PELLETS By Adrian Pirraglia, Ronalds Gonzalez, Daniel Saloni and Jeff Wright
Wood Pellet Exports to Europe With Country of Origin and Destination
SEPTEMBER 26-29 ROCKFORD, IL
Speakers | Exhibits Networking | 3 Program Tracks
The competitive advantage of the Southern U.S. relies on shortened shipping times, as compared with many British Columbia, Canada, factories, whose travel route takes shipments through the Panama Canal. Opportunities are opened, as Italy, Belgium, and other emerging markets require larger and more frequent shipments, although countries such as Germany, Finland and Russia represent strong competition due to their proximity to the market.
heating properties per unit volume due to their low moisture content. Pellets burn cleaner, have reduced particulate emissions compared with coal, are more economical to transport due to increased bulk density and can be easily produced from wood waste and byproducts. This provides new ways to divert wood waste from reaching landfills as well as to increase overall profit through an integral and more efficient use of the raw material. Wood pellet applications vary from household heating to large-scale industrial power generation. It is important to emphasize that wood pellets are not a new product, they have been utilized for decades, but it is only now that the world is experiencing a large demand increase, and wood pellet potential is still underestimated.
Global Market During the past four years, the global wood pellets market has experienced a dramatic increase. Global production
went from almost 8 million tons per year1 in 2007 to more than 13 million tons in 2009, of which European countries consumed more than 8 million tons (2009). North America produced about 7 million tons in 2009, of which almost 5 million tons were intended for exports to Europe. Leading countries in the consumption of pellets in Europe are Sweden, Austria and Finland, while Germany, France and Italy are experiencing the largest market growth in both capacity and consumption of pellets. Russia is also increasing its production capacity and may become a key player for exports in the near future. In addition, countries such as Denmark, Belgium and Norway are experiencing the most significant increase of the region in pellet consumption. According to the European Biomass Association, it is expected that Europe will reach a consumption of 50 million tons per year by 2020 compared with 8 million tons per year in 2009. Regardless of increased production and
■
Best Practices & New Technology
■
Political Issues, Economic Resources & Public Policy
■
Applying & Implementing Bioenergy Technologies
Learn the latest advancements in the field. Make contacts to help you expand your knowledge and grow your business. Pursue turning bioenergy technology into opportunities on a local to global scale. Discover alternative energy resources in the Great Lakes region from special exhibits and tours.
Please Visit www.IBED2010.com ■ ■ ■
For general information Attendee registration Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities 6|2010 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 69