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
China Log Imports Set Record
China Log Imports Set RecordChina had another record year of softwood log imports in 2018, as more than 16.96 billion BF (40 million m3) of logs landed at Chinese ports, according to a report from Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). This was the third consecutive year of...
Kalesnikoff Plans Mass Timber Plant
Kalesnikoff Plans Mass Timber PlantKalesnikoff Lumber Co. announced it intends to build North America’s most advanced, fully integrated, multi-species mass timber manufacturing facility in South Slocan, BC, which will create 50 jobs. Kalesnikoff’s $35 million mass...
MSU Building Using CLT, Glulam Products
MSU Building Using CLT, Glulam ProductsThe Michigan State University STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be the first in Michigan to use mass timber wood products, rather than concrete and/or steel, for its load-bearing structure. The $100 million facility will...
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.