Could Small Scale Wood Pellet Manufacturing Help Revitalize the Forest Products Industry?

The forest products industry has taken a big hit withhave been occasional problems with pellet shortages.
the slowdown in the economy. Without peopleAs fossil fuel prices rise and as consumers are looking
building new homes there is a low demand forfor green alternatives and renewable sources of
traditional forest products like lumber which had beenenergy, pellets are starting to get more attention as
devastating to many forest products industries. Anan alternative source of energy. Because of this,
exception to this is wood pellet manufacturing whichdemand for pellet manufacturing will likely continue to
has not only remained steady but the demand isincrease and be an opportunity for the forest
rising.products industry.
Both firewood and pellets are unique when it comesPellet mill technology has been changing in recent
to forest products in that they are a consumableyears and there is a new trend of making smaller
product that consumers buy year after year. As thescale pellet mills. These lower production mills are
timber industry suffers from cutbacks and millbecoming affordable for small production operations
closures my own firewood business continues toand even consumers to enter the wood pellet
thrive and grow. No matter what the economy ismanufacturing market.
doing people still want to stay warm.This opens up opportunity for small wood products
Pellets as a source of heat came onto the scene inbusinesses and small forest land owners and
the late 70's but have been slow to compete withmanagers to manufacture and sell pellets. It also
cheap and abundant electricity, oil and natural gas.gives home owners the ability to manufacture their
Heating with pellets made a big hit with consumersown pellets the way wood stove users can make
but from time to time wood pellet manufacturingtheir own firewood.
hasn't been able to keep up with demand and there