EVENT The home heating sector was well represented during all three days in Valladolid. Many Spanish and international companies showed their latest products and innovations. This year the innovation prize was awarded to Austrian company ÖkoFen for its Pellematic Smart pellet boiler. The unique combination of a solar and pellet boiler in one unit primarily makes use of solar power, but with a high efficiency, with the condensing pellet burner ready to step in when needed. This can mean savings of up to 50 percent in heating costs when compared to conventional pellet boilers. Gabriele Rossato and Erika Tessari representing Italian company Uniconfort were busy at their stand talking to new customers. &YQPCJPNBTB EXPOBIOMASA, ORGANISED EVERY YEAR in Valladolid by the Spanish Biomass Energy Association, AVEBIOM, marked its decennial event during 3 days in September. Established 10 years ago, it is now a well-established international trade fair, this year gathering a total of 543 enterprises and brands representing 27 countries. The 26 000 m² total exhibition space included two large indoor halls and outdoor stands. Not crowded However, a fall in visitor numbers compared to other years is due, according to AVEBIOM, to attendees being more specialised and better informed – a key factor that means the fair is becoming increasingly professionalised rather than 52 Bioenergy International No 82, 6-2015 just a crowd puller. According to the organisers, the event’s reduced participation means its professional profile is on the up. On 24th of September the final headcount was 15 041 visitors. This is smaller than last year, however a high number of attendees was not the target set by the organisers. Visitors represented 32 nations including 5 percent from Portugal alone. Bioenergy Congress The International Bioenergy Congress is held every year during the Expobiomasa trade show. This year 150 professionals hungry for the latest information available to adapt their businesses to the next regulatory and market requirements met in congress hall. Towards a low emissions sector The European Council has several targets in climate and energy for 2030: reducing greenhouse gases by 40 percent, reaching a 27 percent share of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency by 27 percent. To achieve these goals, the European Commission is preparing a strategy for heating/cooling and a new package of measures that includes a sustainability policy for biomass. This will be crucial for the bioenergy sector to establish the legislative framework for companies to develop their businesses after 2020. New emission standards were well discussed by Marco Palazzetti, from the Italian stove manufacturer Palazzetti. He explained the main effects that eco-labeling and eco-design regulations, published last summer in the Official Journal of
Bioenergy no 6 October 2015
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