Andalusia is the leading community in the use of biomass as heating fuel in technologically advanced stoves and boilers, both in number of installations and in employment generated, according to data from the Annual Report of the Biomass Observatory, presented by the director of Projects of the Spanish Association for Energy Recovery of Biomass, Avebiom, Jorge Herrero Cabrejas.
At the end of 2017, a total of 64,306 'technical' biomass heating stoves and boilers operated in Andalusia, 22.5% more than the previous year; increase that is slightly below the national average (23%).
This increase has not been transferred, however, to the generated business figure (145.89 million euros), which decreased by 13.8% in 2017 due to the negative growth, compared to the previous year, recorded in five of the eight Andalusian provinces (Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Huelva and Jaén).
This decrease is mainly due to the mild temperatures recorded during the winter of 2016-2017 and low oil prices. That is, causes of a temporary nature, which have completely changed in this year, marking a very positive trend for the sector during the first half of 2018.
By province, the highest number of biomass equipment in operation is located in Granada (11,000), followed by Seville (10,173), Córdoba (9,232) and Jaén (9,147). In terms of business, Granada is at the head of the eight Andalusian provinces with a figure of 316 million euros in 2017, followed by Jaén (290) and Seville (264).
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, especially in the lines of sales and installation of stoves and boilers with greater efficiency, maintenance of equipment and fuel supply (wood chips, pellets and other types of biomass).
Regarding the total installed power, in Andalusia it rose to 2,029 MW in 2017, 12% more than the previous year, which is allowing the generation of a volume of thermal energy estimated at 87.8 kTEP, 8.2% further.
This greater substitution of biomass for heating diesel consumption (193.2 million liters) has also allowed a lower emission of greenhouse gases, which is estimated at 512,693 tons of CO2, thus contributing to the fight against climate change. climate by avoiding the pollution produced by 341,795 vehicles during a year (6.2% of the vehicle fleet in Andalusia).
In Spain as a whole, the most technologically advanced biomass heating sector generated a business of 855.5 million euros in 2017, 9% more than the previous year, as well as the creation of more than a thousand jobs, 15% more than the previous year. % further.
