Fuel pellet plant inaugurated in Gomel District

A fuel pellet plant was opened in Kalinino, Gomel District on 15 April, BelTA has learned.

The new enterprise is designed to make over 20,000 tonnes of fuel pellets per annum. It will allow the Gomel experimental forestry enterprise to complete the wood processing cycle and make a more expensive product that sells well on foreign markets.

Gomel Oblast Governor Ivan Krupko noted that three existing pellet enterprises in Gomel Oblast already make a total of 69,000 tonnes of fuel pellets per annum. A considerable part of the output is exported. It allowed earning extra $5 million in 2021, the governor said. In his words, the new pellet plant will expand capabilities of the region even further.

The new enterprise boasts high-tech expensive equipment and has created 20 jobs for highly qualified specialists.

Ivan Krupko is convinced that the establishment of enterprises to produce environmentally friendly fuel is a promising avenue because the products are profitable. Analysts estimate the world's annual demand for pellets at over 40 million tonnes. The figure grows by roughly 1.5 million tonnes every year. For instance, Japan has said it intends to increase fuel pellet consumption by 10 times by 2030, he noted.

Nikolai Rogashchuk, President's Aide – Inspector for Gomel Oblast, added that it is also important to constantly create and grow new forests. “Find lands and plant forests. If forests grow, then such enterprises will be built and new jobs will be created,” he said.

According to Igor Degtyarik, director of the Gomel experimental forestry enterprise, it took seven months to build the pellet plant while the standard construction time is 11. About €8.5 million in proprietary funds of the Gomel experimental forestry enterprise has been invested in the new plant.

“The project is also unique because the output of 3.5 tonnes per hour can be raised to 5 tonnes per hour. We intend to reach the figure as early as this year. It will be possible to make over 30,000 tonnes per annum then,” the enterprise director clarified.