Pellet consumption in Spain increased in 2021

The Spanish Biomass Association, AVEBIOM , has just published its new statistical report on the wood pellet market . This report includes data on wood pellet production and consumption at both the national level and by autonomous community. It also contains statistics on the evolution of the ENplus® certification system in Spain.

In 2021, factory productivity increased, coinciding with a decrease in the number of registered plants compared to the previous year, falling from 85 to 75 operational facilities, and now back up to 76 this year . Generally, the plants that have closed are very small or had already been inactive for some time, so these closures have barely affected production figures. Conversely, several companies have made improvements in recent months to increase capacity, hence the overall increase.

The energy crisis that began in 2020 appears to be taking hold, and many citizens and businesses across the EU have embraced the technological shift in recent months. Thus, in parallel with the record 40% increase in stove and boiler installations in Spain during 2021, pellet consumption also rose by 13.5% . In the EU as a whole, according to Bioenergy Eur , consumption increased by 18% in 2021.

In 2022, consumption is expected to grow again, reaching approximately 865,000 tons . Domestic manufacturers have made a significant effort this challenging year, increasing production and prioritizing service to Spanish customers; consequently, we see the production curve once again approaching the quantities needed by pellet equipment users in the country.

Most of the national production is already ENplus certified, capturing 87% of the market; virtually all major plants produce under this quality scheme, and new distributors are added every year, improving the consistency of a quality supply for consumers. Between 2020 and December 2022, two new plants and nine suppliers were certified, bringing the total number of certificates issued in Spain to 100.

Although the statistical report does not analyze prices, Pablo Rodero, head of certification at AVEBIOM and current president of the European Pellet Council Eur EPC) , points out that “despite the significant increase in pellet prices this year, their energy cost (€/kWh) has always remained lower than that of any fossil fuel or electricity. In Eur , a downward trend in pellet and wood chip prices is already evident, and this should soon begin to be felt in Spain as well.”

In fact, since October the price curve for pellets for domestic use has begun to smooth out and the average price of a 15 kg bag at the end of November was €7.79 , although it is possible to find it at lower prices.

The statistics in this report were compiled using data specifically collected by AVEBIOM between June and August 2022 for the report itself and the biofuels map published in our magazine, Biomasa News. This data also forms part of the annual statistical report produced by Bioenergy Eur, the eurbioenergy association, which was published in November 2022.