EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales reach 770,000 tons in November

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 800,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in November, with sales reaching 770,000 tons.

The data was released as part of the February edition of EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, which contains data for November. The EIA collected data from 83 operating manufacturers of densified biomass fuel to complete the report. The report does not include data on facilities with annual production capacities of less than 10,000 tons. Those smaller facilities report data annually rather than monthly.

The 83 manufacturers surveyed for November had a total combined production capacity of 12.36 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,383 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 1.31 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in November, produced 800,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 770,000 tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 172,601 tons of heating pellets and 635,793 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in November reached 190,742 tons at an average price of $186.48 per ton. Exports in November reached 579,346 tons at an average price of $171.17 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets fell to 91,377 tons in November, down from 107,814 tons in October. Inventories of utility pellets increased from 431,280 tons in October to 439,691 tons in November.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 12.61 million tons in November, with 12.61 million tons of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 2.19 million tons in the East, 9.61 million tons in the South, and 807,320 tons in the West. One plant was reported as planned or under construction. That facility is under development by Mt. Taylor WoodYouRecycle in New Mexico and is expected to have an annual capacity of 1,700 tons.