Study tour: Limoges delegation to visit Barcelona

By Miriam Eisermann on 13 octobre 2011

L’Ecoparc 3 del Besòs

Last week, a group of elected people and technicians from the city of Limoges Metropole (central part of France) discovered Barcelona from a sustainable energy point of view thanks to an Energy Cities study tour. As for every study tour prepared by our network, the three-day programme had been tailor-made to fit with questions and expectations of the participants.

The programme concentrated on two main topics : energy management and planning at the city level, and waste treatment at the metropolitan level (l’Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona - AMB).

An ambitious but realistic new energy improvement plan

Meeting the Local Energy Agency

Presented by M. Gerard Pol, project engineer at the Local Energy Agency, the New energy improvement plan 2011-2020 ("Pla d’Energia, Canvi Climàtic i Qualitat Ambiental") :
- deals with energy issues in a transversal way,
- takes the relationship between energy, air quality and climate change into account,
- is based both, on a multi-sectorial diagnosis and on the results of working groups in the various fields of industry, transportation, risk management, ...
- makes a distinction between what solely comes within the competences of the municipality (municipal programme) and what depends on actions from all local actors and citizens (city programme).

M. Joan Puigdollers, Deputy Mayor in Charge of Environment, welcoming Limoges representative at the Energy Agency

This plan, submitted to the Covenant of Mayors Office after Barcelona’s signature in 2008, presents an overall CO2 emission reduction target of 23%.

Waste : Integral management and pneumatic collection

Another important part of the study tour programme was the visit of Ecoparc 3 del Besòs, a waste sorting and biotreatment plant for Barcelona and neighbouring towns.

Visit of the Ecoparc

The plant treats waste that has not previously been sorted and it is able to recover organic materials which are used to produce biogas. Other products are recovered during the treatment, such as paper, cardboard, plastic and “bricks”, for subsequent recycling.

The Ecoparc can treat up to 400 000 tons of waste a year and is part of a set of 4 Ecoparcs in the city of Barcelona. It was built in 2006 and benefited from an ERDF funding for 80% of its total cost.

The tour on waste management ended with a very interesting visit to a pneumatic collection plant located in the district of Lesseps.

Pneumatic collection terminal

A district heating and cooling network cooled down with sea water

M. David Serrano, Executive Director of Districlima presented us the heating and cooling network that serves 22@, the new emblematic high-tech district of Barcelona. The Limoges delegation learned how this CHP plant makes use of the steam produced at the Ecoparc, as well as of the very close sea water for its down-cooling system.

Read an article on this expert tour published by Districlima

For more information :
Barcelona Local Energy Agency
Barcelona for the Environment
Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona - AMB
Waste management in Barcelona - Ecoparcs
Districlima
Territorial Energy and Climate Plan of Limoges Métropole

Barcelona and Limoges Metropole are members of Energy Cities, respectively since 1996 and 2009.

Thumbnail picture : Shutterstock

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