Enviva building 454,000 tonne pellet plant

The project is contingent
on the property where the plant will be located being rezoned by
Southampton County and on other permitting requirements.

The announcement comes as the company continues its expansion in the
Mid-Atlantic region, where it owns and operates a new 350,000 metric ton
pellet plant in Ahoskie, N.C. and is developing a second facility in nearby Northampton County, N.C.
that will also produce 400,000 metric tons. Much of the sustainable
wood pellet fuel produced at the Virginia and North Carolina-based
facilities will be exported to Enviva’s European utility customers
through the company’s Port of Chesapeake, a deep-water port terminal outside of Norfolk.

“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,” said Enviva Chairman and CEO 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 labor force and an advantaged location relative to our
export terminal.”

When completed, the Courtland facility would bring Enviva’s total
annual production capacity to more than 1.5 million metric tons of wood
pellets, making it the largest pellet producer in the U.S. Additionally,
the plant would add 64 full-time jobs and approximately 80 additional
jobs throughout its logging and forestry supply chain.

“Enviva’s growing footprint here is not by accident―Virginia is known
for its skilled workforce and growing focus on green energy,” said
Governor Bob McDonnell. “The Enviva facility will expand Virginia’s
renewable energy industry, create jobs and help make Virginia the energy
capital of the East Coast.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia and Southampton County are providing
economic development incentives to Enviva for its Courtland plant
including a Governor’s Opportunity Fund grant, workforce training
grants, machinery and tools tax rebates, real property tax incentives
and various other infrastructure grants.

As a renewable energy company, Enviva maintains Sustainable Forestry
Initiative certifications at its owned and operated facilities for its
fiber sourcing activities, ensuring responsible forestry management.
Once operational, the Courtland facility would also undergo the intense
auditing and certification process which this internationally recognized
sustainability accreditation requires.