High electricity prices have led to a red-hot firewood market. The prices of birch have risen dramatically, and the stocks are about to run out, long before the cold sets in seriously. Bjørk is the first choice for wood-burning Norwegians. With good reason. The hard wood offers the most value for money when it comes to pure calorific value. 70–80 percent of the wood in Norway is birch wood. But there are good alternatives. Pine works in the wood world – We have 30 tree species in Norway that can be used as firewood. Pine and spruce have slightly less energy, but are very suitable for heating in autumn or spring. Pine only has a 12 per cent lower calorific value than birch, while spruce has a 24 per cent lower energy content, says specialist Øyvind Stranna Larsen in Norsk Ved – Forum for wood producers. He believes that people have hung too much on birch wood as the only right thing to do. – Many people think that pine creates a lot of soot. That is not true, says Stranna Larsen. Norwegians prefer to fire with birch, but there are good alternatives. Photo: Erlend Aas, Aas, Erlend He refers to researchers at SINTEF who have concluded that pine is an excellent wood, as it does not create particular problems either in the roof or the pipe. – It is important that people use firewood from living pine. Dead, dry pine trunks are often full of tyri, which produces a lot of soot. These dead pine trees are also very important for biological diversity, and they must be left alone, says Stranna Larsen. Spruce is also a reasonable and good alternative. It burns up faster, but sparks can cause problems in an open fireplace. Stranna Larsen still prefers birch wood on the coldest winter days. Price per kilowatt for wood burning: Sack (40 litres) of birch at NOK 200 = NOK 4/kWh Sack (40 litres) of birch at NOK 100 = NOK 2/kWh Large sack (1500 litres) of birch at NOK 2000 = NOK 1.33/kWh Large sack (1,500 litres) of dry fir at NOK 1,200 = NOK 1.05/kWh Cheaper mixed firewood The firewood prices vary greatly right now. A little check nevertheless shows that it can be a lot of money to save by using other types of wood than birch. You can get a sack of 1,000 liters of mixed firewood for less than a thousand Swedish kroner, while birch can cost three times as much. – Nobody ever asks for anything other than birch, says wood producer Sjur Grøterud in Numedal. He agrees that both pine and spruce are good fuel alternatives, but for many firewood producers there is little point in offering these types of wood. – It’s just as much work for me, regardless of what kind of wood I cut. Then it turns out that I prefer birch, which has a higher price, says Grøterud. Several other wood producers say the same. Offering pine or spruce costs more than it tastes. If stocks are completely empty of birch, Grøterud believes that many firewood producers will switch to other types of wood. He warns against buying unstable firewood in large sacks. – Many offer unstable firewood in 1,000 liter bags. Then you risk paying a lot for air, says the firewood producer from Numedal. Øyvind Stranna Larsen in Norsk Ved does not agree. – A 1,000 liter bag with a weight of 300 kilos according to the Norwegian standard. If the wood is stacked, it weighs 450 kilos. The serious ones in the industry sell unstable firewood in bags cheaper, says Stranna Larsen. He encourages customers to ask wood producers about the price per kWt.
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Norwegian Ved encourage to fire with pine and spruce when electricity prices rise – cheaper than birch – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
