically advanced biomass equipment is estimated to employ 1,677 people in the Andalusian community, mainly in the lines of sale and installation of more efficient stoves and boilers, equipment maintenance and supply of fuels (wood chips, pellets and other types of biomass).

As for the total installed capacity, in Andalusia it rose to 2,029 MW in 2017, 12% more than the previous year, which is allowing the generation of an estimated volume of thermal energy of 87.8 kTOE, 8.2% more.

This greater substitution of biomass for heating oil consumption (193.2 million liters) has also allowed for a lower emission of greenhouse gases, estimated at 512,693 tons of CO2, thus contributing to the fight against climate change by avoiding the pollution produced by 341,795 vehicles during a year (6.2% of the Andalusian vehicle fleet).

In Spain as a whole, the most technologically advanced biomass heating sector generated a business of 855.5 million eurin 2017, 9% more than the previous year, as well as the creation of more than a thousand jobs, 15% more.