Magnon aims to reach 2,000 GWh of renewable thermal energy by 2030 through the development of more than 30 projects across Spain. The plan includes investments in renewable heat production facilities, long-term energy supply contracts with industrial clients, and the management of more than 800,000 tonnes of biomass annually for thermal applications, directly contributing to the decarbonisation of fossil fuel-intensive sectors.
The company has secured significant contracts with leading agri-food companies, supporting their decarbonisation strategies and reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and the circular economy.
"Our objective is to deploy more than 30 projects based on long-term renewable thermal energy supply contracts with industrial clients," said Guillermo Negro, Chief Executive Officer of Magnon, in an interview with Energía Estratégica.
Magnon has a long track record in electricity generation from biomass.
What role does the company play in this field?
In addition to renewable thermal energy, Magnon has extensive experience in electricity generation from biomass, providing the company with many years of operational expertise in biomass plant management and in overseeing the full logistics chain of the resource.
On this point, Guillermo Negro stated that Magnon is "Spain"s largest biomass manager and a leader in renewable energy production from agricultural and forestry biomass.
With 266 MW of installed capacity across eight renewable power plants located in Huelva, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Jaén and Mérida, "we manage nearly two million tonnes of biomass each year, transforming agricultural residues such as olive prunings, vine shoots, olive pomace, maize straw, forestry residues and green waste whose traceability is guaranteed through international certifications such as SURE and PEFC, aligned with the European Renewable Energy Directive," he explained.
Among the company"s strategic priorities is the development of renewable fuels such as e-methanol and the implementation of biogenic CO capture systems. From its renewable energy centres in Huelva, Puertollano and Mérida, the company is working to convert the biogenic CO produced at these facilities into future fuels by combining it with green hydrogen.
Specifically, Magnon is developing an energy hub across these three locations to produce e-methanol, as Spain is considered a particularly competitive market for the deployment of renewable fuels, according to the company"s CEO.
What regulatory aspects are considered a priority for the development of biomass in Spain?
According to Magnon, in the field of renewable electricity generation, it is essential to have a stable and predictable regulatory framework aligned with the technical realities of biomass, recognising its role as a dispatchable renewable energy source, as well as the positive externalities associated with its use.
These include rural economic development, the creation of quality employment in areas facing depopulation, and contributions to forest fire prevention, among others.
It is also crucial to streamline administrative permitting processes, ensure coherence between environmental and energy regulations, and strengthen the role of biomass within Spain"s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), both for electricity generation and for thermal and industrial applications.
In Magnon"s view, competition with other intermittent renewable sources represents a structural challenge, but also an opportunity to highlight the local, dispatchable and stable nature of biomass, which "must play a strategic role in the Spanish and European energy transition", emphasised the CEO.
In this regard, the company not only provides clean energy but also helps anchor the population in rural areas and promote a locally based circular economy, where renewable energy is built on sustainably managed domestic resources.
"We want to consolidate a competitive energy model based on innovation, efficiency and the capacity to respond to the real needs of industry and society as a whole," concluded Guillermo Negro.