EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales reach 870,000 tons in February

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 720,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in February, with sales reaching 870,000 tons.

The data was released as part of the May edition of EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, which contains data for February. The EIA collected data from 79 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 79 manufacturers surveyed for February had a total combined production capacity of 12.99 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,335 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 1.49 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in February, produced 720,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 870,000 tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 120,716 tons of heating pellets and 608,384 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in February reached 113,332 tons at an average price of $194.27 per ton. Exports in February reached 763,618 tons at an average price of $170.01 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets increased to 183,751 tons in February, up from 169,626 tons in January. Inventories of utility pellets fell to to 289,189 tons in February, down from 367,249 tons in January.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 13.07 million tons in February, with all of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 1.97 million tons in the East, 10.26 million tons in the South, and 838,000 tons in the West.