In March, production started at Tilly Holzindustrie’s pellet mill in Althofen which has a capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year. Since 2022, nine pellet mills went into operation in Austria, five of them at integrated production sites. The plant of Franz Moser – Der Hackschnitzler and the Mayr-Melnhof Holz’s mill in Reuthe have been in operation since the first quarter of 2023. In the summer of 2023, Holzindustrie Stallinger’s pellet mill with its annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes followed.
According to the Holzkurier’s research, capacity in Austria totals 2.62 million tonnes at the end of the year, with a target output of 1.88 million tonnes. Companies which did not provide information on their production figures were not taken into account. In 2023, reported production output amounted to 1.7 million tonnes.
In Germany, pellet production capacity is 4.93 million tonnes this year. Compared to Austria or Switzerland, fewer companies disclosed their production quantities in Germany, which is why estimates by the Holzkurier are used. Nevertheless, an increase in production from 2.63 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.86 million tonnes in 2024 can be observed.
In summer 2023, best wood Pellet started up its pellet mill in Meßkirch/DE. A newcomer in the pellet sector is Span Service Holzlogistik in Rhineland-Palatinate, where pellets are made from old and recycled wood, among other things. The Hermann Keller sawmill in Achern/DE plans to put its pellet mill with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes a year into operation in the first quarter of 2025. HMS Holzindustrie Hagenow wants to double its production capacity to over 100,000 tonnes a year by 2025. Following the takeover of Wismar Pellets this year, the Leag Group also acquired Swedish market leader Scanbio, thereby raising its pellet output to nearly 1 million tonnes a year.
According to research by the Holzkurier, around 360,000 tonnes of pellets were produced in Switzerland in 2023. In 2024, output is expected to total 390,000 tonnes, with a capacity of 542,000 tonnes. Two new pellet mills have been operative since summer: Resurses, Savognin/CH (10,000 t/year) and Pelleticino, Biasca/CH (2,000 t/year).
Unfortunately, there have also been fires in pellet mills, for example at Beo Pellets in Ringgenberg/CH at the beginning of October and at Nawaro Energie in Göpfritz, which has resumed production in October after the fire in June. The mill with an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes went into operation in the first quarter of 2023. Matterhorn Pellets, which is based in Zermatt, also purchased new machines after a fire last year and resumed production this year.
Despite the difficult market situation and curtailments of cutting, pellet production has so far been practically unchanged. According to the German Pellet Institute (DEPI), production output totaled 2.79 million tonnes in the first nine months and is therefore just 1% lower than it had been in the same period of last year. Most of the many new and expanded production sites in the DACH region will likely be largely completed by the beginning of 2025. The Holzkurier editorial team is currently not aware of any other significant new pellet mills.
| All quantities in tonnes/year | |||||
| Company | Location | Production 2022 | Production 2023 | Target production 2024 | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | |||||
| Andreas Wiesbauer | Hohenberg | 25,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 |
| Arlberg Pellets (Holz Falch) | St. Anton | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Bauer Pellets (1) | Floing | 8,000 | 6,500 | 7,500 | 9,000 |
| Binderholz | Fügen | n/a | n/a | n/a | 90,000 |
| Binderholz | Jenbach | n/a | n/a | n/a | 50,000 |
| Binderholz | St. Georgen/Sbg. | n/a | n/a | n/a | 20,000 |
| Binderholz | Unternberg | n/a | n/a | n/a | 12,000 |
| Cycleenergy | Aschach | 24,500 | 32,000 | 32,000 | 35,000 |
| Cycleenergy | Gaishorn | 45,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Cycleenergy | Gresten | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
| Donausäge Rumplmayr | Enns | 8,000 | 64,000 | 68,000 | 80,000 |
| EHO Pellets | Rohrbach an der Lafnitz | 22,000 | 58,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| Enzlmüller* | Peterskirchen | n/a | n/a | n/a | 6,000 |
| Franz Kirnbauer | Ternitz | 6,000 | 8,500 | 8,700 | 26,000 |
| Franz Moser (2) | Neumarkt | – | 15,000 | 15,000 | 70,000 |
| Hot‘ts Pellets Glechner | Mattighofen | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 40,000 |
| Hot‘ts Pellets Glechner | Oberweis | 65,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 |
| Hasslacher Preding Holzindustrie | Preding | 102,200 | 94,000 | 106,000 | 120,000 |
| Holzindustrie Stallinger (3) | Frankenmarkt | – | 12,000 | 75,000 | 80,000 |
| Holzhof Schmidt | Aspang | 14,000 | 14,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Johann Pabst Holzindustrie | Zeltweg | 60,000 | 62,000 | 55,000 | 120,000 |
| KP Wood Energy | Althofen | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 25,000 |
| Ländle Pellets | Dornbirn | n/a | n/a | n/a | 30,000 |
| Mafi Naturholzboden | Schneegattern | 16,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| MAK Holz* | Haimburg | 25,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Mayr-Melnhof Holz | Leoben | 100,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 | 120,000 |
| Mayr-Melnhof Holz (4) | Reuthe | – | 22,000 | 22,000 | 25,000 |
| Nawaro Energie Betrieb (5) | Göpfritz | – | n/a | n/a | 80,000 |
| Norica Pellets | Hermagor | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Pelletswerk Waldviertel | Rastenfeld | 23,000 | 21,500 | 22,000 | 24,000 |
| Peter Seppele | Feistritz an der Drau | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 25,000 |
| Peter Seppele | Sachsenburg | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 |
| Pfeifer Holz | Imst | 30,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
| Pfeifer Holz | Kundl | 150,000 | 150,000 | 130,000 | 180,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Amstetten | 13,000 | 14,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Bad St. Leonhard | 85,000 | 81,000 | 85,000 | 85,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Leiben bei Melk | 45,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Liebenfels | 38,000 | 28,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Sollenau | 23,000 | 21,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Vöcklamarkt | 125,000 | 126,000 | 130,000 | 150,000 |
| RZ Pellets | Ybbs/Donau | 89,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 |
| Salzburg Pellets (ehemals Firestixx) | Abtenau | 70,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | 80,000 |
| Schößwendter Holz | Saalfelden | 35,000 | 50,000 | 45,000 | 70,000 |
| Sturmberger | Wels | 45,000 | 50,000 | n/a | 85,000 |
| Tilly Holzindustrie (6) | Althofen | – | – | 80,000 | 100,000 |
| Weinsberg Pellets | Martinsberg | 40,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Germany | |||||
| Company | Location | Production 2022 | Production 2023 | Target production 2024 | Capacity |
| 1Heiz Pellets* | Calau | 30,000 | 30,000 | n/a | 40,000 |
| 1Heiz Pellets* | Eberswalde | 20,000 | 20,000 | n/a | 50,000 |
| Allspan Spanverarbeitung | Karlsruhe | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
| ante-BioPELL (7) | Empfingen | n/a | n/a | n/a | 80,000 |
| ante-holz Gruppe | Bromskirchen-Somplar | 200,000 | n/a | n/a | 250,000 |
| ante-holz Gruppe | Rottleberode/Südharz | 160,000 | n/a | n/a | 250,000 |
| Bayerwald Pellet | Regen | 33,000 | 27,000 | 40,000 | 47,000 |
| Baust Holzbetrieb | Eslohe-Bremke | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 |
| best wood Pellets | Eberhardzell | 28,000 | 28,000 | 28,000 | 30,000 |
| best wood Pellets (8) | Meßkirch | – | 26,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Binderholz Deutschland | Kösching | n/a | n/a | n/a | 190,000 |
| Brennpunkt Energie | Ruderatshofen | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Biopellet Magdeburg | Magdeburg | 50,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 |
| Danpower | Osterfeld | n/a | n/a | n/a | 60,000 |
| Dorr-Biomassehof | Fuchstal-Asch | 64,000 | 55,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 |
| EC Bioenergie Dotternhausen | Dotternhausen | 45,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| EC Bioenergie Hardegsen | Hardegsen | 75,000 | 75,000 | 70,000 | 75,000 |
| EC Bioenergie Kehl | Kehl | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| EC Bioenergie Morbach | Morbach | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| EC Bioenergie Mudau | Mudau | 30,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| EnergiePellets Hosenfeld | Hosenfeld | 65,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 |
| Energieversorgung Offenbach (EVO) | Offenbach | 75,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 |
| Erdenwerk Gregor Ziegler | Plößberg | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| FP Franken-Pellets | Stadtsteinach | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Haas Fertigbau | Falkenberg | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| Hanse-Pellet* | Buchholz i.d.N. | n/a | n/a | n/a | 45,000 |
| HMs Holzindustrie Hagenow (ehemals HMS-Holz) (10) | Hagenow | 38,000 | 50,000 | 57,000 | 55,000 |
| Holtmeyer Pellet | Ottersberg | 40,000 | 38,000 | 35,000 | 50,000 |
| Holzindustrie Gustav Hassel (9) | Stockum-Püschen | – | 30,000 | 45,000 | 55,000 |
| Holzwerke Ladenburger | Bopfingen | 43,000 | 40,000 | 43,000 | 50,000 |
| Holzwerke van Roje | Oberhonnefeld-Gierend | 75,000 | 73,000 | 71,000 | 80,000 |
| Holzwerke Weinzierl | Vilshofen | 200,000 | 180,000 | 190,000 | 210,000 |
| Hot‘ts Pellets Glechner | Pfarrkirchen | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 |
| HPS (Leag-Gruppe) (ehem. Holzkontor Pelletierwerk) | Schwedt | n/a | 45,000 | 21,000 | 120,000 |
| HS Timber Productions | Kodersdorf | n/a | n/a | n/a | 198,000 |
| HVT Hobelspanverarbeitung (Brandenburg-Gruppe) | Dittersdorf | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HVW Hobelspanverarbeitung (Brandenburg-Gruppe) | Kritzow | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| J. Freytag | Warburg | 36,000 | 35,650 | 38,000 | 40,000 |
| Joh. Brandenburg | Goldenstedt | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| JRS Holzenergie HEW* | Ettenheim | n/a | n/a | n/a | 100,000 |
| JRS Holzenergie HEW | Herbrechtingen | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Hermann Keller (11) | Achern | – | – | – | 60,000 |
| Mercer Torgau (12) (ehemals HIT Torgau) * | Torgau | n/a | n/a | n/a | 150,000 |
| NRW Pellets | Erndtebrück | 95,500 | 102,500 | 102,500 | 120,000 |
| Overbeck Bioenergie | Hattingen | – | – | n/a | n/a |
| Pelletwerk Ziertheim | Ziertheim | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Pelltec | Sonsbeck | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Pfeifer Holz | Lauterbach | 90,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 100,000 |
| Pfeifer Holz | Unterbernbach | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 150,000 |
| Pieper Pellets | Olsberg-Assinghausen | n/a | 53,000 | 60,000 | 100,000 |
| Prinz Eugen Energiepark | Bad Arolsen | 66,000 | 62,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 |
| Propell (Leag-Gruppe) | Oranienbaum | n/a | 17,000 | 29,000 | 65,000 |
| Propell (Leag-Gruppe) | Löbau | n/a | 31,000 | 47,000 | 65,000 |
| Rettenmeier Holzindustrie | Ramstein | 80,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 | 120,000 |
| Schellinger | Buchenbach | n/a | n/a | 70,000 | 75,000 |
| Schellinger | Krauchenwies | n/a | n/a | 45,000 | 50,000 |
| Schmelter (Lenne Pellets) | Lennestadt | 7,000 | 13,000 | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| Schwaiger Holzindustrie | Hengersberg | 237,000 | 265,000 | 290,000 | 330,000 |
| Span Service Holzlogistik (13) | Edenkoben | – | – | n/a | 40,000 |
| Westpellets | Titz-Ameln | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10,000 |
| Wismar Pellets (Leag-Gruppe) | Wismar | 200,000 | 125,000 | 145,000 | 250,000 |
| Westerwälder Holzpellets | Langenbach | 51,300 | 43,900 | 43,000 | 60,000 |
| WUN Bioenergie | Wunsiedel | 170,000 | 190,000 | 190,000 | 200,000 |
| Xaver Bullinger (14) | Abtsgmünd | – | 4,000 | 8,000 | 9,000 |
| Ziegler Naturenergie | Pressath | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 250,000 |
| Switzerland | |||||
| Company | Location | Production 2022 | Production 2023 | Target production 2024 | Capacity |
| AEK Pellet | Klus-Balsthal | 60,000 | 60,000 | 56,000 | 60,000 |
| Agro Energiezentrum Rigi | Haltikon | 50,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| Balteschwiler | Laufenburg | 1,800 | 1,650 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Bartholdi Pellets* | Schmidshof | 7,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 10,000 |
| BeO Pellets* (15) | Ringgenberg | 5,400 | 6,070 | 6,000 | 8,000 |
| BestPellet Wärme* | Düdingen | 11,000 | n/a | 12,000 | 14,000 |
| Braunschweiler Pellets* | Bremgarten | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Bürli Trocknungsanlage* | Alberswil | n/a | 6,000 | 6,000 | 10,000 |
| Enerbois | Rueyres | 20,000 | 16,918 | 22,000 | 22,000 |
| Friedli Bioenergien | Burgdorf | 3,400 | 3,400 | 3,400 | 3,400 |
| Konrad Keller (16) | Unterstammheim | 5,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Lehmann Holzwerk | Gossau | 41,000 | 40,000 | 41,000 | 50,000 |
| Matterhorn Pellet (17) | Zermatt | 10,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 30,000 |
| Mivelaz Bois | Le Mouret | 3,750 | 5,921 | 6,000 | 7,000 |
| Otto Lädrach (OLWO) | Stalden | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 3,000 |
| Pelleticino* (18) | Biasca | – | – | 800 | 2,000 |
| Pellets du Jura | Vendlincourt | 6,500 | 6,600 | 7,000 | 10,000 |
| Peter Holzbau* | Blumenstein | 7,500 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 7,500 |
| Resurses (19) | Savognin | – | – | 2,500 | 10,000 |
| Tschopp Holzindustrie | Buttisholz | 115,000 | 105,000 | 115,000 | 180,000 |
| Valais Pellets | Ernen | 5,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 12,000 |
| Valpellets | Uvrier | 18,500 | 19,500 | 14,500 | 20,000 |
| WK-Paletten | Schüpbach | 1,750 | 1,750 | 1,750 | 2,000 |
