In 2024, primary energy consumption from solid biomass in the EU-27 stood at 94.8 Mtoe, a decrease of 0.6 percent compared with 2023, according to the latest figures from EurObserv'ER.
According to the report “Solid Biofuels Barometer 2025“, this decline, far more moderate than those observed in 2022 and 2023, confirms that consumption is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels after the severe disruptions caused by the energy crisis and the exceptional peak of 104.8 Mtoe recorded in 2021.
Exceptionally mild weather, which significantly reduced heating demand across Europe, together with the easing of energy market tensions following the sharp rise in gas and wood pellet prices at the end of 2022, also contributed to the downturn in solid biomass energy consumption in 2024.
Electricity generation from solid biomass appears to have entered a phase of near stabilisation, reaching 78.1 TWh in 2024, a year-on-year decline limited to just 0.9 percent, after a much steeper fall between 2022 and 2023.
National trends remain highly uneven. Germany, with 10.1 TWh, remains the EU’s leading producer despite a slight contraction, while Sweden and Finland recorded substantial declines of 13.8 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively.
By contrast, output increased sharply in France (+11.8 percent), Denmark (+17.3 percent), and Italy (+20.4 percent), driven by the restart of facilities or the ramp-up of capacity at several biomass power plants.
Total solid biomass heat consumption, including both heat produced by the energy transformation sector and heat directly used by final consumers, is expected to reach around 77.3 Mtoe in 2024, representing a moderate 1 percent decrease from the 78.1 Mtoe recorded in 2023.
