Wood pellets are the new fuel being used more and more for heating blocks of flats, schools and houses. Pellets can also replace coal and oil in power and heating plants.
Pellets are a refined biofuel, dried and pressed into cylindrical rods of compressed energy. The diameter of each one is between 4 and 12 mm, and the length is between 10 and 30 mm. They are usually manufactured from raw material from Swedish forestry and farming, but bark, paper, grain and hull can also be used. In Sweden alone approx. 800-900,000 tonnes of pellets are produced annually.
Why pellets are produced
All fully automised combustion requires the fuel to have a particular appearance and energy content so that it's possible to create precise combustion loads. A pellet is produced with these properties: Its shape means that it pours easily into silos and feeding systems. Pellets which are stored outside under roofs do not absorb moisture or become frozen.
Will Swedish forests last?
Today the majority of the raw material used to manufacture pellets is sawdust and shavings from sawmills and joinery businesses. Forest growth in Sweden has never been greater than it is now and it exceeds the trees felled by a wide margin. All the oil that is currently imported for heating small houses can be replaced with pellets without this situation changing.
Cut your bills in half today
Compared to the rest of Europe, Sweden currently has low energy prices. But both electricity and oil will go up considerably in the next few years – regardless of whether or not we have nuclear power. Converting to pellets today could cut your heating bills in half.
Pellet manufacturers
Manufacturers can be found all over the country, and operators like Shell and other oil companies have nationwide distribution. Pellets can currently be bought in 16 kg sacks, 500 kg returnable/reusable sacks as well as in bulk via tanker delivery. The list below shows the Swedish manufacturers of refined biofuel, i.e. pellets, briquettes and powder. This list includes a large number of small manufacturers, mostly of briquettes, as well as some larger manufacturers whose production is based on sorted waste.
