Enviva Inc, a leading producer of sustainably sourced woody biomass, held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at its recently constructed wood pellet manufacturing facility in George County, Mississippi (MS). The event commemorates the emergence of more U.S.-based green jobs, and the completion of a new state of the art manufacturing facility, along with Enviva’s continued success, growth, and positive economic impact in Mississippi.
The Enviva Lucedale plant, located in George County, is Enviva’s second operating plant in the state, and the first plant in its newly formed Pascagoula cluster. The Lucedale plant began its ramp in production at the beginning of 2022 with a goal of reaching an annual permitted production capacity of 750,000 metric tons per year (MTPY). Looking back, construction on Enviva’s Lucedale plant supported approximately 400 cumulative jobs and represented an investment of more than $215 million in George County by Enviva.
“The global economy is once again at a crossroads. The need for alternative fuel and heat supply worldwide is even more urgent and our product, which is made possible because of the tremendous sustainable resources like those grown right here in Mississippi by Mississippians, plays an even more important role in filling this need while also building a renewable energy solution for people around the world,” said Thomas Meth, President of Enviva. “We are excited today to celebrate with you as our friends and partners who have worked closely with us on this project for years. We could not have reached this milestone without the hard work and support of everyone here.”
Now fully operational, Enviva has hired approximately 90 full-time employees for the Lucedale plant and supports nearly 300 jobs across the George County community. With more than half of the associates at the Lucedale plant residing in George County, Enviva’s practice of hiring locally ensures that George County directly benefits from the jobs created at the Lucedale plant. Over time, Enviva expects to generate an annual economic impact of $250 million in the region.