Enviva Inc, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, has broken ground on its new Epes plant, which is under construction in Sumter County, Alabama, USA. Enviva acquired over 300 acres in the Epes Industrial Park in 2000 to build its largest wood pellet production plant. The new facility will have a production capacity of 1.1Mta and is expected to begin production by mid-2024.

Pellets produced at the Epes plant will be exported, mainly to Europe and Asia, to help meet demand for secure sources of renewable energy for energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel and lime.  

Enviva currently owns and operates 10 plants with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.2Mta across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi. As well as the new facility at Epes, the company is planning to begin construction on a 12th plant near Bond, Mississippi.