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Wood in energy generation 2016

Published 26.5.2017
  • In 2016, heating and power plants consumed a total of 19.5 million solid cubic metres (37.4 terawatt-hours) of solid wood fuels, representing an increase of 1.1 million cubic metres or 6% compared to the previous year, the highest on record so far.
  • The main solid wood fuel used by the plants was forest chips, the consumption of which increased by one per cent year-on-year to 7.4 million cubic metres. The use of forest chips amounted to 4.5 million cubic metres in the combined heat and power production (–6% year-on-year) and to 2.9 million cubic metres in the generation of heat (+15%). Together with the forest chips burned in small-scale housing (0.7 million cubic metres), the total consumption of forest chips reached 8.1 million cubic metres (+1% year-on-year).
  • More than half, or 3.9 million cubic metres, of the forest chips consumed by the plants were manufactured from small-sized trees (mainly pruned small-diameter stems and unpruned small-sized trees). The second most common source, 2.5 million cubic metres, was logging residues. The use of stumps as raw material for forest chips came to 0.8 million cubic metres, and that of large-sized timber, unusable for manufacturing forest industry products, 0.3 million cubic metres.
  • Plants consumed 8% more forest industry by-products and wood residues than in the previous year, a total of 11.0 million cubic metres. The main material used in burning was bark, accounting for almost 70%, or 7.4 million cubic metres, of by-product wood.
  • The use of nearly all types of solid wood fuels increased from the previous year. Proportionally, the greatest increase was seen in the consumption of wood pellets and briquettes (+41%), and recycled wood (+29%).
  • The consumption of solid wood fuels was highest in the Central Finland region, while most forest chips were burned in Uusimaa and most forest industry by-products and wood residues in South Karelia.

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