Flemish power sector in Belgium may have stopped cofiring wood pellets following a reinterpretation of Flemish law, retroactive to Jan. 1, finds USDA GAIN report, noting decision jeopardizes all existing, proposed wood-pellet power projects in Flanders

Allison Oesterle

Allison Oesterle

LOS ANGELES , June 6, 2014 () – The Flemish power sector in Belgium may have stopped cofiring with wood pellets after a reinterpretation of Flemish law in mid-February, according to a report filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN), Biomass Magazine reported on June 4.

The reinterpretation, retroactive to Jan. 1, holds that the Belgium government cannot grant green certificates, which it uses to fund the production of renewable energy, to biomass that is classified as an industrial resource. This includes biomass that can be used for compost, housing, paper or particleboard.

The changes mean that the issuance of credits will be based on technical rather than distance criteria, the report noted. In practice, the Belgian power sector only automatically accepts five types of wood: bark, wood dust sized at 0.2 millimeters or smaller, wood with a maximum diameter of 4 centimeters, stumps with a maximum diameter of 30 centimeters aboveground and plantation wood.

Previously, two Flemish agencies issued the certificates with the consent of Belgium’s wood industry federation, which held that wood pellet production did not cause competition for their resources because 90% of pellets used were made in North America, the GAIN report noted.

An estimated 18% of U.S. wood pellet exports were sent to Belgium in 2013, making it the second-highest importer of U.S. wood pellets behind the United Kingdom, according to recently released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Flemish power situation said the legal reinterpretation jeopardizes all existing and proposed wood-pellet power projects in Flanders, the GAIN report noted.

The primary source of this article is Biomass Magazine June 4, 2014. Click here to see the original article.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.

Share:

About Us

We deliver market news & information relevant to your business.

We monitor all your market drivers.

We aggregate, curate, filter and map your specific needs.

We deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

Our Contacts

1990 S Bundy Dr. Suite #380,
Los Angeles, CA 90025

+1 (310) 553 0008

About Cookies On This Site

We collect data, including through use of cookies and similar technology ("cookies") that enchance the online experience. By clicking "I agree", you agree to our cookies, agree to bound by our Terms of Use, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. For more information on our data practices and how to exercise your privacy rights, please see our Privacy Policy.