In Germany, wood chip prices fell in some cases and rose in others in the second quarter of 2024. This is according to the German Pellet Institute.

Wood chip prices in the second quarter of 2024

The price of woodchippings in quality class A2, which are primarily used for medium-capacity heating systems, fell by 2.7 per cent in the second quarter of the year, while the price of quality class B fell by 1.36 per cent. Only A1 woodchippings cost 9.1 per cent more than in the previous quarter. "A rainy spring and the start of summer limited woodworking in the forest. As a result, the raw material for quality classes A2 and B is not available as expected, leading to price stagnation," explains the German Pellet Institute (DEPI) in a press release. The slight price increase for class A1 woodchippings is also due to a lower supply. The reason for this is that less round timber sawmills and therefore less woodchippings are produced as a by-product.

The wood chip price for quality class A1 is 38.15 euros per bulk cubic metre for a purchase of 80 bulk cubic metres. The price for quality class A2 is 24.27 euros and 19.03 euros for quality class B. The DEPI advises the purchase of woodchippings with the ENplus seal, which guarantees standardised fuel quality and therefore smooth and convenient low-emission heating operation.

The DEPI wood chip price briefly explained

The DEPI collects the wood chip prices on a quarterly basis. The survey period ends on the 15th of the third month of the current quarter. It indicates the net average price in Germany for a cubic metre of wood chips of the respective quality class. Quality class A1 is based on quality class ENplus A1 (water content ≤ 15 m-%, ash content ≤ 1.5 m-%, fines content ≤ 5 m-%). Quality class A2 corresponds to quality class ENplus A2 (water content 20-35 m-%, ash content ≤ 2.5 m-%, fines content ≤ 8 m-%) and quality class B corresponds to quality class ENplusB (water content ≥ 35 m-%, ash content ≤ 5 m-%, fines content ≤ 10 m-%).

Source: the German Pellet Institute