U.K. based Hive Energy recently declared that it has now partnered with South Africa-based iLive Sustainable Development and the Netherlands-based Partners for Innovation to take over and restore a wood pellet export plant in Africa.
The facility, which is known as the Coega Biomass Center, is positioned at Port Elizabeth, a city on the southern coast of South Africa just about 465 miles east of Cape Town. As per information released by Hive Energy indicates that the wood pellet plant was idled in 2014 after four years of operation. Refurbishment of the facility is anticipated to take 6 to 9 months.
Once it starts functioning, the facility is likely to have a nameplate capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year. Initial operations are arranged to begin in July 2021, with the plant predicted to be fully operational before the end of 2021.
The project is estimated to support about 100 direct jobs and 700 indirect jobs. The plant will take in an estimated 160,000 tons of feedstock annually. Feedstock will comprise of biomass residues and non-indigenous forest and destructive invasive vegetation, according to Hive Energy.
