Fira de Barcelona says it will consume zero-mile green energy over the next few years, which will be supplied by Endesa to the three venues of Montjuïc, Gran Via and CCIB.
The public tender awarded foresees that all the electricity consumed by the trade fair will continue to come from renewable sources and that 40% of it will come directly from nearby production plants in order to reduce distribution losses.
The agreement includes the supply of 33 GWh/year to cover the power needs of the venues. This includes the consumption of the exhibitors’ stands, the meeting rooms, as well as the lighting of the facilities and the consumption of the equipment and systems of the facilities.
Of the total energy supplied, 40% will come directly from the Les Forques and Montargull wind farms (in La Conca de Barberà and La Segarra counties), owned by Enel Green Power España, Endesa's renewable energy subsidiary. The remaining 60% of the electricity consumed by Fira will come from other green energy production centres.
The commitment to renewable energy will avoid the emission of 8,547 tons of CO2 each year, the equivalent of the absorption capacity of 14,412 trees for 40 years, according to data from Endesa.
Since 2020, 100% of the energy consumed by Fira de Barcelona comes from renewable sources. Other initiatives include, two years ago, 18 public charging points for vehicles being installed in the Montjuïc and Gran Via venues.
The Fira has also achieved ISO 14001, a recognised international certification in the field of environmental management, and has also the ‘Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination Barcelona Biosphere’ distinction and has joined the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative of the Events Industry Council.
The Gran Via venue also has one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic parks in the world, with 25,947 panels on 135,000sqm that generate 5.86 GWh of electricity per year, avoiding the emission of more than 2,200 tons of CO2.
