ARKANSAS, Oct 26 (Future Headlines)- The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released the October edition of its Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report, providing insights into densified biomass production and sales for July 2023. The report collected data from 76 operating manufacturers of densified biomass fuel and excluded facilities with annual production capacities of less than 10,000 tons, which report data on an annual rather than monthly basis.

U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 870,000 tons of densified biomass fuels in July. Densified biomass sales reached 750,000 tons during the same month. The 76 manufacturers surveyed had a combined production capacity of 12.6 million tons per year. These manufacturers collectively employed the equivalent of 2,481 full-time employees. Respondents purchased 1.48 million metric tons of raw biomass feedstock in July. Production included 141,888 tons of heating pellets and 733,794 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in July reached 113,792 tons. The average price per ton for domestic sales was $216.77. Exports of densified biomass fuel in July reached 639,345 tons. The average price per ton for exports was $182.28.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets reached 264,517 tons in July, up from 232,284 tons in June. Inventories of utility pellets expanded to 461,956 tons in July, up from 435,970 tons in June.

Total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 12.69 million tons in July. All of this capacity was listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity was distributed regionally as follows: East: 1.81 million tons; South: 10.25 million tons; West: 632,450 tons.

These statistics provide a snapshot of densified biomass fuel production, sales, and capacity in the U.S. for the month of July 2023, showcasing the role of this renewable energy source in the country’s energy landscape.

Writing by Kevin Wood; Editing by Sarah White