Enviva Breaks Ground on its Eleventh and Largest Pellet Plant in Sumter County, Alabama

Enviva broke ground on its eleventh and newest plant on Wednesday (6-28-23), at the Epes Industrial Park located in Sumter County Alabama.

Enviva has been interested in the Epes location since its initial assessment visit to the site in 2018. In 2020, Enviva acquired over 300 acres in the Epes Industrial Park, which is located next to the Tombigbee River in Sumter County, to build its largest wood pellet production plant to date. In July 2022, the company began construction of its fully contracted Epes plant, which will have a capacity of 1.1 million metric tons per year and is expected to be in service by mid-2024, with production at full capacity by 2025. Once operational the plant is expected to provide approximately 100 direct and 250 indirect jobs, including in adjacent industries such as logging, trucking, and shipping.

Enviva says that the pellets produced at the Epes plant will be exported to international markets, mainly in Europe and Asia, and will help fill international demand for secure sources of renewable energy, which in turn will help reduce the use of fossil fuel used for power and heat generation.