“We have to realize that we are currently indirectly financing the war with our energy bills,” said Franz Titschenbacher, President of the Austrian Biomass Association, at an online press conference. Titschenbacher presented a package of measures with Christian Rakos, Managing Director of proPellets Austria, Rudolf Rosenstatter, Chairman of the Austrian Forest Association, and Environmental Umbrella Association Managing Director Gerald Pfiffinger.
Among other things, this provides for the conversion of the existing gas infrastructure to renewable energies, a “forest care bonus” and a strict refusal to put forest areas out of use. If the use of wood energy were to be promoted, part of the gas supply could be compensated for, said Titschenbacher. Austria obtains 80 percent of its gas needs and ten percent of its crude oil needs from Russia. In contrast, the domestic production of firewood, pellets or wood chips exceeds consumption in Austria.
The annual logging in Germany is 18.5 million cubic meters. However, there is a usage reserve of another 250 million solid cubic meters without causing lasting damage to the forests, Rosenstatter calculated. According to statistics, the forest in Austria grows by 80,000 solid cubic meters every day, and wood is used as an energy source in a closed cycle.
Environmental umbrella organization Managing Director Pfiffinger emphasized that political will is needed to make the transition to renewable energies faster in view of the current events in Ukraine. Wood and products made from wood played a central role in the energy transition, but not the only one. On the one hand, a mix with other offers (photovoltaic, wind power) is necessary, on the other hand, efforts must be made to reduce overall energy consumption in general.
Source: Nachrichten
