An extensive study, which was carried out by the Austrian research organisation BEA Institute for Bioenergy GmbH, has come to the conclusion that a conversion from oil to pellets – taking both production and consumption into account – would result in a CO₂ reduction of 98.1 %. The study analysed data from Austrian pellet plants, which represent 41% of the country’s total production.
This 98.1% saving would be achieved when using Austrian pellets. Even when using bagged pellets, there is still a significant reduction of 97.9%. Additionally, for pellets imported from the main supplier countries, an average CO2 reduction of 95.2% would be achieved.
This study therefore confirms that heating with pellets is an environmentally friendly and sustainable form of heating!
(Source: propellets.at)
How does Austrian pellet production contribute to CO2 reduction?
- Pellet production facilities are mostly integrated into sawmills, which eliminates the need for additional transportation of wood chips for processing.
- The heat supply for these plants is predominantly provided by biomass — mainly bark, which is generated on site.
- This sustainable energy and resource utilisation reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
Between 2023 and 2024, eleven new pellet production facilities are expected to be established in Austria. This will increase total production from 643,000 tonnes to 2,363,000 tonnes, allowing for the growing demand for pellet heating systems to be met.
98.1% less CO2 means a significant environmental benefit:
- Local forests, soils, and waters are protected, and sustainable habitats are preserved.
- Reduced CO2 and other pollutants lower air pollution, which benefits the health of both people and nature.
- Less CO2 emissions slow global warming and help mitigate climate change.
Pellets vs. heating oil: Cost savings & CO2 reduction
To make the CO2 savings more understandable, we have calculated them using a concrete example:
A family requires 3,000 litres of heating oil (extra light heating oil) per year for their detached house with an oil heating system. If this family had switched to pellet heating since 2020, the following savings would have been achieved:
- € 6,454 in heating costs
- 41 tonnes of CO2
This means:
- Had the family been heating with pellets since 2020, they would have saved € 6,454 in heating costs compared to heating with oil (extra light heating oil).
- Additionally, 41 tonnes of CO2 could have been saved! This corresponds to the CO2 emissions of a mid-sized car over a distance of 267,566 km (with a consumption of 6 litres of diesel or 7 litres of petrol per 100 km).
The advantages of buffer storage
In addition to the high savings on heating costs and the significant contribution to protecting our environment, Germany introduced CO₂ pricing for heating and transport at the beginning of 2021.
What does this mean in concrete terms?
Companies that put heating oil on the market, for example, are obliged to purchase emission rights for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the fuel. The price for CO₂ is initially €25 per ton and will gradually increase to €55 (in 2025).
Switching from oil to pellets: advantages at a glance
- Reduction of emissions by up to 98.1
- Cost reduction of up to 30
- Extensive opportunities for subsidies
This makes saving energy and also using climate-friendly technologies, such as heating with biomass, even more attractive.
Subsidies are available for a wide range of biomass heating systems such as pellet, wood chip and log wood heating systems – so you can also save money on environmentally friendly heating.
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