Sector
Renewable Energy (Biomass)
Status
In portfolio
Investment date
2023
Contact
info@sumacapital.com
Construction and operation of an urban heating network powered by biomass for the supply of hot water and heating in Zamora, one of the coldest cities in Spain. With an installed capacity of 20MW, the plant is designed to serve homes, public buildings, and private buildings, with a network demand of 64.5 GWh/year of energy.
Energy demand for heating and cooling represents more than 50% of the total energy in Europe, with space heating being the main source of heat requirements in the residential and tertiary sectors. Currently, the vast majority of this demand is met by fossil fuel-based systems, mainly gas and oil boilers, and only 0.2% is covered by renewable energy district heating in Spain, compared to 30% in Nordic countries. Specifically, district heating is a centralized energy generation and supply system that allows the use of biomass as the main fuel, which is rarely used in distributed heating systems due to space, cost, and supply chain limitations.
This district heating project uses biomass from forest wood waste for residential heating, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, CO2 emissions, and air pollution through the use of gas purification systems. The project supports sustainable forest management with SURE certification, also promoting local employment and reducing the occurrence of forest fires. Furthermore, by increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix, the project contributes to lowering emissions related to the energy supply of buildings in the region.
This technology offers residential consumers cost-effective heating options and competitive prices while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and the need for imports. This initiative benefits society as a whole and contributes to the fight against climate change.
The project supplies heat to 6,381 homes with an estimated energy demand of 64.5 GWh/year and will use 21,000 tons/year of forest biomass, resulting in increased energy efficiency and a reduction in primary energy demand thanks to centralized production. It is estimated that 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided per year.
Improper treatment and conversion of biomass into energy can have negative repercussions on pollution prevention and control. However, the project has properly managed these impacts by controlling the biomass source and installing gas purification systems that significantly limit particulate emissions.
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