Mississippi tornado damages Enviva production facility

Enviva has released a statement following a strong tornado that touched down in Amory, Mississippi in the US, on 24 March.
The company affirmed that all of its associates are safe and accounted for, but that the storm damaged the firm's 115,000 metric tonne-per-year wood pellet production facility.
Enviva's larger plants and ports in the region were not impacted.
The biomass producer said its Amory facility insurance covers property damage, inclusive of business interruption and casualty.
Operations at the plant have been suspended pending a full review of the damage, but given the small size of the facility relative to the more than 6 million metric tonnes of installed production capacity across Enviva’s portfolio, it said the impact to customers and to the financial performance of the company is expected to be minimal.
“Amory was our very first plant in the Southeast US and this community holds a special place in our hearts. We are heartbroken by the devastating damage the tornado has had on our colleagues, friends and families, and in the broader Amory community, which we’ve been proud to call home for more than 17 years,” said Thomas Meth, Enviva’s president and CEO.
“Our sympathies go out to everyone affected. We are already hard at work making sure our employees have what they need and helping the wonderful people of Amory rebuild amid this terrible tragedy,” Meth concluded.
Enviva said it will continue to coordinate with local officials and first responders to understand the extent of the damage to the community and how it can best assist with disaster relief.
The organisation will continue to assess any temporary impact on its operations and expects to provide an update as more information becomes available.