El 5th Renewable Gas Show and the 18th International Bioenergy Congress They concluded on October 2 in Valladolid after two days in which the growth in the number of exhibitors, the size of their stands, and the number of visitors, 15% more than the previous year, confirm the optimism and real progress that the biogas and biomethane sector is experiencing in Spain.
The show has been extended by one more pavilion than in its previous edition to accommodate the 250 exhibiting companies and brands and has had 3.980 accredited professional visitors, while the congress has attracted more than 700 participantsThe halls and stands were bustling with activity throughout both days, which will undoubtedly lead to new projects in the coming months.
Javier Diaz, president of AVEBIOM, points out that "This edition has been the most participatory to date, with new technologies presented and an atmosphere of trust, demonstrating that the sector is truly beginning the desired orderly deployment, with nearly 20 plants already in operation and hundreds of projects in their final stages of processing.".
For its part, Luis Puchades, president of AEBIG, highlighted that “Biomethane confirms that it is a lever for sustainability and the primary sector in our country. The show has demonstrated the capabilities of our companies and the need to move forward hand in hand with the countryside to ensure both social acceptance and project success."
The congress The need to was repeated like a mantra achieve social acceptance of the projects and there was unanimity in pointing out that the support of the primary sector will be decisive. For farmers and ranchers, biogas and biomethane plants are even a "relief," in the words of one sector representative, and the best proposal received to date for solving the problems of storing and applying livestock manure in the field and complying with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
Currently, Spain has more than 200 biogas plants and 17 biomethane plants in operation, and more of 270 projects in progress or under construction, reflecting exponential growth: in 2019, there was only one plant feeding into the grid, and today there are close to 20. There has also been a consensus that the facilities should be conceived not only as energy projects, but also as agricultural and environmental projects. And, of course, technological innovation and the training of qualified personnel are essential areas to ensure the efficiency and operation of the plants over time.
The public administrations Those present at the congress agreed that biomethane is already a strategic vector for the energy transition and that its deployment must be accelerated with transparency and support from the countryside to gain social acceptance. MITECO assured that work is underway in fiscal and consumer stimulus measures, and communities such as Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Catalonia presented their own plans to integrate biomethane into their energy strategies.
Special mention to Valladolid, a European Mission City towards climate neutrality by 2030 and a benchmark in the energy transition in Spain, for its support of this event.