U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 870,000 tons of densified biomass fuels in November, according to the February edition of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Monthly Densified Biomass Fuels Report. Sales of densified biomass fuel reached 790,000 tons during the month.

The EIA collected data from 76 operating manufacturers of densified biomass fuel to complete the report. The report does not include data on facilities with annual production capacities of less than 10,000 tons, which report data annually rather than monthly.

The 76 manufacturers surveyed for November had a total combined production capacity of 12.96 million tons per year and collectively had the equivalent of 2,472 full-time employees.

Respondents purchased 1.79 million tons of raw biomass feedstock in November, produced 870,000 tons of densified biomass fuel and sold 790,000 tons of densified biomass fuel. Production included 157,047 tons of heating pellets and 714,163 tons of utility pellets.

Domestic sales of densified biomass fuel in November reached 117,710 tons at an average price of $229.48 per ton. Exports in November reached 615,010 tons at an average price of $189.23 per ton.

Inventories of premium/standard pellets fell to 183,322 tons in November, down from 202, 668 tons in October. Inventories of utility pellets expanded to 555,666 tons in November, up from 452,484 tons in October.

Data gathered by the EIA shows that total U.S. densified biomass fuel capacity reached 13.04 million tons in November, with all of that capacity listed as currently operating or temporarily not in operation. Capacity included 1.97 million tons in the East, 10.28 million tons in the South, and 794,200 tons in the West.