Expobiomasa 2023 ended with a total of 9,596 visitors

The fourteenth edition of Expobiomasa culminates in an atmosphere of renewed optimism shared by the exhibitors and the 9,596 visitors who attended the event organized by the Spanish Biomass Association (AVEBIOM) , from May 9 to 11 at Feria de Valladolid.

Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM , points out that “the profile of the Expobiomasa visitor is increasingly specialized, more professional ; something that exhibitors appreciate as it makes it easier for contacts at the fair to materialize in the form of profitable operations.”

Forest biomass suppliers and project promoters to generate thermal energy on an industrial scale have established their first agreements at the fair in these three days and, in the domestic heating sector, confidence has reigned in the recovery, already begun, of sales of stoves and boilers thanks to the gradual return to affordable prices for solid biofuels for the consumer.

Good expectations for the pellet market and the heat networks market
As a culmination of three days of activity, the conference room once again had full capacity in its last two sessions , dedicated to two topics of great importance for the sector: the pellet market. pellet in Spain and Europe and the situation of biomass heat networks in our country.

Manolis Karampinis, head of business development at Bioenergy Europe , highlighted that last year bioenergy, including pellets, was the most competitive form of energy in Europe, and also in Spain, despite the increase in production costs that shook to the sector and raised consumer sales prices. “We have learned from our mistakes,” he explained, “and for the next heating season we do not expect such a sharp rise in prices as in 2022, since supply chains are being organized earlier and better.”

The representatives of the most important associations in the country related to biomass - AVEBIOM, APROPELLETS, AEFECC, the Bioenergy Cluster of Catalonia and the Biomass Cluster of Galicia - have agreed with Karampinis' analysis and foresee a more balanced campaign in Spain between supply and demand for the coming season, due to easier access to raw materials than the previous year and due to stocks in the hands of users and distributors.

They also hope that the reduced VAT will be maintained for pellets and convey the need for its application to be expanded to all solid biofuels (such as olive pits or almond shells) and also to combustion equipment and renewable heat supplied by ESCOs and heat networks to citizens and industry.

Biomass is the most competitive renewable energy for urban heat networks
Veolia , Engie , REBI , DH Ecoenergías and Somacyl and the Valladolid City Council , builders and promoters of the largest biomass heat networks in the country, have participated in the last session , co-organized by AVEBIOM and ADHAC.

The speakers explained it clearly: heat networks with renewable energies, and especially those that use biomass as the main source, are a perfect solution to profitably and efficiently decarbonize cities. But its large-scale deployment and greater speed than the current one requires a specific regulatory framework, more information to citizens about the economic and environmental advantages, and a greater number of companies technically trained to address projects from start to finish.

ADHAC presented its report on heat networks showing that 8 out of 10 work with renewable energy and that 76% of them use biomass.

Expobiomasa 2023 in figures

• 9,500 professional visitors, 20% more than in 2021.
• 460 exhibiting companies from 34 countries , dedicated to the manufacture of forestry machinery, solid and pellet biofuel industries, manufacturers, distributors and installers of air conditioning systems, promoters of heat networks, engineering, auxiliary industry, energy service companies and groups investment.