HELP: Pellet Shortage/Canada

[elliotpellet]

I have just travelled from Ottawa to west of Sudbury and every store I went into was OUT of pellets and could not say IF they can get more.
what is going on?
My nephew runs the Halifax docks that are shipping pellets to Europe...is it just production and supply and demand?
Is there need for more production?
drh

 

[canuck_22]

Did you stop in at Ottawa Wood Pellets? Have you contacted anyone in the pellet stove business in your area?

 

[johneh]

Every body's selling pellets in Perth and has lots
Ferguson Energy has lots

 

[elliotpellet]

Wish I had known
I live five hundred miles north west.
No pellet stove outlets here; I usually go to Rona or Home Hardware in the next towns.
Perhaps its because most people burn wood.
But they told me if they get any they sell out immediately.
It has been tough since October getting them; then this experience along highway 17 whereby everyone was out and could not say if anymore were coming in.
Next year I need to stock up.
(They are all softwood up here ).
dr
Elliot Lake

 

[Fsappo]

Next year I need to stock up.

Every year you should stock up

 

[unbidden]

I'm not not in Canada, but even here in Southern New England the supplies are dwindling. Stores like Tractor Supply that normally get large pellet shipments are getting 6 to 12 ton bi-weekly over this past month. My thinking is the pellet manufacturers may be doing this to keep prices up while oil is low. Limit supply, creates demand. ???

 

[Ranger72]

I'm not not in Canada, but even here in Southern New England the supplies are dwindling. Stores like Tractor Supply that normally get large pellet shipments are getting 6 to 12 ton bi-weekly over this past month. My thinking is the pellet manufacturers may be doing this to keep prices up while oil is low. Limit supply, creates demand. ???

If they manufacture at too high a rate at this point in the season, they run the likely risk of having a large surplus at their manufacturing/ storage facility. They make a guesstimate as to how many tons to produce each season. Last season they were a little short, but being short is better for them than having more product than they know what to do with on hand.

 

[HP52NOVA]

All the pellets are going to EU for export and more $. We are getting scraps here in North America.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Non issue with me, I just change fuels. Pellets get high, switch to field corn. Field corn gets high, switch to cherry pits. Pits get high, switch to propane. Always alternatives.

 

[Lake Girl]

Northern Ontario seems to be a dead zone for reliable wood pellet supply. Yes, many still heat with wood so that may be a factor. However, pellet stoves are more popular and are the more economical alternative to oil, propane or electric. Have you tried calling smaller lumber/hardware stores in your area? Have you tried any places in Sault St. Marie? Canadian or US? Yes a long drive but do some calling first... daughter's boyfriends parents live in Terrace Bay and get pellets from Thunder Bay. Make some phone calls Just be aware that there are some Michigan brands that aren't so great - use the search box at the top to find the thread from a month or two ago.

Lacwood out of Hearst ... get a bunch together to see about a truckload?

As of November (last report), heating oil in Thunder Bay, ON was $1.329/L (gal = 3.785L) $5.03/G in Cdn. The eia website shows US pricing in November was $3.40/G US Even with exchange, we're still a about a dollar more per gallon and then there's tax... Wood pellets are still very much the way to go...

 

[canuck_22]

Northern Ontario seems to be a dead zone for reliable wood pellet supply. Yes, many still heat with wood so that may be a factor. However, pellet stoves are more popular and are the more economical alternative to oil, propane or electric. Have you tried calling smaller lumber/hardware stores in your area? Have you tried any places in Sault St. Marie? Canadian or US? Yes a long drive but do some calling first... daughter's boyfriends parents live in Terrace Bay and get pellets from Thunder Bay. Make some phone calls Just be aware that there are some Michigan brands that aren't so great - use the search box at the top to find the thread from a month or two ago.

Lacwood out of Hearst ... get a bunch together to see about a truckload?

As of November (last report), heating oil in Thunder Bay, ON was $1.329/L (gal = 3.785L) $5.03/G in Cdn. The eia website shows US pricing in November was $3.40/G US Even with exchange, we're still a about a dollar more per gallon and then there's tax... Wood pellets are still very much the way to go...

Agree!!

 

[the cug]

Nordic energy in Sudbury has some.

 

[Lake Girl]

Forgot to mention - besides shipping overseas, they use wood pellets in the oil fields as adsorbants. Less for us

 

[Fsappo]

Forgot to mention - besides shipping overseas, they use wood pellets in the oil fields as adsorbants. Less for us

Those would be some hot burning pellets!

 

[Lake Girl]

Wonder what they do with the used pellets...

 

[Budzone]

LacWood has no stock either. Already tried to get a tractor load from them on monday.

 

[mass_burner]

All the pellets are going to EU for export and more $. We are getting scraps here in North America.

Euro almost at parity, aren't they taking a beating buying in the US?

 

[Lake Girl]

The Canadian mills .... http://biomassmagazine.com/plants/listplants/pellet/Canada/

 

[the cug]

seems like the one in wawa is one of the biggest.

 

[JustWood]

Forgot to mention - besides shipping overseas, they use wood pellets in the oil fields as adsorbants. Less for us

All lower grade pellets that woodn't work well or at all in a pellet stove.

 

[JustWood]

All the pellets are going to EU for export and more $. We are getting scraps here in North America.

Last winter when pellets were no where to be found . Export price delivered to port was around $175 portside. Haven't checked lately but Id bet its less than that now.
When domestic supply is fetching $250-$350 and demand is unlimited ,,,, it isn't being exported OR held back.

 

[Lake Girl]

seems like the one in wawa is one of the biggest.

Not all of these mills are residential pellets - Resolute and Rentech are making industrial pellets for the generating station in Atikokan that was switched off coal. Not sure what the differences are as far as feedstock and sizing....

Edit: A little frustrating that they are local and not available for residential use. Not sure what the operating loss on the generating station is but there are enough hydroelectric generating stations that it is likely surplus electricity ... government just "going green".

 

[SidecarFlip]

The Canadian mills .... http://biomassmagazine.com/plants/listplants/pellet/Canada/

What a pile of pellet producers and tonnage too...

And no retail pellets available.

I have a couple tons of Sommersets in the barn and I'm about 40 miles from the border....

 

[Lake Girl]

HD in Thunder Bay has zero for stock - normally have Eastern embers and LG.

Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire in Fort Frances, ON had zero last week - Trebio and Cannawick are usually carried. Down to about 2 tons at my house