Wood in energy generation 2025 (provisional)

According to the preliminary data of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), a total of 20.8 million cubic metres (40.8 terawatt hours) of solid wood fuels was consumed by heat-only and combined heat and power plants in 2025, showing a decrease of 5% from the previous year. The consumption of forest chips decreased by 13%, while the volume of forest industry by-products increased by 3%. When combined with the fuelwood burned in small-scale housing, the total consumption of solid wood fuels amounted to 27.7 million cubic metres.

Heat-only and combined heat and power plants

• In 2025, heat-only and CHP plants consumed a total of 20.8 million cubic metres (40.8 TWh) of solid wood fuels, showing a decrease of 5% from the previous year.
• The consumption of forest chips was 9.1 million cubic metres, down by 13% from the previous year.
• Combined heat and power plants (CHP) consumed a total of 5.6 million cubic metres of forest chips (–13%). At heat-only plants, the consumption of forest chips decreased by 14% to 3.5 million cubic metres.
• Of all forest chips, 6.3 million cubic metres were chips produced from roundwood. The use of roundwood chips decreased by 17% compared to the previous year. The consumption of logging residues was 3% lower than in the previous year, totalling 2.6 million cubic metres. The energy use of stumps decreased by one-tenth to 0.2 million cubic metres.
• The consumption of different solid forest industry by-products increased from the previous year, totalling 10.4 million cubic metres. Of this amount, bark accounted for 6.4 million cubic metres (+7%), industrial chips 1.0 million cubic metres (–13%), various types of sawdust 2.8 million cubic metres (+2%), and unidentified mixtures of industrial residues 0.2 million cubic metres.
• The consumption of recycled wood was 1.0 million cubic metres (–6%). In addition, a total of 460,000 tonnes of wood pellets and briquettes were consumed (+15%).
• The consumption of solid wood fuels was the highest in the region of Uusimaa (2.5 million m³), where the highest consumption of forest chips was also recorded (1.5 million m³). The largest consumption of forest industry by-products and wood residues was recorded in the region of South Karelia (1.3 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 to these, wood energy also 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‑scale wood combustion are based on a separate sample survey carried out approximately every ten years. Statistical data for the 2025/2026 heating season regarding small‑scale wood burning will be updated in late 2026. The changes in consumption volumes and percentages presented in this publication reflect the difference in the number of cubic metres recorded between 2024 and 2025.