In 2019, a total of 363,000 tonnes of wood pellets were produced in Finland, down by 6% from the previous year. Imports of wood pellets into Finland reached a new record, while the export volume was the lowest in the history of the statistics, as the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) reported.
According to Esa Ylitalo, Senior Statistician at Luke, the increase of one fifth in the production of wood pellets during the past two years came to a stop in 2019.
In 2019, a total of 101,000 tonnes of wood pellets were imported into Finland, being more than ever before. Imports increased by nearly 6% from the previous year. Three fourths were imported from Russia and the rest mainly from the Baltic countries.
“Exports of wood pellets decreased by nearly one third from 2018 to 30,000 tonnes, being the lowest volume so far in the history of the statistics,” Ylitalo says.
“Some 70% of exports were directed at Denmark. The highest export volume was recorded in 2008 when 227,000 tonnes of wood pellets were exported, i.e. nearly eight times the volume exported in 2019.
The apparent consumption (production + imports – exports) of wood pellets in Finland amounted to 433,000 tonnes, being roughly at the level of the peak year of 2018.
Deliveries by pellet producers based on domestic pellet production – 333,000 tonnes – were at the 2018 level. The amount of wood pellets delivered to power and heating plants and large buildings increased by five per cent to 282,000 tonnes, while deliveries to small-scale housing and farms decreased by nearly one fifth to 51,000 tonnes.
