Outlet: Virginian Pilot

A ship bearing 28,000 metric tons of wood pellets has sailed from Enviva LP’s deepwater terminal in Chesapeake, opening the facility for business, the Bethesda, Md. – based company announced.

The Daishin Maru left the terminal Dec. 31, headed for one of the company’s European utility customers.  Wood pellets increasingly are used to generate electricity in Europe and elsewhere.

“We expect Enviva’s Port of Chesapeake facility to be a flagship operation, demonstrating excellence in this area and proving our capability to build the sustainable infrastructure necessary to support the tremendous growth that is projected for solid, renewable biomass resources,” said John Keppler, Enviva’s chairman and CEO in a statement.

Enviva bought the Chesapeake facility, the former Giant Cement Co. port terminal on the Elizabeth River’s Southern Branch, early last year.  It installed a 45,000-metric-ton silo to store pellets that will be shipped there from three production sites in the region.

In November, Enviva opened a new pellet plant in Ahoskie, N.C.  Two other plants are in the planning stages – one in Courtland and another in Northampton County, N.C.

As production grows, Enviva expects to have ships moving through the port terminal every week and a half in a year’s time.