More than 50 people, from partners to territorial experts from Promobiomasse, gather in Lannemezan (Occitania, France) to advance the creation of an integrated model for local management of the biomass market
On the 19th, 20th and 21st of February, partners from the SUDOE Promobiomasse project will meet in the Casino at Capvern in Lannemezan (Hautes-Pyrénées) to assess the measures carried out through the project and outline future courses of action.
Promobiomasse is a transnational cooperation project that aims to bolster the biomass energy market in the SUDOE territory (south-west Europe) through a supply and demand management model that applies a “short circuit” concept; solving current problems of supply breakdown, the transformation of forest property into smallholdings, inefficient exploitation models, and unawareness of demand or lack thereof.
The benefits of developing a biomass energy market include reducing greenhouse gases and reducing dependence on exterior energy sources. Further benefits are those related to regional development, including local job creation and the appreciation of local forest resources in regions capable of having an as yet untapped, but significant biomass potential.
Putting in place PROMOBIOMASSE projects can serve as a demonstration for local plans related to the exploitation of forest resources.
The project’s partners include the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC); Navarra, Housing and Land (NASUVINSA), a public corporation of the Government of Navarre; the Extremadura Energy Agency (AGENEX); the Energy and Environment Regional Agency of the Interior (ENERAREA) of northern Portugal; the Lannemezan Plateau Community of Communes (CCPL) of the French department Hautes-Pyrénées; and the Association of Forest Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (COFOR64), from the Atlantic Pyrenees, in addition to 19 other organisations.
Promobiomasse operates with a budget of 1,437,000 euros and is 75% co-financed by the InterregSudoe program through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Interreg SUDOE program (an abbreviation meaning the European South West Interreg V-B Cooperation Program) supports regional development in south-western Europe by financing transnational projects.
Good practice and future challenges
During the meeting that will take place in Lannemezan, an inventory of good practices related to the extraction, logistics and demand for biomass in the SUDOE territories will be presented. This will include an in-depth analysis of cases addressing Pyc’en Bois, Innovation Base, a territorial supply plan and the exploitation of forests with steep slopes in the Gaves Valley. Furthermore, a visit of the biomass boiler in Balnéa (Loudenvielle) is planned.
The meeting will also introduce the website www.promobiomasse.eu and present pilot experiments planned for each territory, thus advancing in the project’s work methodology both regarding the Transnational Technical Committee and the Committee of Experts. These committees will, moreover, address the main challenges and solutions with respect to the extraction, logistics and promotional plans for biomass.
