The General Assembly of APPA Biomasa has elected Guillermo Negro, CEO of Magnon Green Energy, as its new president. Negro has 25 years of experience in the energy and industrial sectors, having also held senior management positions at companies such as Ence and Alpiq Energía España.

With a strong institutional presence, Guillermo Negro has been involved in various sectoral associations, where he has consistently advocated for the value of biomass in Spain.

His term coincides with a key phase for the sector: all biomass projects aiming to contribute to the PNIEC’s 2030 target of 1,409 MW must begin construction. Over the next five years, more than 400 MW of new capacity is expected to be installed.

Over 25 years dedicated to the energy sector

The new president of APPA Biomasa has had a successful career in the energy sector. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, an Executive MBA, and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at ESADE and the PADE (Senior Business Management Programme) at IESE.

He began his professional career at the Ence Group, where he spent 13 years in roles of increasing responsibility across the Energy, Pulp and Finance divisions, notably serving as Energy Director and Director of Planning and Control.

Following this, he joined Alpiq Energía España, where he worked for a decade as Managing Director and member of the Board of Directors. At the Spanish subsidiary of the Swiss energy group, he deepened his expertise in energy generation, market access services, and the trading and commercialisation of electricity and gas for industrial clients. His extensive industry experience led to his appointment as CEO of Magnon Green Energy in January 2023.

At an institutional level, Guillermo Negro has served on the board of leading sectoral associations, including APRIE, ACIE (where he also served as president), and the Spanish Energy Club. He has also chaired the Spanish-Swiss Economic Association. His distinguished institutional trajectory now culminates in his appointment as President of APPA Biomasa.

Objectives for a new stage

When asked about the goals for his first term leading the Biomass Division of APPA Renovables, Guillermo Negro stressed the need to assert the value of this technology:
“We must promote recognition of electric biomass as a key technology in the transition. It offers stability, dispatchability and inertia. We must also restore the connection between renewables and rural areas — and no technology is better suited for this than biomass, due to its synergies with the agricultural, livestock and forestry sectors. Furthermore, we must highlight its future role: electric biomass complements and strengthens less dispatchable renewables.”

Ambition for a dispatchable technology

Guillermo Negro was clear: “After the blackout of 28 April, it is essential to highlight that some renewables provide storage, dispatchability and inertia,” he stated.

“The PNIEC has underestimated the full potential of biomass in our country. We must demand greater ambition going forward. Price should not be the only factor considered if we are to reach the 81% renewable electricity target by 2030,” he urged.

Biomass to play a leading role in future fuels

Beyond strengthening the role of electric biomass, the new president also aims to expand its scope of application:
“Biomass will play a key role in the decarbonisation of the industrial sector, particularly through the generation of renewable thermal energy. We must support projects aimed at replacing fossil fuels across various industrial processes, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions and contributing to a more sustainable industry.”

Likewise, Guillermo Negro underlined biomass’s relevance for renewable fuels:
“Technological advances allow us to look further ahead: biomass will be one of the key feedstocks in the production of advanced renewable fuels. We must position ourselves so that Spain can lead this energy transformation in the field of sustainable fuels as well.”