More than a third of Portugal is covered by forest on private land, while the property structure is extremely fragmented with the predominance of smallholdings, representing an obstacle for good forestry management in the country. The need to study solutions has led ENERAREA, the Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Interior de Portugal (Regional Energy and Environment Agency within Portugal) to take part in the European projects GEFRECON and PROMOBIOMASSE. Within the PROMOBIOMASSE framework, ENERAREA has set in motion a Study through the Centro de Biomasa para la Energía (Biomass Centre for Energy) directed at analysing the viability of creating a Network of Logistics Parks for the Processing of Forest Biomass Residues.
The purpose of the Parks for the Harvesting and Processing of Forest Biomass Residues is to provide the infrastructure and equipment required for biomass processing in order to promote and provide incentives for the reduction of the combustible load existing in forested areas, making it possible to reduce the concentration of residues, increase the profitability of the pre-processing machinery and enhance the value of biomass by processing it into a more homogeneous material that is easy to handle and transport, thereby reducing transport costs. This recently concluded study, which has been submitted to its partner municipalities, is seeking funding lines in order to implement the project in the region.
In strategic terms, the project has the following goals:
- Optimise the high potential for the exploitation of forest biomass residues.
- Create a biomass value chain, strengthening the logistics through a network for the harvesting and primary processing of biomass residues.
- Improve the supply conditions to consumers.
- Help reduce the burned areas in Portugal.
