Vietnam exported around 3.2 million tonnes of fuel pellets of various types last year, making it the world’s second largest exporter of the products, according to the General Department of Customs.
The Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association (VIFOREST) reported that Vietnamese pellets were mostly exported to Japan and the Republic of Korea to provide input for thermal power production.
Pellets are biomass fuel generally made from wood wastes, such as wood shavings, sawdust, and logging residues; and agricultural wastes, for example, rice husks, corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, and coffee pulps.
The country’s shipment of pellets rocketed to 3.2 million tonnes last year from just 175.5 tonnes in 2013. The export revenue increased 15.3 fold from nearly 23 million USD in 2013 to 351 million USD in 2020.
Vietnam has about 80 pellet factories and production facilities, mostly in the southeastern and northeastern regions, with combined capacity of close to 4.5 million tonnes per year.
The VIFOREST forecast the global demand for pellets is likely to spur about 250 percent over the next decade, to 36 million tonnes in 2030./.
Source: VNA