EXCITING NEWS ABOUT OUR AREA

Wood Pellet Plant Groundbreaking in Jackson County Excerpts from WJHG-TV February 27, 2008

The world's largest wood pellet plant will be constructed here in Steel City. It lies in between Cottondale and Alford.

For the last 100 years, Steel City has been craving for a major industry.

Jackson County Development Council Executive Director Bill Stanton says, “They're fortunate to announce this project, and we're able to do it in an environmentally sound way. That's the reason for leaving the tree buffers around the actual site." Stanton says the trees will make the plant visually beautiful.

State Representative Marti Coley agrees. “It's not like you're going to drive by and be bombarded by this site, although I think it will be a beautiful plant".

The plant will produce over one billion pounds of pellets a year. All production will go to Europe’s 100-percent coal burning plants. When the wood pellet plant is completed, they will burn 80-percent coal and 20-percent wood pellets.

Coley thinks it will have a positive effect all around. "This is an excellent opportunity for Jackson County. It's going to affect so many different industries; the pulp wood industry, the transportation industry, the bio energy."

Green Circle Bio Energy President and CEO Olaf Roed looks forward to the plant's benefits in the community. “We want to be a good citizen of Jackson County to provide jobs, economic activity, activity in the woods, and activity on the at the plant. It’s going to be positive for the area."

However, it will not only be positive for the area, but it will also be environmentally positive for the world as well.

The plant should be completed by the end of the year.