Wood in energy generation 2023

A total of 22.6 million cubic (44,3 terawatt hours) metres of solid wood fuels was consumed by heating and power plants in 2023, showing a decrease of 2% from the previous year. The consumption of forest chips increased by 8%, while the volume of forest industry by-products decreased by 9%. Combined with the fuelwood burned in small-scale housing, the total consumption of wood fuels was 29.5 million cubic metres

Heating and power plants

• In 2023, heating and power plants consumed a total of 22.6 million cubic metres (44,3 TWh) of solid wood fuels, showing a decrease of 2% from the previous year. 
• The consumption of forest chips was 11.0 million cubic metres, up by 8% from the previous year.
• Combined heat and power plants (CHP) consumed a total of 7.0 million cubic metres of forest chips (+7%). In heat generation alone, the consumption of forest chips increased by 10% to 4.1 million cubic metres.
• Of all forest chips, 7.7 million cubic metres were chips from roundwood. The use of roundwood chips increased by 12% compared to the previous year. Of this total, 6.7 million cubic metres was small-sized trees and 1.0 million cubic metres was large-sized timber. The consumption of logging residues was 1% lower than in the previous year, totalling 3.0 million cubic metres. The energy consumption of stumps remained at the same level as the previous year, at 0.3 million cubic metres.
• The consumption of different solid forest industry by-products was 10.1 million cubic metres (-9%). Of this amount, bark accounted for 6.0 million cubic metres (-10%), industrial chips 1.2 million cubic metres (-12%), different types of sawdust 2.7 million cubic metres (-8%), and unidentified mixture of industrial residues 0.2 million cubic metres. 
• The consumption of recycled wood was 1.1 million cubic metres (-13%). In addition, a total of 0,4 million tonnes (-13%), of wood pellets and briquettes were consumed.
• The consumption of solid wood fuels was the highest in the region of Uusimaa (2.5 million cubic metres). The most forest industry by-products and wood residues were consumed in the region of South Karelia (1.5 million cubic metres). The consumption of forest chips was the highest in the region of Uusimaa (1.8 million cubic metres).

Small-scale burning of wood

• Information about the small-scale burning of wood is based on a sampling survey for the 2016/2017 heating season.
• Small-scale burning – small-scale housing and farms – accounted for 6.9 million solid cubic metres 

The statistics are published in March 2024 as a preliminary release. Compared to the preliminary statistics, the use of solid wood fuels increased by about 0.2 million cubic metres, or about 0.4 TWh, due to the revision of the data for heat-only and CHP plants.