Successful development of pellets market in Upper Austria
Pellets market sector is Upper Austria has rapidly grown during last years. The core of such successful development lies in the fact of comprehensive measures mix incorporation, beginning from informational and promotional activities related to the information provision about this industry sector, affiliates training and education, R&D and quality control. From the very beginning of its’ implementation the country market had been guided by users interest. This interest had been kept alive by the country authorities and R&D efforts from the boilers manufacturers’ part, to perfect technical characteristics of equipment. The government defined quite ambitious goal to double the amount of modern biomass heating systems up to the year 2010 in frames of energy action plan, which will promote market development
Plus the country network of green energy companies "Okoenergie-Cluster" (OEC), under O.O. Energiesparverband guidance, provide market development support, using well – elaborated promotion steps in order to improve the supply quality.
Despite the fact of pellets heating systems popularity at small scale sector (more than third of new family homes have pellets heating systems), the demand still remains to be very low due to information shortage and mid-scale and large scale potential users trust to the option of pellets heating equipment usage.
The optimum option for large scale biomass treatment equipment is the wood chips usage. Though, the major barrier for such equipment application lies in the fact of competition with gas and district heating systems (specifically in the cities).
Another barrier for such technology spearing is the lack of experience at larger pellets heating systems planning and maintenance.
In order to introduce mid- pellets heating equipment the government had undertaken the following cores:
Found “anxious”
Supplied information (booklets, seminars, site visits etc.) to probable end- users and principal participants
