Wood fuels in energy generation in Finland

Wood fuels are the main source of renewable energy in Finland

In Finland bioenergy has a key role in the production of renewable energy. Bioenergy production is largely integrated into forestry and forest industry.

In recent years energy derived from wood fuels has accounted for around one fourth of Finland’s total energy consumption. Major share of wood fuels are derived from the by-products of the forest industry, including black liquor derived from the pulp-making process and bark, sawdust and other industrial wood residues. Also logging residues or other low value biomass from silvicultural and harvesting operations are used for energy generation.

According to data of Statistics Finland, in 2020 the total consumption of wood fuels was 99 terawatt-hours (TWh). Wood fuels represented the most important energy source in Finland, covering 28 per cent of the total energy consumption.

Energy is produced from forest industry black liquor and other by-products

Modern paper and pulp factories and sawmills operate with integrated approach using waste liquors and residues such as black liquor, bark, sawdust and process waste and recycled wood, for the production of heat and power or biofuels and bioliquids. As a result of the positive trend in the forest industries, the consumption of roundwood in Finland is higher than before, meaning that more by-products are also available for energy production. In recent years, the growth in the consumption of wood fuels in Finland has been based especially on an increase in burning forest industry by-products and wood residues.

Power and heat is generated from bark, sawdust and forest chips

Solid wood fuels are an important source for heat and power generation in Finland. According to the preliminary data of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), heating and power plants consumed a total of 23.5 million solid cubic metres (45.7 terawatt hours) of solid wood fuels in 2021. The main industrial by-product was bark, accounting nearly for two thirds (7.7 million cubic meters) and the rest were sawdusts (3.3 million cubic meters) and industrial chips (1.5 million cubic meters). Amount of bark, sawdust and industrial chips is related to consumption of roundwood in the forest industry.

Forest chips are also a remarkable source of energy in Finland. The branches, crowns and stumps of harvested trees cannot be used by industry to produce timber goods or pulp and paper but they can be chipped to make wood-chip fuels that can then be used to generate energy. The use of forest chips has eightfolded since 2000. In recent years the amount has remained practically unchanged. According to the preliminary data of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), in 2021 consumption of forest chips in heat and power plants totalled 9.4 million cubic metres. The consumption of forest chips in the combined production of heat and power was 5.8 million cubic metres and in heat production 3.6 million cubic metres. Combined with forest chips burnt in small-scale housing (0.6 million cubic metres), the total consumption of forest chips reached 10 million cubic metres.

Forest chips are obtained from small-sized trees and logging residues

The main fraction of the forest chips in Finland comes from the tending of young stands. The share of these small-sized trees as raw material for forest chips at heating and power plants is already more than half of the forest chips. In 2021, the consumption of forest chips at heating and power plants was 9.4 million cubic metres. The majority of the forest chips, 5.8 million cubic metres, was manufactured from small-sized trees and use of logging residues was 2.7 million cubic metres. Use of stumps has been decreasing in past years and was 0.3 million cubic metres in 2021. The use of large-sized, mainly decayed and rotten roundwood, was 0.6 million cubic metres.

In addition, the small-scale use of wood for heating in residential houses, farms and summer cottages is also a significant part of the bioenergy mix.

Nearly 38 percent of total energy consumption comes from renewable sources in Finland

Wood fuels have a crucial role also in the future in targets and means for increasing the share of renewable energy in Finland. In 2019 nearly 38 per cent of total energy consumption were covered with renewable energy sources. As late as 1990, the share of renewable energy in total consumption was just 18 per cent, after which it has grown steadily.

The aim set in the National Energy and Climate Strategy is to increase the share of renewable energy to more than 50% in the 2020's. The key target in promoting renewable energy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move away from the energy system that is based on fossil fuels. Use of renewable energy also improves our energy self-sufficiency and employment and supports the development of technologies in the sector.

In the EU the targets for renewable energy are established in relation to energy end-consumption, and in 2019 share of renewables was already as high as 43 per cent of end-energy consumption.

Wood fuels in energy generation in Finland (english)
Puun energiakäyttö eli puupolttoaineet energian tuotannossa -infokuvat suomeksi

Energy statistics

Energy supply and consumption in Finland 2019 (Statistics Finland)
Energy 2019 -Table Service (Statistics Finland)
Energy (National Resources Institute Finland)

Further information

Kaisa Pirkola, Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Resources Department, Unit for Forests and Bioenergy Telephone:0295162350 firstname.lastname@gov.fi