U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 970,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in March, while total sales reached 820,000 tons, according to the latest Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The report was based on data collected from 72 operating densified biomass fuel manufacturers across the country and excludes facilities with annual production capacities below 10,000 tons, which report production figures annually, Biomass Magazine reported.
Together, the surveyed facilities represented a combined production capacity of 13.11 million tons per year and employed the equivalent of 2,479 full-time workers.
During March, manufacturers purchased around 980,000 tons of raw biomass feedstock and converted it into approximately 970,000 tons of densified biomass fuel.
Production included 122,913 tons of heating pellets and 842,187 tons of utility pellets, reflecting continued dominance of utility-grade output in the sector.
Domestic sales during the month totalled 81,590 tons at an average selling price of $238.35 per ton.
Export demand remained significantly higher, with overseas shipments reaching 740,367 tons at an average price of $207.30 per ton.
Inventory levels also increased during the month. Stocks of utility pellets rose to 409,028 tons in March from 394,639 tons in February.
Inventories of premium and standard wood pellets recorded a sharper increase, reaching 147,091 tons compared with 101,706 tons in the previous month.
According to EIA data, total U.S. densified biomass fuel production capacity stood at 13.05 million tons in March, with all facilities classified as either operational or temporarily idle.
Regional capacity remained concentrated in the southern United States, which accounted for 10.61 million tons of capacity, followed by the eastern region at 1.82 million tons and the western region at 630,700 tons.
