The pellets sector in France. A sector to be structured within a context of quick market internationalisation

Pellets are a better fuel than the conventional wood-energy product (logs) because of the better performance of equipment in terms of energy efficiency and of compliance with environmental standards. Pellets have become a competitive and attractive product. This resulted in a very strong increase of demand during the past years, notably in the French residential market. The authors report a study of this sector. They show that structural problems of the French wood sector tend to increase strains on demand in Western European countries. Due to the characteristics of this product which has become a commodity product, a global logic is replacing the initially local dynamics of this wood-energy market. They show that these characteristics and the market globalization therefore modify the expertise of actors who want to take position on this market, and that the development of international flows requires the development of new abilities and logistic infrastructures on the French territory