Update 2022/2023
RZ Pellets in Austria, Ante-Holz in Germany and Tschopp Holzindustrie in Switzerland are the pellet manufacturer with the largest capacities in their respective countries of origin.
In 2023, little has changed in the ranking of Austria’s largest pellet manufacturer compared to the year before. RZ Pellets is still the number one with a production output of 435,000 t, followed by Pfeiferholz with 180,000 t and Seppele with 150,000 t. Only companies which reported their production figures are mentioned here.
The newly launched pellet mills and increases in the capacity of existing ones are interesting. In 2022, pellet production capacity increased by 271,000 t. This year, it was 371,000 t. That is an increase of 40% or 100,000 t compared to the previous year. In August, production started in Holzindustrie Stallinger’s pellet mill. In the first phase, a capacity of 50,000 t is planned; at full capacity, 120,000 t can be produced. Nawaro Energie opened its 80,000-t pellet mill in Göpfritz in the Waldviertel, and Franz Moser put a plant with a capacity of 70,000 t into operation at Neumarkter Sattel on the border with Upper Carinthia. Mayr-Melnhof’s pellet mill in Reuthe was launched in the spring. Andreas Wiesbauer raised its capacity from 25,000 t to 50,000 t and Weinsberg pellets from 45,000 t to 100,000 t.
With the acquisition of Biopell in Empfingen and the expansion in Rottleberode, the ante-holz Group has expanded its leading position in Germany to a capacity of 580,000 t. As a result of the takeover of Wismar Pellets, the Leag Group follows in second place with a capacity of 500,000 t at five mills. Schwaiger Holzindustrie is in third place with 330,000 t of pellets. With an output of 285,000 t, the Lower Bavarian company remains the largest single production site in Germany. Ziegler Naturenergie, the neighbor in Upper Palatinate, ranks fourth with a production output of 225,000 t, followed by EC Bioenergie with 215,000 t.
One of the newly launched pellet mills and thus another integrated production site is the pellet mill of Holzindustrie Gustav Hassel in Stockum-Püschen/DE with a capacity of 55,000 t.
Tschopp Holzindustrie remains the largest pellet manufacturer in Switzerland. In addition to building a new sawmill, the company’s pellet production output was increased by 50,000 t to 180,000 t a year. AEK Pellet and Agro Energiezentrum Rigi follow in second and third place, each with an annual capacity of 60,000 t.
Instructions: The size of the circle symbolizes the output of single production sites (according to research by Timber-Online). When clicking on one of the circles, you can see the production development and the address of the selected company below the interactive map. In order to compare companies, keep the shift button pressed and click on the desired production sites.
1 = the company did not report figures
0 = data were not collected, or years before production was started up / after production was ceased
Update 2021/2022
In 2022, RZ Pellets is the biggest manufacturer in Austria, with its seven production sites and a capacity of 450,000 tons. RZ Pellets’ output totaled 422,000 tons. Pfeifer Holz follows in second place with an overall capacity of 205,000 tons (production target in 2021: 175,000 t). The company’s pellet mill in Kundl alone, the biggest single production site in Austria, can produce 150,000 tons. Binderholz operates four pellet mills in Austria and reported a capacity of 172,000 tons in 2021. Peter Seppele in Carinthia ranks fourth with 145,000 tons (production target in 2021: 140,000 t).
In Germany, Ante-Holz had an annual production capacity of 425,000 tons at its two plants in Bromskirchen-Somplar and Rottleberode in 2021. Sägewerk Schwaiger of Hengersberg the operates the biggest single production site in Germany with 330,000 tons a year, closely followed by Wismar Pellets and Pfeifer Holz with 250,000 tons a year, respectively.
Schwaiger Holzindustrie produced the biggest quantity of wood pellets in Germany in 2021, i.e. 285,000 tons. EC Bioenergie with its five pellet mills reached an output of 215,000 tons. Holzwerke Weinzierl follows in third place with 210,000 tons. It has to be said that only companies which reported their production volumes are included here. Holz Pfeifer with its two plants in Lauterbach and Unterbernbach as well as Wismar Pellets were both in fourth place with 200,000 tons each.
Pfeifer Holz still operates two production sites in the Czech Republic. In 2021, the company reported a capacity of 635,000 tons and an output of 542,000 tons in all three countries (six pellet mills in total). When you add the production sites in Germany, Binderholz’s capacity totals 352,000 tons.
Since 2021, two other wood processing companies have been producing pellets from their own wood waste, namely HS Timber Group at its Kodersdorf site (capacity: 198,000 t) and Ziegler Naturenergie in Pressath (245,000 t in the first phase of expansion). Ziegler Group plans to raise the annual production capacity at the site in Upper Palatinate to 300,000 tons in a second phase. Holzwerke Ladenburger started producing pellets in Bopfingen in 2021 (capacity: 60,000 t) and so did Rettenmeier Holzindustrie in Ramstein (120,000 t). In 2022, pellet production started at Lenne Pellets (25,000 t) and Pieper Holz (100,000 t).
In Austria, capacity increased by 350,000 tons. Three integrated production sites, namely Donausäge Rumplmayr, Holzindustrie Kirnbauer and EHO Pellets, went into operation this year. Cycleenergy in Aschach (36,000 t) and RZ Pellets with its seventh pellet mill in Sollenau (40,000 t) as well as Nawaro Energie Betrieb (80,000 t) have put new production sites into operation. Furthermore, companies Andreas Wiesbauer (from 4,000 to 25,000 t) and Schößwendter Holz (from 25,000 to 70,000 t) have substantially increased their capacities.
In Switzerland, Tschopp Holzindustrie was the biggest pellet manufacturer in 2021, with a capacity of 130,000 tons and a production volume of 120,000 tons. AEK Pellets is in second place with an output of 60,000 tons, followed by Lehmann Holzwerk with 31,000 tons of pellets produced in 2021.
