New Northwest Pellet Mill Gains Approval

Air quality officials recently issued a final notice and approval for an air quality permit at a new wood pellet manufacturing plant to be built by Pacific Northwest Renewable Energy (PNWRE) on a 60 acre site leased from the Port of Grays Harbor, Hoquiam, Wash.

According to permitting documents, the 440,000 tons/year plant will operate three truck dumpers, a chips cleaning line, two wet hammermills, four dry hammermills, 12 pellet mills, five wood pellet storage silos, a covered conveyor system to deliver wood pellets to the adjacent Willis Enterprises conveyance system and ship loadout facility; and a dryer island encompassing a biomass furnace, drum dryer, WESP and RTO. The dry milling line and pelleting line will be linked to an RCO air cleaning system.

For its feedstock, the plant is projected to utilize 50% forest residuals, 30% sander dust and 20% planer mill shavings. Prodesa is listed as the client on the layout and process flow diagrams.

The company had applied for the air permit in summer 2023, and the approval comes following a local public comment period in January. PNWRE is based in Massachusetts, and is owned by Farnese Partners, which is based in the UK.