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Russian wood pellet exporters are still shipping significant volumes to Turkey, underpinning concerns some may be repackaged and exported to Europe, thereby evading an ongoing EU-wide embargo<\/span>, according to an ongoing Montel investigation.<\/p>\n Russia exported 39,000 tonnes of wood pellets to Turkey in the first four months of 2023, up from zero in the same period last year, based on data provided to Montel by Moscow-based forest industry agency.<\/p>\n While Q1 shipments of the fuel \u2013 which can be used in power generation but also for domestic and regional heating \u2013 were relatively low, at around 6,000 tonnes\/month, they rose to more than 20,000 tonnes in April, the data showed.<\/p>\n Total Russian exports to Turkey in 2022 \u2013 which only began in July, after the EU ban on Russian and Belarussian imports took effect in early summer, in response to the war in Ukraine \u2013 amounted to around 175,000 tonnes.<\/p>\n Sudden surge<\/strong><\/p>\n Turkish Statistical Agency figures showed combined imports from Russia and Belarus totalling 11,000 tonnes\/month in the first quarter, up from zero in the same period last year, with April 2023 data yet to emerge.<\/p>\n And Turkey\u2019s exports \u2013 mainly to EU destinations \u2013 totalled 4,200 tonnes\/month in January-March, which was down sharply from 21,000 tonnes\/month in Q4 2022 but still higher than the 3,400 tonnes\/month average in the first quarter of last year, the Turkish data showed.<\/p>\n Notably, Italy took around 1,300 tonnes\/month from Turkey in the first quarter and a considerable 5,200 tonnes\/month in Q4 2022, up from just 36 tonnes\/month in Q1 2022.<\/p>\n Prior to the ban on Russian and Belarus material, Italy had been taking around 5,200 tonnes\/month directly from Russia, according to Eurostat data.<\/p>\n A European biomass trader said it was \u201cfunny\u201d how the Italian buyers had \u201csuddenly taken a liking\u201d to Turkish biomass.<\/p>\n But he noted wood pellet prices had become \u201ca lot softer\u201d in recent months, \u201cso the Italians can score pellets elsewhere\u201d.<\/p>\n Montel has reported several times in recent months on mounting evidence that Russian wood pellets were being repackaged and recertified in Turkey for onwards shipment to European destinations.<\/p>\n Falling incidence<\/strong><\/p>\n But such incidences may have dropped as EU authorities and buyers become more stringent in their background checks.<\/p>\n Speaking on condition of anonymity, a sales manager with an Austrian wood pellet firm, said he had received many offers from Turkish sellers for wood pellets \u2013 which he believed were of Russian origin \u2013 in the second half of last year but none in recent months.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had many offers from Poland, and some from Ukraine but nothing suspect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Also, despite there still being a shortage of material in Europe for which Turkey could help plug the gap, the country had unaccountably reduced exports to Europe in the January-March period five-fold from Q4.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrently in the Nordics, there are concerns regarding the restocking of biomass,\u201d said Arne Bergvik, energy strategist at Stockholm-based consultancy Sigholm Tech.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sourcing for next winter is currently ongoing but it is harder than usual to secure volumes and prices,\u201d he said, adding Europe had been \u201cstripped\u201d of significant biomass imports from Belarus and Russia, which some estimates pegged at over 3m tonnes\/year.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Russian wood pellet exporters are still shipping significant volumes to Turkey, underpinning concerns some may be repackaged and exported to Europe, thereby evading an ongoing EU-wide embargo, according to an ongoing Montel investigation. Russia exported 39,000 tonnes of wood pellets … Continue reading