Biomass stoves and boilers prevented the emission of 4.1 million tons of CO2 last year

The nearly 300,000 biomass heating installations in Spain prevented the emission of 4,157,319 tons of CO2 _in 2018, according to data from the Biomass Observatory of the Spanish Association for the Energy Valorization of Biomass ( Avebiom ), which presented the report corresponding to the end of the past year, coinciding with the celebration of World Environment Day.

The Avebiom Biomass Observatory has been monitoring the evolution of biomass stoves and boilers installed annually in Spain since 2009. The data it provides does not include the activity of traditional wood-burning equipment, such as old stoves, barbecues and other less efficient appliances.

According to Javier Díaz, president of Avebiom, “the biomass sector has established itself as an indispensable instrument in the national strategy for the reduction of greenhouse gases, as it is also in Eur.”.

Díaz highlighted the constant growth of the sector “both in the number of heating installations —whose annual rate is above 20%—, as well as in business volume and employment, especially in rural areas.”.

In this regard, Díaz recalled some of the demands that Avebiom has made to recent governments, including the implementation of a CO2 emissions tax, "because it has to be true that those who pollute must pay for it," as well as "the application of a 7% VAT to solid biofuels and biomass combustion equipment, or the possibility for municipalities to reduce the property tax (IBI) of properties that replace their heating equipment powered by fossil fuels with clean and non-polluting energy sources, such as modern biomass equipment.".

Most of the more than 4.1 million tons of CO2 _not emitted in 2018 correspond to modern boilers and equipment for industrial or community use (3.6 million tons), while stoves and boilers for residential use avoided the emission of just over half a million tons of _CO2 .

The total figure of tons of CO2 _is equivalent to the theoretical removal from circulation of around 2.8 million passenger cars; that is, similar to the pollution produced by 11.5% of those circulating in Spain.

The use of thermal biomass by the 300,000 modern stoves and boilers that were operating at the end of 2018, 22% more than the previous year, has made it possible to avoid importing the equivalent of 1.57 billion liters of diesel.

The most technologically advanced biomass sector generated a business of 870 million eurin 2018, almost 2% more than the previous year, and employs 9,600 people, 11% more.