Pellet production in Sweden increased by 4.6 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. Production was pegged at 1 738 580 tonnes, an increase of around 76 000 tonnes according to an annual survey of Swedish pellet producers conducted by the Swedish trade publication, Tidningen Bioenergi.
The results of the survey, which is based on 63 pellet production plants in Sweden, has been published in the most recent edition of Tidningen Bioenergi (2-2017), a Swedish language trade publication. Pellet production in Sweden in 2016 was pegged at 1 738 580 tonnes, which corresponds to 8.3 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy. One tonne of pellets contains about 4 800 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy.
Pellet consumption on the Swedish market 2016 increased marginally, by 0.4 percent, or approximately 6 500 tonnes. A total of 1 778 241 tonnes of pellets were used in Sweden, which corresponds to over 8.5 TWh of energy.
Pellet imports dropped 24 percent or around 87 000 tonnes compared to 2015 whereas pellet exports decreased by 7 percent or around 17 000 tonnes in 2016.
– Pellet production in Sweden increased for the fourth consecutive year, and pellet demand on the Swedish market stabilized in 2016 after a few years of falling demand, said Anders Haaker, Editor-in-Chief for Tidningen Bioenergi.
The pellet plants that increased production the most in 2016 were Uddevalla Energi and Härjeåns Energi whereas Helsinge Energi shuttered its plant in Edsbyn during 2016. By-products from sawmills and wood processing industries are the main raw materials used though other feedstock can also be used.
