Energy recovery
The use of the calorific value of waste allowed Catalan factories to achieve 45% energy substitution in their cement kilns. This figure is a 10% improvement on the previous year but is still far from the levels achieved by leading European countries in terms of environmental conduct (such as Austria and Germany), which exceed 70% in the substitution of fossil fuels with alternative fuels.
In 2021, the increase in the use of wood, which grew by 83%, was particularly noteworthy. On the other hand, the availability of plant biomass (mainly from the agricultural sector) decreased by 64%. As a result, the savings in fossil CO2 emitted hardly changed compared to the previous year, amounting to 331,000 tonnes in 2021.
| WASTE TYPE | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Var. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant biomass (industrial of agricultural origin, pineapple, olive bones, industrial of agricultural origin, shell, energy crops, untreated wood) | 41.621 | 41.518 | 15.165 | -63,5% |
| RDF-MSW | 138.563 | 159.000 | 175.831 | 10,6% |
| Animal meal | 38.908 | 40.728 | 30.183 | -25,9% |
| Urban wastewater sludge | 5.457 | 6.450 | 6.096 | -5,5% |
| Wood (wood processing cuts, bulky waste, packaging, construction and demolition waste, sleepers, urban and landscape elements) | 15.114 | 22.164 | 40.573 | 83,1% |
| TDF | 32.198 | 14.759 | 16.779 | 13,7% |
| Total | 273.220 | 284.620 | 284.627 | 0% |
| % energy substitution | 35% | 41% | 45% | 9,5% |
| Avoided t of fossil CO2 | 316.876 | 347.409 | 331.154 | -4,7% |
Note: Quantities in tons.
Source: Generalitat de Catalunya
