The market for wood pellets is currently experiencing strong international growth. For investors, producers and service providers, this opens up a wide range of opportunities, but also challenges: "Currently the situation in the international pellets markets is very dynamic, new technologies are in demand worldwide, making high quality market information important for investment decisions," reports Barbara Pilz, Project Manager for the 8th Pellets Industry Forum. The 8th Pellets Industry Forum serves as a platform for international knowledge exchange: the organizer, Solar Promotion, is expecting around 500 industry experts from all over the world. The 8th Pellets Industry Forum will take place in the International Congress Centre Stuttgart (ICS) of the New Trade Fair Centre Stuttgart from October 28 to 29. Innovations in pellet technology will be on show at the Interpellets 2008 trade fair from October 29 to 31, also in the New Trade Fair Centre Stuttgart.

Current developments in the German and European pellets market
The 8th Pellets Industry Forum offers decision makers in the wood pellets industry the ideal platform for exchange and learning. The trade conference features top-class speakers and a wide-ranging program that is closely based on the current market developments in the German and European pellets markets. The main topics that will be covered by the two-day conference include the framework conditions currently prevailing in the pellets markets as well as future pellet supply scenarios.

Europe's wood pellets markets vary from country to country: Italy, for example, is the largest European market for pellet stoves - 800,000 have been installed, according to the Italian industry association, Associazione Italiana Energie Agroforestali (AIEL). In Germany, the framework conditions for further growth are currently very positive: examples include the recently passed renewable heating law and the high level of financial support through the market incentive program. Dr. Karin Freier from the Federal Environment Ministry will give an overview of this situation. Thomas Seltmann from the Energy Watch Group will report on the consequences of increasingly scarce fossil fuels for the energy industry. Dr. Christian Rakos from the Austrian proPellets association will give a lecture on future pellet supply scenarios as well as the considerations and planned activities in Austria. And Dr. Lukas Kranzl from the Energy Economics Group at Vienna University of Technology will outline where the use of wood-based biomass makes sense from an energy, environmental and economic point of view.

The conference will also focus on current trends in pellet technology, such as optimization of standards and exemplary production technologies for pellets, as well as reports on marketing concepts from the European markets. Compact country reports will, among other things, present the emerging wood pellets markets in France, Great Britain and the USA. The development of pellets production in countries with large forested areas and the challenges emerging for international trade will also be discussed, with the leading export market of Canada and the dynamic developments in Russia being highlighted.

Link: <link http: www.pelletsforum.de>

www.pelletsforum.de, opens an external URL in a new window

For further inquiries, you may contact:
Projektass. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Lukas Kranzl    
Institute of Electrical Power Systems and Energy Economics   
Vienna University of Technology
Gußhausstraße 25-29, 1040 Vienna
Telephone: +43/1/58801 - 37351
E-mail: <link>kranzl@eeg.tuwien.ac.at