Wood supply tracking system finds pellets are 23 percent sawdust
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BETHESDA, Md. –The world’s largest producer of wood pellets released its latest proprietary Track & Trace forestry data to a sustainable and transparent supply chain. These data are another key tool for measuring and demonstrating Enviva’s sustainability practices throughout the Southeastern United States. 
 
The latest Track & Trace data shows that Enviva sourced wood from nearly 1,200 working forest harvests across five Southern states over a six-month period ending in March 2017. The forests in the Southeast continue to grow and thrive, with the total amount of forested land in Enviva’s primary supply area increasing by 320,842 acres since 2011, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Inventory on that land has grown by 10 percent during that time period, and continues to increase as forests grow at a faster rate than they are harvested. 
 
Other findings include:
 
Approximately 38 percent of Enviva’s wood came from pine and hardwood mixed forests, 29 percent from Southern yellow pine forests and five percent from upland hardwood forests. The wood sourced by Enviva consists of undersized or “understory” wood that was removed as part of a larger harvest; tops and limbs; brush; and “thinnings” that were removed to make additional room for planted pines to grow. 
Approximately 23 percent was sawdust, shavings or residuals from wood product manufacturing. 
Four percent came from working bottomland hardwood forests, also consisting of undersized or “understory” wood; and tops and limbs.
Less than one percent came from arboricultural sources, such as landscaping and urban tree maintenance.
Wood fiber harvested on these tracts came from trees that were an average of 36 years old. 
 
“We are committed to keeping forests healthy and growing, while producing a cleaner energy alternative to fossil fuels,” said John Keppler, Chairman and CEO of Enviva. “Track & Trace is fundamental to that commitment, and the latest data clearly demonstrates how our forestry practices continue to have a positive effect on Southeastern forests.”
 
Track & Trace is a proprietary system that enables Enviva to monitor every truckload of wood the company procures from the forest throughout the entire supply chain process. This innovative technology provides detailed insights into the wood’s unique characteristics – including origination – enabling the company to continue to refine its sustainable sourcing policies. 
 
Enviva makes pellets using low-grade wood from Southern working forests. Enviva does not use high-quality wood that would otherwise be milled into furniture or construction materials, but procures only low-quality materials such as pulpwood and “leftovers,” including undersized or crooked trees, limbs, tops, wood chips and sawdust. Additionally, Enviva does not source wood from independently identified bottomland forest ecosystems that demonstrate high conservation value attributes, or from any forest where the landowner plans to convert to a non-forest use. 
 
Before selling wood to Enviva, a supplier must provide detailed data on the specific forest tract being considered for harvest, including each individual tract’s precise geographic location, acreage, forest type, species mix, age and the share of wood from each harvest that goes to Enviva versus other consumers. Enviva does not accept any wood from a harvest without this information, and Enviva records the data and verifies the accuracy of its procedures through third-party audits. 
 
“The Track and Trace system helps us to finely tune the science applied to forestry practices,” said Jennifer C. Jenkins, Ph.D., Chief Sustainability Officer at Enviva. “The data we collect about our sourcing allows us to confirm that we are buying wood that is consistent with the value we place on forest stewardship. Our goal, as always, is to contribute to the health of the working forest landscape.”

Enviva Holdings, LP is the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, Enviva Holdings, LP owns and operates plants in the Southeastern United States that produce nearly 3 million metric tons of wood pellets annually. We export our pellets primarily to power plants in the United Kingdom and Europe that previously were fueled by coal, enabling them to reduce their lifetime carbon footprint by about 80 percent. We make our pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests. And we employ about 600 people and support many other businesses in the rural South, where jobs and economic opportunity are sometimes scarce. Enviva Holdings, LP conducts its activities primarily through two entities: Enviva Partners, LP, a publicly-traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and Enviva Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned private company. To learn more about Enviva Partners, LP, please visit our website at www.envivabiomass.com 

 

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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.