The Wood Warmth Initiative has published a new information brochure entitled “Wood - the great renewable energy”, including recommendations for politicians. The partners of the initiative refer to the EU climate targets, which were tightened again by the European Council in November 2020.
Utilizing wood to reduce CO2
While a CO2 reduction target of 40% was previously in effect, CO2 emissions are now to be reduced by 55% by 2030. “If you want to achieve such an ambitious goal, you have to fully reduce renewable and CO2- include the neutral resource wood for heat supply in the industry, in local heating networks and in buildings in the strategy”, emphasizes Artur Auernhammer, member of the German Bundestag and chairman of the board of the Federal Bioenergy Association (BBE).
Auernhammer supports the promotion of modern and efficient wood central heating and calls for its continuation. This was transferred to the federal subsidy for efficient buildings (BEG) at the beginning of the year.
the largest renewable energy in the heating market
"With a share of around 5 percent of German final energy consumption, wood energy is at the same level as wind energy," emphasizes Andreas Lücke, coordinator of the Holzwärme initiative and managing director of BDH. Many are not aware that wood energy makes up 65% of renewable energies in Germany's largest energy consumption sector, the heating market.
According to Lücke, with reference to data from the Agency for Renewable Raw Materials (FNR), the forest occupies around 11 million hectares, a third of the area of Germany. This is a peak in Europe.
"For years, the German forest has been growing by 1 to 3 percent net, so that sustainable management is guaranteed, especially since only residual and damaged wood is used for energetic utilization, which is out of the question for material utilization.”
Pro-climate protection
The fine dust emissions could also be reduced by over 90%
Christiane Wodtke, managing partner of the manufacturer of pellet stoves and wood-burning stoves of the same name and President of the Industry Association for House, Heating and Kitchen Technology (HKI) adds, “In recent years, our industry has advanced the efficiency of technologies with a high level of research and development."
"Modern stoves and wood heating systems with efficiencies of 85 percent and more manageable with less than half the fuel compared to outdated systems. The fine dust emissions could also be reduced by over 90%.” Against this background, the partners of the initiative are in favor of the accelerated replacement of obsolete systems.
About the initiative
The wood heat initiative is supported by nine associations and institutions from the wood energy and wood heating sectors. The patronage is Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics.
The Holzwärme initiative participates in the energy policy discourse on the contribution of the sustainable and domestic resource wood and its contribution to climate protection.
The Partners of wood heat initiative
The partners include:
- Association of the German Tiled Stove Industry e. V. (AdK)
- Bundesverband Bioenergie e. V. (BBE)
- Federal Association of the Chimney Sweep Trade (ZIV)
- German Energy Wood and Pellet Association V. (DEPV)
- German sawmill and wood industry Bundesverband e. V. (DeSH)
- Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR)
- Industrieverband Haus-, Heiz- und Küchentechnik e. V. (HKI)
- Central Association for Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning (ZVSHK)
- Federal Association of the German Heating Industry V. (BDH)
