Elsevier

Journal of Cleaner Production

Volume 213, 10 March 2019, Pages 553-568
Journal of Cleaner Production

Review
Evolution and perspectives of the bioenergy applications in Spain

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.112Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Biofuels could profitably replace conventional fuels by bioeconomy.

  • New energy conversion strategies can further develop the bioenergy sector.

  • European countries must pay attention to technical solutions for energy production.

  • Circular biomass conversion has great potential available in Spain.

Abstract

To mitigate the effects of global warming, the European Union must reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuels to produce energy. Biomass from forests and agroforestry residues are a readily available source of domestic renewable energy. However, further technological developments must be made in order to foster its use in machines and thermal engines. The present study analyses the current situation of biomass energy in Spain as well as its future prospects, potential challenges and opportunities moving forward. This analysis is performed through a review based on bioenergy resources, technology and management to provide recommendations and carry out a more comprehensive energy assessment. Non-food biomass resources are intended to be useful in the development of bioenergy industrial sector. This study is applied to Spain due to its remarkable forests and wealth of agricultural areas. The methodology is based on three phases of energy conversion: resources, technology and management. The main achievements are pathways definition from resource to bioenergy application in Spain. Bioenergy advances offer management drive forces to meeting the energy and environmental challenges in the European Union.

Introduction

Energy is the cornerstone of economic development in the world and it is currently assumed that the energy supply must be primarily fulfilled by conventional resources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear energy. However, the energy exploitation structure cannot guarantee that the current situation will continue to be feasible at either the international or European level since fossil fuel reserves are limited. This reality has triggered the search for alternative energy sources for both economic and environmental reasons (IPCC, 1992, 2007). There are five compelling factors for a greater use of renewable energies sources (RES): greater energy safety, the depletion of conventional resources, climate change, new technologies and more environmentally-conscious consumers (Sadorsky, 2011).

Biomass resources are potentially one of the largest and most sustainable energy sources in the world. Bioenergy can play a vital role in meeting the global demand profiles in energy sectors like construction, power and transport. In terms of renewable energy, it represents about 10% (50 EJ) of the total global primary supply and represents 14% of 18% of the total renewable energy in global energy mix (Naqvi et al., 2018).

A considerable increase is expected in the use of RES in the European Union (EU), which is projected to eventually reach between 55% and 75% of the final gross energy consumption by 2050. The European Commission (EC) has set a long-term objective to develop a competitive energy economy that will be efficient in the use of low-carbon resources by 2050 (EC, 2011a). In addition to the current agricultural, silvicultural, energy, climate and industrial legislation, policies that foster research and innovation have recently been adopted to facilitate the transition to a sustainable energy economy. Research and Development (R&D) is currently a high priority for the EU in the context of the Lisbon Strategy to create jobs and growth, which would transform the EU into the most dynamic and competitive economy in the world (EC, 2011b).

Since 2005, the EU has been encouraging Member States to use biomass via the “Biomass Action Plan” (EC, 2005). The objective of the RES Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of energy use (EC, 2009a) is to ensure that 20% of energy consumption in the EU will come from RES by 2020. It also establishes mandatory national targets for the overall share of RES in gross final energy consumption and mandates a share of 10% of RES in transport for each EU Member State, with an estimated two-thirds of these RES being derived from biomass (EC, 2009b). Moreover, a reduction in EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to at least 20% below the levels of the year 1990 will also be necessary.

Currently, Spain imports the majority of its energy supply like many other developed countries. Although fossil fuel energy sources provide part of the energy, indigenous fossil fuels are unable to fully meet this demand. Within the context of the recent economic recovery, the challenge at present is to maintain the emission levels during this increased economic activity and stay on track to meet the sustainability objectives established by the EU 2020 Strategy (EC, 2017).

Bioenergy produces benefits at various levels. Several studies have been conducted to understand the effectiveness of bioenergy in sustainable development in different countries around the world based on bibliography: Ferreira et al. (2017) in Portugal, Hagos et al. (2017) in Norway, Namsaraev et al. (2018) in the Russian Federation, Patermann and Aguilar (2018) in the EU, Scarlat et al. (2013) in Italy, Woźniak and Twardowski (2018) in Poland and Yang et al. (2013) in China. However, the circular economy is now gaining momentum and promises to help overcome the present contradiction between bioenergy conservation and environmental prosperity (Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Vega-Quezada et al., 2017). The circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design and aims to maintain products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times (Korhonen et al., 2018). Unfortunately, to date, bioenergy has not been studied in a country based on circular economy management (Pomponi and Moncaster, 2017).

The present study aims to define the current context of bioenergy in Spain and examine the potential contribution of biomass resources in the promotion of biofuel use under the Horizon 2020 Program (EC, 2011c). Additionally, the results of this article are intended to serve to help in the development of La Rioja Energy Plan (Government of La Rioja, 2014, 2015) for La Rioja Autonomous Community as an initial benchmarking of other Spanish regional energy plans.

The work presented allows for the study of the resources, processes and environmental implications of bioenergy from a consolidated time perspective in Spain. Its novelty is the use of technical, economic and environmental data from the point of view of biomass resource, bioenergy technology and energy management, thereby filling the existing gaps of knowledge in the literature between the characterisation of energy resources, implementation and development.

The study also examines biomass resources, considers the current barriers to biomass energy use and, ultimately, proposes a number of possible future roles for bioenergy. Finally, the study represents a contribution to the management of renewable energy from biomass to bioenergy and provides a stepping stone to help shape future bioenergy initiatives. It is intended to provide a framework for the research in bioenergy that is in harmony with the theoretical principles of the circular economy as a driving force. The present work is structured as follows: Section 2 outlines the analytical methodology applied to the different elements involved in the conversion of biomass into energy; Section 3 presents the results in the context of the current resources, technology and policy framework within the EU and comprises the core of the present study; Section 4 considers the opportunities and challenges presented by the current situation; and Section 5 provides the conclusion and final observations.

Section snippets

Material and methods

The literature review has been designed to analyse the resource within a specific country, contribute to environmentally sustainable growth in the economy, identify technological developments and test the expansion of bioenergy management on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with national obligations and policies. Aspects such as energy, environment and management factors must be analysed (Dong et al., 2016). This review covers the studies and information regarding the

Multi-objective results

From an energy optimisation point of view, biomass is produced by both organic vegetable matter derived from plant photosynthesis and herbivorous animal matter susceptible to degradation or combustion, with the consequent release of bioenergy. Biomass includes materials such as sewage sludge, animal manure, food waste, paper/packaging waste, yard and park waste, wood-based materials from demolition, forestry residues and several types of organic industrial waste (Poulsen, 2013). The biomass

Discussion

The progressive concentration of economic activity since the 1960s in large pools of development has generated important territorial imbalances. In this sense, the use of bioenergy implies an important economic contribution to certain locations, mostly rural areas, and ensures the stability of the population in these territories as well as the maintenance of the local ecosystems under the Horizon 2020 Program (EC, 2011c).

In 2005, the EC developed the concept of a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy to

Conclusions

Biomass is a renewable source that has clearly demonstrated its value for energy production; nevertheless, there is still room for significant improvement.

Bioenergy plays an important economic role for the country as a whole, and it could potentially become a strategic economic sector in Spain. Biomass represents over 90% of renewable heat production. Bioenergy production corresponds to 28.7% of total production of primary energy, being 5.5% in the electric area and 23.2% in the thermal area.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Government of La Rioja, through the Department of Industry, Innovation and Employment (OTCA141020 and OTCA150320).

References (110)

  • R. Fagiani et al.

    The dynamic impact of carbon reduction and renewable support policies on the electricity sector

    Util. Pol.

    (2014)
  • S. Ferreira et al.

    Biomass resources in Portugal: current status and prospects

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2017)
  • G. Fiorese et al.

    The power of biomass: experts disclose the potential for success of bioenergy technologies

    Energ. Pol.

    (2014)
  • M. Geissdoerfer et al.

    The Circular Economy – a new sustainability paradigm ?

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2017)
  • D.A. Hagos et al.

    The prospects of bioenergy in the future energy system of Inland Norway

    Energy

    (2017)
  • J. Infante-Amate et al.

    Energy transition in Agri-food systems. Structural change, drivers and policy implications (Spain, 1960–2010)

    Energ. Pol.

    (2018)
  • R.W. Jackson et al.

    Woody biomass processing: potential economic impacts on rural regions

    Energ. Pol.

    (2018)
  • G. Joshi et al.

    Challenges and opportunities for the application of biofuel

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2017)
  • N. Kautto et al.

    Interaction of the EU ETS and national climate policy instruments–Impact on biomass use

    Biomass Bioenerg.

    (2012)
  • J. Korhonen et al.

    Circular economy: the concept and its limitations

    Ecol. Econ.

    (2018)
  • J. Las-Heras-Casas et al.

    Implementation of biomass boilers for heating and domestic hot water in multi-family buildings in Spain: energy, environmental, and economic assessment

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2018)
  • O. Lehtonen et al.

    Socio-economic impacts of a local bioenergy-based development strategy–The case of Pielinen Karelia, Finland

    Renew. Energy

    (2016)
  • H. Long et al.

    Biomass resources and their bioenergy potential estimation: a review

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2013)
  • L.M. López-González et al.

    Final and primary energy consumption of the residential sector in Spain and La Rioja (1991-2013), verifying the degree of compliance with the European 2020 goals by means of energy indicators

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2018)
  • G. McGovern et al.

    Towards a driver framework for regional bioenergy pathways

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2018)
  • A. Mansikkasalo

    Changes in European forest raw material trade: consequences of implementing the RES2020 Directive

    Biomass Bioenerg.

    (2012)
  • M. Martín et al.

    Optimal integration of renewable based processes for fuels and power production: Spain case study

    Appl. Energ.

    (2018)
  • F.G. Montoya et al.

    Renewable energy production in Spain: a review

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2014)
  • Z.B. Namsaraev et al.

    Current status and potential of bioenergy in the Russian Federation

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2018)
  • S.R. Naqvi et al.

    Potential of biomass for bioenergy in Pakistan based on present case and future perspectives

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2018)
  • S. Pan et al.

    Strategies on implementation of waste-to-energy (WTE) supply chain for circular economy system: a review

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2015)
  • J.P. Paredes-Sánchez et al.

    Solar water pumping system for water mining environmental control in a slate mine of Spain

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2015)
  • J.P. Paredes-Sánchez et al.

    Assessment of forest bioenergy potential in a coal-producing area in Asturias (Spain) and recommendations for setting up a Biomass Logistic Centre (BLC)

    Appl. Energ.

    (2016)
  • J.P. Paredes-Sánchez et al.

    Bioenergy for district bioheating system (DBS) from eucalyptus residues in a European coal-producing region

    Energy Convers. Manag.

    (2016)
  • J.P. Paredes-Sánchez et al.

    Energy utilization for distributed thermal production in rural areas: a case study of a self-sustaining system in Spain

    Energy Convers. Manag.

    (2018)
  • C. Patermann et al.

    The origins of the bioeconomy in the European Union

    N. Biotech.

    (2018)
  • S. Pfenninger

    Dealing with multiple decades of hourly wind and PV time series in energy models: a comparison of methods to reduced time resolution and the plan- ning implications of interannual variability

    Appl. Energ.

    (2017)
  • F. Pomponi et al.

    Circular economy for the built environment: a research framework

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2017)
  • J. Popp et al.

    The effect of bioenergy expansion: food, energy, and environment

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2014)
  • M.E.D. Poz et al.

    Bio-based energy scenarios: looking for waste

    Procedia Manuf.

    (2017)
  • S. Ruiz-Romero et al.

    Distributed generation: the definitive boost for renewable energy in Spain

    Renew. Energ.

    (2013)
  • Y.M.B. Saavedra et al.

    Theoretical contribution of industrial ecology to circular economy

    J. Clean. Prod.

    (2018)
  • P. Sadorsky

    Some future scenarios for renewable energy

    Futures

    (2011)
  • M. Santamaría et al.

    Promoting biofuels use in Spain: a cost-benefit analysis

    Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev.

    (2015)
  • J.C. Santamarta et al.

    Analysis and potential of use of biomass energy in canary islands, Spain

    IERI Proc.

    (2014)
  • AENOR

    UNE-EN ISO 17225 Solid Biofuels - Fuel Specifications and Classes

    (2014)
  • AENOR

    UNE 164003. Solid Biofuels

    (2014)
  • AENOR

    UNE 164004 Solid Biofuels. Fuel Specifications and Classes. Graded Fruit Shells

    (2014)
  • APPA

    Biomass, Biogas and Pellet Plant Inventory

    (2011)
  • APPA

    Renewable Energies Macroeconomic Impact in Spain

    (2012)
  • Cited by (37)

    • Integration of biocoal in distributed energy systems: A potential case study in the Spanish coal-mining regions

      2023, Energy
      Citation Excerpt :

      Thus, it has not only the realistic potential to reduce CO2 emissions from coal and provide an alternative to expensive CO2 capture systems [24], but it can also enhance the thermal efficiency of pure biomass combustion [25]. In this sense, Paredes-Sánchez et al. [26] showed the nature of biomass, which is also present in torrefied pellets, meets the restrictive normative required for small-scale pellet burners, thereby allowing it to be considered as an alternative to fossil fuels for domestic heating. Apart from its pure energy use, biocoal can be used to improve soil fortification in order to improve plant growth as well as in carbon sequestration [27].

    • Environmental, social, and economic impacts of renewable energy sources

      2022, Renewable Energy and Sustainability: Prospects in the Developing Economies
    • Sustainable technologies for biodiesel production from microbial lipids

      2021, Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals: Circular Bioeconomy: Technologies for Biofuels and Biochemicals
    • Lignocellulosic Biomass to Value-Added Products: Fundamental Strategies and Technological Advancements

      2021, Lignocellulosic Biomass to Value-Added Products: Fundamental Strategies and Technological Advancements
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text