Albany Wood Pellet Plant Opens

 Forestry Minister Terry Redman  officially opened Plantation Energy’s $25million wood pellet plant, the first of its kind in Australia.
“This plant ticks all the right boxes: a new industrial sector, valuable export dollars, production of renewable energy, creating new employment for the region, finding a commercial use of low value or waste products and improving plantation viability,” Mr Redman said.

“In recent weeks the company has announced major multi-million dollar deals to supply wood pellets to some of Europe’s biggest power plants, demonstrating the ‘green’ credentials of Australia’s timber industry.
“To handle the expected 250,000 tonnes of pellets exported each year, Plantation Energy Australia is financing a $10million upgrade of infrastructure and handling facilities at the Albany port.
“Plantation Energy’s plant in Albany has or will create more than 100 jobs both directly and indirectly.” 
Up to 45 people were employed during the construction process, it will employ 15 permanent employees and support a further 45 jobs in forestry, transport, handling and engineering.The pelletising process takes plantation residues and converts it into ‘densified biomass fuel’ (DBF) or wood pellets. Bioenergy is then produced from the pellets through burning. In Europe, bioenergy is becoming more popular as a sustainable substitute to high carbon energy.
“Albany is the first step for Plantation Energy which is planning at least five other plants in Australia, including another in Western Australia,” the Minister said.