On March 21, 2023, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) issued construction permit for Enviva's Epes plant under construction in Sumter County, AL, company announced.
Enviva Inc., the world’s leading producer of wood pellets, acquired over 300 acres of land on the coast of the Tombigbee River in Sumter County for its forthcoming Epes plant in 2020. The Epes site location resides on the former manufacturing site of a wood products company that had closed in recent years, resulting in job loss and depressed economic activity in the region.
The revised permit enables Enviva to build a state-of-the-art sustainable biomass production facility at a brownfield site in Epes, AL, bringing jobs, infrastructure, and economic development to the region, while deepening Sumter County’s ties to the global economy, said company in a statement.
“Enviva is excited to repurpose a former business site and construct a brand-new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, jumpstarting economic growth and bringing employment opportunities back to the community,” said Thomas Meth, President and CEO of Enviva. “Enviva’s decision to locate a plant at the Port of Epes is expected to trigger a rebirth of economic activity in the Epes community. We hope that our decision to locate in Sumter County prompts others to do the same and we look forward to the day we get to officially call Sumter County home.”
Enviva has been active in Sumter County since its initial assessment of the site in 2018. Since then, Enviva has partnered with local government, first responders, and the faith-based community to help fulfill unmet needs and provide empowering programming for families. Once operational, Enviva’s Epes plant will be one of the largest taxpayers in the county, resulting in economic benefits to the community with funding for programs like road maintenance, schools, as well as safety, and emergency services.
“I am extremely thrilled and appreciative that this permit has been issued to Enviva,” said Marcus Campbell, Chairperson of the Sumter County Commissioners. “We are proud of the partnership and the opportunities that will come to Sumter County as a result of this magnificent collaboration. This is just another step in ensuring the economic revitalization of Sumter County will foster opportunities for citizens to live, work, play, and prosper.”
Enviva started preliminary construction of its fully contracted Epes plant in July 2022. The plant is expected to have a nameplate capacity of 1.1 million metric tonnes per year and is expected to be in service in 2024 and fully ramped in 2025. Once operational, the Epes plant is expected to support approximately 350 direct and indirect jobs, including in adjacent industries such as logging and trucking.
Enviva owns and operates ten plants with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.2 million metric tonnes per year in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, and is constructing its 11th plant in Epes, Alabama. Additionally, Enviva is planning to commence construction of its 12th plant near Bond, Mississippi.
