Biomass in the form of wood pellets has long been an important energy source for heating and for supplying electricity and heat. The proportion of solid biomass fuels from wood in heat generation is now also increasing. Vattenfall also cultivates, utilises and trades various sustainable biomass products.
Biomass is a versatile and therefore important renewable energy source. It can be used in all energy-relevant sectors: to generate heating in households, for process heat in industry or to generate electricity and heat in the energy sector. While the use of wood pellets in private households has been common practice for some time, the proportion of solid biomass fuels made from wood in heat generation in industry and for energy companies is now also gaining momentum.
Sources and sustainability criteria for biomass
Sustainability criteria for alternative fuels play a fundamental role here. The Sustainable Biomass Programme (SBP) was developed as a certification system for woody biomass for energy use. The system is designed to ensure that the products come from legal and sustainable sources. After all, clearing forests to produce energy from the harvested wood does more harm to nature than good. Agricultural and untreated wood waste from forestry and by-products from the wood processing industry are more suitable.
This includes
Woody biomass can also come from short rotation coppice. Here, special tree species are cultivated with the aim of achieving high biomass yields in a short period of time
Cultivation, utilisation and trade of biomass at Vattenfall
Biomass is also part of Vattenfall's energy mix. We currently utilise biomass in more than 15 combined heat and power plants or pure hot water generators in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. We also grow our own biomass from coppice forests, for example - but only on land that is not suitable for agricultural crops.
In addition, Vattenfall decided early on to start trading in sustainable biomass and to continuously expand it. Today, we are one of the largest European players on the international markets for sustainable bioenergy and trade a wide range of certified biomass products every year. Our supply portfolio includes internationally traded wood pellets and wood chips as well as regionally sourced wood chips. Vattenfall Energy Trading is SBP, FSC ®, PEFC and ENplus® certified.
Please get in touch if we can help you with the procurement and supply of biomass.
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