Mapping the Danish wood pellet market in 2020

On behalf of the Danish Energy Agency, Ea Energy Analyses has mapped the total supply of wood pellets to the Danish market in 2020. A similar study was carried out in 2016 (read about it here) and in 2018 (read about it here).

The study shows a clear decrease in wood pellet consumption compared to the study from 2018, both at the power plants, where it is probably a factor that the use of wood pellets to some degree has been replaced by wood chips, and outside the energy sector. The decrease with private consumers can probably partially be explained by the fact that the increase in installation of new wood pellet consuming units in previous years has been replaced by a stagnation, as well as the fact that the transition to other methods of heating, for instance heat pumps, is currently gaining momentum.

Methodology

The market survey information came from four studies:

• Questionnaire to Danish producers, importers and dealers of wood pellets
• Request for import information from a selection of Danish thermal plants and CHP plants using wood pellets
• Extract from the Danish Energy Producer Census (“Energiproducenttællingen”) for 2020
• Telephone interviews with industry actors.

The project ran from March to December 2021. The report (in Danish) can be downloaded on this page.