Dec 9 2009
Enligna has received a conditional-use permit from the West Sacramento Planning Commission towards the development of a wood-pellet manufacturing plant at the facility. The Port of West Sacramento is considered as the center where eco-friendly manufacturing and shipping operations are carried out.
Wood pellets amounting to almost 170,000 tons will be produced by this plant and these pellets will be used instead of coal in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gas. Enligna expects the demand for these pellets to increase in the US and these wood pellets will also be exported to Canada, Asia and Europe. This plant is expected to employ 35 people and annual revenue of $1.1 million is expected to be generated for the establishment of the Port.
Electricity for the manufacturing operations at this plant will be produced by Enligna in its cogeneration power plant at the port. Extra power will be sold back to other Port tenants or to the grid.
The wood-pellet facility will be used instead of a fertilizer-importing operation that is scheduled to leave the Port in March 2010. Wood-pellet production in Enligna will begin towards the end of 2010 and this will be followed by the operation of the cogeneration unit. Almost all the regions are expected to receive benefits from this facility.
Lutz Glandorf, President of Enligna U.S, remarked that this project will make use of waste wood from orchards and will provide the environment with a perfect alternative for burning debris in the surrounding National Forests. Glandorf expects this project to provide cleaner energy and better job opportunities.
Mark Brown, Vegetation Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest, remarked that the wood-pellet operation will reduce the occurrence of destructive wildfires and will increase the usage of renewable biofuels.
Mike McGowan, Chairman of the Sacramento-Yolo Port Commission, stated that the Enligna project will help the commission to increase their operations and attract a lot more cargos which will result in an efficient production of energy.
Source: http://www.enligna.de/en/