Biomass has broken records in recent months

The year of the pandemic, the year of staying at home first and then taking refuge in second homes, has broken records for the manufacture and installation of biomass stoves and boilers in recent months.

Only the halt in commercial and installation activity during the second quarter of the year prevented sales in 2020 from exceeding those of previous years. 

The most noteworthy aspect is that, despite the situation, the sector has demonstrated its ability to sustainably and without any problems serve hundreds of thousands of families, companies, public services of all kinds and, especially, the more than 900 facilities that, according to data from the Avebiom Biomass Observatory, provide heating and hot water to health centers, hospitals, and nursing homes throughout Spain.

Impressive rate of stove and boiler installation in the residential sector

Installers, distributors, and manufacturers of biomass equipment worked tirelessly during the second half of the year. This intensity more than compensated for the near-total shutdown of activity during the spring, resulting in a 3.4% decrease in the sector's economic activity compared to 2019, generating a turnover of eur , a figure that also includes pellet supply and equipment maintenance.

In 2020, 49,589 biomass stoves and boilers with a power output of up to 50 kW were installed. With this addition, the national stock of heating equipment powered by solid biofuels reached 403,618 units. Of these, 98% are located in detached houses.

The trend is very positive , although in absolute numbers we are still far behind neighboring countries, such as France, which has 1.2 million biomass stoves and boilers in operation, or Italy with 2.2 million. For years, the French and Italian public administrations have been promoting the shift towards renewable energy sources for home heating systems.

Last year in our country, all residential heating equipment using biomass consumed around 505,000 tons of pellets and other biofuels of natural and renewable origin such as olive pits, from the olive oil industry, wood chips or nut shells.

A relevant fact is that the pellets consumed during 2020 to heat homes avoided the equivalent consumption of 254 million liters of heating oil, 29 million liters more replaced compared to the previous year, and with this, emissions equivalent to removing 450,000 cars from circulation were also avoided.

5,000 professionals are dedicated to manufacturing, supplying, installing and maintaining biomass equipment with a power output exceeding 50kW

At the end of 2020, 14,329 industrial biomass boilers —those with a power output greater than 50 kW—were operating in Spain, providing thermal energy to residential communities, public buildings, industries, shopping centers, and district heating networks. This represents a total of 925 new installations compared to 2019.

The total installed capacity of industrial biomass equipment reached 7,502 MW, which is 402 MW more than the previous year. This capacity guaranteed the production of an amount of energy equivalent to the consumption of 1.536 billion liters of diesel fuel.

The turnover in the industrial biomass-fueled thermal power generation sector increased by 6.1% in 2020 compared to the previous year, reaching eur599 million. The biomass value chain linked to this sector created 262 new jobs, bringing the total number of direct employees to 4,989. 

Advantages of biomass as an energy source

The production of thermal energy from biomass is an example of a circular economy , utilizing wood chips, pruning waste, olive pits, nut shells, and other biological byproducts. Furthermore, by replacing other forms of energy based on fossil fuels, the use of these biomass sources avoids harmful emissions that contribute to climate change .

Specifically, in Spain, biomass prevented the emission of more than 4 million tons of CO2 in 2020, which would be equivalent to taking 2.7 million cars off the road.

Biomass is currently the main source of renewable energy for heating in Eur with a share of 85% ; a trend that will continue at least in the medium term.

It is produced locally and is renewable , thanks to plant photosynthesis. It is obtained through sustainable forest management, which improves the overall health of forests across Eur .

Its use as a renewable heating source reduces the use of fossil fuels and their harmful emissions into the atmosphere that accelerate climate change.