Europe Wood Pellet Market Size
| Study Period | 2019 - 2029 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2023 |
| Market Size (2024) | USD 15.65 Billion |
| Market Size (2029) | USD 19.55 Billion |
| CAGR (2024 - 2029) | 4.55 % |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Europe Wood Pellet Market Analysis
The Europe Wood Pellet Market size is estimated at USD 15.65 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 19.55 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.55% during the forecast period (2024-2029).
- Over the medium period, the increasing demand for wood pellets in clean energy generation and heat-supply applications will likely drive the European wood pellets market.
- On the other hand, the increasing competition from alternative clean energy sources and the ending of supportive government schemes for wood pellets will likely hinder market growth during the forecast period.
- Nevertheless, the emerging applications and advancements in wood pellet technology are expected to boost the market’s growth in the future.
- The United Kingdom is expected to dominate the European wood pellet market due to the increasing adoption of wood pellets for various applications.
Europe Wood Pellet Market Trends
The Heating Application Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market
- Wood pellets for heating applications are primarily used in residential and commercial sectors for food, cooking and grilling, and supplying heat to homes. These wood pellets, along with connected pipes, boilers, and heating radiators, are used to build heating systems at home. For heating proposes, several systems using wood pellets include pellet central heating boilers, pellet stoves, and pellet central heating stoves.
- The heating application segment of the European wood pellet market is expected to generate significant demand due to the rising consumption of wood pellets, especially in Germany and France. Europe is the largest global wood pallet market. In 2022, the region’s total wood pallet consumption accounted for 24.8 million metric tons (MMT). According to the European Commission’s (EC) mandates and incentives by EU Member States (MS), demand was expected to further expand to 25.6 MMT in 2023.
- The increasing demand for wood pellets for residential heating purposes is expected to fuel the market's growth in the future. Residential uses include domestic stoves and dedicated heat boilers with a capacity below 50 kW. Small-to-medium-scale commercial use with more than 50 kW capacity includes heat boilers used in residential and public buildings.
- Wood pellets can be used as a home heating fuel in biomass boilers or special pellet-burning stoves. Pellet stoves are better than traditional open-wood fireplaces as they burn cleaner with less smoke and soot. As the wood pellets are highly dense and contain low moisture content (lower than 10%), the pellets can burn in the stove at a very high combustion temperature with improved efficiency and much lower ash content (less than 2%) than conventional firewood.
- Using wood pellets for heating is an alternative method of reducing electricity bills. Consumers in Europe are looking for alternative ways to heat their homes following higher fuel bills.
- According to the Stove Industry Alliance, wood logs are the cheapest domestic heating fuel, costing households 74% less per kWh than electric heating and 21% less than gas heating. Such benefits of wood pellets are expected to increase their demand in heating applications during the forecast period.
- Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, and Sweden are the major countries that use wood pellets for heating purposes. According to the EPC Survey 2023, Germany used the highest amount of wood pellets for heating purposes in 2022, which accounted for 3.2 million tons.
- In Germany and Italy, more than 70% of heat generation from wood pellets was used for residential heating, while in Denmark and Sweden, pellets were used mostly for CHP heat. The climate plays an important role in the consumption of wood pellets. As the climate of European countries is expected to have colder seasons in the future, the use of pellets for heating purposes is expected to increase during the forecast period.
- Therefore, the heating application segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.
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The United Kingdom is Expected to Dominate the Market
- The United Kingdom uses pellets in numerous applications, such as residential heating, power plants, commercial heating, and combined heat and power plants. Pellets have also made their way into coal conversion projects in local authority buildings and public administration buildings such as schools and offices.
- As of 2024, most of the co-firing power stations have either closed or converted, with several shifting toward using 100% wood pellets for fuel. The largest of these is Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. It has converted four of its six 65 MWe generating units to run exclusively on wood pellets.
- The Drax power plant is the country’s largest, producing around 5% of the United Kingdom’s total electricity in 2023. It is also the world’s largest biomass-fired power station, taking in around 6.5 million metric tons (MT) of pellets each year and making up the vast majority of the country’s annual pellet imports. The company also has 17 pellet plants located in the United States and Canada, which supply raw materials to its power station.
- However, according to the UK government, the country imported 6 million metric tons of wood pellets in 2023, compared to 7.52 million metric tons in 2022 and 9.13 million tons in 2021.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the country's wood pellet production was about 326 thousand metric tons in 2022. The production of wood pellets witnessed significant growth of about 7.2% compared to the previous year.
- In December 2023, the UK government announced its plans to extend the CfD program to support bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as the country set out its plan to develop a competitive market in Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) by 2035. The plan is expected to boost the UK economy by EUR 5 billion a year by 2050 and make the country a pioneer in this technology.
- Drax receives hundreds of millions of pounds in annual subsidies to fund its operations. In 2027, the UK government plans to end its support for burning unabated biomass to generate electricity.
- To prevent subsidy closure after 2027, Drax is looking to secure a new long-term subsidy for its wood-burning operation. The company aims to achieve this through its planned Bioenergy with Carbon Capture (BECCS) project. This project initially proposed adding carbon capture storage (CCS) to half of its existing capacity, which the company claims will generate eight metric tons of negative emissions yearly. The aim is to add CCS to its full capacity.
- In January 2024, following the extension of the CfD program, the UK government approved Drax’s plans to install carbon capture technology at Drax Power Station. The Power Station will be allowed to install the technology in two of its four biomass units, which burn wood pellets to produce electricity.
- Hence, owing to such developments, the United Kingdom is expected to dominate the European wood pellets market during the forecast period.
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Europe Wood Pellet Industry Overview
The European wood pellets market is semi-consolidated. Some of the key players in the market include Stora Enso Oyj, Enviva Partners LP, AS Graanul Invest, Drax Group PLC, and Segezha Group PJSC.
Europe Wood Pellet Market Leaders
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Stora Enso Oyj
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Enviva Partners LP
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AS Graanul Invest
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Segezha Group PJSC
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Drax Group PLC
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Europe Wood Pellet Market News
- February 2024: Graanul Invest announced the launch of the premium pellet brand, g Graanul, which is expected to provide Baltic customers with an affordable, high-quality renewable energy solution. This launch is an initiative taken by the company to broaden its network and presence in the Baltic region.
- October 2023: The French government announced its plans to convert two coal-fired power plants to biomass by 2027. The study showed that the potential demand for pellet fuel is significant at the two French power generating stations with a combined capacity of 1.8 GW. The two plants, namely the 1.2 GW Cordemais and 600 MW Emile Hutchet plant in Saint Avold, were initially set to close by 2022. However, the energy crisis instigated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the shutdown of nuclear reactors in France led to a delay.
Europe Wood Pellets Market Report - Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Scope of the Study
- 1.2 Market Definition
- 1.3 Study Assumptions
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4. MARKET OVERVIEW
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.2 Market Size and Demand Forecast, till 2029
- 4.3 Recent Trends and Developments
- 4.4 Government Policies and Regulations
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4.5 Market Dynamics
- 4.5.1 Drivers
- 4.5.1.1 Increasing Demand for Wood Pellets in Clean Energy Generation
- 4.5.1.2 Heat-supply Applications
- 4.5.2 Restraints
- 4.5.2.1 Increasing Competition from Alternative Clean Energy Sources and Ending of Supportive Government Schemes for Wood Pellets
- 4.6 Supply Chain Analysis
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4.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
- 4.7.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
- 4.7.2 Bargaining Power of Consumers
- 4.7.3 Threat of New Entrants
- 4.7.4 Threat of Substitute Products and Services
- 4.7.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
5. MARKET SEGMENTATION
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5.1 Application
- 5.1.1 Heating
- 5.1.2 Power Generation
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5.2 Geography
- 5.2.1 Germany
- 5.2.2 United Kingdom
- 5.2.3 France
- 5.2.4 Netherlands
- 5.2.5 Belgium
- 5.2.6 Spain
- 5.2.7 Russia
- 5.2.8 Rest of Europe
6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
- 6.1 Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Collaborations, and Agreements
- 6.2 Strategies Adopted by Leading Players
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6.3 Company Profiles
- 6.3.1 Stora Enso Oyj
- 6.3.2 Enviva Partners LP
- 6.3.3 AS Graanul Invest
- 6.3.4 Drax Group PLC
- 6.3.5 Segezha Group PJSC
- 6.3.6 Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA
- 6.3.7 German Pellets GmbH
- 6.3.8 Pure Biofuel Ltd
- 6.3.9 Pfeifer Group
- 6.3.10 Erdenwerk Gregor Ziegler GmbH
- *List Not Exhaustive
- 6.4 Market Ranking Analysis
7. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS
- 7.1 Emerging Applications and Advancements in the Wood Pellet Technology
**Subject to Availability
Europe Wood Pellet Industry Segmentation
Wood pellets are renewable fuels manufactured from compressed sawdust or wood chips. They can be used to heat houses and businesses as a biomass fuel. Wood pellets can be made from forest residues and low-quality logs that can be handled as rubbish.
The European wood pellet market is segmented by application and geography. By application, the market is segmented into heating and power generation. The report also covers the market size and forecasts across major countries. For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done based on revenue (USD).
| Application | Heating |
| Power Generation | |
| Geography | Germany |
| United Kingdom | |
| France | |
| Netherlands | |
| Belgium | |
| Spain | |
| Russia | |
| Rest of Europe |
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Europe Wood Pellets Market Research FAQs
How big is the Europe Wood Pellet Market?
The Europe Wood Pellet Market size is expected to reach USD 15.65 billion in 2024 and grow at a CAGR of 4.55% to reach USD 19.55 billion by 2029.
What is the current Europe Wood Pellet Market size?
In 2024, the Europe Wood Pellet Market size is expected to reach USD 15.65 billion.
Who are the key players in Europe Wood Pellet Market?
Stora Enso Oyj, Enviva Partners LP, AS Graanul Invest, Segezha Group PJSC and Drax Group PLC are the major companies operating in the Europe Wood Pellet Market.
What years does this Europe Wood Pellet Market cover, and what was the market size in 2023?
In 2023, the Europe Wood Pellet Market size was estimated at USD 14.94 billion. The report covers the Europe Wood Pellet Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the Europe Wood Pellet Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Europe Wood Pellets Industry Report
Statistics for the 2024 Europe Wood Pellets market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Europe Wood Pellets analysis includes a market forecast outlook 2029 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
Europe Wood Pellets Market Report Snapshots
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