Progetto Fuoco: everything is ready for the opening at Veronafiere with 800 brands.

21.12.2021

Verona Fiere, from 23 to 26 February 2022

PROGETTO FUOCO. EVERYTHING IS READY FOR THE OPENING EVENT AT VERONA FIERE. 800 BRANDS ARE FOSTERING SUSTAINABILITY, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
HERE ARE SOME BIOMASS HEATING TRENDS.

The market is recovering well. The almost 9 million appliances in Italy are mainly domestic. Today, pellets are worth a fifth of the market. Barbieri (Piemmeti-Progetto Fuoco) points out: «We are ready to repeat the pre-pandemic figures. Positive feedback is coming from abroad thanks to the free shuttle buses organized by ICE taking visitors from the airports to their missions and thanks to the COVID safety measures in place».

From stoves to fireplaces passing through boilers, barbecues and wood and pellet stoves. Biomass appliances are now a growing sector after declining during the pandemic. The expectation is growing also for Progetto Fuoco, the international reference event in this sector, promoted by Piemmeti, which will be back at the fair in Verona from 23 to 26 February 2022. To date, more than 90% of producers have already confirmed their attendances. The aim of Verona Fiere is now to repeat last edition milestone of 60,000 visitors, of which 15,000 were international. The fair is an organizational machine, working safely thanks to all necessary measures implemented to curb the pandemic. According to Raul Barbieri, Piemmeti general manager, «the attendances are at pre-pandemic levels. The measures adopted at Verona Fiere and by the Governments allow us to realise a completely safe event. The entry regulations require that visitors have their Covid certificates, wear their masks and respect social distancing. Besides, a COVID testing point will be available at the fair ».

A GROWING SECTOR: 9 MILLION APPLIANCES IN ITALY

After suddenly slumping because of the lockdown at the beginning of 2020, this sector recovered in the second half of last year and has been confirming a positive trend throughout 2021. In Italy, according to AIEL data — the Italian Agroforestry Energy Association — the fleet of biomass appliances and boilers counted 8.7 million pieces in 2020. Of these generators, 8.4 million (97%) are domestic heating appliances, and 300,000 (3%) are boilers, i.e. appliances which are almost always installed in a technical room for heating residential units or for one or more residential or commercial buildings. The most common heating systems are fuelled by firewood, which account for 6.6 million pieces (74.0%), while pellet stoves are 2.3 million (25.8%). Wood chip appliances are even less common in terms of numbers — about 0.2% — but their boilers are mainly larger.

PELLET CONSUMPTION IS GROWING WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND

According to AIEL, Italy's demand for solid biofuels for residential and commercial heating is fairly stable, i.e. between 15 and 20 million tons, and firewood is being gradually replaced by pellets. In fact, between 2010 and 2020, firewood consumption increased from 85% to 70%. 15% less is a drop of almost six million tons of firewood. Conversely, pellets went from 8% in 2010 to 22% in 2019. It means that they increased by 14%, i.e. almost two million tons. The variation regarding wood chips is very limited and offers a picture of medium and large boilers as a much more stable and smaller market in terms of consumption than that of domestic appliances and boilers.

PROGETTO FUOCO 2022, BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

«Precious stimuli are coming from a constantly innovating market», comments Raul Barbieri, Piemmeti general manager. «Our path aims at sustainability. Biomass energy is renewable, economical and safe. Its most important allies are technology and innovation. Progetto Fuoco 2022 will focus precisely on these issues and feedback is positive so far. Exhibitors are satisfied and recall activities have begun on visitors who are responding to Verona Fiere invitation. They are facilitated by free shuttle buses from Venice and Bergamo airports and by fairly short distances. As for foreign operators, most of them, who are 15,000 in total, come from European destinations that are reachable by car or short-haul flights. The safety measures put in place by the Italian and European governments aim to safeguard the exhibition events — underlines Barbieri. — Moreover, the ICE-ITA Agency is organizing a mission of 50 qualified operators from the main Italian production markets. This shows that institutions are focusing on the most important international event in the sector».

Progetto Fuoco will take place in Verona from 23 to 26 February 2022. Along with the exhibitions there will be conferences, workshops, practical demonstrations and training opportunities. They will be held in 7 pavilions at Verona Fiere, on 130 thousand square meters. At the forefront, large companies will be accompanied by young innovators and start-ups. The latter will find their place in the second edition of "Give Me Fire - Progetto Fuoco European Startup Award", promoted by Progetto Fuoco and Blum. There, numerous innovative Italian and European companies will put themselves to the test through their pitches, presenting their technological biomass heating products. During Progetto Fuoco 2022, a hackathon will take place. It is a marathon in which young innovators will suggest their solutions to the challenges designed by three leading companies in the sector: MCZ, Edilkamin and La Nordica-Extraflame.

• Progetto Fuoco is scheduled from 23 to 26 February 2022 at Verona Fiere, where 800 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors are expected. It is the most important 2022 international event dedicated to the heating sector and wood fuels.

https://www.progettofuoco.com/