Biomass Pellet Price Desk — FOB & CFR Weekly Intelligence

Feedstock specifications & GCV reference

Typical values — actual specs vary by supplier and batch. Always verify with COA.

Feedstock

GCV kcal/kg

GJ/MT

Moisture

Ash

Wood pellets

4,200

17.58

≤10%

≤1.5%

Rice husk pellets

3,400

14.24

≤12%

≤18%

Mustard husk pellets

3,600

15.07

≤12%

≤8%

Cotton stalk pellets

3,500

14.65

≤12%

≤10%

Groundnut shell pellets

3,800

15.91

≤10%

≤6%

ENplus A1 wood pellets require GCV ≥16.5 GJ/MT, ash ≤0.7%, moisture ≤10%. Indian agri-residue pellets serve co-firing and industrial heat markets and are not ENplus-certifiable.

How prices are collected

🔁

Phase 1 — Active

Weekly calls with 5+ producers. Manual entry every Monday.

📬

Phase 2 — Soon

Verified suppliers submit their own FOB prices via dashboard.

🔌

Phase 3 — Planned

API connections with global trade data providers.

Global commodity benchmarks

Reference price ranges — these move the biomass market. Coal sets the parity ceiling; shipping rates set the export margin.

Newcastle coal

~$95–105

/MT

Global power plant benchmark. Sets the energy parity ceiling for biomass buyers worldwide.

US Gulf wood pellets

~$160–175

/MT

Industrial-grade utility pellets. Benchmark for EU utility procurement from North America.

Baltic wood pellets

~$155–170

/MT

FOB Baltic Sea. Primary supply corridor for Scandinavian and German heating markets.

⚠️ These are indicative market ranges, not real-time data. Sources: EIA Densified Biomass Fuel Report, Argus Media, Bioenergy International. PelletDesk is building direct price tracking for each segment.

What's moving the market

🇪🇺

EU RED III compliance deadlines High impact

Power plants across Europe accelerating biomass procurement to meet 2030 renewable targets. Driving demand for certified (ENplus/SURE) wood pellets.

🇯🇵

Japan FIT-driven utility demand High impact

Japan's Feed-in Tariff program sustains high wood pellet imports — primarily from Vietnam, Canada, and the US. CFR Yokohama is a key global benchmark.

🇮🇳

India SAMARTH co-firing mandate Watch

NTPC plants required to blend 5% biomass by 2025. Compliance at ~2.3% currently — creating sustained demand for Indian agri-residue pellets.

🚢

Red Sea freight disruptions Watch

Rerouting via Cape of Good Hope adds 10–14 days and $8–15/MT to Europe-bound shipments. Track Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) as a real-time freight signal.

🌱

EUDR supply chain traceability High impact

EU Deforestation Regulation requires documented proof of deforestation-free origin from 2025. Favours suppliers with FSC/PEFC chain-of-custody certification.

Certifications buyers ask for

ENplus A1

Premium wood pellets for EU residential and small industrial buyers. GCV ≥16.5 GJ/MT, ash ≤0.7%, moisture ≤10%.

ENplus A2

Industrial wood pellets. Relaxed ash spec (≤1.2%). Used by larger co-firing and district heat plants.

FSC / PEFC

Forest chain-of-custody certification. Required by EUDR-compliant buyers importing from 2025 onwards.

SURE / RED III

Sustainability verification for EU co-firing and utility procurement. Mandatory for power plant contracts.

ISO 17225

International standard covering pellet grades for industrial and residential use globally.

SGS / Intertek COA

Certificate of Analysis — moisture, GCV, ash, sulphur. Required documentation for every shipped cargo.

⚡ Pellet value calculator

Max price you can pay for pellets to match your fossil fuel energy cost.

Fossil fuel price ($/MT)

Fossil fuel GCV (kcal/kg)

Pellet type

Max pellet price at energy parity

$—

per MT · USD

💧 Moisture-adjusted cost

True dry-basis cost per MT.

Quoted price ($/MT)

Moisture % (from COA)

Effective dry-basis cost

$—/MT

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Disclaimer

Prices are indicative, sourced from producer conversations and publicly available trade data. PelletDesk is not a licensed price reporting agency. Always verify with counterparties before trading.

Biomass pellet price intelligence