Gareth McGrathNC wood pellet industry put under microscope on
Wilmington cruise
Environmentalists have long criticized the idea of turning NC trees into wood pellets and shipping them abroad as ‘clean’ energy. Thursday they took their concerns to the water
Key Points
- Environmentalists and activists question the sustainability of the wood pellet industry.
- Enviva, a major wood pellet supplier, faces criticism for its environmental and economic impacts.
- Critics argue that shipping wood pellets to Europe to be burned as clean fuel is not environmentally friendly.
A mix of environmentalists, community activists and students slowly boarded theĀ HenriettaĀ in downtown Wilmington on a warm and sunny late April morning.
But the group wasn’t cruising the Cape Fear River to learn about Wilmington’s maritime history, view the river’s wildlife, or even just to enjoy the spring sunshine.
They were there to learn about the impacts of the wood pellet industry ā and specificallyĀ EnvivaĀ ā on North Carolinaās ecosystems and communities.
Enviva, which supplies European and Asian utilities with wood pellets as an alternative to burning dirty coal, has long been a target for environmentalists. They have repeatedly questioned the alleged sustainability value of chopping down trees in the United States, processing them and then shipping the pellets thousands of miles to burn as a “clean” fuel source for power plants. Enviva also has faced environmental justice questions over its logging practices and emissions from pellet production, since many of the company’s operations are located in low-income and minority communities.
Environmentalists also blame European countries for encouraging the industry, fueling its growth by “greenwashing” its own energy credentials by incentivizing the use of biomass ā like wood pellets ā as a clean, renewable fuel source for power instead of dirtier fossil fuels like coal, oil or natural gas. According to aĀ websiteĀ that tracks power generation of Britain’s National Grid, about 12% of the United Kingdom’s power was produced from burning biomass on April 23, 2026.
Eastern North Carolina with its extensive forests and Wilmington thanks to its deepwater port are key cogs in this global trade.
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