In an environment of reduction of fossil thermal power plants, the Remuneration Parameters Order ( link to Order TED/171/2020 ), has increased the production limit with the right to receive remuneration for the operation (R o ) of the plants biomass plants (groups b.7 and b.8). In practice, this will allow existing facilities to increase their electricity generation by 15%.
A diverse and manageable renewable mix
According to APPA Biomass, electricity generation with biomass should play a fundamental role in our renewable future due, mainly, to three reasons: the capacity of this technology to provide manageable renewable electricity; be a fundamental tool to combat the effects of Empty Spain; and contribute to environmental improvement and the circular bioeconomy through the use of agricultural, forestry and livestock by-products and waste, as well as their processing industries.
The draft of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) marks an increase, in the next decade, of nearly 800 MW of biomass for electrical energy generation. The increase in hours published in the Order will facilitate the start-up of new projects by eliminating an unfair time limitation.
Great benefits for Spain
Spain is the third European country in absolute forest biomass resources (forest area of 27,664,474 hectares) and seventh in per capita terms, the main producer of olive oil in the world (1,404,600 t in the 2015 campaign -2016) and the leading pig producer in Europe (generating more than 50 million tons of slurry). These figures give us an idea of the biomass potential of our country.
Despite its enormous biomass resources, Spain is at the bottom of the European ranking for the use of forestry and agricultural resources. Biomass represents a very modest percentage in the electricity generation mix: biomass, biogas and the organic fraction of municipal waste (FORM) together barely reach 2% of the electricity generated.
If we combine the potential of biomass resources, the need to create jobs and wealth in rural areas, and the available technologies for biomass use, we see that there is a great opportunity for the development of the national economy thanks to biomass.
According to the Study “Socioeconomic balance of biomasses in Spain 2017-2021” ( Study link ), prepared by AFI for Unión por la Biomasa, a redesign of the auction model and provision of investment incentives could generate 12,596 new jobs (up to a total of 45,541 jobs) and benefits of more than 13,000 million euros for our economy with investments of around 2,600 million, which would yield a positive balance of 10,247 million euros.
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