Wood pellet plant in Baton Rouge

Wood pellet plant in Baton Rouge    Point Bio Energy said it would locate a manufacturing facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.
   The port said the $124 million facility would produce wood pellets for fuel generation and employ about 100. The company said it is developing the wood pellet project with the assistance of Shaw Capital Inc. and LaPointe Partners.
   The plant would be able to make up to 400,000 metric tons of wood pellets and would receive raw material from the Baton Rouge area and by barge from the Mississippi River, Atchafalaya River, Red River and Intracoastal Waterway.
   Point said it has negotiated letters of intent with local “feedstock” suppliers and a European buyer at attractive terms. The company will have the storage and loading capabilities for oceangoing ships that will deliver the pellets to power plant in Europe and the United States.
   Construction is to start in the third quarter and commercial pellet manufacturing operations are to commence in the last quarter of 2011.