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Pellets could replace much (more) of Europe’s fossil gas delegates told

Pellets could replace much (more) of Europe’s fossil gas delegates told
First-day speakers (and joint statement signatories) from the first day of the 2023 Nordic Pellets Conference included Johanna Lindén (top left), Petrobio; Kjell Andersson, Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio); Bharadwaj Kummamuru, World Bioenergy Association (WBA), and Manfred Lagleder, STELA Laxhuber. Gustav Melin (bottom left), Svebio; Andreas Schultz, Amandus Kahl; Marius Hachenberg, Enviva; Manolis Karampinis, Bioenergy Europe, and Magnus Kylberg, Swedish Pellets Association (PelletsFörbundet).

Pellets are a sustainable renewable energy source that should be seen as a major tool in weaning off the European Union's (EU) dependence on Russian gas, delegates at the ongoing Nordic Pellets Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, were told.

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Some 120 participants converged in downtown Gothenburg for the first day of the two-day annual Nordic Pellets Conference which included site visits to a pellet-fired local heating plant and an industrial laundry that converted from fossil fuel to using pellets.

Summing up the sentiment in a joint statement, speakers said that they “are critical that pellets and other biomass fuels have not been fully recognized in EU strategies, like REPowerEU.”

The total global production and use of pellets for energy purposes, is now at around 200 TWh per annum mark, with strong year-on-year growth. The use of pellets in the EU is compliant with recently adopted and implemented sustainability criteria, guaranteeing high environmental standards.

Delegates had the option to visit a modern pellet-fired local heat plant.

In addition, most pellets used in residential and commercial space heating are also ENPlus certified. The potential for increased production is large both in Europe and other parts of the world.

The feedstock is primarily residues from forestry, forest industry, and agriculture while modern pellet combustion has very low emissions of particles, close to zero.

This is true both for small and large combustion installations.

Delegates heard that pellets can play a major role in reaching ambitious climate and energy targets in the EU. In fact, much of the current use of fossil gas can be converted to pellets, both in residential heating and in industry.

Opening of the well-attended Nordic Pellets Conference 2023 with Gustav Melin (left) Svebio, and Magnus Kylberg, Swedish Pellets Association.

With a stronger focus and climate ambition, an increase in the use of pellets can be achieved short term in just a few years.

The industry is ready for a major upscaling. Increased use of pellets will reduce the EU’s dependency on imported Russian gas and oil.

As most of the biomass, currently, 95 percent, used for bioenergy is produced domestically in the EU, this will lead to improved self-reliance and create jobs and economic development, not least in rural regions.

In the statement, the signatories propose the following:

  • Use of modern pellet boilers and stoves for reliable renewable residential heating substituting heating based on fossil gas, heating oil, and coal.
  • Use pellets for peak load heating in district heating, and for small heat plants supplying heat grids in villages, towns, and energy communities.
  • Replace current fossil energy used by industry with modern pellet steam and hot oil production systems. Applications have been demonstrated for the food industry as well as for laundries, asphalt preparation, greenhouses, and many other applications.
  • Encourage large-scale heat and power plants to substitute coal, oil, and fossil gas, with pellets or woodchips and combine bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to create negative emissions.

With such actions, the “whole European Union will get more secure and cheaper renewable energy, and thousands of new jobs can be created in our industry, and in rural areas where we source and produce sustainable biomass fuels.”

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