Pellet Sector Prepares for Colder Winter at Bioenergy Europe’s Working Group
With the weather starting to get colder in many parts of Europe and corresponding movements in the pellet markets, but also in the backdrop of the European Commission’s announcement of its intention to see the postponement of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one more year, Bioenergy Europe’s Working Group Pellets gathered to discuss demand, supply, trade, sustainability, certification and to elect a new chair to lead the group forward.
The first part of the meeting focused on market updates for the industrial and residential pellet markets. Rachael Levinson, Associate Director at Hawkins Wright, detailed latest updates in global and European wood pellet demand and supply dynamics, as well as the impact of US tariffs in certain supply regions, for industrial wood pellets. Manolis Karampinis, Business Development & Membership Director at Bioenergy Europe and General Manager of the European Pellet Council, presented the latest statistics and updates on the premium pellet market and pellet heating appliances. Expectations for a colder winter this year can stimulate production and demand. However, stable support schemes are needed to keep up appliances sales in key markets, while some attention needs to be directed to the supply side as well.
The second part of the meeting shifted attention to latest trends in pellet certification. Thomas Siegmund, General Manager of the SURE Verification Scheme GmbH, introduced new SURE system add-ons designed to reinforce regionality, resource efficiency, and greenhouse gas mitigation for domestic heating. Finally, Elena Dumitru, Certification Director at Bioenergy Europe, explained lessons learned from the world-leading fuel quality certification ENplus® scheme, which celebrates its 15-years of operation and continues to stand strong in a landscape growing increasingly more complex and competitive.
A highlight of the day was the election of James M. Tuohy, European Business Development Manager at Drax, as the new Chair of WG Pellets. James will work with Bioenergy Europe’s Secretariat in identifying priorities and topics for the WG Pellets, including the assessment and optimization of the environmental performance of pellet supply chains, the evaluation of new markets for pellets in Europe, and supporting data collection and monitoring of pellet market trends.
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