RISI and BTEC form partnership

By Lisa Gibson
Posted May 28, 2009, at 12:06 p.m. CST

A new partnership between RISI and the Biomass Thermal Energy Council will allow BTEC members to contribute to RISI's Wood Biomass Market Report, a comprehensive source of market information and wood biomass feedstock pricing in North America.

BTEC, which focuses on advancing the use of biomass for heat and other thermal energy applications, will form an advisory group of its members to help RISI, an information provider for the global forest products industry, determine what kind of issues should be addressed in the report. "We're not looking to assert any sort of change [in the biomass industry]," said William Perritt, executive editor of the publication. "The purpose of the group is simply to help us understand what the information needs are in the wood pellet and wood energy sectors. We're asking this group to tell us what they need; what they're looking for."

BTEC's inclusive membership base was an attractive element for the partnership, as it consists of both wood pellet and wood energy producers, Perritt said. "Inclusiveness is the key thing," he added. "And they're in a very positive growth mode right now."

BTEC members will also get a discount on the publication, which features monthly updates on North America and international biomass business development and capital investment, government incentives, regulations and policies, feedstock availability and sustainability, along with other factors affecting markets. "We see this as a good avenue to give responsiveness to the industry," he said of the partnership. "The more input the better."

Discussions on pricing and market trends are strictly banned in the group, Perritt said, as it violates anti-trust laws. "We will adhere to the spirit and letter of the law," he added.

"The partnership may grow in the future, but right now it's largely centered around this report and what BTEC can contribute to it," said Kyle Gibeault, BTEC program coordinator. The report grew from another RISI publication, the International Woodfiber Report, after the company saw an increase in wood biomass interest, Perritt said. The first issue of the Wood Biomass Market Report was published in September.

To subscribe to the Wood Biomass Market Report, visit www.risiinfo.com/woodbiomass.