Enviva to become largest US pellet producer

Wood pellet manufacturer Enviva is to develop a production factory in Courtland, Virginia, US.

The plant, which could be up and running by the first half of 2013, will produce 454,000 tonnes of wood pellets a year. The majority of these pellets will be exported to utility companies in Europe through Enviva's Port of Chesapeake deep-water port terminal outside of Norfolk.

Upon completion of the Courtland facility, Enviva's total annual production capacity of wood pellets will reach over 1.5 million tonnes, making it the largest pellet producer in the US.

Enviva has recently started operations at a new 350,000 tonne per year plant in Ahoskie, North Carolina and is developing a second, 400,000-tonne facility in nearby Northampton County.

'As power producers increasingly turn to sustainable, renewable processed biomass fuel to reduce their carbon footprint, Enviva will continue to look to great communities like Courtland to build the future in renewable energy manufacturing,' says chairman and CEO of Enviva, John Keppler. 'Southampton County has all the elements essential to our success: a rich wood basket, a strong and seasoned timber industry, a skilled and experienced labour force and an advantaged location relative to our export terminal.'

The new plant will create 64 fulltime jobs and approximately 80 additional jobs throughout its logging and forestry supply chain.