Forest biomass will be essential for decarbonization and sustainable industrial development

Coinciding with the celebration of the International Day of Forests on Monday, March 21 , the Industry and Energy Forum (FIE) considers that valuing forestry waste will be a fundamental tool to guarantee the security of forests and obtain sustainable and renewable energy in local industrial environments .

As explained by Eduardo Álvarez , technical manager of the FIE and professor at the University of Oviedo, “forests are not only an environmental lung that absorbs CO2, but they also have great potential to generate biomass that can be used to obtain electricity and heat for both industrial and domestic uses.

Along these lines, projects such as those undertaken by the Conselh Generau d'Aran are already being carried out , in collaboration with the town councils and municipal entities of the territory, with the aim of promoting a green economy, reducing dependence on fuels. fossils, while opting for cheaper, renewable energy with fewer emissions.

Among the actions launched by the Conselh includes a new forestry strategy, which is based on sustainable use of resources and is committed to the bioeconomy and renewable energies, while caring for the forests and allowing the economy to diversify. area.

Currently, for example, the Conselh Generau d'Aran is on the verge of inaugurating the new biomass boiler that will serve the Val d'Aran Hospital , powered by wood extracted from the territory's forests and treated in the future Biomass Logistics Center of the Aranese population of Les. In fact, last summer 650m3 of wood were collected on the Tuca-Pontet forest trail, coming from trees less than 28 cm in diameter, previously marked following studies carried out by the institution's technical services.

For María Vergés , Ombudsman of Aran, “due to our orography and administrative peculiarities, the Val d'Aran can be a model for the application of the circular economy for other areas, especially in the formulas to valorize forest waste, which is a abundant resource in our area and that we must know how to take advantage of.” Vergés also highlights that “biomass is not only a key issue for generating energy, but also for keeping our forests clean and preventing the start and spread of forest fires that cause so much havoc in local economies.”

In this process of biomass implementation, technological development will also be essential. In this sense, Raimon Argemí , vice president of COGEN , highlights that the application of cogeneration systems, which allow electricity and heat to be obtained at the same time, can be a tool that favors and promotes the use of biomass. Argemí considers that “ cogeneration with biomass and, in general, with any renewable fuel such as hydrogen, constitutes an excellent opportunity for the decarbonization of heat-intensive industries : today there are various cogeneration technologies with biomass, which allow apply this energy generation system in a very wide range of capacities, types of biomass and heat delivery conditions.”

The head of COGEN also recalls the need for there to be a clear regulatory framework that guarantees the necessary investments and includes incentives for waste recovery . In this sense, he considers that "the next auction of cogeneration capacity, which the Government must publish in the coming weeks, can represent an excellent opportunity for those industries that wish to reduce their production costs, detach themselves from the price of energy markets and contribute to the decarbonization of its activity.”