Enviva, ConocoPhillips to enter wood pellet business in 2013

December 6, 2011 |

In Maryland, ECo Biomass, jointly owned by Enviva and ConocoPhillips, will use a combination of proprietary and acquired existing technologies to manufacture and sell renewable, torrefied wood pellets. The company’s initial facility, scheduled to be operational in 2013, will produce wood pellets that will be sold under agreements with major utilities.

The torrefaction process involves superheating biomass to create a uniform, hydrophobic, dense, and highly efficient fuel akin to coal but with a superior environmental profile. Given torrefied fuel’s unique properties and combustion benefits, this “drop-in” renewable solution manufactured by ECo Biomass provides an attractive alternative for utilities seeking to reduce their carbon emissions and extend the life of existing coal burning facilities and infrastructure without significant capital investment.

With large commercial and utility clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia actively looking to upgrade power generating facilities to use renewable fuels, ECo Biomass will seek to expand its production capabilities significantly over the coming years. Enviva already operates traditional wood pellet plants in the United States and Europe representing approximately 750,000 metric tons of combined annual capacity in 2011.

Category: Fuels

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