Here, there is an increasingly large gap to the gas and oil prices, which are significantly lower than they have been last year. In combination with political discussions about pellet heating systems in Germany, this leads to a decrease in boiler sales.
The combination of a persistently high pellet production and smaller volumes of sawmill by-products accumulating is driving prices, especially those of sawdust. The Holzkurier recorded an increase of around €3/st to a range of €16.5 to €19/st in the month of June. From the third quarter, sawdust prices will likely pass the €20/st-mark. Wood chip prices are also rising in Austria. In June, they were up by €1/st. Lately, the price range was around €15.8 to €18.5/st. In the third quarter, prices could be slightly higher.
While pellet manufacturers have a high demand for the raw materials they need for production, demand from other industries, especially the paper industry, is falling. Sales of the wood-based materials industry are better – but also remain below expectations. As a result, these key sectors are putting pressure on the prices of sawmill by-products.
