State-of-the-Art Wood Pellet Plant Is Coming to Sumter County
The construction works are expected to commence in early 2020, subject to final investment approval.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has granted permit approval to Enviva for constructing new wood pellet facility in Sumter County.
The new facility will be located at the Port of Epes Industrial Park. It will be an addition to the proposed strategic asset cluster in the Gulf region, which also includes other pellet plants in Mississippi and Alabama, in addition to the Port of Pascagoula marine terminal. Enviva plans to make an initial investment of $175 million in building the facility.
The construction works are expected to commence in early 2020, subject to final investment approval, and is expected to take almost 15-18 months. The plant would have an initial production capacity of 700,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year, which will later be expanded to its full capacity of 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year.
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The wood pellet facility is expected to generate 85 full-time jobs, in addition to nearly 180 indirect jobs. The construction phase is expected to create up to 400 jobs in the region. The plant’s annual economic impact is estimated at approximately $180 million.
John Keppler, Chairman and CEO, Enviva noted that the company is privileged to have been invited by Alabama to invest in Epes community. He thanked Governor Kay Ivey, Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Commission Chair Marcus Campbell and the residents of Sumter County for their broad support. The company will serve as a good neighbor and community partner for many more years to come, he added.