Enviva Holdings LP announced Aug. 6 plans to build and operate a deep-water marine terminal at the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi. On the same day, the company also issued a statement related to the air permit for its Southampton pellet plant.

According to Enviva, the company has exercised an option with the Jackson County Port Authority to lease property in the Bayou Casotte Harbor in the Port of Pascagoula, where it plans to build and operate a deep-water marine terminal. Enviva said it intends to use the Pascagoula terminal to ship wood pellets to customers in Europe and Asia.

Exercising the lease option allows Enviva to prepare the site for construction. The terminal is expected to be complete during the second half of 2020. Development of the terminal will allow Enviva to construct several wood pellet plants in Mississippi and Alabama. The first of these plants is expected to be built in Lucedale, Mississippi, simultaneously with the Pascagoula terminal. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Board approved Enviva’s permit to begin construction on the Lucedale pellet plant in July.

The Pascagoula terminal will be designed to handle approximately 3 million metric tons of wood pellets annually. It will be capable of receiving product by rail, barge and truck, will have 90,000 metric tons of on-site storage capacity, and will support Panamax-sized vessels. The facility will utilize state-of-the-art handling equipment and storage infrastructure designed to maintain product quality and safety.

Enviva plans to invest more than $60 million in the Pascagoula terminal. The terminal is expected to directly employ approximately 30 full-time workers and support about 150 direct and indirect jobs during construction.

“The Port of Pascagoula is a key asset for global commerce and an economic engine for Mississippi,” said John Keppler, chairman and CEO of Enviva. “We appreciate the leadership of Governor Phil Bryant and Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves for creating a pro-business environment in Mississippi. This project is only possible because of the hard work of dozens of officials in Jackson County including the Port Authority, Mayor Dane Maxwell, Senator Michael Watson, Representative Charles Busby, the Board of Supervisors, and the Port Authority Board of Commissioners. They were instrumental in helping us secure this critical component of our supply chain, which will enable us to export our product to meet the increasing demand from our Asian, European, and Caribbean customers.”

On the same day Enviva made its Port of Pascagoula announcement, the company also issued a statement expressing appreciation to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for hosting a community meeting in advance of a public hearing scheduled for September to share information with local residents about Enviva’s request to voluntarily increase air quality controls at its Southampton facility in Franklin, Virginia.

In consultation with the Virginia DEQ, Enviva has requested modifications to the air permit for the Southampton plant that will allow the company to install additional air emission control equipment, increase the permitted production volume and increase the permitted percentage of softwood.

“Being a good neighbor means a lot of different things to our company,” Keppler said. “It means having an open dialogue with residents in and around our facilities, and we appreciate the Virginia DEQ taking the extra step to host tonight’s informational session in advance of the public hearing in September. It also means having a positive impact on our environment, both in communities where we operate and in the global fight against climate change. As global demand for solutions to lower carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy is growing, we are working hard to meet the need. And, it means providing economic benefits and career opportunities to those in Franklin and other areas where we operate. We’re grateful to the people of Franklin and the Virginia DEQ for participating in tonight’s meeting. We look forward to September’s public hearing, and, most importantly, to continuing to have a positive impact in the Franklin community.”