EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales reach 930,000 tons in September

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 750,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in September, with sales reaching 930,000 tons.

The data was released as part of the December edition of EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, which contains data for September. The EIA collected data from 80 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 80 manufacturers surveyed for September had a total combined production capacity of 12.98 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,322 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 1.46 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in September, produced 750,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 930,000 tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 150,916 tons of heating pellets and 603,432 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in September reached 220,454 tons at an average price of $187.15 per ton. Exports in September reached 715,179 tons at an average price of $171.84 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets fell to 254,422 tons in September, down from 269,886 tons in August. Inventories of utility pellets fell to 324,412 tons in September, down from 383,585 tons in August.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 13 million tons in September, with all of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 1.98 million tons in the East, 10.2 million tons in the South, and 838,000 tons in the West.