Wood pellets from the Czech Republic

Raw material availability

Forest land covers 34.2% of the Czech Republic (2,697,956 ha), and stocked forest 33.2%^[51]. Forest cover is therefore slightly higher than in Poland. For pellet producers, the key resources are residues from sawmills and wood-processing plants, and stemwood — the only raw-material groups permitted in ENplus class A1^[1].

In recent years, timber availability in the Czech Republic has been shaped to a large extent by the bark beetle outbreak. Timber harvesting rose from 16.16 million m³ in 2015 to 35.75 million m³ in 2020, then fell to 18.49 million m³ in 2023 and 17.80 million m³ in 2024^[51]. The market has thus moved from a period of oversupply of spruce timber towards gradual normalisation.

Typical wood species

According to the third national forest inventory (NIL3, 2016–2020), coniferous species cover 54.9% of the area (previously 57.5%) and Norway spruce 40.3% (previously 42.9%). The share of beech has risen to 11.1% (from 10.0%), and broadleaved species together account for 45.1%^[51].

Spruce is thus the most important species for the Czech wood industry and, naturally, a common raw material for wood pellets. In Nordic data, debarked stemwood typically has 0.3–0.7% ash on a dry basis, and the calorific value of dry spruce wood is 19.05 MJ/kg^[44]. More about this raw material in the article spruce pellets. The bag may, however, just as well contain mixed or hardwood pellets — the species is always the declaration of a specific producer.

The wood industry and the bark beetle outbreak

The bark beetle outbreak is about more than harvest figures. In 2024, salvage felling (Felling forced by damage (insects, wind, drought) rather than by the forest management plan.)Felling forced by damage (insects, wind, drought) rather than by the forest management plan. amounted to about 8 million m³ (45% of the harvest), roughly 30% less than the approximately 11 million m³ in 2023. Felling due to biotic causes fell to 2.4 million m³ (from 5.6 million m³ in 2023) and related almost entirely to bark beetle in spruce stands^[51].

For the wood industry, this meant years of working with a very large supply of spruce timber and, now, a return to smaller, more predictable volumes. We do not know to what extent these changes have affected the production and raw material of Czech pellet plantsData require verification: No verified data on the impact of the bark beetle outbreak on wood pellet production in the Czech Republic. It is reasonable to assume that the raw-material mix has changed at some plants — and that it is worth asking about.

Wood pellet exports

Wood pellets from the Czech Republic are present on the Polish market, but we have no verified data on the volume of Czech exports or on Poland's share as a buyerData require verification: No verified data on wood pellet exports from the Czech Republic. For this reason we give no figures and make no judgement as to whether Czech pellets are “popular” in Poland.

For the buyer, what matters more is who produced the specific batch. A Czech brand may be packed in another country and vice versa — the serial number mandatory on ENplus bags identifies the packing company, the plant and the date of packing^[2].

Uptake of certification

The Czech Republic has a national ENplus licenser — the Czech Pellet Cluster^[9]. A licenser manages the scheme in its country on behalf of the international ENplus management^[1]. The presence of a licenser points to an organised industry, but it does not mean that all Czech wood pellets are certified.

Certified Czech companies have an ENplus number with the prefix CZ (producers CZ 001–299)^[5]. The register can be filtered by country and status^[3]. What proportion of Czech production is certified, we do not knowData require verification: No data on the share of certified production in the Czech Republic.

Logistics to Poland

The Czech Republic shares a long border with Poland — from Lower Silesia to Cieszyn Silesia — and is a member of the European Union, so wood pellets move without customs clearance. Wholesale deliveries usually go by road as a full truckload (in trade practice about 22–24 t), as bagged pellets on pallets, in big bags or loose. We do not give transport costs or times — they depend on the location of the plant and the customer, and on timing.

Wood pellets placed on the Polish market must meet the national quality requirements^[36], whatever the country of production. For bulk deliveries, bear in mind that the ENplus fines limit (≤ 1.0%) applies at the time of loading at the producer^[1] — handling along the way can increase that share.

Potential risks

• Variable raw material. During and after the outbreak, the raw-material mix at a plant may have changed. ENplus prohibits the use of rotten or contaminated raw material or raw material with a high bark content^[1], and bark has many times more ash than stemwood^[44].
• Species declarations. “Spruce” or “softwood” on the bag is a declaration; if in doubt, ask for written information on the raw material.
• Misuse of the mark. False ENplus markings and forged certificates occur throughout Europe^[6].
• Intermediaries. A long trading chain makes it harder to establish the producer and the production date.

Why check the specific producer

The country of origin is no guarantee of quality — we assess the specific product, producer and batch. Czech raw-material conditions and an organised certification scheme are a good starting point, but it is the plant that decides the quality of wood pellets from the Czech Republic. Before buying, it is worth checking the ENplus number in the register (including its status: active, suspended, terminated), comparing the print on the bag with the company details in the register, asking for a current test report and asking about the raw material.

Details: certificate verification, laboratory testing and how to choose wood pellets.