Provincial authority collects biomass from Malaga's forests to prevent fires and produce energy
The project, which is already carried out in the Sierra de las Nieves, will be extended to the Serranía de Ronda and the northern district
In the fight against forest fires, the way forward is to make use of natural resources that would otherwise turn into natural fuel. This is the strategy that specialists in the management of woodland have set out. The initiative is carried out by the provincial authority of Malaga. This body is promoting a programme that combines two aspects: the removal of surplus biomass from forests and woodlands, which helps to prevent fires, and the use of this biomass as a source of energy.
The investments amount to almost 16 million euros, both in the installation of biomass boilers and heating networks and in the construction of centres for the storage of plant waste in Yunquera and Algatocín. The actions are carried out in the nine municipalities of the Sierra de la Nieves and will soon be extended to a dozen towns in the Serranía de Ronda, as well as in the Genal and Guadiaro valleys and the northern district of Malaga province.
President of the provincial authority Francisco Salado said that the main investment (6.5 million euros) has been allocated to the installation of biomass boilers in some 20 public buildings in the nine municipalities of the Sierra de las Nieves, such as schools, nurseries, nursing homes, clinics and other municipal buildings and offices. "This heating system will enable municipalities to save an average of 65% on their energy bills, as well as to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and make use of forestry waste by cleaning up forests."
The provincial authority is also implementing the BIO+A Málaga project for sustainable forest management, which plans to allocate 2.1 million euros to encourage the use of biomass. For this purpose, a centre for the treatment of forest waste will be built in Yunquera and, in addition, wood has been extracted from four plots as part of a pilot project: two in Las Palomas de El Burgo mountain and another two in El Pinar de Yunquera mountain, where 562 tonnes of forest biomass have been extracted.
Extension to other districts
Salado stated that the provincial authority is committed to extending this project to more districts in the province. Two projects have been submitted to calls for proposals from the European regional development fund (ERDF): '+Bioeconomy in the rural environment of the Serranía (+BERDeS)' and 'Convive'.
These include the installation of boilers and heating networks in 12 municipalities in the Serranía de Ronda: Algatocín, Alpandeire, Atajate, Benadalid, Benalauría, Cartajima, Cortes de la Frontera, Faraján, Genalguacil, Jubrique, Júzcar and Parauta. Included is also the adaptation of a centre in Algatocín for the treatment of biomass (almost 7.4 million investment).
