Generating renewable power from Longview’s sawmill residuals
Drax’s Longview pellet production facility will use sawdust and shavings from local sawmills to produce wood pellets that meet our high sustainability standards.
When sourced responsibly, wood pellets are a renewable fuel that play a key role in global efforts to:
Increase energy security
Boost the grids resilience
Address climate change
Transition energy systems away from fossil fuels
Underpin future carbon negative BECCS operations
$250 million
Estimated cost of development
450 MT/year
Annual production, once operational
+300 jobs
Support for 300 direct and indirect jobs and 225-275 construction roles
Committed to environmental compliance
The Pacific Northwest: A legacy built from sustainable timber
Positive Community Impact
Drax is committed to making a lasting, positive impact in the communities and regions where we operate. In 2023, Drax gave over $3 million to organizations, charities, and community groups, and it continues to give back through:
The Pacific Northwest Lumber Industry
Forestry is one of the oldest industries in the Pacific Northwest. The industry is estimated to harvest 900 million trees and replant approximately 2.5 billion trees each year in the US.
Below is from https://choosewashingtonstate.com/why-washington/our-key-sectors/forest-products/
Washington is the second-largest producer of lumber in the United States.
The forest products sector supports a workforce of approximately 42,000 workers.
There are 1,700+ forest product businesses in Washington State.
Gross business income for sector businesses is $36 billion annually
For almost 200 years, the forest industry has played a central role in Washington’s economy.
The industry’s ability to innovate, modernize and diversify provides adequate proof that this vital contributor to Washington’s economy will continue to play a significant role for generations to come.
Washington State’s forest products sector covers a broad range of business lines, from traditional cutting and lumber production to chips, sawdust, wood flooring, shingles, tiles, millwork, laminated veneer and fencing. The industry also encompasses pulp and paper and value-added products such as doors, window frames, and stairs, offering companies a wide range of expansion and growth opportunities.
The site is in an optimal location for a new pellet facility, as it is located adjacent to an existing loading berth at the Port of Longview. This location allows production from the pellet plant to be conveyed directly onto a vessel and avoid all outbound rail and transloading costs, which leads to lower GHG emissions from ongoing operations.
Longview FAQs
- What is Drax’s Longview facility?
- What benefit will the Longview facility generate?
- What is the expected production output of the mill?
- Is there enough fiber supply to sustain this new plant?
- Where will the pellets from the Longview plant be shipped?
- Will the fiber in this area meet your sustainable forestry requirements?
- Will you hire locally, and when will jobs be advertised?
The Longview facility is located on the West Coast of North America in Washington State and will produce sustainable wood pellets that are made from lumber mill residuals. The facility will feed directly into an existing port via a new conveyance and ship loading system.
The Longview facility will allow Drax to establish a presence in a new market that will support 300 direct and indirect jobs (50-60 direct jobs, ~200 indirect jobs) and ~225-275 construction jobs). In addition, Longview will also deliver the lowest GHG intensity plant within Drax’s operating portfolio.
We recognize that the world is changing – so here at Drax we’re acting now. Our plan is three-fold: people, nature, and climate positive.
We’ve invested $2.5 billion of funding towards enabling these outcomes, with plans to invest an additional $3.7 billion. Underpinning it all we’re using sustainable biomass to deliver people, nature, and climate positive outcomes. We are People Positive, by providing opportunities and support to our communities across North America. We’re Nature Positive, and our work centers on conserving the environment in which people across Washington and Oregon live, work, and play.
We are improving the health and resilience of our forests by reducing risks from wildfire and pests, while also improving native wildlife habitats. And we’re Climate Positive by prioritizing removing carbon from the atmosphere while generating dispatchable, renewable energy to help the USA reach its sustainability goals.
The plant has been designed with a maximum, nameplate capacity of 450k MTPA, and is expected to produce a minimum of 400k MTPA after considering annual downtime required to maintain operations and the expected fiber mix available in the region to support production. The site design includes new port loading infrastructure required to load finished pellets onto vessels, and includes storage capacity of 35k MT.
Yes. We engaged an independent third-party consultant to provide an overview of the residual supply in the area around Longview. The study confirmed our views that a surplus of residual sawdust and shavings is available within a 60-mile radius of the site.
Pellets from Longview are expected to be shipped to Drax’s customers in Asia
Our sustainability team reviewed the Pacific Northwest region to ensure that forestry practices align with Drax’s sustainability requirements. Our review noted that the area’s forest industry businesses have robust sustainability platforms which provide a high level of confidence that the fiber sourced from their woodlands will continue to support nature, people, and climate positive outcomes.
Yes, we expect to hire locally for the 50-60 permanent employees that will operate the plant, as well as a majority of the more than 200 indirect jobs supported through construction of the facility. These openings will be posted careers.drax.com. Our employees make us great. That’s why we pay careful attention to hiring, training and retaining the brightest talent. We offer exciting and meaningful opportunities in diverse locations. Whether you are an engineering professional, a forestry expert, advanced manufacturer, maintenance technician, or a brilliant financial mind, we are looking for passionate people who want to develop a career in an exciting industry that is helping to transform the future of energy.
The Longview facility is located on the West Coast of North America in Washington State and will produce sustainable wood pellets that are made from lumber mill residuals. The facility will feed directly into an existing port via a new conveyance and ship loading system.
View MoreThe Longview facility will allow Drax to establish a presence in a new market that will support 300 direct and indirect jobs (50-60 direct jobs, ~200 indirect jobs) and ~225-275 construction jobs). In addition, Longview will also deliver the lowest GHG intensity plant within Drax’s operating portfolio.
We recognize that the world is changing – so here at Drax we’re acting now. Our plan is three-fold: people, nature, and climate positive.
We’ve invested $2.5 billion of funding towards enabling these outcomes, with plans to invest an additional $3.7 billion. Underpinning it all we’re using sustainable biomass to deliver people, nature, and climate positive outcomes. We are People Positive, by providing opportunities and support to our communities across North America. We’re Nature Positive, and our work centers on conserving the environment in which people across Washington and Oregon live, work, and play.
We are improving the health and resilience of our forests by reducing risks from wildfire and pests, while also improving native wildlife habitats. And we’re Climate Positive by prioritizing removing carbon from the atmosphere while generating dispatchable, renewable energy to help the USA reach its sustainability goals.
View MoreThe plant has been designed with a maximum, nameplate capacity of 450k MTPA, and is expected to produce a minimum of 400k MTPA after considering annual downtime required to maintain operations and the expected fiber mix available in the region to support production. The site design includes new port loading infrastructure required to load finished pellets onto vessels, and includes storage capacity of 35k MT.
View MoreYes. We engaged an independent third-party consultant to provide an overview of the residual supply in the area around Longview. The study confirmed our views that a surplus of residual sawdust and shavings is available within a 60-mile radius of the site.
View MorePellets from Longview are expected to be shipped to Drax’s customers in Asia
View MoreOur sustainability team reviewed the Pacific Northwest region to ensure that forestry practices align with Drax’s sustainability requirements. Our review noted that the area’s forest industry businesses have robust sustainability platforms which provide a high level of confidence that the fiber sourced from their woodlands will continue to support nature, people, and climate positive outcomes.
View MoreYes, we expect to hire locally for the 50-60 permanent employees that will operate the plant, as well as a majority of the more than 200 indirect jobs supported through construction of the facility. These openings will be posted careers.drax.com. Our employees make us great. That’s why we pay careful attention to hiring, training and retaining the brightest talent. We offer exciting and meaningful opportunities in diverse locations. Whether you are an engineering professional, a forestry expert, advanced manufacturer, maintenance technician, or a brilliant financial mind, we are looking for passionate people who want to develop a career in an exciting industry that is helping to transform the future of energy.
View MoreGot a question?
Any questions related to Drax or the Longview plant can be emailed to [email protected].