Drax Canada to Curtail its Houston, BC, Pellet Plant Starting December 7th
Pellet plant to undergo long Christmas shut down
Houston Today reported on Wednesday (11-29-23) that Drax Canada’s Houston, BC, pellet mill will be producing its final batches of pellets for 2023 up until December 7th, after which it will be closed for at least the Christmas period.
The Houston pellet plant is operated by Drax Canada but jointly owned by Canfor Corp (60%), Drax (30%), and the Witset First Nation (10%). Opened in 2007, the plant has an annual production capacity of 230,000 metric tons.
Drax has been reportedly running a reduced schedule since the closure of Canfor’s Houston sawmill in the spring (typically working one week and taking two weeks off, or in some instances one week on and one week off). The plant was heavily dependent upon Canfor, drawing 40% of its raw material from the sawmill and 20% from the woodlands Canfor has under license, according to Houston Today.
In September, Drax told Houston Today that “We are exploring options for our Houston plant, which may include a temporary closure as we assess our fiber supply options.” Drax had said that it would determine plans for 2024 during meetings with the plant’s owners, but Houston Today said the timing is not currently known.
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