Timber industry research & analytics Biofuel 
Russian Timber Journal 02-2023: interview with Yuri Strezhen, CEO at Praktika Group; state support measures for the Russian timber industry affected by the sanctions pressure; China reduced log imports from all the main suppliers in 2022; Vladimir Putin proposed to grant enterprises a deferment on forest area lease payments for unharvested timber; the Government of the Russian Federation increased the maximum amount of compensation for the expenses of timber enterprises for the transportation of their products; in 2022, Russia reduced the volume of logging by 13.5% to 194.6 million m³, according to Roslesinforg; Russian Railways resumed accepting sawn timber for export shipments through Kazakhstan; International Paper reaches agreement to sell ownership interest in Ilim joint venture; Segezha Group may reorient the Segezha West project to new products; the volume of furniture export from Russia dropped by 39% YoY in 2022, down to 29.5 billion rubles; Luzales and Slotex acquire Russian assets of IKEA
March 7, 2023 ` 15:24
Russian Timber Journal 02-2023: Yuri Strezhen, CEO at Praktika Group: “This is a good time to improve the efficiency of both production and administrative processes of enterprises”; support measures mentioned by the business, relevant agencies, regions, the Government...
Vladimir Putin proposed to additionally allocate at least 15 billion rubles to support municipal boiler houses in switching to biofuel
March 3, 2023 ` 19:16
At the meeting on the development of the timber industry, the President of the Russian Federation proposed to additionally allocate at least 15 billion rubles in publicly funded infrastructure loans to support municipal boiler houses in switching to...
Sveza to invest 100 million rubles in expanding its production of wood briquettes in 2023
February 22, 2023 ` 22:35
As a press release of the company announces, Sveza Group will invest 100 million rubles in expanding its RUF wood briquettes production facilities in 2023. It is intended to increase the total biofuel output from 18,000 to 29,000...
German pellet prices fall again significantly in February 2023
February 17, 2023 ` 19:45
The price of wood pellets fell sharply again in Germany in February and is still well below that of oil and gas. According to the German Pellet Institute (DEPI), one tonne costs €428.52 on average across Germany. That is 14.1%...
Five boiler houses in the Irkutsk Region are supposed to be converted to biofuel by the end of 2025
February 14, 2023 ` 18:19
Igor Kobzev, Head of the Region, has already given instructions to upgrade the heating sources in the pilot mode. Support measures for the timber industry were discussed on January 18 at the meeting with representatives of federal ministries...
Russian Timber Journal 01-2023: interview with Valeriy Sergeevich Sukhanov, D. Eng., Honored Worker of the Russian Forest Industry; in 2022, the sawn timber export from Russia dropped to an 8-year low; North American companies continue to cut sawn timber production; the Government of Russia allowed transportation of roundwood and sawn timber to EAEU countries; in 2022, the Russian export of timber products reduced by two times and railway transportation, by 22%; over 25 billion rubles’ worth of transportation costs of industrial products export will be subsidized in 2023
February 9, 2023 ` 12:57
Russian Timber Journal 01-2023: Valeriy Sergeevich Sukhanov, D. Eng., Honored Worker of the Russian Forest Industry: “The Russian timber industry has degraded”; in 2022, the export of sawn timber from Russia dropped by 22% YoY, down to 23.5 million...
Pellet production in Russia dropped by almost 20% in 2022
February 3, 2023 ` 12:41
In 2022, the production of wood pellets from wood waste decreased by 19.6% YoY to 2.073 million tons, according to Rosstat. In December 2022, the output of Russian wood pellets fell by 30.5% YoY (-1.7% MoM).
Russian Timber Journal 12-2022: interview with Anatoly Shcherbakov, Director for Timber Supply and Logistics at VLP Group; preliminary results of the Russian timber industry for 2022: the beginning of complex structural transformations; Lithuania tightens control over timber imports from Russia and Belarus; the Russian Government extended the increased rates of customs duties applied to exports of raw sawn timber until the end of 2025; plywood production in Russia fell to a ten-year low in 2022
January 19, 2023 ` 14:50
Russian Timber Journal 12-2022: Anatoly Shcherbakov, Director for Timber Supply and Logistics at VLP Group: “No effective state aid measures to support timber harvesting activities have been taken so far”; preliminary results of the Russian timber industry for 2022: the...
Mayr-Melnhof Holz has sold a sawmill in the Leningrad region
January 10, 2023 ` 20:26
Aspek-Les LLC (Aspek Group, Udmurtia) became the owner of 100% of the authorised capital of the sawmill LLC Mayr-Melnhof Holz Yefimovsky (MM-Yefimovsky, formerly an enterprise of the Austrian group Mayr-Melnhof Holz GmbH) in Boksitogorsk district, Leningrad region. According...
Russian Timber Journal 09-2022: Interview with Vadim Fidarov, Government Relations Manager, Wooden Housing Construction Association; will the Russian market of wooden housing construction be able to compensate for the lost export of sawn timber; EU bans imports of wood pulp and paper from Russia; Egypt imports Russian plywood at record-setting rates; over 9 months of 2022, Russian plywood output reduced by a fourth; Segezha Group reviewed the priority of building new pulp and paper mills in Karelia and the Krasnoyarsk Region; Russian printing houses may shut down due to a shortage of western equipment
November 30, 2022 ` 17:44
Russian Timber Journal 09-2022: Vadim Fidarov, Government Relations Manager, Wooden Housing Construction Association: “Private housing projects are a market of cut-throat competition”; will the Russian market of wooden housing construction be able to compensate for the lost export...
Prices of wood pellets have reached a historical high in Europe
October 7, 2022 ` 19:15
Prices of wood pellets have been extremely consistent in Europe over the past decade. For instance, the average annual growth of wood pellet prices in Germany was only 0.24% from 2012 to 2021. The prices have actually dropped...
In January-August 2022, pellet production in Russia decreased by 12.7%
September 29, 2022 ` 14:44
According to Rosstat, in January-August 2022, the volume of Russian wood pellet production decreased by 12.7% YoY to 1.424 million tons. Production in August compared to July decreased by almost 13% — this is the highest percentage decrease...
