With Jack Frost having barely having shown his face in Germany this winter so far, waste wood supply has remained high to very high for this time of year through January. Consequently, winter stockpiles have either been drawn down no more than scheduled and are slow to empty, or have not been touched at all yet. Biomass power plant operators all agreed that they had successfully managed the logistical challenges associated with the short working weeks around Christmas and New Year in 2019. The majority of plant operators and waste wood processors are not at all concerned by supply.
Describing present waste wood arisings, the majority of market players mentioned stability and good intake to the time of year, alongside high gate fees still charged by dedicated waste incineration plants. The economic slump was only evident in the automotive or machine building industries, and some wood packaging fractions were partly affected, typically higher-end material.
On the other hand, consistently high volumes have been coming from the construction sector since mid-January. There were no signs of an economic downswing, let alone crash in the bulky waste fraction, either. However, persistently good construction activity means that there is a volume shift among waste wood arisings towards the A IV category (waste wood containing preservatives or other hazardous substances).
Our online subscribers can access the full report immediately here.
The full market report on the waste wood market in Germany also appears in EUWID Recycling & Waste Management 3/2020 published on 5 February.
