EU’s Renewable Goals Driving Wood Pellet Growth
By: Robert Crowe
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
North America’s wood pellet producers doubled exports to Europe between 2008 and 2010 as biomass played a larger role in meeting renewable energy goals.
This year will likely see even more growth as utilities increasingly look at wood pellet alternatives as coal prices are expected to increase even more following the Japanese earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis.
The EU’s wood pellet demand increased 7% in 2010 to about 11 million tons. Europe imported about $250 million worth of pellets from the U.S., Australia and Vietnam in 2009.
The North American Wood Fiber Review reported that the United States and Canada shipped a combined 1.6 million tons of pellets to the European Union in 2010. Exports are expected to increase this year as many countries look to biomass power since the EU mandated 20 percent of energy consumption must come from renewable resources by 2020.
