Under Enviva’s ownership, the Wiggins, Mississippi-based Piney Woods pellet manufacturing facility, which has a current capacity to produce approximately 50,000 tons of wood pellets annually, will be renamed Enviva Pellets Wiggins.
Over the coming months, Enviva will use the proceeds from its strategic investment to increase the facility’s production capacity to approximately 150,000 tons annually, creating 22 new jobs at the facility and providing additional 30 jobs throughout its logging and forestry supply chain.
All raw biomass materials used at Enviva Pellets Wiggins will be sourced locally and Enviva’s environmental, safety and forestry staff will ensure that all of the company’s biomass resources are procured according to internationally recognized third party certification standards.
In addition to Piney Woods Pellets, Enviva has also acquired another Mississippi-based wood pellet manufacturer, CKS Energy and has signed a long-term wood pellet supply contract with Electrabel, a subsidiary of GDF SUEZ Group.
Enviva chairman and CEO John Keppler said that Piney Woods is a model for a well-designed plant and is in a region with a long forest-products tradition, strong community ties and a deep commitment to the environment.
“With this investment we are very excited to expand Enviva’s manufacturing footprint in Mississippi, and increase our production of sustainably generated wood pellets to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint,” Keppler said.
