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During the last decade wood pellets consumption grew rapidly. In this paper the development of the wood pellet production factors for markets in Germany, Sweden and Portugal are compared. Domestic market prices for pellet production factors as well as domestic market prices for pellets variation are analysed. The analysis are based on two model plants, representing the first common technologies for small scale production based on dry sawdust sources, and the second represents large scale production based on wet materials. The results show how differences in costs of raw materials, energy and labour affects wood pellets production. The economic sustainability for European pellet producers depends on their domestic markets as internationally traded pellets are priced lower than their production costs, being Portugal an exception due to lower labour and raw materials costs. Future pellet production will be based on wet raw materials such as logs and wet sawdust. These raw materials are also demanded by pulp and paper or fiberboard industries. The transition from smaller wood pellets plants using dry raw materials to larger plants using wet raw materials, can be expected to follow comparative advantages regarding raw materials, energy costs and economies of scale.

During the last decade wood pellets consumption grew rapidly. In this paper the development of the wood pellet production factors for markets in Germany, Sweden and Portugal are compared. Domestic market prices for pellet production factors as well as domestic market prices for pellets variation are analysed. The analysis are based on two model plants, representing the first common technologies for small scale production based on dry sawdust sources, and the second represents large scale production based on wet materials. The results show how differences in costs of raw materials, energy and labour affects wood pellets production. The economic sustainability for European pellet producers depends on their domestic markets as internationally traded pellets are priced lower than their production costs, being Portugal an exception due to lower labour and raw materials costs. Future pellet production will be based on wet raw materials such as logs and wet sawdust. These raw materials are also demanded by pulp and paper or fiberboard industries. The transition from smaller wood pellets plants using dry raw materials to larger plants using wet raw materials, can be expected to follow comparative advantages regarding raw materials, energy costs and economies of scale.

Abstract The cork industry presents itself as one of the most entrepreneurial in the Portuguese industrial sector, contributing significantly to the increase of exports. However, it is an industry in which the use of raw materials is maximised leaving a large volume of waste. The cork industry has tried to take advantage of these residues, mainly through direct energy recovery, despite the technical and safety difficulties presented by the use of such low density material, which complicates and hinders its transportation for industrial uses outside the area in which it is produced. The densification process opens new doors for such use and also for its storage, because it produces better results when compared with other more common products, such as wood sawdust or even forest and agricultural waste. Thus, cork pellets emerge as a safer and more easily transportable alternative for energy recovery from cork dust and other granulated types of cork waste, which offer the prospects for wider use. The results demonstrate that cork pellets have higher calorific value when compared with other biomass pellets; typically, approximately 20 MJ/kg with 3% volume of ashes, which is equivalent to that obtained from the combustion of pellets produced from combined forest and agricultural waste with a bulk density of 750 kg/m 3 , which offers real advantages in terms of logistics.

Abstract The cork industry presents itself as one of the most entrepreneurial in the Portuguese industrial sector, contributing significantly to the increase of exports. However, it is an industry in which the use of raw materials is maximised leaving a large volume of waste. The cork industry has tried to take advantage of these residues, mainly through direct energy recovery, despite the technical and safety difficulties presented by the use of such low density material, which complicates and hinders its transportation for industrial uses outside the area in which it is produced. The densification process opens new doors for such use and also for its storage, because it produces better results when compared with other more common products, such as wood sawdust or even forest and agricultural waste. Thus, cork pellets emerge as a safer and more easily transportable alternative for energy recovery from cork dust and other granulated types of cork waste, which offer the prospects for wider use. The results demonstrate that cork pellets have higher calorific value when compared with other biomass pellets; typically, approximately 20 MJ/kg with 3% volume of ashes, which is equivalent to that obtained from the combustion of pellets produced from combined forest and agricultural waste with a bulk density of 750 kg/m 3 , which offers real advantages in terms of logistics.