The long journey of a Canadian wood pellet
With demand soaring for wood pellets to heat homes and generate energy in factories, this Canadian renewable-energy product is increasingly shipped globally, especially to European destinations. For more on this topic, please see the related article below.
After the wood pellets have been formed, they are screened to shake off the dust, which is then recycled to form more pellets. Here, they are being screened at a pellet plant in Kelowna, B.C.Gordon Murray
Fibreco Export terminal in North Vancouver, B.C., seen from the water. Ninety per cent of Canadian wood-pellet exports flows through this terminal.Tim Knoop
Pellets are loaded into a ship through a spout at the Fibreco Export terminal in North Vancouver, B.C.Tim Knoop
Pellets are unloaded using a vacuum unloader at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. This is the preferred method of unloading.Gordon Murray
Another method of unloading wood pellets is with a “grab unloader.” Here, it is unloading a barge at the Port of Vlissingen in Netherlands.Gordon Murray
A truck empties wood pellets for storage at a power plant before being used.Gordon Murray
Wood Pellet Association of Canada executive director Gordon Murray in a wood pellet warehouse at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.