China is a bit of a mystery for wood pellet producers. With its large population, its reliance on coal, and its insatiable energy demand, China could eventually see the benefits of using wood pellets to lower GHG emissions and reduce pollution.

The Chinese government has taken its pollution issue so seriously. In its 13th 5 Year Plan (2016 to 2020), China intends to achieve an electrical mix that includes 20 per cent “Non-Fossil Fuel” with an overall target of emitting less than 550g CO2 per kWh of electricity produced. The cynical will see that their categorisation as non-fossil, would catch everything including hydro and nuclear, so the 20 per cent target is perhaps not as meaningful as it could be. However, the same 5 Year Plan targets 50 per cent non-fossil fuel by 2050, and whilst this might be a long time in the future, this is a very meaningful number that will require biomass in the mix in a serious way.