By Greentech
Lead Team: Enviva, a manufacturer of processed biomass fuel in the United
States and Europe, has entered into 240,000 metric ton per year wood pellet
supply agreement with E.ON, a power and gas company.
The contract
begins in early 2013. Enviva will supply the wood pellets from its facilities
in the Southeastern U.S.
Enviva has
been supplying sustainably sourced wood pellets and other processed biomass to
serve power generation and industrial customers seeking to decrease their
dependence on fossil fuels and reduce their carbon footprint.
“Demand
for clean, renewable resources like our sustainably produced wood pellets
continues to grow as energy generators invest in alternatives to traditional
fossil fuels,” said John Keppler, chairman and CEO of Enviva.
Enviva’s
partnership with E.ON reinforces the economic and environmental benefits achievable
from renewable biomass resources in energy production.
“Strong
agreements with companies like Enviva that are focused on growing biomass
supply and share our views on the importance of promoting sustainability are
essential for us to invest in biomass generation. Biomass is one of the
lowest-cost renewable solutions available and is a key part of helping us
ensure that the lights stay on at a price that is affordable while helping to
protect the climate,” said Jan Groeneveld, manager biomass sourcing at
E.ON.
Recently,
Enviva announced that it is planning to build
a 454,000 metric ton wood pellet manufacturing facility in Courtland, Va.,
which could begin operations as early as the first half of 2013. The project is
contingent on the property where the plant will be located being rezoned by
Southampton County and on other permitting requirements.