Drax Gets Satellite Pellet Plant Going
Drax Group is ramping up to full production at Leola—the first of three new satellite pellet plants it plans for Arkansas. Leola, in Grant County, is part of a $40 million investment by Drax in the state, creating approximately 30 new jobs across all the three sites planned for Arkansas as well as many more indirect jobs.
Including Leola, Drax operates six pellet plants in the U.S., which use biomass sourced from sustainably managed working forests in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. The three satellite plants in Arkansas are expected to produce a total of 120,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year from sawmill residues. This supports Drax’s plans to double its pellet production capacity to 8 million tonnes by 2030 to meet its own requirements, as well as its customers’ needs in Europe and Asia, amid an expected increase in global demand for the low-carbon fuel.
The satellite plants are located near sawmills, so they can use the sawdust and other byproducts. Construction of the second Arkansas satellite plant in Russellville, Pope County, is underway with commissioning expected this year. Drax is continuing to develop plans for a third plant.
The pellets produced at the new satellite plants will be transported to Bruce Oakley terminal in Little Rock, Ark. before being shipped south to Louisiana to oceangoing vessels. Each pellet plant is expected to produce 40kt per year.
Latest News
Stoltze Timber Plans CLT Facility
Montana-based F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. is teaming up with a group of partners to form Stoltze Timber Systems, Inc., which plans to build a cross-laminated timber (CLT) facility adjacent the F.H. Stoltze sawmill near Columbia…
Ligna Changes 2021 Show Dates
Organziers of the Ligna show—Deutsche Messe and VDMA—announced that the large woodworking machinery event next year is rescheduled from May to September 27 to October 1, 2021. The announcement comes in view of ongoing developments and…
Northwest Hardwoods Reconfigures
Northwest Hardwoods, Inc. (NWH) reports it has entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with holders of more than 95% in principal amount of the company’s secured notes and certain of its existing equity holders to execute…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.