Drax’s largest wood pellet shipment arrives in UK

Associated British Ports and Drax announced on March 20 that a shipment of 63,907 metric tons of wood pellets had been received and unloaded earlier in the week. It was the largest shipment of wood pellets handled to date at the Port of Immingham.

The pellets were transported from the U.S. Port of Baton Rouge in Louisiana in a Zheng Zhi bulk carrier vessel. The vessel completed loading on Feb. 23 and berthed at Humber International Terminal in the Port of Immingham on March 13. It carried wood pellets produced at Drax’s three U.S. pellet mills. The biomass fuel will be used to produce electricity at Drax Power Station.

“Drax Power Station is critical national infrastructure at the heart of the U.K.’s energy system and we take this responsibility very seriously, especially now amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation,” said Andy Koss, CEO of Drax Generation. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that we maintain a continuous, stable and reliable electricity supply for millions of homes and businesses in the U.K.

“This shipment of sustainable biomass from our pellet mills in the U.S.—the largest yet—highlights the critical role played by infrastructure such as the ports and rail in our supply chain.”

“Our colleagues here on the Humber are working hard to keep our homes powered, our stores stocked and keeping Britain trading,” said Simon Bird, director of ABP Humber. “A huge thank you is deserved for all those working through this time. ABP is working around the clock to ensure the wellbeing of employees and customers and the safe continuation of operations.”