Presentation
In order to achieve their renewable energy and sustainability targets, Biomass is a key sector for Spain and EU. Like other renewable energy, it allows to reduce energy dependence as well as to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it contributes to maintain and to diversify the agricultural sector, promoting specifically job development in rural areas.
During the 2007 Spring Summit of the European Council Head of Government, it was approved to fix the objective that 20% of the consumed energy in Europe should come from renewable sources. This target is suggested at the proposal for a Directive, presented by the European Commission and published on the 23 rd of January 2008, related on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. In this context, the use of biomass is outlined as an important option that can contribute greatly to reach this objective. This is due partly to the wide range of alternatives offered by biomass to generate heat and electricity.
Technology developments that have repercussions on efficiency improvement and the economical cost of installation, the application of environmental and socio-economical criteria of biomass uses, as well as, produces incentives that will be essential features for its development.
In that way, recent economic measures consisting of feed-in tariffs adopted in Spain (RD 661/2007) are indicating an inflection point for sector development.
The selection and introduction of energy crops and optimization of valorisation systems of by-products (agricultural, livestock and forestry materials) will permit the increase of potential production of biomass to get through proposed targets.
In addition to Government actions, Spain has a large availability of biomass sources, a dynamic business sector with wide experience and a strong foreign projection as well as well-known research institutes supporting these aims.
IDAE, as a sponsor of the 16 th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition with the collaboration of Energy Agency of Valencia (AVEN), is organising the Conference on Biomass in Spain on the 5 th of June 2008 in Feria Valencia facilities.
The main aim of the conference is to give an overview of current situation as well as future biomass tendencies in Spain , considering features like resources, technology, markets and policies.