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Wood in energy generation 2020

Published 27.5.2021
  • In 2020, heating and power plants consumed a total of 19.3 million solid cubic metres (37.4 terawatt-hours) of solid wood fuels. This volume decreased by 6% from 2019, especially due to the warm winter.
  • Heat and power plants consumed a total of 7.6 million solid cubic metres of forest chips, the same amount as in 2019. The consumption of forest chips in the combined production of heat and power was 4.6 million cubic metres, down by 2% from the previous year. However, in heat production alone, consumption increased by 5% to 3.0 million cubic metres. Combined with forest chips burnt in small-scale housing (0.6 million cubic metres), total consumption of forest chips reached 8.2 million cubic metres.
  • The use of small-sized trees as raw material for forest chips increased by nearly 10% from the previous year to 4.3 million cubic metres. The volume of chips manufactured from logging residues decreased by 14% from the previous year to 2.5 million cubic metres. The volume of stumps crushed for burning was 0.3 million cubic metres, down by 17% from the previous year. The energy consumption of large-sized trees, unusable for the forest-based industries’ raw material, increased by one third from the previous year, totalling 0.5 million solid cubic metres.
  • A total of 10.4 million cubic metres of forest industry by-products and wood residues were burned in energy generation, 11% less than in 2019. This was affected by decreases in forest industry production and the consumption of roundwood in 2020.
  • Bark accounted for the majority (6.8 million solid cubic metres) of forest industry by-products and wood residues, showing a decrease of 14% from the previous year. The consumption of various types of sawdust decreased by 9% to 2.2 million solid cubic metres.  A total of 1.3 million solid cubic metres of industrial chips were consumed in energy generation, up by 12% from 2019.
  • The consumption of recycled wood amounted to 1.0 million solid cubic metres, showing a decrease of 3% from the year before. A total of 0.2 million solid cubic metres of wood pellets were consumed as energy, with the volume decreasing by 6% from the previous year.
  • Based on calculations, the consumption of imported chips at heat and power plants totalled 1.8 million solid cubic metres, up by 13% from the previous year. Imported chips accounted for 24% of total forest chips.
  • Solid wood fuels were consumed the most in the region of South Karelia (1.8 million cubic metres). The consumption of forest chips was the highest in the region of Uusimaa (1.0 million cubic metres). The most forest industry by-products and wood residues were consumed as energy in the region of South Karelia (1.6 million cubic metres).

Statistics for 2020 have been updated on 9th November 2021

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