There are already more than 83 active biomass factories in Spain

The latest map of solid biofuels prepared in April 2020 by AVEBIOM shows graphically and in tables the 169 pellet, chip and olive pit factories inventoried in Spain in the last year.

The map shows a total of 83 active pellet factories in Spain during the last year, one more than in the April 2019 inventory and the same number as in 2018.

During this period, five new plants began producing their first batches of pellets in Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia, and Castile and León, while four planned plants did not materialize.
Furthermore, seven factories that remained operational throughout 2019 will temporarily shut down in 2020 due to various circumstances. The calculation of the plants' maximum theoretical capacity has been revised, and in 2019 it approached 1,900,000 tons annually in total.

The maximum theoretical capacity is estimated taking into account the maximum production that the factories can achieve based on the granulators or dryers they possess, operating 8,000 hours per year. The number of plants with ENplus® certified production remains at thirty-nine, as in 2019, with one new plant closing and one new plant opening during the last year.

By autonomous communities, Andalusia and Castilla y León, with 13 plants each , are at the top both in total number of factories and in ENplus® certified facilities, with 8 and 7 respectively.

Regarding wood chip production plants, AVEBIOM has inventoried 61 plants, 4 more than in 2019. Six new centers start production and two close.

Most of the centers have production capacities of less than 30,000 tons per year—half of them have the capacity to produce up to 10,000 tons. Eight facilities produce more than 30,000 tons, and only four of them, all in the eastern Mediterranean region, are capable of exceeding 60,000 tons per year.

The latest inventory of olive pit producers lists a total of 25 factories. One plant has closed, and two new ones have begun production outside the main hub, in Badajoz and Toledo.

Production per factory is generally less than 10,000 t/year, although this varies with the annual olive campaign and this year two centers report capacities exceeding 30,000 t/year.