b'32American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(BENEFITcontinuedmatedthatbiomassorganic from page 30) mattersuchaswoodusedas aviation fuel have companiesfuelfrom the U.S. Southeast on the lookout for fuels thatreducescarbonintensityby allowthemtodecarbonize.77% compared to burning coal Burning wood pellets allowsunder some conditions.themtodothatalthoughSome detractors contend not in the same way as otherthat woody biomass is more alternative fuels and not with- carbon-intensivethanfossil out some controversy. fuels.Tocounterthatargu-Enviva, a Maryland-basedment,Dwivediexplained producer of wood pellets withthat,forthepast50years, tenexistingplants,andtheforests in the Southeast have largestproducerinthecoun- beenregeneratingatarate try, has five new pellet plantssufficient to increase its over-or expansions under construc- allvolumeofwoodfiber. tioninAlabama,Mississippi,With forests growing at this NorthCarolina,andFlorida,rate, he said, they recapture whichwilladdaround2.7the carbon emitted by burn-millionmetrictonsofcapac- ing wood pellets or any other itywhentheyarecompleted.wood-basedenergyfeed- Envivas wood pellet plant at the Port of Panama City.Other regional projects, by thestocks within a year. UK-basedDrax,inAlabamatothecompanyspresident,lime, and aviation fuels indus- expansionprojectongoing, and Arkansas, will add an addi- e nvivap lante xpansion Thomas Meth. The plant willtries. The company estimateswhich is expected to be com-tional 200,000 tons of capacity. The largest of the projectsuse barges to carry the pelletsitwillinvest$300millionpleted by the end of this year. Burningwoodpelletsunderwaytoexpandpellet200 miles down the Tombig- in the plant and surroundingA$50millioninvestment contributes to decarbonizationcapacity in the South is Envi- beeRivertoEnvivasnewinfrastructure. isbeingmadetorevamp inanunusualway.Burningvas plant in Epes, Alabama,terminalatthePortofPas- At Envivas plant in Bond,manufacturing processes and woodpelletsreleasescarbonlocatedataformerMan- cagoula,Mississippi,fromMississippi,alsolocatedinincrease production capacity dioxideintotheatmosphere,nington Mills wood flooringthere to be shipped to over- thevicinityofPascagoula,inplantslocatedinHamlet said Puneet Dwivedi, associateplant.Constructionontheseas customers.constructionbeganearlierandSampson,NorthCaro-professor of Forest Sustainabil- plant, which is expected to bePelletsproducedatthethisyear,and,accordingtolina, and in Cottondale, Flor-ity Sciences at the University ofthe largest fuel pellet manu- EpesplantwillbeexportedMeth,theplantsoutputisida.TheHamletplantwill Georgia. But these emissionsfacturing plant in the world,to Europe and Asia, he said,fully contracted with custom- expand its production capac-are recovered within a year bybeganinJuly2022andisand will help to fill demanders around the world. With anity by 55,000 tons, Sampson the new growth on those for- slated to add its full 1.1 mil- for secure sources of renew- investmentof$250million,by100,000,andCottondale estlands that are supporting thelion tons of capacity in 2025.ableenergytode-fossilizethe plant will be built out to aby30,000tons.Inaddition, continuous production of woodFavorablelogisticswaspower and heat generation.capacity of one-million metricanexpansioninLucedale, pellets. This creates an overalloneofthefactorswhichMethalsoexpectsEnvivastons per year, with productionMississippi,isexpectedto low-emission electricity gener- madetheprojectattrac- pelletsproducedinEpestoexpected to begin in 2024.(BENEFITcontinued on ation system. One study esti- tiveforEnviva,accordingbe used in the steel, cement,Enviva has a multi-plantpage 34)'