Today, institutional decision-makers from the participating regions, experts in biomass, and partner and associate entities have come together in Navarra to take part in the final project seminar. This transnational initiative, which is now at its final stage, is focussed on driving environmentally and economically sustainable forest management, directed at maintaining and improving forest assets while generating income for the local population and preventing the risk of fire.
In his opening address, José María Ayerdi, Vice President of the Government of Navarra and Regional Minister for Spatial Planning, Housing, Landscape and Strategic Projects of the Government of Navarra, , made a positive appraisal of the projects promoted in the course of the three years in which Promobiomasse has been active, highlighting its major contribution to the adaptation to climate change and the need to address a profound energy transition at a global level. He emphasised that “the proposals made will make it possible to progress in the design and development of holistic sustainable management models and in the progressive introduction of forest biomass as an alternative green fuel, in both the public housing and private sectors alike. My congratulations and thanks to all the Promobiomasse team, headed by the company Nasuvinsa”, he said at the end of his speech.
During the seminar, held at the Centre for the storage, processing and supply of biomass, located in Aoiz, experts Pablo Rodero, the international project manager at the Asociación Española de Valorización Energética de la Biomasa (AVEBIOM), and Elena Baeza, the head of the Forestry Management Section of the Government of Navarra, underscored the potential of biomass as a driver of a change in the energy model. Rodero underscored the great potential of biomass, given that it produces low-cost energy that uses advanced technology. It therefore offers environmental benefits, particularly with regard to fire prevention, and also social ones, given that it creates jobs in areas in need. For her part, Baeza indicated that Navarra has a high potential for wood production and forest-based biomass and, therefore, this fuel can be considered to be a zero kilometre energy source.
The event was also attended by Rubén Goñi, the Director of Strategic Projects at the Navarra Government, Ángel Martín Unzué, the mayor of Aoiz, as well as institutional decision-makers from partner entities and regions, such as Alberto Bayona, the managing director of NASUVINSA (the Navarra Government public corporation for housing and urban development), Bernard Plano, the forestry technician representative of the Communauté de Communes Plateau de Lannemezan, Jean Michel Noisette, the chairman of the Association des Communes Forestières des Pyrénées Atlantiques, Adriano Raddi, the head of the group addressing forest uses, mechanisation and biomass at the Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, and Germán Botejara, an expert from the Agencia Extremeña de la Energía.
A model proposed by experts
Forest biomass is one of the energies of the future, one that creates employment in rural areas, lowers the risk of fire, reduces external energy dependence and, in contrast to fossil fuels, it does not disturb the balance of atmospheric gases, given that the trees absorb the CO2 emitted during the combustion of the biomass.
In 2018, the Promobiomasse project was launched in order to promote the forest biomass energy market in southwestern Europe (SUDOE) through cross-border cooperation between entities in France, Spain and Portugal. Specifically, the project participants include the Centro de Ciencia y Tecnología Forestal de Cataluña (CTFC), the public corporation of the Navarra Government Navarra de Suelo y Vivienda, SA (NASUVINSA), the Agencia Extremeña de la Energía (AGENEX), the Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Interior (ENERAREA), from the north of Portugal, the Communauté de Communes du Plateau de Lannemezan (CCPL), from the French department of Hautes-Pyrénées, and the Association des Communes Forestières des Pyrénées Atlantiques (COFOR64), from the Atlantic Pyrenees. As well as the above-mentioned project partners, 19 associates were also involved. The total budget for the project amounted to EUR 1.4 million, of which the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has provided EUR 1 million.
With the participation of sector players, the project’s group of experts created a biomass market supply and demand management model, applying the “short-circuit” concept which is similar to the one used for local agri-food products. The aim was to provide a solution to the problems faced by the biomass energy market, such as the fact that forest ownership is divided into small holdings, inefficient exploitation methods, and the lack of knowledge and wariness of the general public. The model comprises 67 measures, whose objectives include the generation of up-to-date and available information on existing forest resources, the promotion of partnerships, support for the forest sector and the certification of wood chips, and the proposal of model facilities from the public and private sectors.
Pilot schemes
Based on this model, pilot schemes were implemented in each region taking part in the project, as discussed in this closing seminar. Schemes that have served to try out and optimise the model proposed. Thus, the Pyrénées Atlantiques territory has started up a biomass boiler “Users club” with players from the local authorities and companies responsible for the management of the biomass boilers. This club is intended to promote the exchange of experiences and increase the expertise of the players responsible for the management of the equipment
The department of the Hautes Pyrenées has developed a digital tool for the characterisation of forest masses to facilitate the mobilisation of privately owned forest resources, ensure the traceability of forest products and facilitate forest management. NASUVINSA has created the above-mentioned Centre for the storage, processing and supply of forest biomass, located in Aoiz. This is to supply the biomass boilers of the social housing buildings of NASUVINSA and those of any other future installations that may be promoted from the public sector.
Along these same lines, ENERAREA has conducted a study for the creation of a network of residual biomass collection and processing centres in the North of Portugal.
AGENEX, in Extremadura, has taken action in the districts of LA Siberia, Hurdes and Sierra de Gata in order to eliminate the administrative, legal and structural barriers of forest ownership and courses have been organised for technical training in the holistic management of the biomass value chain, directed at local players (municipal officers, biomass companies, boiler operators and forest owners).
For its part, the Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya has promoted models and techniques for the sustainable extraction of forest biomass using innovative machinery that improves working conditions in the forest, and it has also implemented a project for the promotion of joint forest management for the prevention of fires in the Serra de Puig-Segalar (Girona).
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