Production of wood pellets from sustainably sourced woody biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels in power plants and industry.
Enviva Holdings, LP
Bethesda, MD · Raleigh, NC · Tokyo · Southampton County, VA · Northampton County, NC · Sampson County, NC · Lucedale, MS · Amory, MS · Cottondale, FL · Chesapeake, VA · Wilmington, NC · Pascagoula, MSNew on Amplifa
About Enviva
Enviva was founded in 2004 and produces wood pellets from 100% biomass as a renewable fuel for power and heat generation, industrial processes, the chemical industry and advanced biofuels. The wood is sourced predominantly from the southeastern USA, ground, dried and pelletized in a specialized press; the natural lignin acts as a binder, without the use of chemicals or GMOs. With seven production plants in Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi and Florida, the company achieves an annual capacity of over 3.5 million metric tons. Shipping takes place via its own deep-water terminals in Chesapeake (VA) and Wilmington (NC) as well as third-party terminals in Mobile, Panama City and Pascagoula. The pellets are delivered predominantly under long-term offtake agreements to power plants in the United Kingdom and Europe that were previously coal-fired. Enviva Holdings, LP consists of the publicly listed Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) and Enviva Development Holdings, LLC and employs around 1,000 staff.
- Site
- Bethesda, MD 20814
- Processes
- Grinding (comminution of the woody biomass), Drying of the woody biomass, Pelletizing in a specialized press (extrusion at high pressure, lignin as binder), Quality inspection (bulk density, moisture content, abrasion resistance, ash, particle size, Production of wood pellets (100% biomass, no chemicals/GMOs), Quality inspection and in-house laboratory product testing (bulk density, moisture content,, Custom product specifications for various industries, Track & Trace® traceability of fiber origin
- Materials
- Hardwood, Softwood / Pine (pine), Longleaf Pine (reforestation/source region), Wood pellets (100% biomass, no chemicals or GMOs), Softwood / Pine, Longleaf Pine, Wood pellets (100% biomass)
- Certificates
- SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard, FSC Chain of Custody Standard, PEFC Chain of Custody Standard, SFI Chain of Custody Standard, Sustainable Biomass Standards (Chain of Custody), FSC Chain of Custody, PEFC Chain of Custody, SFI Chain of Custody, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 2004
- Employees
- approx. 1,000
- Industries
- Power and heat generation, Power plants (coal replacement), Industrial processes, Chemical industry, Advanced biofuels, Advanced biofuels/biofuels
- 01
Sustainable wood sourcing (Track & Trace®)
- 02
Grinding/comminution of the woody biomass
- 03
Drying
- 04
Pelletizing in a specialized press (extrusion, lignin as binder)
- 05
Quality inspection in the in-house laboratory
- 06
Shipping via deep-water terminals
- 07
Delivery under long-term offtake agreements
Raw Materials and Processes
Hardwood
Woody biomass as feedstock for pelletizing, predominantly from the southeastern USA.
Softwood / Pine
Used to increase the energy content of the pellets; the permitted share was expanded in several plants in 2019.
Longleaf Pine
As part of a partnership with American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, longleaf pine forests in the Florida Panhandle are being restored and certified.
Wood pellets (100% biomass)
Energy-dense, low-moisture fuel free of chemicals and GMOs for power plants and industrial processes.
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grinding (comminution of the woody biomass)Other | – | – | – | – | Wood (hardwood/softwood biomass) |
| Drying of the woody biomassOther | – | – | – | – | Wood (hardwood/softwood biomass) |
| Pelletizing in a specialized press (extrusion at high pressure, lignin as binder)Other | – | – | – | – | Wood (hardwood/softwood biomass) |
| Quality inspection (bulk density, moisture content, abrasion resistance, ash, particle sizeTesting | – | – | – | – | Wood pellets |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized pelletizing press (extrusion press) | – | – | – | – | Production plants of the southeastern USA (incl. Southampton VA, Northampton NC, |
| Air emission control systems (voluntary air quality equipment) | – | – | – | 2019 | Southampton, VA; Northampton, NC; Sampson, NC |
| Wood pellet production plants (7 plants, total capacity over 3.5 million metric tons/year) | Enviva | 7 | – | – | Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida |
| Deep-water export terminals (port terminals) | Enviva | – | – | – | Port of Chesapeake, VA; Port of Wilmington, NC; Mobile, AL; Panama City, FL; |
| Quality laboratories for product testing | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Certifications
Pellet quality is tested several times during production in the company's own laboratories, including bulk density, moisture content, abrasion resistance, ash and particle size distribution. Fiber origin is traced via Track & Trace® as well as annual independent audits under SFI, FSC, PEFC and Sustainable Biomass Chain-of-Custody certifications.
| Evidence | Bethesda, MD |
|---|---|
| SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard | |
| FSC Chain of Custody | |
| PEFC Chain of Custody | |
| SFI Chain of Custody | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 2004
Enviva founded with the mission of displacing fossil fuels and combating climate change; focus on fuel sourcing and production rather than operating power plants.
- 2011
Opening of the first wood pellet production plant in North Carolina.
- 2017
Partnership with American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy for forest certification and longleaf pine restoration in the Florida Panhandle.
- 2019
Permits for voluntary air quality equipment and production expansions in Southampton (VA), Northampton (NC) and Sampson (NC); building permit for the Lucedale (MS) plant and a USD 60 million shipping terminal in Pascagoula (MS).