At present, in European countries, the trend of using biomass for energy production is growing rapidly. The Czech Republic has not lagged behind other Western countries. In 2016, the output of sawdust pellets exceeded 300,000 tons, an increase of 23% compared to 2015. In the same year, Czech families The number of installed solid fuel boilers reached 25,000 units.
Despite the growth and development of the wood pellet consumer market in the country, producers in the Czech Republic still focus on foreign markets. Some of the leading wood pellet producers in the Czech Republic plan to increase the production of wood pellets by 50% between 2017-2018. Provides quality products for the Czech domestic solid fuel market.
Quality standards for Czech wood pellets
As regards the quality of wood pellets, approximately three-quarters of the wood pellets produced in the Czech Republic comply with the ENplus certification standard. The ENplus certification system is based on the European standard EN 14961-2, starting in 2015, based on the international standard ISO 17225-2. Certification means Higher quality, but not higher prices. At the same time, producers and distributors do not bear any additional costs. Consumers have the opportunity to choose between competing producers to ensure the quality of wood pellets.
Czech exports of wood pellets: opportunities and challenges
The development of the domestic sawdust pellet market directly depends on its cost. The price of wood pellets cannot withstand competition with German wood pellets, wood fuel and coal. As a result, Czech companies producing wood pellets export up to 95% of their products to other European countries.
It is worth mentioning that the key to the export of Ukrainian sawdust pellets to Europe is through the Czech Republic. According to Sergey Kozlov, chief analyst of the Ukrainian Biofuels Portal, in recent years, 15-16% of Ukrainian sawdust shipments have flowed to the Czech Republic. .
The government has postponed the environmental tax on coal. Compared with wood pellets, this is its advantage as a heating method. In addition, natural gas subsidies are a stumbling block to the introduction of clean heating in the Czech Republic.
Development Prospects of Wood Chips Market in the Czech Republic
Since January 1, 2005, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Czech Republic has sponsored the installation and use of wood pellets or other renewable energy boilers. The plan will be run until the final payment of the fund providing the grant. Installed solid fuel boiler Subsidy up to 50,000 CZK or 50% of the investment cost.
The Czech Republic’s modern technology and production facilities allow the supply of high-quality biomass fuels to the market. The establishment of raw material bases for production capacity and the establishment of biofuels will create new employment opportunities for the country. The development of the domestic wood pellet market will reduce the Czech economy’s Reliance on coal mines and natural gas to make up for deficiencies in non-renewable energy sources and reduce the discharge of pollutants into the atmosphere.
The domestic sawdust pellets production and consumer market in the Czech Republic has enormous potential for growth. In turn, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic actively promote the development of biomass, and create support mechanisms and plans for the research and development of environmentally friendly fuel technologies.
