New RISI forecasts bioenergy industry to create 19M dry tons of new wood biomass demand by 2015 in North America

BEDFORD, MA, Feb. 9, 2011 (Press Release) - RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, today announced the publication of the North American Bioenergy Review. This new study updates findings and provides expanded analysis from RISI's 2008 report, Emerging Biomass Industry: Impact on Existing Woodfiber Markets. The global recession has created a different environment from 2008, with renewable energy providers and suppliers seeing slowed demand growth and greater difficulty in accessing funding. In addition, the continuously changing policy and regulatory environment has created uncertainty among industry investors. Therefore, this updated analysis of the industry outlook is timely and even necessary. New for the 2011 study is an analysis of the cost structure and cost competitiveness of each industry sector. In addition to forecasting North American wood biomass supply, demand and pricing, this study also explores how international trade of biomass will affect North American biomass demand over the next five years. This study also includes chapters on technology and production economics and industry structure, which explores the structural developments within each of the key market segments: wood pellets, biomass power and biofuels.

Anne Rahikainen, RISI Director of Bioenergy Services, commented, "This new study, which is the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of this sector available, fills a key need of the North American bioenergy industry to better understand its potential within a vastly changed market and economic environment." She continued, "We are currently in the process of building further on this analysis in 2011 by launching a North American Bioenergy Service that will provide regular updates on key areas such as biomass supply, pricing, industry capacity and output, international trade, policy and sector cost competiveness. These two RISI products continue to anchor RISI as the firm uniquely positioned to best serve the information and market research needs of this expanding and dynamic industry sector."

The North American Bioenergy Review features:

• Demand and supply outlook for pellets, biopower and biofuels inNorth Americato 2015 and analysis of key drivers of each industry sector.
• Projections on regional wood biomass availability including competing demand from traditional end-user industries and regional wood biomass prices to 2015.
• Analysis of bioenergy industry cost structures and competitiveness as a buyer for wood biomass, relative to traditional end-user industries. The effect of subsidies on industry competitiveness and investments is factored into the analyses.
• Trends and outlook for international trade and market opportunities for wood biomass, including pellets.

Who should purchase the North American Bioenergy Review:

• Major forest ownersseeking to understand the long-term demand for woody biomass energy, how quickly it will develop and how sustainable it will be.
• Forest products manufacturing companieslooking at competition for fiber and/or possible benefit through government programs that give them credit for renewable energy production.
• Equipment supplierswanting perspective on where and how much demand for specialized harvesting equipment, chippers, trucks, pelletizing equipment, etc. will develop.
• Power companiesdeveloping or considering development of biomass power facilities.
• Banks, hedge funds and other investorsneeding perspective on biomass energy development.
• Transport companies- both rail companies looking at transporting pellets, chips and other biomass for energy within theUSAand shipping companies looking to transport chips/pellets toEurope.
• Wood Pellet producersor companies looking to invest in large wood pellet plants.