Secure, sustainable and affordable energy was at the centre of FOREN 2026, the Central and Eastern Europe Regional Energy Forum held in Neptun, Romania, on 14-17 June. Although primarily focused on the energy sector, the discussions have important implications for the forestry sector, wood industry, biomass producers and companies involved in wood processing and wood products manufacturing.

FOREN 2026 brought together more than 500 professionals, policymakers, researchers and company representatives from 21 countries. The agenda covered energy security, the transition towards low-carbon energy sources, energy infrastructure, biofuels, hydrogen, digitalisation and emerging technologies.

For the wood industry, these issues are far from secondary. Energy represents an important component of production costs for sawmills, wood-based panel manufacturers, furniture factories, pellet producers and other wood processing companies. Changes in electricity and natural gas prices can therefore directly affect the competitiveness of European wood manufacturers.

🌲 Wood biomass and bioenergy remain part of the energy equation

One of the areas addressed at FOREN 2026 was the integration of biofuels and other low-carbon energy sources into the future energy mix. For the forestry and wood sectors, this discussion is particularly relevant because of the role of wood biomass, wood residues and by-products from wood processing.

Sawdust, wood chips, bark and other residues generated by sawmills and wood processing plants can become raw materials for wood pellets, briquettes or industrial heat and power generation.

In this context, resource efficiency is becoming increasingly important. The same volume of harvested wood needs to generate greater economic value, including through the efficient use of wood residues and industrial by-products.

Professionals can follow developments affecting European wood biomass, wood pellets, timber and other wood products through WoodBusinessPortal.com, with market information dedicated to the international wood industry.

📈 Energy costs can reshape wood industry competitiveness

For companies operating in the wood industry, energy costs extend far beyond monthly electricity bills. Electricity and natural gas prices affect timber drying, sawing, wood processing, panel production, pressing, finishing, furniture manufacturing and logistics.

A more stable energy market and resilient energy infrastructure can provide wood manufacturers with greater cost predictability. Conversely, periods of high energy price volatility can quickly translate into higher wood product prices and weaken the competitiveness of exporters.

For this reason, analysing the wood market increasingly requires companies to monitor energy, transportation and industrial production costs alongside timber prices and wood supply.

Market intelligence available through wood prices and market data can help companies assess changes in raw material costs and compare developments across international wood markets.

🌳 From raw wood to higher value-added wood products

For Romania and other wood-producing countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a strategic challenge remains the development of higher value-added processing.

Competitive energy prices, automation, efficient manufacturing processes and better utilisation of wood raw materials can support the transition towards higher value-added wood products.

This trend is relevant for sawmills and furniture producers as well as manufacturers of wood-based panels, engineered wood, timber construction components, CLT, glulam, wooden packaging, pellets and other processed wood products.

At the same time, companies need to monitor the relationship between wood supply, timber prices, energy costs and international demand.

Information on wood imports and exports can provide additional insight into supply pressures, international trade flows and the competitiveness of domestic wood industries.

📊 What should the wood industry monitor next?

For forestry companies and wood manufacturers, the energy discussions held in Neptun highlight several factors that should be monitored simultaneously: energy prices, investments in energy efficiency, availability of wood biomass, utilisation of wood residues, industrial demand and changes in European energy and environmental regulations.

The competitiveness of the wood industry will increasingly depend not only on timber and wood raw material prices, but also on companies' ability to use energy efficiently and extract maximum economic value from every component of the wood resource.

For wood producers, importers, exporters, traders and investors, combining these indicators is becoming increasingly important when making purchasing, production and investment decisions.

📊 Follow WoodBusinessPortal.com for international wood market intelligence

WoodBusinessPortal.com provides news, statistics and market intelligence for professionals across the forestry and wood industries, covering wood prices, timber markets, wood products, imports, exports, production trends, forecasts and developments affecting the global wood industry.

➤ Monitor wood prices and market trends to identify changes in demand and supply.

➤ Compare developments across European and international wood markets.

➤ Follow wood imports and exports to identify changing international trade flows.

➤ Use wood market statistics and industry data to support purchasing, sales and investment decisions.

Sources:

FOREN 2026 – programme and key topics of the Central and Eastern Europe Regional Energy Forum.

World Energy Council – information about FOREN 2026 and the main areas addressed during the forum.

CNR-CME – information regarding FOREN 2026 and its organisation.