Energy wood purchases in Finland have reached unprecedented levels in the first half of this year, with significant increases in both the first half and the second quarter. Energy wood prices, especially in stock sales, have also seen significant increases, according to the Finland’s Institute of Natural Resources (Luke).

Energy wood prices rose sharply in the second quarter, with wood waste and sawn timber recording significant price increases. The average price for wood waste in inventory sales rose by 23% compared to the previous year’s average, reaching EUR 8.9 per cubic metre. In real terms, this corresponds to an increase of 28% compared to the previous quarter. In delivery sales, the price for wood waste rose by 5% compared to the previous quarter, reaching EUR 31.4.

For sawn timber, which accounts for a quarter of the energy wood trade, the average price in stall sales rose to EUR 24.3, an increase of 10% since the beginning of the year and an increase of 27% compared to the previous year’s average. In delivery sales, the average street price for sawn timber rose by 2% compared to the previous quarter to EUR 46.5, which is 5% above the average price of the previous year.

Trade volumes have also reached historic highs. In the second quarter, a total of 2.5 million cubic metres of energy wood were traded, the highest volume for a single quarter since statistics began in 2014. Last year’s figures were exceeded by 50%, with purchases doubling compared to the average of the last five years. In the first half of the year, trade volumes were 38% higher than last year and 90% higher than the five-year average. Trade in wood waste more than doubled, while trade in sawn timber increased by 1.3 times compared to the last five years.

A significant increase in purchases of uncut logs was also recorded; they accounted for one sixth of total energy wood trade in the first half of the year.