The export of wood pellets from North America to Europe reached a record level of 600,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2011. The total for the year as a whole was 2 million tonnes, almost three times the 2008 figure, the Port of Rotterdam Authority news release said.
When exports began twelve years ago, they came mainly from British Columbia. Gradually, the southern United States have reached the same level. Six export plants are now operating there and a further four submitted trial shipments in the past six months. Exports from Nova Scotia, in eastern Canada, are stagnating due to the recent closure of a factory. This will probably reopen later this year, so exports should increase again. A small rise in the volumes from both the US and Canada is expected in 2012, and a sharp increase in 2013 due to the opening of new factories. In Europe, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK are the biggest importers. Sharpest growth is in the UK.
Rotterdam
Due to a fire in an RWE biomass power plant in the UK, quite large quantities of biomass were diverted to the continent for (temporary) storage in past months. The power plant is expected to be fully operational again at the start of August. The situation will normalise in the course of the year.
In 2011, around 800,000 tonnes of biomass was transported to Rotterdam, with most of it, 600,000 tonnes, coming from North America. The rest came from Scandinavia and Russia. The UK is a strong growth market, with the British government poised to establish an incentive regime for the use of biomass. The energy sector in the Netherlands fires about 10% biomass in coal-fired power plants. A new policy for the use of biomass in power plants still needs to be established in the Netherlands.
The import of biomass to North-western Europe is expected to continue to grow significantly during the next decade. The Port Authority believes that biomass handling in the port of Rotterdam will increase to 8 million tonnes in 2020.