Enviva Receives Approval to Construct Wood Pellet Facility in Sumter County; Thanks Alabama Department of Environmental Management - Seite 2

Marcus Campbell, Chairperson of the Sumter County Commissioners applauded the decision: “I am pleased that ADEM recognized the overwhelming positive local support for Enviva and has issued their permit to construct a new pellet mill here in Sumter County. Enviva’s presence will mean so much to our area in terms of jobs and economic development. I look forward to working closely with Enviva as they build and begin operations at the new facility in the Town of Epes.”

The ADEM held a public hearing at the Livingston Civic Center on November 7, attended by hundreds, where residents and community leaders voiced their support for the new facility. The written public comment period ran from September 20 through November 15, 2019.

About the Epes permit:

In consultation with the ADEM, Enviva requested an air construction permit for the proposed Epes plant:

• The plant’s planned permitted capacity is expected to be 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year. The plant would initially be constructed to produce 700,000 metric tons per year, with the possibility to expand in the future to reach full production capacity of 1,150,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year.
• Enviva expects to be ready for construction in early 2020, subject to final investment approval. Based on experience, Enviva expects construction to take anywhere from 15-18 months.
• The sustainably sourced wood pellets from the Epes plant are expected to be transported by barge via the Tennessee-Tombigbee River to Enviva’s planned deep-water marine terminal to be located in Pascagoula, MS, where they would be exported to Europe and Asia.
• The plant would principally utilize a mix of softwood and mill residuals sourced from areas within approximately 75 miles of the plant. The rich fiber basket and supply in Alabama, along with favorable transport logistics and a great local workforce, are what makes this project sustainable and attractive.

Additional background information on the permits and Enviva’s operations:

• Enviva conducted due diligence to confirm that the plant’s sourcing area has commercially available low-value wood that meets its strict sustainability requirements in sufficient quantities to supply the plant up to the permitted production level.
• Enviva’s Responsible Sourcing Policy requires that it only source low-value wood from tracts that will remain as working forests.

Additional Background on Enviva and Renewable Wood Energy: