Veolia produced more than 80,000 tons of biomass in 2019

Veolia continues to invest in the use of biomass as an economical and environmentally friendly renewable energy source, as it reduces CO2 emissions _into the atmosphere. In fact, in 2019 the company—through its subsidiary Veolia Biomasa España—produced 80,700 tons of biomass, 3% more than the previous year.

Veolia Biomass Spain was founded in 2010 with the aim of working with a clean and environmentally sustainable fuel: biomass. It operates in various parts of Spain, creating firebreaks and fire-resistant areas through targeted and controlled clearing of forest vegetation. This facilitates fire protection and suppression efforts in the event of a fire. Many of the areas where Veolia Biomass Spain works are located in Castilla-La Mancha, specifically in the province of Cuenca. The most recent project involved clearing and utilizing biomass in the municipality of Barchín del Hoyo, where a significant fire occurred last summer. The clearing and removal of the burned forest vegetation is essential to facilitate the regeneration and recovery of the environment.

Specifically, the wood chips generated from these forest clearing operations are used to produce thermal energy at Veolia's facilities serving homes and industries. One of Veolia's main biomass district heating networks is Móstoles Ecoenergía, a plant located south of Madrid that provides heating and hot water to 2,500 homes in Móstoles. This district heating network reduces energy costs by 15% for the residents it serves and prevents the emission of 9,000 tons of CO2._2.

Veolia also manages Ecoenergies Barcelona's biomass-fueled heating and cooling network, which supplies thermal energy to residential, industrial, and service sector customers in Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. This network, which integrates solutions 3.7 times more efficient than conventional ones, allows for savings of 1% in the city of Barcelona's electricity consumption and reduces its carbon footprint by preventing the emission of 13,400 tons of CO2 _each year.