Forest-based industries producing wood-based panels, pulp and paper could see a dramatic shortfall of wood by 2010, if competition from the energy sector for wood raw material continues.
This is the message from the European Panel Federation (EPF) and the Confederation of European Paper Industries, who are stressing that wood should be given priority as a raw material for forest-based industries, and should only be used for energy production at the end of its life cycle.
According to the EPF, the use of biomass for energy consumption is increasing, mainly in Sweden, as the production of primary energy was boosted in recent years, while the electricity production from wood-based biomass in the EU doubled in less than 10 years.
