Spain now has 433 district heating networks using biomass

The progression of the implementation of heat networks with biomass in our country is clearly positive ; since 2010, when the newly created Biomass Observatory inventoried the first 30, the number of installations has multiplied almost by 15 to the 433 located at the end of 2020, to which we must add about fifty in different stages of development.

Furthermore, three-quarters of all existing heat networks in the country run on biomass instead of using fossil fuels , which is good support for the ongoing energy transition.

According to Javier Díaz, president of Avebiom, “ although progress is not stagnating, it is slower than expected compared to other EU countries . Greater commitment is needed from administrations at all levels, from local councils to the national government, since biomass-fueled district heating networks can play a fundamental role in decarbonizing the supply of thermal energy in Spain's residential, service, and industrial sectors.”

Avebiom has recently presented to the Spanish Government an ambitious project to promote the implementation of 100 new biomass-fueled heating networks in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

Report on biomass-fueled district heating networks 2020

Catalonia and Castile and León are at the forefront , both in number of networks and installed capacity, although in the former there is a greater public focus and in the latter more installations in the private residential sector.

Most biomass-fueled heating networks are located in rural areas, although the most powerful ones are found in cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.

• 64.3% of the networks are located in towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants
• 13% of the installations are in large populations, but they account for 44% of the total power

In 2021, three heat networks in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants could begin providing service: Pamplona (Txantrea neighborhood); Vitoria/Gasteiz (Coronación neighborhood); and Pontevedra (University of Vigo).

Based on the thermal demand served by the networks, and setting the value of 1 GWh/year as a reference, in Spain there are 55 networks and 378 micro-networks.

Most networks use wood chips, although smaller networks, with a capacity of less than 1 MW, can also use pellets. The use of other biofuels, such as bone meal or biogas, is currently minimal.

Based on the use of connected buildings, it appears that 75% of the inventoried networks supply energy to some type of public building , such as indoor swimming pools, senior residences, educational centers, administrative buildings, or cultural centers. In many cases, incorporating these buildings with significant annual heating demand facilitates the overall project's viability.

Twenty-two percent of the inventoried networks supply energy to private buildings , primarily homes, as well as to hospitality establishments and private sports centers. Half of the private networks connect apartment buildings, mostly in neighborhoods over 40 years old that already had central heating, which has been renovated with a new, more efficient biomass boiler room.

Regarding the connection of industries to biomass-fueled heating networks, to date, the Observatory has inventoried only 4 networks in industrial parks to supply more than one user.

An unbeatable solution for the energy transition

Biomass-fueled district heating networks are an excellent solution for combating climate change , thanks to their ability to reduce emissions in urban areas and also to fight energy poverty.

Replacing hundreds of independent fossil fuel boiler chimneys, many of them obsolete or insufficiently maintained, with a biomass heating network that has a modern boiler room equipped with cutting-edge technology and professionally managed allows for strict emissions control and makes the overall installation more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.