<\/p>\n
Germany is seeing a more pronounced price correction than headline averages suggest. By the third week of March, bulk pellet prices dropped to around \u20ac378\/t for a standard 6-tonne delivery, down \u20ac22 compared with late February when prices were still above \u20ac400\/t.<\/p>\n
Bagged pellets followed the same direction, easing to roughly \u20ac410\/t, about \u20ac15 lower month-on-month. The decline comes after a volatile winter, when prices surged to their highest levels in nearly three years before reversing.<\/p>\n
The key driver is demand, not supply. Buying activity has fallen sharply. Most households are delaying purchases, expecting further declines in April, which is consistent with long-term seasonal patterns. Only a small share of buyers\u2014around 6%\u2014are currently active, typically those with depleted stocks.<\/p>\n
Order sizes have shrunk, often below three tonnes, and delivery times have shortened from 24 to 18 days, confirming weaker demand. At the same time, market monitoring activity among consumers remains high, suggesting that buyers are actively timing the market rather than exiting it.<\/p>\n
Austria<\/strong><\/p>\n Austria shows a more stable adjustment. Prices declined slightly to around \u20ac406\/t in March, following a winter peak reached in February.<\/p>\n The earlier increase was driven by cold weather, strong residential demand and tighter availability of raw materials. While the March decline reflects easing seasonal pressure, prices remain significantly higher than mid-2025 levels.<\/p>\n The market has not fundamentally loosened. Production costs remain elevated, and supply conditions continue to depend on sawmill activity and the availability of residues such as sawdust. As a result, the current decline is gradual rather than corrective.<\/p>\n Further modest declines are expected in the coming months, but the overall level suggests that underlying cost pressure remains firmly in place.<\/p>\n Switzerland<\/strong><\/p>\n Switzerland remains the most stable market in the region. Prices declined only marginally from CHF 509.70\/t (\u20ac522\/t) in February to CHF 508.80\/t (\u20ac521\/t) in March.<\/p>\n This stability contrasts with developments in fossil fuel markets. Heating oil prices have risen above CHF 120 per 100 litres (\u20ac123), while concerns about gas supply and storage levels have re-emerged across Europe.<\/p>\n Pellets, largely sourced domestically, continue to show a more gradual and predictable price development. This has reinforced their role as a stable heating option, particularly for households seeking protection from energy market volatility.<\/p>\n Poland<\/strong><\/p>\n Poland stands out for its volatility and strong structural demand growth.<\/p>\n During the winter season, pellet prices increased sharply as supply tightened. Certified A1 pellets were typically priced in the range of PLN 1,500\u20131,900\/t (\u20ac335\u2013\u20ac425\/t) at the start of the year, but as availability declined, prices rose significantly.<\/p>\n In peak periods, prices moved toward PLN 2,000\u20132,500\/t (\u20ac440\u2013\u20ac550\/t), with reported transactions in some regions reaching up to PLN 3,000\/t (around \u20ac660\/t) when supply became critically tight.<\/p>\n Outside peak conditions, more typical price levels remain lower, often ranging between PLN 1,000 and 1,800\/t (\u20ac220\u2013\u20ac400\/t), depending on quality, certification and delivery conditions. However, the winter period demonstrated how quickly the market can tighten when supply constraints coincide with strong demand.<\/p>\n The underlying issue is structural. Poland already consumes around 2.2 million tonnes of pellets annually, with approximately 1.5 million tonnes used by households. The number of pellet heating systems continues to grow and could reach 800,000 by 2030.<\/p>\n At the same time, domestic production faces constraints linked to raw material availability, sawmill output and competition from the energy sector. As a result, the market is expected to rely increasingly on imports, introducing additional uncertainty into future pricing.<\/p>\n Central Europe: seasonal easing, but no fundamental relief<\/strong><\/p>\n Across Central Europe, pellet prices are now easing as the heating season ends. However, this adjustment is driven primarily by lower demand rather than improved supply conditions.<\/p>\n Structural constraints remain unchanged. Raw material availability is still limited, production capacity has not expanded sufficiently, and demand continues to grow, particularly in residential heating.<\/p>\n At the same time, rising fossil fuel prices and renewed energy security concerns are reinforcing the role of pellets as an alternative heating source. This supports demand even as seasonal consumption declines.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n