Manufacturers are ready to give growth to the pellet industry

pellets

Luz Pardo, President of APROPELLETS, answers three questions:

How is the pellet industry today?

The pellet sector at European level has seen its growth has not been as expected. In the 2014-2018 period, more significant growth in pellet consumption was expected. This has been due, above all, to the warm winters and the fall in the prices of fossil fuels.

We have overcome it in the last 10 months, in which we return to compete well with gas and diesel. The current situation is that this year we are producing what is consumed nationally and the forecast is for growth for the 2018-2023 period.

Not only the consumption of pellets will grow at the domestic level, but also in the industry, since sectors such as the canning industry, for example, are investing a lot at the biomass level.

At European level, consumption will also grow a lot for the generation of energy. Three or four units will be opened in the United Kingdom and central Europe and it will almost double the consumption of pellets for electricity generation in the next four years.

With regard to the domestic level, consumption remains stable. We are growing at a rate of an annual 5% and Spanish manufacturers are more than prepared to assume the growth of consumption, since installed capacity, today in Spain, almost triples what is consumption. That is to say, we have wasted our factories.

 

Speaking of domestic consumption, do you think there is still a lack of knowledge among individuals?

We always say it. We speak with the authorities, Autonomous Communities, Ministry ... and, little by little, we know more, but there is still a lack of knowledge about what the pellet is and the real wealth generated by the use of this fuel in front of a fossil fuel such as diesel oil. The pellet industry is autochthonous, we are generating that green oil that we have in the bush. The jobs it generates are multiplied by more than 10. We are talking about 130 jobs linked to the manufacture of pellets, compared to nine in the fossil fuel industry. The pellet is a resource that we have there with a stable price and whose distribution is practically at the local level.

 

Reduction of emissions, generation of wealth, price ... are the main advantages?

Yes, we must not forget that it also helps to reduce forest fires with the cleaning of the forest. Most of the production plants are installed in the center and north of the Peninsula. In the end, there is an industry developed for years, in Galicia we have been making use for a long time and jobs are generated, which is why it is very important.

 

Source: www.madera-sostenible.com

Complete interview here