the wood heating market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

The wood heating market identifies the energetic recovery of forest by-products (branches, small trees, etc.) and industrial (sawdust, shavings, etc.) by-products.

Wood pellets are consumed in two different markets:

1. In the power generation sector: pellets are co-fuel in coal-fired power plants and single-fuel in coal-fired power plants converted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of power generation.
2. In the residential heating industry, they are widely used as a convenient solid biofuel used in stoves and automatic boilers.

Over the past 10 years, the global production of wood pellets has increased steadily, driven by strong growth in demand. During this time period, global wood pellet production has more than quadrupled.

In Germany and Austria, where pellet boilers dominate the market, wood is mainly delivered to the end user in bulk, while in Italy and France, where pellet stoves have considerable shares of consumption, wood is purchased by the consumer in small bags (∼15 kg).

In Italy, wood pellets are mainly used for heating in the residential sector (boilers and stoves). Policies that favor the renewable heating sector in Italy are:

• Tax incentives: Pellet heating systems can benefit from a support scheme for energy savings in the building sector through tax deductions. The maximum amount of the deduction is €30,000;
• Grants (Conto Termico): dedicated to promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy for heating in the private and public sectors;
• White Certificates (or Energy Efficiency Certificates - EES): negotiable securities that certify energy savings in energy end uses.

The Italian consumption of wood pellets has grown in recent years, remaining significantly higher than the levels of national production. Pellet consumption is thus largely met by imports. The greatest concentration of producers is located in the northeast of the peninsula. Lombardy is the main production site, accounting for 45% of the national supply, followed by Veneto (18%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (16%), and Trentino Alto Adige (8%).

In recent years, sustainability requirements for solid biomass have been established in several European Union countries. Therefore, market players must adapt to these requirements to continue their business.