Belarus and Brexit at Nordic Pellets Conference

The EU-28 produced almost 18 million tonnes of pellets in 2019, the lion’s share of which was consumed for space heating – residential and commercial using residential boilers and stoves or via district heating from heat and/or combined heat and power (CHP) plants. For example, Italy’s 3.1 million tonnes or so of demand is almost entirely destined for pellet stoves.

Pellets in a post-Brexit UK

In contrast, the UK, by far the single largest pellet consumer with around 9.2 million tonnes or so, the volume is driven by the power sector. Nonetheless, around 700 000 tonnes are used in the UK residential and commercial heating sectors, a figure that trade bodies behind the Biomass Heat Works! campaign are working hard to increase. Incentive schemes such as the domestic and non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), and the more recent Heat Networks Investment Projects scheme open opportunities for the pellets value chain. Hear from Mark Lebus, Director LC Energy and Chairman of the UK Pellet Council what opportunities and challenges lie ahead for pellet value chain stakeholders in a post-Brexit UK.

Alexander Bashliy, Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (photo courtesy BUCE). Mark Lebus, Director LC Energy and Chairman of the UK Pellet Council (photo courtesy UKPC).

Belarus eyes Europe

The UK, like Italy and several other EU-27 member states, is a net importer of pellets. Indeed, EU-28 consumption in 2019 was around 27.5 million tonnes. Belarus on the other hand sees itself becoming an exporter of pellets to Europe, part of an overall bid to modernise its forestry and forest industry sector. In 2020, there were 21 pellet plants operational of which six had ENplus certified production. Leaving aside the current electoral and ice-hockey controversy, Alexander Bashliy, Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange will give an insight into where the industry is at and what the plans are moving forward.

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