With the demanding of biofuel all over the world, the demand for wood pellets are growing rapidly. Wood pellet was first used as a heating fuel in America to response for the high energy prices in 1970s and after that wood pellets came to be an efficient and green biofuel to replace fossil fuel.
Compared with other fuels, there are some reasons for the rapid development of wood pellets. Firstly, the improving pelletizing technology of wood pellet mills. Secondly, the increasing demand for the wood pellets in the global market. Then the reasonable prices of wood pellets compared with other fossil fuels. All of the above reasons make wood pellets more and more popular in the global market especially US wood pellet market.
Since US has the favorable factors to produce wood pellets, it is a major wood pellet producer and consumer for several years. During the first two decades, wood pellet industry developed slowly in US. Then since 2000, the wood pellets industry accelerated its space. From 2002 to 2006, the domestic demanding for wood pellets doubled during the four years. In 2006, about 600,000 households in America used wood pellets for heating, and the number increased to 800,000 in 2007. According to the data from EIA, the residential consumption in US increased dramatically in 2011, while California led the nation with residential wood pellets consumption with approximately 1.665 million cords consumed.
Although almost 80% of the US wood pellets are used domestically, US also focused its attention on the export market in recent years. In 2008, US exported 85,000 tons of wood pellets to Europe and in 2010, the figure reached 600,000 tons then in 2011, the exportation of wood pellets to Europe reached more than 1 million tons. In 2012, US finally surpassed Canada in wood pellet export to be the main overseas supplier of pellets to Europe.
To meet the large demanding in domestic and overseas, US engaged in producing wood pellets. In 2006, there were about 90 pellets plant producing wood pellets and in 2011, the pellet plants in US increased to 150 with the largest production capacity of 750,000 ton annually and the total production capacity was 5.481 million tons. And there are still many new wood pellets plants planting to explore their markets in domestic and abroad.
Though the US wood pellets market is vast enough today, there are still potential market for wood pellets since US is not ready for the utility-scale consumption of wood pellets. Currently, about 50% of the power generation in US electrical utility comes from cheap and abundant coal which will finally be replaced by biofuel such as wood pellets. In addition, the export of wood pellets to Europe, Asia and other countries are increasing at the same time. The consumption and export will certainly bring another boom of wood pellets in US.
To seize this opportunity, wood pellet plants in US should pay enough attention on the wood pellets related facilities, such as wood pellet mills for the machines partly decide the quality and production capacity of wood pellets. Our company is a pioneer company in the field of manufacturing Biomass Pelletizing & Briquetting Machinery & Plants. We customize and design biomass pelletizing plants according to the requirement of the customer considering the capacity and local conditions. Our wood pellets making machines will help you to seize the big opportunity in the US markets.
