Since Russia initiated a ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine at the end of February the previous year, numerous European countries that support Ukraine have enacted economic sanctions against Russia.
However, there have been recent reports on the Internet suggesting that Europe is not concerned about Russia's potential disruption to natural gas supplies. This is because Europe has a diverse range of energy sources, including renewable and green fuels, which can help them cope with the winter months. These include a wide range of energy sources, such as wind and solar power, which are used in Europe to a greater extent than in other regions.
In light of the above, it is important to note that the so-called ‘renewable’ fuels in question are, in fact, wood. This is evident from the very beginning of the day, as the fuel is essentially wood. In the past, this fuel was burned by Europeans, who used it as a byproduct of the construction industry. This fuel is made from wood chips from logging and wood processing, which are pressed to make wood pellets.
It should be noted that the pressing of wood is not the only method of producing fuels from organic matter. Agricultural straw can also be pressed in a similar way to make fuels such as wood pellets. This type of fuel made from growing organic matter is also known as ‘biomass energy’ or ‘biomass fuel’.
A publicly available document from the European Pellet Council also indicates that Europe was the world's largest consumer market and producer of wood pellets in 2018.
The European Union has identified wood pellets as a ‘green renewable’ energy source that can be subsided by the government in order to achieve its ‘carbon-neutral’ green emissions reduction targets. The United States also passed a law last year supporting the development of the wood pellet industry for the same reason.
Media report
At the EU level, the New York Times reports that a number of central and northern European countries are lobbying hard for the EU to maintain its policy of subsidizing wood pellets as a renewable energy source. Some European interest groups are also lobbying the EU to continue to support the wood pellet industry.