In the fourth quarter, a volume of 2.422m t pellets was produced in the USA, representing a slight decline of 1.4% vis à vis the comparative period of the preceding year. Whilst production of industrial pellets remained constant at 1.894m t, production of pellets for the heating market decreased by a comparatively significant 6.2% to 528,291t. Following the slight decline recorded during the first half of the year (-1.1%) as well as a production decline of 5.1% in the third quarter, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the U.S. Department of Energy reported a 3.3% drop in US pellet production for the second half of the year, to a total volume of 4.823m t.
Considered over the entire period of 2020, the USA thus produced a volume of approximately 9.274m t pellets - a decline of 2.2% vis à vis 2019. After years of growth, pellet production in the USA therefore declined last year for the first time since collection of the figures by the EIA began. Production of pellets for the heating market remained virtually unchanged at a volume of 2.010m t, while production of industrial pellets decreased by 2.7% to 7.264m t.
