5 The Largest Wood Pellets Producers Today

References are needed to make something no less quality or even better, as well as for a wood pellet production facility. Indonesia with extensive land available,fertile and tropical climate needs to get complete and qualified reference especially on wood pellet production so that they can optimize its potency. Diversification of energy is also desperately needed by Indonesia so that it has strong resilience and energy sovereignty, especially with its current condition which has become a net importer of petroleum, even projected in the range of approximately 10 years future Indonesia's oil will be exhausted. The following description of the 5 largest wood pellet plant today can be used as a reference.

1.     Enviva

Enviva was established in 2004, currently Enviva operates 7 wood pellet plants with total production of more than 3 million tons / year. Some of its wood pellet production is exported to the UK and Europe. A number of ports are used For shipment or export of wood pellet, ie port of Chesapeake, Virginia; port of Wilmington, North Carolina, and ports from third party in Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida. Enviva has recently announced for an off-take contract with Marubeni to supply 100,000 tons / year of wood pellets to new power plants starting in 2022 for 10 years.

Enviva's raw materials are mainly sourced from 1,183 industrial forests in 77 districts and in five southeastern states. Forests in the Southeast continue to grow and expand, with the total forest land in the Enviva area as a major supply increased by 320,842 hectares from 2011 to 2015, according to the US Forest Service. Inventory in the area has grown by 10 percent over the same time period and continues to increase as forests grow at a faster rate than they are harvested.

2.  Graanul Invest

Graanul Invest is the largest wood pellet producer in Europe and established since 2003. The production capacity of this producer is around 2.3 million ton / year by operating 11 wood pellet plants. In the early stages the company operates 2 wood pellet plants, one in Imavere, Estonia and one in Alytus, Luthuania. Subsequent developments with the acquisition of new plants and plant construction, to date operate 11 wood pellet plants. Port for export of Riga port in Latvia and port of Tallinn, Parnu and Kunda in Estonia.

3.     Drax Biomass

Drax in addition to being the largest wood pellets user today with more than 10 million tonnes / year, is also the largest producer of wood pellets in the world. Drax biomass as wood pellet producer started to operate since 2017 with total production about 1.5 million ton / year. Drax biomass has its headquarters in Atlanta and currently operates 3 wood pellet plants in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. Their wood pellet products are used to supply power plants in UK with shipment through Baton Rouge Transit on the Mississippi River at the port of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

4.     Pinnacle

Pinnacle was established in 1989 and currently operates 6 wood pellet plants in British Columbia, Canada with raw materials mainly forest waste. Its production capacity is 1.4 million tons per year and its wood pellet products are exported to Europe, UK and Asia. Pinnacle wood pellet plants are on the main railway line, so transportation to the port is by train. The port used is the Westview terminal in Prince Rupert, which is the company's own port and Fibreco terminal in the port of Vancouver. To increase its production Pinnacle is currently building a wood pellet plants in Entwistle, Alberta and Smithers, British Columbia.

5.     An Viet Phat

An Viet Phat is a wood pellet manufacturer from Vietnam operating since 2014 with a current capacity of over 800,000 tons / year. An Viet Phat is also Asia's largest producer of wood pellets and the world's largest manufacturer of wood briquette. Market or export destination for wood pellet products ie Korea and Japan, with larger portion to Korea. Export is done from Ho Chi Minh port.

Russia as a big country but its wood pellet production is still below the top 5 producers. Russia's largest wood pellet manufacturer Vyborg has a capacity of 300.00 tons / year, ranking second in Arkaim on its west coast. Later in the country there are many small-capacity pellet producers in the northwest and especially to meet the heating market in Europe.

Most of the other areas are also not large for the production of wood pellets. Australia is currently only 2 wood pellet plants that export their products - Plantation Energy and Altus. Wood pellet production from Plantation Energy is around 250,000 tons / year while Altus is only 75,000 tons / year. Export target from Australian wood pellet especially Japan. The Middle East area is also the same as Africa is very few producers of wood pellets and from that little it's products are also only used in the country. Latin America is a small producer of wood pellets and one of the largest, Tanac in Brazil with a capacity of 400,000 tons / year. All wood pellet products from Tanac are exported to the Drax biomass power plant in the UK.

Based on the above references, Indonesian wood pellet producers should be able to compete with them. This is because the potential of raw materials is very large in Indonesia. The production of wood pellets from energy plantations and integrated with sheep or sheep and cattle farming and honey bee farms, will optimize the land and give maximum results as well. In addition, when viewed from the largest wood pellet plants in the world today also started its business relatively in the recently. Only Pinnacle started before 1990, while the average started over 2000, even Drax Biomass began operations in 2017 and An Viet Phat since 2014. The above facts are increasingly proving about the development of Al Qur'an-based energy and the hadith of the prophet also implies that the earth will return prosperously and green before the doomsday.

"There shall not be the Day of Resurrection, until the treasures have been piled up and overflowing, until a man goes everywhere carrying his treasures of zakat, but he has not found one who is willing to receive his zakat, and that the land of Arabs flourishes prosperous again with grasslands and rivers "(HR.Muslim).

Can Indonesia be a wood pellet giant? It can be. InshaAllah. 

Wood Pellet Demand Crawling Up?

The fall of wood pellet market some time ago is also greatly influenced by the price of oil. The low oil price touched $ 30/barrel in early 2016 also lowered the selling price and demand for wood pellets. This condition even to shift the position of wood pellet as the cheapest fuel for the heating sector. At that time the energy price per calorie of oil which is a liquid fuel better quality and much in demand cheap, so that solid fuel that lower quality and less desirable also become cheaper. There are even many industries switching to using oil fuels than before using solid fuels such as coal. Wood pellets as one of the solid fuels (although from renewable sources) are also affected by the world oil price, because of the basis of calculating the price per calorie or heat of the fuel.

After almost 3 years of oil prices falling gradually, the current price of oil has risen drastically at the price of $ 70 / barrel. Some analysts say if crude oil prices more than $ 63 / barrel then the demand for wood pellets will rise again with prices that are also more attractive. Oil prices to be one of three causes of the decline in the wood pellet market in the world market in the last 3-4 years. The other two causes are the first, because a number of policies for the use of wood pellets have not been effectively implemented because the power plants have not yet been completed or in the development stage, and some power plants are still in the co-firing trial stage with wood pellets. And the second ,climate change then the winters in Europe in recent years been warmer or less as cold as those earlier times. Logically when the above conditions can turn out otherwise the wood pellet market will improve. And what we are witnessing today is a significant increase in oil prices, as it has exceeded $ 63/barrel.

As the wood pellet industry begins to wiggle and excite, it should also spur wood pellet production in Indonesia. Export market or world wood pellet market more ready and attractive prices need to be filled soon, so if need be dominated. Unused land even barren ones can be greened with energy plantations. Stages of designing energy plantation for wood pellet production can be read here. Furthermore, the domestic market is also need immediately created and developed, because in the short term we will also run out of petroleum, with the current conditions have become nett importers of petroleum. What if we just just sit there like a spectator? Certainly will aggravate our energy condition. We should participate to encourage the energy sovereignty of our country especially with renewable energy such as wood pellets because it provides many benefits.

Wood Pellet For Green…Green World!

The growth of human consciousness as a result of environmental degradation in the form of climate change and global warming fostered efforts to reduce the magnitude of the environmental damage. Sources cause damage to the environment due to human greed through economic activity to exploit nature excessively. Humans should be the manager of this nature wisely instead of vice versa due to short-term interests and lust. The growing awareness of the need to be maintained and are arranged so that led to concrete efforts. Without clear rules and binding activity of all human beings on earth, the impossible nature of the improvement will be done well.

We are witnessing today a variety of companies that the state wants to be recognized as a company or a country most concerned in environmental issues and  no exception, Indonesia . That way they compete with its Go Green program such as CO2 Reduction and the like. With such recognition generally they wanted a special place among consumers or their partners so that the products or programs they will also readily accepted  these  circles. These activities also generate new economic activity that is the Green Economy. How big is the Green Economy or Green Business this? The answer of course depends on how big the mitigation of climate change and the environment in corporate entities or countries concerned to the global scope.

Wood pellets are a popular solution for mitigation of environmental and climate change issues. Wood pellets from wood biomass is carbon-neutral fuels and renewable energy sources with the requirements of wood biomass as a source of raw material of wood pellets to be undertaken on an ongoing basis and do not damage the environment. Continuous availability of raw materials is one of the key factors of business success of the production of wood pellets, so because of the current limitations of wood pellets is not only but also from agricultural wastes or biomass plantations could be called pellets or agri-wastepellet. Energy planatations with SRC (short rotation  species) is one way to produce wood biomass as a source of raw material of wood pellets faster and be sustainable. Indonesia is huge potential for energy planatation and will be better when integrated with other sectors.