The recent increase in electricity prices has led to a wood boom, as more and more people demand energy wood.
In many places in Sweden, wood dealers have sounded the alarm that there is a shortage of wood and prices have reached record levels.
- Right now the prices in the area around Örebro are SEK 200 per fixed cubic meter.
The price increases correspond to around 50 percent and above, says Johan Freij, forestry expert at Danske Bank.
Increased demand and increased prices
According to him, spruce bark beetle-damaged wood can be useful as firewood, which in this way can help smooth out the energy peaks this winter and thus keep energy prices down.
Unlike undamaged wood, which often requires a long drying time, spruce bark beetle-infested trees are often dry enough to be used as firewood directly.
Pelle Nylen, who runs Vedboden in Lillån, shares the picture that Johan Freij gives.
- The demand for all wood has increased, and this has been noticed when forest owners who have been affected by the spruce bark borer sell their wood for higher prices than before.
Band-aids for affected forest owners
Forest owner Lars Åke Letskog in Vretstorp has been badly affected by the spruce bark borer for several years and has been forced to cut down forest prematurely.
He believes that rising wood prices are positive for forest owners, but that it does not compensate for the losses caused by the spruce bark borer.
- It has been a halving of the value.
So these are enormous sums, he says.