Looking at sustainable alternatives
By all accounts, 2022 was an extraordinary year due to the shock Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upon the global economy, and the pellet industry certainly was not immune to this shock. According to Bioenergy Europe, the sector had experienced substantive rates of growth in 2021, yet even in the second half of that year, Russia’s hostility led to increased energy prices – which affected pellets too.
The invasion led to the doubling – or even tripling – of pellet prices in both industrial spot markets and residential markets, after years of experiencing stable levels.
Luca Corello, who is head trader at Duferco Biomasse – a subsidiary of Duferco that operates in lumber logistics, processing and supply in Europe – expressed cautious optimism about the situation.
He told Bioenergy Insight that the market has started in a very strong position in 2023. He said he thought that “in this moment, [the] market is going to find an...