Spain's biomass sector seeks capacity boost

OREANDA-NEWS. July 30, 2015. The Spanish association of biomass power generators is asking the government to increase the capacity available in Madrid's planned tender for up to 200MW of new biomass generation capacity.

Biomass generators argue that increased controlled burning of forest residue as biomass will reduce the risks posed by the large build-up in Spanish pine and eucalyptus forests, which has led to several wildfires in the country in recent weeks.

In addition to issuing tenders and offering incentives for more than 200MW of new biomass capacity — which the government plans to do after the summer — Madrid should also introduce annual tenders for biomass capacity, the association said. Such tenders should continue until Spain has reached its target of 1.35GW of installed solid biomass generation capacity set out in the country's 2010-20 renewables plan. Installed biomass capacity stood at 533MW in 2010.

Spain had 1GW of renewable thermal generation capacity at the end of 2014, including solid biomass, animal waste treatment and biogas plants.

Wildfires across much of Spain have burned over 2,500 hectares (25km?) of land in recent weeks, and over 60pc of the country's land mass is currently classified as at high or extreme risk of fire, according to Spanish meteorological agency AEMET.