New Drax wood pellet facility starts production

Production has started at Drax Biomass’ (DBI) newest sustainable compressed wood pellet facility, LaSalle BioEnergy in Urania, Louisiana.

“This is a very exciting moment, we have a dedicated and motivated work force that after months of upgrades, retrofits, and training is ready to produce,” said Pete Madden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Drax Biomass.

“We knew this was a strong facility, in an ideal location and we are eager for it to come online.”

LaSalle BioEnergy will employ approximately 78 people. Situated roughly 160 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, the facility has the capacity to produce approximately 450,000 metric tonnes of wood pellets per year.

It is the third pellet plant in DBI’s portfolio, joining Morehouse BioEnergy in Bastrop, Louisiana and Amite BioEnergy in Gloster, Mississippi.

Since DBI’s acquisition of the plant in April 2017 a series of upgrades and repairs have been ongoing, supporting a further investment of more than $20 million for the region. “The asset was a strategic investment considering LaSalle BioEnergy’s proximity to an abundant wood basket and its production capacity that supports DBI’s strategy of increasing self-supply,” states a DBI press release.

Drax Biomass is a manufacturer of compressed wood pellets produced from ‘sustainably managed working forests’. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has operations across the Southeastern US.