In 2024, 584 biomass-fueled heating and cooling networks were recorded, with a total capacity of 549 MW and an annual thermal demand of approximately 878 GWh. These installations supply 42,425 apartment buildings and 1,448 single-family homes, as well as more than 4,200 buildings in total, preventing the emission of 248,000 tons of CO₂ each year. Catalonia again leads the growth with 33 new networks, followed by Andalusia (9) and Castile and León (5).
Despite these advances, European photography shows a marked contrast. According to the report DH&C Market Outlook and Trends According to Euroheat & Power (2023), district heating already accounts for 121% of energy used for heating and domestic hot water in the EU, with more than 17,000 networks in operation supplying heat to 70 million citizens. Spain doesn't even appear in the graph: its share is negligible.
“In Spain we have connected around 42,000 homes to biomass networks; a very small number.”, warns Juan Jesús Ramos, technician at AVEBIOM and author of the report. “Soria and Aranda de Duero, with 20% of their homes connected, are exceptions that approach levels of central European countries.”.
A strategic infrastructure for decarbonization
In northern and central Europe, district heating networks are considered a basic serviceThese methods allow for economies of scale, lower costs, stabilized prices, and a drastic reduction in emissions. Furthermore, the use of local biomass adds security of supply in the face of the volatility of the natural gas market.
Central European countries have set ambitious targets for 2030: France plans to add 215,000 homes per year; Germany, between 300,000 and 600,000; and the Netherlands, half a million in total. In Spain, Ramos estimates, a realistic target would be to connect between 5,000 to 12,000 households per year, which would allow us to reach some 75,000 in 2030. “But it would clearly be insufficient to comply with Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on energy efficiency,” he warns.
Where to focus efforts
Juan Jesús Ramos identifies priority areas to accelerate deployment: large public consumers such as hospitals, prisons, military detachments, indoor swimming pools and nursing homes; Industrial parks with significant thermal demand; and tourist areas with a high density of hotels and complexes with heated pools and spas. The driving role of the public buildings to attract the private sector in medium and large urban centers.
Although public authorities have included district heating networks in strategic plans and regulations, truly binding measures are scarce. Castile and León is a pioneer in requiring all public buildings to be connected to a network whenever possible. In contrast, other programs such as the Just Transition Fund have had limited implementation, and the reprogramming of funds has reduced some planned projects.
European aid from Recovery Plan They have served to expand existing networks and launch new projects —35.5 million euros granted in the RENORED Program—, but their overall impact on the number of networks remains modest.