Enviva to invest $200 million into Mississippi mill

US pellet producer Enviva is planning a $200 million (€175 million) investment into a pellet mill and ship-loading terminal in Mississippi, Bradenton Herald reports.

Enviva spokeswoman Maria Moreno spoke to Bradenton Herald, outlining that the firm signed agreements with leaders in both the George and Jackson counties.

According to Moreno, the company will not finalise its investment until environmental permits are approved for facilities in Lucedale and Pascagoula.

Around 90 workers is the estimation for the amount of workers Enviva will need in Lucedale, whilst as many as 300 loggers and truckers could find work delivering the logs to the new Enviva facility.

“We are excited to build on our success in Mississippi by investing in new facilities in George and Jackson Counties,” Enviva chairman and CEO John Keppler said in a statement to Bradenton Herald.

“Enviva’s very first facility, a small plant in Amory, this week produced its one millionth ton of wood pellets.”

George County’s director of Community Development, Ken Flanagan, told Bradenton Herald that officials expect the projects to begin construction later this year, and completing the work in 14 to 18 months.