Wood in energy generation 2024

A total of 22.0 million cubic meters (43,1 terawatt hours) of solid wood fuels was consumed by heat-only and combined heat and power plants in 2024, showing a decrease of 3% from the previous year. The consumption of forest chips decreased by 5%, while the volume of forest industry by-products remained on same level with the previous year. Combined with the fuelwood burned in small-scale housing, the total consumption of solid wood fuels was 28.9 million cubic metres

Heat-only and combined heat and power plants

• In 2024, heat-only and CHP plants consumed a total of 22.0 million cubic metres (43,1 TWh) of solid wood fuels, showing a decrease of 3% from the previous year.
• The consumption of forest chips was 10.5 million cubic metres, down by 5% from the previous year.
• Combined heat and power plants (CHP) consumed a total of 6.4 million cubic metres of forest chips (-8%). In heat generation alone, the consumption of forest chips decreased by 1% to 4.0 million cubic metres.
• Of all forest chips, 7.6 million cubic metres were chips from roundwood. The use of roundwood chips decreased by 1% compared to the previous year. The consumption of logging residues was 13% lower than in the previous year, totalling 2.6 million cubic metres. The energy use of stumps decreased by a quarter to 0.2 million cubic metres.
• The consumption of different solid forest industry by-products remained on same level with the previous year at 10.1 million cubic metres. Of this amount, bark accounted for 6.0 million cubic metres (-1%), industrial chips 1.2 million cubic metres (-1%), different types of sawdust 2.7 million cubic metres (+4%), and unidentified mixture of industrial residues 0.2 million cubic metres.
• The consumption of recycled wood was 1.1 million cubic metres (-4%). In addition, a total of 0,4 million tonnes of wood pellets and briquettes were consumed.
• The consumption of solid wood fuels was the highest in the region of Uusimaa (2.6 million m³), where the highest consumption of forest chips was also recorded (1.7 million m³). The most forest industry by-products and wood residues were consumed in the region of South Karelia (1.4 million m³). 

Small-scale burning of wood

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

Background information on the statistics

The statistics cover only the annual consumption of solid wood fuels. In addition, wood energy includes waste sludge from the forest industry, such as black liquor. Statistics Finland is responsible for recording their consumption and publishing the data. Data on the use of solid wood fuels are collected once a year from heat-only and CHP plants. The figures on small wood combustion are based on a separate sample survey carried out every ten years or so.

Read more on the Statistics changes and corrections page. 

*The statistics were published in March 2025 as preliminary figures. The preliminary data on wood energy use in 2024 was updated to final figures on November 5, 2025. Compared to the preliminary statistics, the total use of solid wood fuels decreased by approximately 0.05 million cubic meters, or approximately 0.1 terawatt hours, as the data from heat-only and CHP plants became more accurate.