Pellet production in Finland falls, consumption remains flat

The National Resources Institute of Finland recently released data showing a total of 363,000 metric tons of wood pellets were produced in the country last year, down approximately 6 percent when compared to 2018.

Finland imported 101,000 metric tons of wood pellets in 2019, up nearly 6 percent from 2018 and a new record high. Approximately 75 percent of those imports came from Russia, with the balance mainly supplied by the Baltic countries.

Finland’s wood pellet exports, however, hit a record low of 30,000 metric tons, down about 30 percent when compared to 2018. The majority of pellet exports were shipped to Denmark.

According to the institute, Finland consumed approximately 433,000 metric tons of wood pellets in 2019, roughly flat with 2018. Domestic producers delivered approximately 282,000 metric tons of wood pellets to power and heating plants in 2019, up 5 percent from the previous year. Domestic deliveries to small-scale users, such as home and farms, fell to 51,000 metric tons, down approximately 20 percent.

Additional data is available on the Natural Resources Institute of Finland website.