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          EU Expects To See Rise In                                                                           Pngtree

          Wood Pellet Production And

          Consumption




          Wood pellet consumption in the European Union fell by 1.2
          percent last year despite increased production. EU wood
          pellet demand and production are both expected to increase
          in 2024, according to Global Wood Trade Network.
            Last year, EU wood pellet consumption fell by 1.2 percent
          to 24.5 million metric tons (MMT), the first reduction since
          2015, according to a report produced by the US Department
          of Agriculture.

            This drop was caused by a mild winter and a reduced
          demand from the commercial power sector. Current low prices,                                        Shutterstock
          combined with government incentives, are forecast to support
          the popularity of biomass for residential heating in 2024.
            Demand for pellets by the industrial power sector is
          anticipated to remain stagnant this year. As EU pellet production
          is not keeping up with the growing demand, EU imports

          into  the  US  are  projected  to  partially  recover  from  the  dip
          reported in 2023.
            A potential trade barrier is the EU Deforestation-free Supply
          Chain Regulation (EUDR), added the report.
            The document states that 20.8 million metric tons of wood
          pellets were produced in 2023, which is up from 20.3 million   Bioenergy Europe shows, according to the German Pellets
          metric tons in 2022 and 19.361 million metric tons in 2021.  Institute (DEPI).
            It forecast production to increase to 21.2 million metric tons   According to the report, 3.7 million tonnes of the climate-
          this year. The report expects total EU wood pellet production   friendly fuel left German plants last year, almost exclusively

          capacity to be 27.5 million metric tons per year for 2024, a   in the highest quality grade ENplus A1. Although 48.8 million
          rise of 300,000 from the preceding year.           tonnes were produced worldwide, only 13.7 million tonnes of
                                                             these were certified.
          Germany remains top producer of premium pellets       Germany consumed fewer pellets than it produced. It is
          Around 27 percent of the premium pellets certified worldwide   therefore still a net exporter. “Germany is a forest country and
          in 2023 were produced in Germany. This is according to the   therefore also a pellet country. We have a steady increase in
          German Pellet Institute.                           wood,” explains DEPI Managing Director Martin Bentele. It is

            German manufacturers lead by far in the production of   obvious that the residues from the sawmill industry would be
          premium pellets, as the annual Pellet Report published by   used for climate-friendly wood heat.
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