Lisbon will receive 1,500 delegates from 70 countries this month to discuss the importance of biomass in combating climate change in the world.
Lisbon will be the world stage for biomass from 27 to 30 May. Electricity produced from forest and agricultural waste will be discussed by more than 1,500 delegates from 70 countries at the 27th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE 2019) that will take place at the Lisbon Congress Center.
In a conversation with the Jornal Económico, Maria da Graça Carvalho, EUBCE 2019 general secretary and MEP, highlights the importance that biomass may have in the future in Portugal and in the world to combat climate change and “to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement”.
“Biomass and waste accounted for about two-thirds of all renewable energy consumption in the EU. In Portugal, biomass is mainly used in the pulp industry. There is enormous potential for biomass in Portugal. The current state of biomass resources shows that the total potential estimated by various sectors in the country is 42,489 gigawatts / hour per year ”.
In addition to the importance for the production of electricity, the PSD elected MP highlighted the relevant role that this sector may play in preventing forest fires. “Fire prevention in Portugal also involves the economic enhancement of the forest. Biomass is an important part of this recovery strategy. But for that, it will be necessary to create logistics for the collection of biomass and value chains for forest products”, he said.
But what is the forecast for biomass growth in the coming years in Portugal? “An article in the” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews “by researchers from the University of Minho, the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre and INGI” foresees an “annual growth in installed biomass capacity of 5% and 1% in the case of energy production” , He stated.
The Government has already announced that it intends to close the two existing coal plants in Portugal by 2030. In this scenario, Maria da Graça Carvalho points out that biomass will be one of the solutions to replace coal.
“The solution for the de-fossilization of society involves a set of measures from a strong component of energy efficiency, to the use of all available renewable energies, naturally having biomass in general and existing and planned biomass plants, a very important role”, he stressed.
Source: O Jornal Económico
