Enviva domes at Port of Wilmington loading first shipment

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – Four years after the State Port approved a deal with Enviva to build a wood pellet export facility at the port, the fist export shipment is heading to Europe this week.

A port spokesman says the Enviva terminal, which includes two storage domes that can hold up to 45,000 metric tons of wood pellets each, is estimated to have a total impact on the local economy of more than $16 million per year and ship more than 1 million tons of pellets annually.

“The Port of Wilmington is a key nexus for global commerce and an economic engine for the state of North Carolina,” said Enviva CEO John Keppler. “We are excited to be an important part of the port’s ever-increasing volume of trade.”

Wood pellets can be delivered to the Port of Wilmington by both truck and rail. The rail link can handle approximately 50 percent of the total volume with the remainder of the product arriving by truck.

“The Enviva domes are an important part of our ports modernization plan,” said North Carolina Ports Executive Director Paul J. Cozza. “This project will increase bulk exports, thus expanding the business of our general terminals which is a vital portion of our strategic plan.”

With facilities that include the terminal at the Port of Wilmington and the Enviva wood pellet production facility in Sampson County, Enviva employs over 100 people in the Cape Fear region and anticipates an annual economic impact of approximately $160 million. The company has signed a 21-year lease with two five-year renewal options with North Carolina Ports.

“This is about furthering our economic contribution to the City of Wilmington and the State of North Carolina,” said North Carolina Ports Chairman Tom Adams. “On top of the 100 jobs Enviva has created, there are nearly 200 additional jobs supported by their shipping, trucking and logging needs and the economic activity those jobs create.”