MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko will study the production and use of wood pellets during his visit to Petrikov District, Gomel Oblast, BelTA has learned.
The head of state will inspect the Lyaskovichi wood processing complex of the Pripyatsky National Park. Aleksandr Lukashenko will study the modernization of the sawmill and the use of pellets. The president will be shown samples of domestically produced boiler equipment running on pellets.
The president spoke about plans to examine the state of affairs in this industry and to take stock of progress to implement his instructions the day before, while visiting Lyuban District, Minsk Oblast. Several years ago Aleksandr Lukashenko ordered to increase the use of local fuels and promote the production of pellets from wood waste.
“Some time ago, I gave an instruction to construct several pellet production facilities. There is an abundance of waste in the forests: everything should be processed and turned into pellets for heating buildings. We started production, then faced sanctions, and people complained that we had no one to sell it to. But we do not need to sell: let’s use it domestically. We have boilers, we can replace natural gas, oil, and petroleum products with wood chips and pellets. We will see how an ordinary enterprise has been modernized and what products it now manufactures. Processing wood waste is our future. There is plenty of it in the forests. I want to see significant results. People don't care about what they use to heat their homes. We are burning what would otherwise go to waste, and we are getting both benefits and efficiency from it.”
The Forestry Ministry told BelTA that 64 pellet production facilities with a total capacity of about 900,000 tonnes per year are operational in Belarus. Of these, the annual capacity of pellet production facilities affiliated with the Forestry Ministry is 372,000 tonnes per year, including 200,000 tonnes made from sawmill waste.
The global consumption of pellets is estimated at about 31 million tonnes per year.
In 2024, the enterprises affiliated with the Forestry Ministry sold 34,400 tonnes of pellets (mainly on the domestic market). In January-April 2025, they sold 29,800 tonnes, up 3.2 times year-on-year.
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