The Wood Pellet Sector: Barriers to Growth and Opinions of Manufacturers in Poland

Biomass is a major source of renewable energy in the EU and Poland, stimulating the growth of the wood pellet sector. Wood pellet demand is stimulated by a complex interaction of market forces and policies including EU climate, energy, and environmental regulations, Poland’s program to improve air quality, and subsidies for the replacement of inefficient stoves used by households. This article focuses on the growth of the wood pellet industry, imports and exports in Poland, and wood pellet quality and use by households. The main issues faced by the EU wood pellet sector between 2013 and 2016 are further considered in the context of opinions of Polish wood pellet manufacturers. Industry opinions were collected in response to an open-ended question that probed for the main issues faced by wood pellet producers during the survey implemented by the authors in 2019. Respondents identified difficulties in obtaining raw material for pellet production and poor pellet quality as major problems. Although the majority did not feel concerned about competition from imported wood pellets, a small number of respondents viewed such competition as a problem reflecting the reversal of decreasing imports in 2017. Overall, the domestic wood pellet industry can be expected to grow because of increasing pressure to expand the use of renewable energy and will be driven by the household sector switching to more efficient, wood burning stoves. Additionally, the expanding area of private Polish forests may become a source of much-needed raw material for wood pellet manufacturing.

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Optimizing Quality of Wood Pellets Made of Hardwood Processing Residues

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10070607 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 607 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thiffault ◽

Barrette ◽

Blanchet ◽

Nguyen ◽

Adjalle

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Mechanical Strength ◽

Small Scale ◽

Pellet Quality ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Green Wood ◽

Wood Processing ◽

Pellet Production

Small-scale wood pellet producers often use a trial-and-error approach for determining adequate blending of available wood processing residues and pelletizing parameters. Developing general guidelines for optimizing wood pellet quality and meeting market standards would facilitate their market entry and profitability. Four types of hardwood residues, including green wood chips, dry shavings, and solid and engineered wood sawdust, were investigated to determine the optimum blends of feedstocks and pelletizing conditions to produce pellets with low friction force, high density and high mechanical strength. The feedstock properties reported in this study included particle size distribution, wood moisture content, bulk density, ash content, calorific values, hemicelluloses, lignin, cellulose, extractives, ash major and minor elements, and carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. All residues tested could potentially be used for wood pellet production. However, high concentrations of metals, such as aluminum, could restrict their use for accessing markets for high-quality pellets. Feedstock moisture content and composition (controlled by the proportions of the various residue sources within blends) were the most important parameters that determined pellet quality, with pelletizing process parameters having less overall influence. Residue blends with a moisture content of 9%–13.5% (dry basis), composed of 25%–50% of sawdust generated by sawing of wood pieces and a portion of green chips generated by trimming of green wood, when combined with a compressive force of 2000 N or more during pelletizing, provided optimum results in terms of minimizing friction and increasing pellet density and mechanical strength. Developing formal relationships between the type of process that generates residues, the properties of residues hence generated, and the quality of wood pellets can contribute to optimize pellet production methods.

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Short introspections regarding the sawdust briquetting as sustainable solution for the environment

Analecta Technica Szegedinensia ◽

10.14232/analecta.2014.2.72-79 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 72-79

Author(s):

Imre Kiss ◽

Vasile Alexa

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Power Plants ◽

Renewable Resource ◽

Raw Material ◽

Production Plant ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Pellet Production ◽

Power Stations

Wood pellets have only become an important part of this boom in the past few years. Owners of large coal-fired power stations in Europe started searching for a way to fulfill the new regulations and to find a solution for the declining economic relevance of traditional coal-fired power stations due to their high carbon dioxide emissions. The answer was to give the old dirty giants a green coat of paint by “co-firing” regular coal power plants with wood pellets. Wood pellets have similar burning qualities to traditional coal and the costs of converting boilers to burn wood pellets are low. The idea of declaring wood pellets as a carbon neutral energy source was based on the assumption that the released emissions of carbon dioxide during the burning process are neutralized by the carbon that is captured and stored in newly growing trees. The idea of using wood as a renewable source was backed by environment organizations. More recent pellet investment projects as well as facilities currently under construction show that the production of wood pellets is being outsourced by the energy firms to companies specialized in wood pellet production. These firms are 100-percent focused on sourcing the raw material, operating the wood pellet production plant and handling the logistics for transporting the renewable resource.

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THE POTENTIAL USE OF PELLETS MADE FROM WOOD BIOMASS: RENEWABLE ENERGY AS SUSTA INABLE DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0012.7742 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol XX (6) ◽

pp. 124-132

Author(s):

Anna Maria Klepacka

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Forest Cover ◽

P Value ◽

Production Volume ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Private Forests ◽

Pellet Production ◽

Potential Use ◽

The Eu

The paper’s purpose was the recognition of the use of pellets as a source of renewable energy in sustainable development concept. The scope of work covered pellet production volume and consumption in Poland as compared to the selected EU countries in 2011 and 2017. Moreover, the presentation tracks the changes in the number of pellet producers in Poland taking into account their spatial distribution across voivodships in 2018. To determine the potential of wood pellets as a renewable energy source, on the calculations of Pearson's correlation coefficient, confirmed a significant relationship between the volume of pellet production and forest cover (r = 0.94, p-value 0.002), and another relationship between the share of private forests and rural population (r = 0.59, p-value 0.017). The domestic and the EU wood pellet market is expected to continue to grow in the coming years due to the new targeted share of energy from renewable sources from 20% in 2020 to 32% in 2030. However, further expansion of use of wood pellets in individual EU country-members may be limited by their individual requirements of sustainable development.

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Mogućnosti povećanja obnovljivih izvora energije u Hrvatskoj, Sloveniji i Slovačkoj – drvni peleti

Drvna industrija ◽

10.5552/drvind.2020.2024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (4) ◽

pp. 395-402

Author(s):

Andreja Pirc Barčić ◽

Leon Oblak ◽

Ivana Perić ◽

Margarita Bego ◽

Branko Glavonjić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Heating System ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

The Eu

Energy from renewable sources is globally a very important issue. In order to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, many countries enact laws for enhancing the consumption of renewable energy sources. Sooner or later traditional non-renewable energy sources would have to be replaced with alternative energy sources that are already used in developed countries. According to the European Commission (2018), the EU is already a global leader in the sustainable use of natural resources within an efficient bio-economy. The wood pellet industry is becoming more important and the use of wood pellets is increasing as one of the most important contributors to the renewable energy goals of the EU. Wood pellet is an environmentally acceptable product and its production contributes to desirable rural development and sustainable approach to the management of timber resources. This paper focuses on the market of wood pellets used for heating, pinpointing differences in consumers point of view, and drafting the possibilities of future consumption enhancement. Results revealed a relatively low use of wood pellets in all the three surveyed markets. The highest share of consumers of wood pellets came from the areas with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Such households were mostly over 20 years old. The most important factors to decide to use such source of energy were space (required for the heating system) followed by price of wooden pellets.

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Penanaman Kaliandra Sebagai Kayu Energi dan Hijauan Makanan Ternak Pada Pertanaman Agroforestri Masyarakat Desa Gerbosari, Samigaluh Kulon Progo

Jurnal Pengabdian dan Pengembangan Masyarakat ◽

10.22146/jp2m.39216 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eko Prasetyo ◽

Wiyono Wiyono ◽

Puji Lestari ◽

Rochmat Hidayat ◽

Hidayat Nur Oktalina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Service ◽

Agroforestry System ◽

Raw Material ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Energy Wood ◽

Livestock Feed ◽

The People ◽

Grazing System ◽

Grazing Systems

The purposes of community service entitled "Kaliandra Planting as Energy Wood and Forage Livestock Feed on Agroforestry Crops Gerbosari Village Community Samigaluh Kulon Progo" are 1). To provide additional knowledge of Kaliandra (Calliandracallothyrsus) utilisation other than HMT that is as a raw material of energy source and 2). To practice the technique of Kaliandra planting on agroforestry system in Gerbosari Village. The way cattle developed in Dusun Keceme is "cut and carry system" or grazing system. Grazing systems make farmers provide land for HMT planting either in the form of grass or tree leaves. Public dissemination and discussion with the community resulted in an agreement that the program is not only Kaliandra planting, but the utilisation of Kaliandra as an energy wood and wood pellet introduction is needed by Keceme Hamlet community. Methods of implementation of community service are through 4 stages in one unity of scheme. The methods are 1) program dissemination, 2) counselling, 3) practice of using a wood pellet stove and 4) planting. The community service program can provide an initial understanding of the community of Keceme Hamlet about the benefits of Kaliandra as an alternative to renewable energy that is in the form of wood pellets. The technique of agroforestry cultivation of Kaliandra has long been practised by the people of Keceme Hamlet that is on the edge of the terrace of the land.

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Feedstock Security Analysis for Wood Pellet Production in Thailand

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13195126 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 5126

Author(s):

Piyarath Saosee ◽

Boonrod Sajjakulnukit ◽

Shabbir H. Gheewala

Keyword(s):

Security Analysis ◽

Shannon Index ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Tree Plantation ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Waste Wood ◽

Tree Wood ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Pellet Production ◽

Domestic Use

Thailand is one of the upcoming wood pellet exporters in the Southeast Asia region. Wood pellet production has been gradually increasing in Thailand; however, the recent trend is more rapid. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the feedstock security for wood pellet production in Thailand. The important issue of feedstock security analysis relates to availability and diversity of feedstock (Shannon index) to meet the increased demand for the wood pellets in the future. The results present that the feedstock supply (from waste wood and fast-growing tree wood) in Thailand is 5.32 million tonnes of wood pellets per year. However, increasing 25% of wood pellet export and 50% of wood pellet domestic use causes a deficit in fast-growing tree wood because para-rubber waste wood is not distributed uniformly in all regions of the country. The present diversity of feedstock supply is quite low (Shannon index 0.17). Increasing the fast-growing tree plantation area in the wastelands could help increase diversity. Recommendations on policy from this study focus on encouragement for the increase in domestic use of wood pellets, cultivation of fast-growing trees in wasteland and optimized logistics management.

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Industrial scale biofuel pellet production from blends of unbarked softwood and hardwood stems—the effects of raw material composition and moisture content on pellet quality

Fuel Processing Technology ◽

10.1016/j.fuproc.2011.11.024 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

pp. 73-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Torbjörn A. Lestander ◽

Michael Finell ◽

Robert Samuelsson ◽

Mehrdad Arshadi ◽

Mikael Thyrel

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Material Composition ◽

Raw Material ◽

Industrial Scale ◽

Pellet Quality ◽

Pellet Production

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Kajian Peningkatan Potensi Ekspor Pelet Kayu Indonesia sebagai Sumber Energi Biomassa yang Terbarukan

Jurnal Ilmu Kehutanan ◽

10.22146/jik.34125 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 99 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Victor Tulus Pangapoi Sidabutar

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

The United States ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Raw Material ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Fossil Energy ◽

Renewable Biomass ◽

World Today

Dunia saat ini mulai beralih dari menggunakan batu bara ke sumber energi yang terbarukan. Salah satunya adalah pelet kayu demi mengurangi emisi gas rumah kaca dan meningkatkan penggunaan energi terbarukan pengganti energi fosil. Produsen utama pelet kayu di dunia saat ini adalah Amerika Serikat sedangkan untuk wilayah ASEAN adalah Vietnam. Di ASEAN, potensi Indonesia tidak kalah dari Vietnam. Indonesia unggul dalam jumlah luas hutan tanam dan pertanian yang lebih luas dibandingkan Vietnam. Selain itu, keragaman hayati tumbuhan yang ada dapat dijadikan sumber bahan baku pelet kayu yang unik dibandingkan pesaing lainnya. Legalisasi dan regulasi untuk keberlangsungan bahan baku merupakan persyaratan utama untuk memasuki pasar Eropa. Pemerintah Indonesia memberikan dukungan penuh dengan semakin mudahnya perijinan terkait legalisasi dan keberlangsungan bahan baku kayu. Study of Increasing the Export Potential of Indonesia Wood Pellets as a Source of the Renewable Biomass Energy SourceAbstractThe world today is beginning to switch from using coal into renewable energy sources. One of them is wood pellets in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy substitute for fossil energy. The major manufacturer of wood pellets in the world today is the United States, while for the ASEAN region is Vietnam. In ASEAN, Indonesia’s potential is not less than Vietnam. Indonesia superior in numbers of forests and agricultural crops compare to Vietnam. In addition, the existing plant biodiversity that can be used as a source of raw material for wood pellets are unique compared to other competitors. Legalization and regulation in terms of the sustainability of raw materials is a key requirement to enter the European market. The Indonesian government gave full support to the more easily permits related legalization and sustainability of wood raw material.

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Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Bioenergy Production from Different Wood Pellet Supply Chains

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11111127 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1127 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrea Sgarbossa ◽

Martina Boschiero ◽

Francesca Pierobon ◽

Raffaele Cavalli ◽

Michela Zanetti

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Forest Tree ◽

Wood Pellets ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

Reference Case ◽

Toxicity Potential ◽

The Eu

The EU is one of the largest producers and consumers of wood pellets in the world, covering around 36% of the global wood pellet production and around 50% of the global consumption in 2018. The EU wood pellet consumption is expected to further increase in response to the ambitious energy and climate goals for 2030. Currently, wood pellets are mainly produced from sawdust and other sawmill residues; however, other types of forest feedstock are being investigated in order to meet the increasing wood pellet demand and move toward greater energy independence. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the environmental impact of different wood pellet supply chains. A comparative cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment is performed considering the following wood feedstock systems: (i) sawdust from sawmill (S1), (ii) roundwood logs (S2), (iii) whole trees from forest thinning operation (S3), and (iv) logging residues produced during forest tree harvesting (S4). The study focuses on Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP), and Human Toxicity Potential (HTP). Results show that S3 displays the lowest figures on all the environmental impact categories considered in this study. Compared to the reference case S1, S3 shows a GWP reduction of 46%, an ODP reduction of 6.6%, a POCP reduction of 14.8%, and HTP reduction of 13.2%. S3 and S4 have lower GWP than S1 and S2, even when the biogenic CO2 emissions are considered. Overall, the life cycle phases that have the highest GWP, POCP, and HTP are the burning phase and the preparation of the material to be pelletized, particularly the drying process. Nevertheless, the main phases that contribute to the ODP are the forest operations and the pellet preparation.

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How clean is your ‘clean’ energy? The ENVIRO module for energy system models

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16017 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas Martin ◽

Cristina Madrid-López ◽

Laura Talens-Peiró ◽

Bryn Pickering

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Energy Systems ◽

Energy System ◽

Raw Material ◽

Energy System Model ◽

Multi Scale ◽

Renewable Energy System ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Eu

A decarbonized, renewable energy system is generally assumed to represent a cleaner and more sustainable one. However, while they do promise day-to-day reductions in carbon emissions, many other environmental impacts could occur, and these are often overlooked. Indeed, in the two documents that form the EU Energy Union Strategy (COM/2015/080) the words &#8216;water&#8217;, &#8216;biodiversity&#8217; or &#8216;raw materials&#8217; do not appear. This &#8216;tunnel vision&#8217; is often also adopted in current energy systems models, which do not generally provide a detailed analysis of all of the environmental impacts that accompany different energy scenarios. Ignoring the trade-offs between energy systems and other resources can result in misleading information and misguided policy making.The environmental assessment module ENVIRO combines the bottom up, high resolution capabilities of life cycle assessment (LCA) with the hierarchical multi-scale upscaling capabilities of the Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Socioecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach in an effort to address this gap. ENVIRO also takes the systemic trade-offs associated with the water-energy-food-(land-climate-etc.) nexus from MuSIASEM while considering the supply chain perspective of LCA. The module contains a built-in set of indicators that serve to assess the constraints that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution, water use and raw material demands pose to renewable energy system scenarios. It can be used to assess the coherence between energy decarbonization targets and water or raw material targets; this can be extended to potentially any economic or political target that has a biophysical component.In this work, we introduce the semantics and formalization aspects of ENVIRO, its integration with the energy system model Calliope, and the results of a first testing of the module in the assessment of decarbonization scenarios for the EU. The work is part of the research developed in the H2020 Project SENTINEL: Sustainable Energy Transition Laboratory (contract 837089).

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