EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales at 1.05 million tons in March

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 910,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in March, with sales reaching 1.05 million tons.

The data was released as part of the June edition of EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, which contains data for March. The EIA collected data from 78 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 78 manufacturers surveyed for March had a total combined production capacity of 13.02 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,503 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 1.09 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in March, produced 910,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 1.05 million tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 152,405 tons of heating pellets and 767,273 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in March reached 104,469 tons at an average price of $220.65per ton. Exports in March reached 948,618 tons at an average price of $186.58 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets reached 175,860 tons in March, up from 135,117 tons in February. Inventories of utility pellets reached 819,108 tons in March, up from 420,194 tons in February.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 13.36 million tons in March, with all of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 1.96 million tons in the East, 10.51 million tons in the South, and 884,200 tons in the West.

The EIA cautioned that some totals reported in its June densified biomass fuel report may be relatively smaller because the agency withheld some values to avoid disclosure of individual company data. The agency also noted that data for February 2023 has been updated due to data received after the deadline.