German wood sector groups caution against blanket priority for material use

Industry associations representing German wood energy, forest owners and family forestry businesses say that a blanket policy giving material use of wood precedence over energy use would ignore market realities. Recent data shows fiber‑wood consumption in the paper and pulp industry fell from 10.6 million fm in 2010 to 7.6 million fm in 2025, while saw‑mill output of about 17 million m³ now far exceeds the roughly 9 million m³ demanded for material applications. Production in the wood‑based panels sector has also declined, from 7.9 million m³ in 2019 to 7.1 million m³ in 2024. The groups argue that the declining sales of low‑grade wood for material purposes mean additional bureaucratic rules would unnecessarily restrict functional markets, depress wood prices and jeopardise sustainable energy‑wood use. They call for a market‑oriented approach, noting that energetic and material utilisation are complementary parts of a sustainable bio‑economy. Marlene Mortler, chair of the Fachverband Holzenergie, said: “Wood energy is not a competitor of material use, but an indispensable part of holistic wood utilisation.”