The presidents of the most important business associations in the field of renewable gases in Spain agreed at the 4th Renewable Gas Fair to collaborate to inform town councils and citizens about the implications of having a biogas or biomethane plant in their municipality.
El 4th Renewable Gas Show It was inaugurated today, October 1, at the Valladolid Fair with the presence of Javier Diaz, president of AVEBIOM, the organizing entity; Luis Puchades, president of AEBIG, technical partner of the event; Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, Minister of Environment, Housing and Land Management of the Regional Government of Castile and León; Alexander Pellitero, Councillor for the Environment of the Valladolid City Council, and Valerie Möhring, Deputy Head of Economic Affairs at the German Embassy in Madrid.
Javier Díaz thanked the Junta de Castilla y León and the Valladolid City Council for their support of the event once again this year and highlighted “the enthusiasm of the companies, which in this edition number 250, 23% more than in 2023, seeking to forge relationships that result in new projects”.
Luis Puchades, for his part, explained that renewable gases are more than just a source of energy, as they help manage and valorise waste and create local employment. “They are good, necessary and a clear commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable future,” he said.
Alejandro Pellitero, for his part, has highlighted that this event places Valladolid on the map of renewable energies in Europe, in line with the city council's climate initiatives to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Valerie Möhring pointed out that renewable gases are crucial to increasing the resilience and energy sovereignty of both Spain and Germany, the guest country at the fair. “Supporting their development is part of the promise that Europe has made to its future generations to achieve climate neutrality,” she stressed.
Finally, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones explained that “the geopolitical situation and the obligations imposed by the EU push us to seek green solutions such as biomethane”. The minister pointed out that this sector is an extraordinary way of managing waste, essential in Castilla y León, which has a very important primary sector.
Social acceptance of plants is the key right now
Javier Diaz y Luis Puchades together with Jordi Serra, president of the Bioenergy Cluster of Catalonia, Joan Battle, president of Sedigas and Jaime Fernandez, head of the Environmental Prevention and Climate Change Service of the Junta de Castilla y León, have discussed in a round table at the 17th International Bioenergy Congress what they consider to be the most serious problem that the biogas sector is currently facing in order to consolidate its development: the social acceptance of plants.
After an exercise in self-criticism regarding projects launched with errors or poor planning, the presidents of the sector associations have agreed on the need to make a greater effort to understand the inhabitants of the territory in order to convince them that biogas is an excellent solution when the plants are adapted to their unique characteristics.
The technology is mature, as demonstrated by the companies from around the world present at the show, and is well established in other countries, which have thousands of plants generating local employment and environmental benefits derived from waste management.
For the sector to become firmly established in Spain, joint efforts by companies and public administration will be required to ensure the excellence of the facilities and active dissemination of their positive impact on our society.
