In 2021, 2.76 million tons of wood pellets are expected to be produced at 44 production sites in Germany. Based on information obtained from pellet producers who responded to Holzkurier’s survey, production is projected to reach 1.42 million tons (30 production sites) in Austria and 269,000 tons (17 production sites) in Switzerland. Sites for which no information on production quantities has been given by the companies are not included. However, output corresponds almost exactly to the quantities reported by the industry associations. In 2020, 3.1 million tons were produced in Germany (DEPV), 1.54 million tons in Austria (proPellets Austria) and in Switzerland, output totaled 270,000 tons (proPellets.ch).
With its six production sites and an overall output of 367,000 tons, RZ Pellets is still in first place in Austria, followed by Pfeifer Holz which operates the biggest single production site in Kundl (150,000 t/yr) and produces a total of 175,000 tons a year. Weinsberg Pellets of Martinsberg doubled its capacity to 60,000 tons with a second press, and Sturmberger Pelletsproduktion plans to raise its production output in Wels from 45,000 tons to 70,000 tons next year. EHO Pellets, based in Rohrbach an der Lafnitz and an affiliate of the Rubner group, wants to start up a production site with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons in February 2022. Also next year, RZ Pellets plans to put its seventh pellet plant in operation in Sollenau, on the former premises of Holzhandel A. Baumgartner.
In Germany, three big wood processing companies entered the pellet sector this year, i. e. Ziegler Naturenergie of Pressath (planned capacity: 225,000 t/yr), HS Timber Group of Kodersdorf (198,000 t/yr) and Rettenmeier Holzindustrie of Ramstein (120,000 t/yr).
With an annual capacity of 290,000 tons, Sägewerk Schwaiger, based in Hengersberg, operates the single biggest production site in Germany (planned output in 2021: 275,000 t/yr). Ante-Holz has a cumulated capacity of 425,000 tons a year at its two sites in Bromskirchen-Somplar und Rottleberode and plans to produce 320,000 tons this year. In 2020, the company wants to double the number of presses in use in Rottleberode to eight. With a total of six production sites in three countries (DE, AT, CZ), Pfeifer Holz has an overall annual capacity of 600,000 tons and expects to produce 552,000 tons in 2021. Adding Binderholz’s production sites in Germany to the ones in Austria, the company has a capacity of 362,000 tons a year.
The biggest pellet producer in Switzerland, Tschopp Holzindustrie of Buttisholz, produced 110,000 tons of wood pellets in 2020 and plans to raise output to 120,000 tons this year.
