Factories across Catalonia are rapidly switching to biomass energy, helped by European funding and the need to cut gas costs. But that growth has not solved a bigger problem: forests packed with dry undergrowth and deadwood leave the region exposed to severe wildfires.
In 2025, Catalonia used 652,500 tonnes of biomass, up 19 percent from the year before. Large factories have driven the increase, especially paper and food-packaging plants, alongside chemical producers installing biomass boilers to replace gas systems. The Generalitat reports that industrial demand alone rose 57 percent year on year, with 4,529 biomass installations now running and a total capacity of 574 megawatts.
Despite the shift to renewables, the underlying risk remains. Forests cover 65 percent of Catalonia, and most of the new growth each year is left untouched. Only a third is removed; the rest builds up as fuel for fires. In the summer of 2025, there were 314 wildfires, including a major one in Les Gavarres that burned 2,400 hectares. Forest engineers warn that without regular cleaning and management, the region is taking big risks with its field.
European funds have covered up to 30 percent of the investment in new biomass infrastructure, making it an appealing option for companies seeking stable energy prices and relief from rising gas and carbon costs. The sector now includes 365 companies with a combined turnover of €872 million, information from a study by the Generalitat’s Acció agency. But the supply of raw biomass depends on forest management, a sector still short on workers and funding.
About three-quarters of Catalonia’s forests are privately owned, divided among roughly 220,000 landholders. Most owners no longer live off the land, and the sector struggles with an aging workforce and few new entrants. Only about 3,000 people work in forest management, many as freelancers or in small firms. The work is seasonal and tough, with poor pay, so large areas go untended. Industry leaders say the government needs to invest more to professionalize the sector and attract young workers and migrants. That would make forest care a viable job and support rural communities.
The new Catalan government under Salvador Illa has made forest management a priority, signing a protocol with the four provincial councils to triple the area of woodland cleaned each year, from 418 to 2,000 hectares. The plan aims to reverse years of neglect, but experts warn that progress will be slow and require steady, long-term funding. The question is whether forest cleaning can keep up with fast-growing demand for biomass or whether Catalonia will end up importing fuel despite having plenty of local resources.
Biomass energy is often described as climate-friendly because it uses local material and is considered carbon neutral. But its environmental benefits depend on how the wood is used: ideally, higher-quality wood goes to durable goods such as furniture, while only the lowest-quality material is burned for energy. If forest management falls behind, wildfire risks rise. Rural jobs may go uncreated, and dependence on imported fuels may grow.
