EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales at 1.07 million tons in June

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 930,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in June, with sales reaching 1.07 million tons.

The data was released as part of the September edition of EIA’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, which contains data for June. 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 June had a total combined production capacity of 13.27 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,479 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 2.16 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in June, produced 930,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 1.07 million tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 138,544 tons of heating pellets and 800,845 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in June reached 140,340 tons at an average price of $203.48 per ton. Exports in June reached 933,554 tons at an average price of $192.49 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets increased to 310,998 tons in June, up from 300,511 tons in May. Inventories of utility pellets fell to 352,243 tons in June, down from 393,803 tons in May.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 13.34 million tons in June, with all of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 1.96 million tons in the East, 10.54 million tons in the South, and 842,200 tons in the West.