CEDER (Centre for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources) is located a few kilometres from Soria, was born in the eighties as a national centre for research, development and promotion of renewable energy sources dependent on the CIEMAT and currently attached to the Department of Energy of this Public Research Organisation. It is considered as pioneer centre in Spain in the field of energy use of biomass, as well as being national and European reference in small wind energy.

Part of the general archive of CIEMAT can be found on CEDER's facilities.

Nowadays CEDER has 51 staff of which 27 form a group composed of professional experts in management and administration, documentation, laboratory techniques, mechanical, electrics, electronics, IT and telecommunications, etc, isrelated to the objective of making the Centre and facilities associated with research projects operational. The remaining 24 are associated with the R+D+i activities (research, development and innovation; a multidisciplinary team of researchers and skilled technicians in several branches of engineering and sciences (industrial, forestry, telecommunications, agronomy, chemistry, biology, etc.) composes this group.

There also must be added the external support services for surveillance and cleaning (7 workers), and another service for operation and maintenance of pilot plants (10 workers).

To obtain more information, go to web page.

CIEMAT (Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological research)is a public research body assigned to the Ministry of Economy and competitiveness through the Secretariat of State Research, Development and Innovation focused mainly in energy and environmental fields and the technological fields related to both. Is in a middle position in the chain from the creation of basic knowledge to industrial application, so that its scope of activity always seeks serve as a bridge between the R+D+I and the objectives of social interest.

In this regard, it works closely with other national centers of R+D+I, institutions, universities and companies in the sector of our country in order to be able to transfer knowledge and technology that have been generated, and thereby support and assist the driving innovation and change of the economic model based on knowledge.

Since 1951, as Nuclear Enery Board (JEN), and from 1986 as Ciemat, it conducts R+D+I projects in the energy area. Today, the main lines of action are the study, development, promotion and optimization of the different sources of energy: renewable, fusion, fission and fossil fuels; the study of its impact on the environment; the development of new technologies; without forgetting basic research areas such as high energy physics and biomedicine.

The R+D+I activity which is carried out by Ciemat is part of the national and international level like the participation in EU programs and the cooperation with intergovernmental organizations and research centers in other countries, especially with Latin America and the Mediterranean Basin.

The R+D+I is complemented by training activities, technology transfer, provision of technical services and counselling for the various administrations and representation of Spain in various international forums. 

Ciemat aims to contribute to sustainable development in Spain and to quality of life of citizens through the generation and application of scientific and technological knowledge, and as objective, to maintain a position of center of excellence in scientific and technical areas in which it develops its activities.

With a team composed of around 1,430 people, Ciemat is a technological and geographically diversified. Besides the head office in Madrid in which a significant part of the staff work, there is in Andalucía The Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), a large-scale scientific facility of international recognition in solar technologies; in Soria the Center for Development of Renewable Energy (CEDER) and the Center for the Study of Environmental Law (CIEDA); in Extremadura there is the Extremadura Center of Advanced Technologies (CETA) which is located in Trujillo, and in Barcelona there is the head office of the Socio-Technical Research Center (CISOT).

To obtain more information, go to web page.

Agresta Cooperative Society is an environmental company with 13 years of experience in the forestry sector, engineering of the natural environment and environmental impact studies.

It consists of a multidisciplinary team of 30 professionals, graduates in Forestry Engineering, Technical Topographic Engineering and Engineering in Geodesy and Cartography, Bachelor in Biology and Geography, Degree in Statistics, Bachelor in economics and Technical Management and Organization of natural and landscape Resources.

Our head office is located in Madrid, and we have technical offices and sales offices in 8 provinces.

Among our fields of specialization  we can highlight the work we have done in the last few years in the field R+D+I with LiDAR technology, which has allowed us to obtain technical expertise in the processing of this technology data  and to its practical applications in the planning and management of the natural spaces. Agresta is currently developing several projects of inventory and mapping of forest masses with LiDAR technology on more than 1,300,000 ha.

Agresta also has in-depth experience in climate change, both in terms of adaptation and its mitigation. Particularly, it has specialized in recent years in the consultancy in Climate Change and Land Uses. The main lines of work which have been developed are:

• Inventories of net flows in the UTCTS sector (Land Use, Change in Land Use and Forestry), Mitigation of Climate Change by forest-related projects (Afforestation/Reforestation, REDD, forest management, etc) and carbon footprint and carbon neutrality.

Forestry planning, territorial planning, Natural Environment Engineering, Applied Forest Management, Geographic Information Systems and Technological Developments are other fields of action of Agresta.

For more information please visit the website.

AVEBIOM (Spanish Association of energy valorization of biomass)was founded in 2004 with the goal of promoting the development of bioenergy sector in Spain and becoming the nexus of the bioenergy sector. Its main objective is to grow the consumption of biomass for energy purposes. It is formed by 185 partners which generate a turnover volume of 3,000 million euro and 8,500 jobs. AVEBIOM activities are very focused on dissemination, it could be said that 80 % of the efforts are aimed at such actions. Among the most important actions we can mention:

EVENTS/COMMUNICATION

• AVEBIOM co-organises EXPOBIOENERGIA which is an International Bioenergy Fair.
• It organises the International Bioenergy Congress, which brings together international and national professionals who lead successful experiences.
• It also co-organises BIOMUN (bioenergy for municipalities) where mayors and municipal staff have the opportunity of receiving advise about the use of biomass.
• Its presence in the mass media with different tools: websites, mailing a target, social networks, press releases.
• It edits the International Bioenergy magazine in Spanish with a print run of around 45,000 copies/year.

PROJECTS

• National Observatory of biomass boilers which analyses the current situation of the sector and its evolution. Currently the ONCB has registered over 2500 MW (thermal).
• AVEBIOM has an extensive experience by participating in several European projects since 2010: BIOmasud, BTCII, Pellcert, Basis, Enermass, Bioenergy & Fire Prevention within programs (IEE, Interreg, Life+).

OTHER

• Vice-president of AEBIOM (European Biomass Association), is part of the RHC-EP of the Association.
• World Bioenergy (WBA) and it is a founding member of the European Pellet Council.
• AVEBIOM is the Spanish entity responsible for managing the Enplus pellet quality certification in Spain.
• The Spanish Bioenergy Cluster was founded by AVEBIOM in 2007.

For more information please visit the  website

The municipality of Fabero, which has an area of 5349 ha, is located in the sub- region of El Alto Bierzo between the 40º 46' north latitude and 6º 40' west longitude and at an altitude of 690 meters in the northwest corner of the province of Leon. It is watered from east to west by the river Cúa. It is rugged on the west by hills of 600 and 800m of height. Mount Forcada, which is commonly known as the "Rubiona" and has 1063 m, rises on the east and in the northwest the foothills of Sierras de Padrón and Pontigas rises.

The municipality of Fabero is on the north with the municipality of Villablino and Páramo del Sil, on the east with Bembibre, Camponaraya and Cubillos del Sil and on the west with Vega de espinareda and the Ancares Leoneses.

It is located 20 km from Ponferrada, 138 Km from the capital of the province, Leon, and 266 Km from Valladolid. It is composed by six municipalities: Fabero, Lillo del Bierzo, Otero de Naraguantes, Bárcena de la Abadía, Fontoria y San Pedro de Para dela, exceeding five thousand inhabitants.

Fabero is located in the mining area of Bierzo, at a height of 690m above sea level, near to Sierra de Padrón and Pontiga, the mountains of Tabernas and Picones, and Altos de Peña Babuela, Fontanal and la Traviesa, and las cruces de Corisiado y de Valdeferrera.

Fabero is a municipality engaged with its natural environment and the environmental protection. For this purpose, among other actions, there have been installed two district heating networks with biomass boilers, one of which provides service to the buildings of the House of Culture, the Multiple Use Building and the City Council. The other one in the public school Lillo of Bierzo.

For more information please visit the  website.

Montes de Las Navas is a Spanish company dependent on local and regional government. Its main shareholder is the City Council of Las Navas del Marqués in the province of Ávila (Castile-Leon). The company was founded in 2000.

MLN manages a forest area of around 7,500 hectares, mainly populated by Pinus pinaster and forest of Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica). The main uses and forest management objectives are wood, resin and biomass, in addition to the pasture for local livestock farming and for hunting.

Since 2006, Montes de Las Navas, is actively involved in projects related to bioenergy, for example it has been part of the project INTERREG IIIB "Atlantic Area Programme" called BIOREG-FLORESTA, in collaboration with the Energy Agency of Ávila. As a result of the project, a District heating of 1 MW thermal power was built in the town of Las Navas del Marqués.

MLN was present in the main fairs and events related to bioenergy in Spain, emphasizing the involvement in the dissemination of District heating project results in different editions of the International Congress of Bioenergy held in Valladolid, in the context of fair EXPOBIONERGIA.

MLN also has experience in the field of other renewable energies, by participating in Montes de Las Navas wind farm, with 76 wind turbines installed on their own property, and some installation projects of thermal solar panels on public buildings.

For more information please visit the  website.

INIA is an autonomous public research organization assigned  to the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) belongs to INIA.

CIFOR-INIA is conceived as a specialized center of research, which aims to improve the knowledge base on forest environment, multifunctional management, inventory analysis and conservation of the genetic diversity present in the forest and the selection, characterization and spread of genetic material, damages caused by biotic agents or environmental disturbances and finally, the raw materials and derivative products, optimization of the technology used in the treatment and adaptation of these materials for different applications. CIFOR-INIA works in close collaboration with the public research of universities, centres of technology and research centres through R+D projects

For more than  10 years, it is working at CIFOR on aspects related to biomass for energy, both through energy crops and use of forests.

For more information please visit the  website.

TRAGSA Group, which is formed by the TRAGSA array  y TRAGSATEC, is constituted with public capital and specialized in the development of the rural environment, conservation of nature and provision of emergency services.

GRUPO TRAGSA is an own way of the Public Administrations for the accomplishment, on a mandatory basis, of the works or actions that those entrust it. Its corporate purpose considers a wide and varied range of activities, covering the design and construction of infrastructure and equipment needed for the modernization and improvement of the rural environment, and the technologies for better water management, forestry and conservation activities, improvement and protection of natural spaces.

GRUPO TRAGSA is a leading company in the management of natural resources both in Spain and internationally, and has become a driving force of the dissemination of the agricultural and forestry technology to developing countries, especially Latin America and the Maghreb.

Within the group, its parent company, TRAGSA, is mainly engaged in infrastructure development and provision of technical services in forestry, agricultural and environmental sectors, with extensive experience in forest management, ecosystems and natural resources.

The Sub-department of TRAGSA'S Environmental Actions  has an extensive experience in the definition of methods and protocols of action, and in the optimization of resources in different areas. In particular, it is applied to the supply of biomass from for energy generation, which is included in the present proposal.

The Sub-department of R+D+I is responsible for carrying out the technical monitoring and the economic and administrative management of the R+D+I projects, which are developed by the different units of the Group TRAGSA, as well as to provide the technical and administrative support that the persons in charge could require for the correct development of the projects.

For more information please visit the  website.

Biomasa Forestal S.L. is a company located in the Concello de As Pontes, province of A Coruña. It was established for the processing of woody wastes and wood from felling forest areas, into pellets intended for domestic and industrial sales with a capacity of 70,000 tons/year. 

Timber resources currently used are: round wood with more than 80% of the species of the Pinaceae family (Pinus pinaster and Pinus radiata basically). By-products from the processing of wood and shredded wood brought directly from the mount are also used. They are used as boiler fuel or as a raw material for production of pellet (depending on their quality).

The production process comprises of chipping, grinding in green, drying, fine grinding and compacting using two granulators, whereby a pellet with a diameter between 6 and 8 mm and a length of 40mm is obtained.

For obtaining this product the addition of binder is not necessary. It is therefore a fuel of virgin wood dry and pressed in small cylinders, without other additives.

This product has a moisture content less than 10%, a bulk density of approximately 650kg/m3 and a calorific value of 17,5MJ/kg.

BIOMASA FORESTAL, S.L., has great expectations for the use of non-timber resources such as raw materials for the production of pellets for energy use. This is the case of biomass from scrub and undergrowth of forest plantations cleanings, which are a very abundant resource in Galicia but very few used. Actions as the raised in this proposal are needed to demonstrate the viability and sustainability of the development of this type of resource.

For more information please visit the website.

Gestamp Biomass is a fully integrated company. We are directly engaged in the majority of the several activities related to biomass for energy projects:

Supply of biomass, power plant design, design and construction of biomass boilers, development of projects from scratch or conversion of existing ones, operation and maintenance of biomass plants, etc.

We are a company with global presence and great industrial capacity. The high rates of profitability and solvency enables us to make significant investments in new lines of work. Proximity to our customers, with our quality policy, training and research has enabled us to deliver our products and services with greater added value.

In GESTAMP BIOMASS we work with the certainty that the conservation of natural resources and respect for the environment are essential for a sustainable economic development.

For more information please visit the website.

INTACTA is a company located in As Pontes (A Coruña) that arises as a synergy to join the active and concerted participation to achieve a total efficiency and ensure any environmental service. 

With this company was born also a new concept of management, the of a company of services environmental characterized by its specialty at engineering and consulting, renewable energy and waste management, construction and put in operation of waste and water treatment facilities, and resolution of chemical and environmental emergencies.

INTACTA is prepared to innovate and offer comprehensive solutions, both related to companies in operation as related to new initiatives; is a environmental partner that allows reconciling industrial/business activity with the law enforcement and environment protection. 

INTACTA design, construction or operation solutions, are always developed by staff which, in fact, designs, builds and manages industrial and environmental facilities.

INTACTA offers its customers all their knowledge with proven and efficient solutions in the next areas:

- Consultancy and engineering in waste, water and energy.

- Solutions in treatment and management of waste.

- Solutions in treatment and management of wastewaters.

- Execution of turn-key projects and commissioning of facilities.

- Resolution of environmental emergencies.

For more information, go to the web.