Scots pine supports European electricity grids – the green transition boosts demand for wooden utility poles
 
Europe's rapid electrification is boosting demand for a very traditional forestry product – wooden utility poles.

As Europe expands its electricity grids to integrate renewable energy, withstand rising industrial loads and connect new data centres, wooden poles have become highly sought after.

“Europe’s growing demand for electricity requires more power grids. As new grids are built and old ones are renovated, this drives the demand for wooden utility poles,” says Janne Partanen, Forestry Director at Scanpole Oy , Europe's largest manufacturer of treated utility poles.

The drivers for growth are well known: the expansion of wind and solar energy generation and use, increasing electricity consumption in industry and digital infrastructure, and the electrification of transport. All this requires new transmission capacity and more robust distribution networks.

The European Commission's target is to double the share of electricity in final energy consumption by 2040 – from the current 23% to 46%. This change will require massive investment in network infrastructure. Although underground cable networks are expanding, overhead lines remain essential in most of Europe, and wooden poles continue to play a “leading role”.

Demand is growing across Europe

As wind farms, solar parks and data centres begin operating, the electricity they produce must be transported to consumption hubs. According to Janne Partanen, this is already reflected in the rising demand for wooden poles in many European countries.

Research by the market intelligence company IndexBox suggests that the EU market for wooden utility poles will grow by approximately 2-4% annually between 2026 and 2035. The main drivers in this field are the modernisation of ageing networks and the integration of renewable energy into the grid. The study suggests that the EU requires approximately 2-2.8 million new wooden poles each year, while the total number of poles installed could exceed 190 million. Replacing ageing infrastructure accounts for about two-thirds of the annual demand.

“A large part of Eastern Europe's electricity grids were built in the 1960s-80s, and these grids are approaching the end of their technical service life. Modernisation is especially needed for overhead line networks, which have not been moved underground as rapidly as in Western Europe,” emphasises J. Partanen.

Demand has been particularly high in the UK and Ireland, where wooden poles remain an integral part of electricity distribution. In Central Europe, growth is being driven by the renewal of ageing networks and investments related to renewable energy. “For example, Germany continues to use wooden poles for overhead power lines and telecommunications networks,” adds J. Partanen.

New alternatives to creosote

The IndexBox study highlights changes in wood impregnation technology. It is expected that the share of alternative treatment methods, such as copper-containing preservatives, will rise to over 30% of the volume of new poles by 2030. In 2020, their share was less than 15%.

Creosote has been used to protect utility poles for more than a century, shielding the wood from moisture, fungi and insects. Its use is increasingly restricted due to health and environmental concerns. Since 30 April 2023, creosote-treated utility poles may only be placed on the market in European countries that permit their use.

For example, in October 2023, Norway was removed from the European Chemicals Agency’s list of countries that allow the use of creosote-treated electricity and telecommunications poles.

Growing demand for larger diameter poles

The choice of wood is influenced by changing weather patterns.

“Many clients have started to show interest in larger diameter utility poles, which is partly explained by more extreme weather and the need to improve the resilience of power lines, for example during storms,” explains J. Partanen.

Finnish forests can provide suitable timber, but more raw material is needed.

“We are constantly looking for more suitable materials. This opens up a less well-known opportunity for forest owners: a large, high-quality Scots pine can become a utility pole instead of being used as ordinary sawlogs,” stresses Janne Partanen. Scots pine suitable for utility poles grows in standard managed forests – often in the same stands where high-quality sawlogs are obtained. “Where there are high-quality pine sawlogs, you can usually find good quality timber for poles as well,” notes J. Partanen.

Only straight, high-quality trunks that meet strict dimensional and quality criteria are suitable. The poles range from 8 to 24 metres in length. The requirements are largely similar to those for sawlogs: trees can be rejected for large curves, cracks, sweep, root rot and large knots.

Growing conditions play a major role. In nutrient-poor soils, Scots pine develops slowly, producing thin branches and naturally straight trunks – the characteristics needed for poles. In more fertile soils, trees grow faster and produce thicker branches, which, naturally, limits their suitability for the quality requirements of utility poles.

“Some of the best so-called pole-wood forests are located in Central Finland, North Karelia and the Kainuu region in northeastern Finland,” says J. Partanen.

From forest to export – even two years

Wood for utility poles is usually harvested in winter. After felling, the trees are transported to a processing facility where they are debarked and shaped. This is followed by a long drying stage, mainly by air-drying them for about a year in well-ventilated stacks. Once dry, they are inspected, processed according to client specifications and impregnated with protective agents.

“The entire process from the forest to the finished export product usually takes one to two years,” explains J. Partanen. Treatment with protective agents is crucial. The substance must penetrate deeply enough to ensure durability in harsh weather. “The service life of a correctly treated wooden utility pole can exceed 50 years,” adds Janne Partanen.

Millions of euros of investment in Finland to meet growing demand

Rising demand is reflected in Scanpole production volumes. The company operates five facilities: two in Norway, one in Wales, one in Ireland and the largest factory in Finland, located in the village of Höljäkkä (Höljäkkä) in Nurmes. Recently, Scanpole invested approximately 10 million euros in the Höljäkkä processing plant, including a new drying kiln completed this year and a modern processing line.

“The goal of the investment is to remove production bottlenecks and increase the number of poles produced in Finland. As a result, our production capacity in Finland will increase significantly,” says J. Partanen.

Wood competes with concrete and steel

Utility poles are not always made of wood – steel and concrete are also used. The choice of material depends on costs, service life and local conditions.

One of the advantages of wooden utility poles is their competitive price. Findings from a European study published in 2023 show that concrete poles cost about twice as much as wooden poles. Including full delivery to the installation site, concrete poles were about 70-100% more expensive than wooden poles.

“Wooden poles remain the most cost-effective solution for overhead power lines. Taking the overall picture into account, the environmental and climate impact of wooden poles is significantly lower than that of concrete and steel poles,” notes J. Partanen.

Life cycle assessments also show clear differences between materials. In a study published in 2017, the climate impact of a wooden pole was estimated at 138 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent, compared to 143 kilograms for a steel pole and 221 kilograms for a concrete pole. Researchers note that the comparison is not straightforward – the service life of the pole, maintenance needs, transport distances and local conditions – all affect the overall environmental footprint. Another advantage of wooden utility poles is their availability. In Finland, pine suitable for pole production grows in standard managed forests.

“There is great demand for our top-quality Finnish pine pole timber, and we are actively looking for additional volumes,” stresses Janne Partanen.
 

Source: zemeunvalsts.lv