At the latest International Bioenergy Congress in Valladolid, key players in the biogas sector gathered, and for the first time in its 17 editions, protesters approached to express the uncertainty generated by the new projects under development.

Currently, there are eleven operational biomethane plants producing 455 GWh/year (one in Madrid, six in Catalonia, two in Castilla y León, and two in Galicia), around 250 biogas plants with a total production of 8,079 GWh/year, and seven solid biomass gasification plants in operation (one in Galicia, one in Aragón, one in Murcia, one in Castilla y León, one in Andalusia, and two in Castilla-La Mancha), along with two pilot plants – also for gasification – in León and Navarra, according to the official website of the congress.

Additionally, there are approximately 200 biogas plant projects in various stages of development, and a new PNIEC target is to increase biogas production to 20 TWh by 2030.

However, achieving this target will depend on the support of the Spanish community, and it will be necessary to address its needs.

“Unfortunately, we are listening very little to the people, and there is a percentage of the population that is right in their complaints. Many projects, unfortunately, are not well thought out,” comments Óscar Bartomeu, Manager of Biovec Medioambiente.

In an interview with Energía Estratégica España, the executive argues that the lack of proper planning—whether in terms of size, location, or technology used—can have negative impacts both on the quality of life of residents and on the public perception of the sector.

Thus, he acknowledges the great opportunity that the International Bioenergy Congress provided to meet key players in the sector, including the protesters, with whom he took the time to talk.

Among the concerns raised, Bartomeu observes that there is significant ignorance about the operation of these plants, and that local residents believe the bad odors, noise, and risks will be a major detriment to their lifestyles.

“The administration should ensure this is addressed in environmental impact studies, but often key factors, such as heavy vehicle traffic or prevailing wind directions, are not considered,” emphasizes the specialist.

He explains that the main issue lies in the fact that mega plants, those with a projected capacity of more than 100,000 tons per year, would require around 16 trucks per day—round trip—through the streets of the affected village.

Although there is already a restriction on a one-kilometer radius from residential areas and 500 meters from agricultural areas, the frequent passage of such vehicles on local roads is a significant change, and there are projects within the administration that multiply this capacity up to four times, thus increasing the raw material needed.

“It’s understandable that no one would like it if, living in a small village, a truck carrying slurry constantly passes in front of your door, affecting the peace, road safety, and local infrastructure, which is not designed to handle this type of traffic,” describes Bartomeu.

Therefore, he suggests that smaller installations should be considered, distributed across different locations, to generate less impact on the immediate environment. In cases where this is unavoidable, he proposes that developers build new roads, separate from those used by local residents.

Regarding odors, he states that there is advanced technology available that can inhibit them, so it wouldn’t be a problem if the plants are properly installed.

“If we can’t get communities to support these projects, it will be very difficult to make progress. The key is dialogue, explaining the benefits, but also being honest about the impacts and working together to mitigate the inconveniences,” concludes the Biovec representative.