British energy giant Drax Global has disclosed to the state of Louisiana that its wood pellet production facilities emit hazardous air pollutants above their permitted limits.

Drax is a key provider for British utilities and one of the renewable energy industry’s largest players, earning $1.53 billion in profits last year. It operates seven wood pellet production facilities across four states and paid out $2.5 million in fines for violating air emissions limits in Mississippi in 2020 and $3.2 million pollution-related settlements in Louisiana in 2022.

According to ABC News, following pressure from lawsuits brought by environmental advocacy groups, the company installed pollution controls in 2021 in production facilities in Mississippi and Louisiana. However, internal testing in August 2023 and about six months later informed the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality that both facilities should be considered a “major source” of hazardous air pollutant emissions.

The tests revealed that two of Drax's facilities, Morehouse BioEnergy LLC and LaSalle BioEnergy LLC, emitted high rates of probable carcinogens acetaldehyde and formaldehyde and a total of more than 38 tons per year of toxic or hazardous air pollutants emitted from each site, ABC News reported citing company documents. The current permitted limit for each facility is 10 tons for a single pollutant or 25 tons for a combination of hazardous air pollutants.

Woodworking Network reached out to company spokesperson Michelli Martin, for comment, but did not get a response. However, Martin emailed a statement to the network in which she said that Drax chose to test the Louisiana facilities based on new industry data, and was intended to “ensure full transparency” with authorities and “make necessary updates in 2024.” Drax, ABC News reported, said it was applying to update its permit to allow for the higher amounts of emissions.

“... in the event there is a need to engage with the community on mitigation actions, Drax will take aggressive action as determined and in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.”

Drax, on its website, said that they want their pellets to "provide a sustainable, low carbon fuel source that can be safely and efficiently delivered through our global supply chain. Drax’s Generation business uses these pellets to make flexible, renewable electricity for the UK."

It said that it would like to increase North American pellet production from ~4.5 metric tins (Mt) to 8Mt and reduce production costs by 2027, to support a long-term future for sustainable biomass. 

Drax’s North America operations are strategically located in the U.S. and Canada, providing ready access to large tracts of responsibly managed working forests, modern infrastructure and an available workforce of trained loggers, wood haulers, plant operators and other critical specialties.

According to ABC, Drax paid out $2.5 million in fines for violating air emissions limits in Mississippi in 2020 and $3.2 million pollution-related settlements in Louisiana in 2022.

According to a chart from the Southern Environmental Law Center, Drax's Morehouse facility was fined for exceeding legal emission limits for VOC and various HAPs (formaldehyde, methanol, acetaldehyde) on multiple occasions. Other permit violations included exceeding annual hours of operation of a fire pump engine; failure to use/maintain control devices in proper working order; exceeded annual pellet production rate. The fine was these violations was $1.6 million.

A second $20,000 settlement was for excess emissions for SO2, VOCs, and HAPs (methanol, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde), and other Violations including failure to meet opacity monitoring requirements (2016 Compliance Order); several unpermitted emission sources (2016 Compliance Order); unregistered access to
radioactive material - soil density gauge (2018 Compliance Order).