A world record for the number of wood pellets carried by a single container was broken. Pinnacle Renewable Energy has loaded a 64,527-ton MG Kronos cargo ship to the UK. This Panamax cargo ship is chartered by Cargill and is scheduled to be loaded on the Fibreco Export Company on July 18, 2020 with the assistance of Thor E. Brandrud of Simpson Spence Young. The previous record of 63,907 tons was held by the cargo ship “Zheng Zhi” loaded by Drax Biomass in Baton Rouge in March this year.

“We are really happy to get this record back!” Pinnacle senior vice president Vaughan Bassett said. “This requires a combination of various factors to achieve. We need all the products on the terminal, high-capacity ships, qualified handling and the correct draft conditions of the Panama Canal.”

This continuing trend of increasing cargo size helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions per ton of product shipped from the West Coast. “This is a positive step in the right direction,” Bassett commented. “Our customers appreciate this very much, not only because of the improved environment, but also because of the greater cost-effectiveness of cargo unloading at the port of call.”

Fibreco President Megan Owen-Evans said: “At any time, we can help our customers reach this level of record. This is something our team is very proud of.” Fibreco is in the final stage of an important terminal upgrade, which will enable us Can continue to promote our business while serving our customers more effectively. We are very happy to share this achievement with Pinnacle Renewable Energy and congratulate them on their success. ”

The recipient Drax PLC will consume the wood pellets at its power station in Yorkshire, England. This plant produces about 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity, most of which is fueled by wood pellets.

Gordon Murray, Executive Director of the Canadian Wood Pellets Association, said, “Pinnacle’s achievements are particularly gratifying! Given that these Canadian wood pellets will be used in the UK to generate sustainable, renewable, low-carbon electricity, and help the country to mitigate climate change. Efforts to maintain the safety and stability of the power grid.”

Pinnacle CEO Rob McCurdy said he is proud of Pinnacle’s commitment to reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of wood pellets. “Every part of every plan is beneficial,” he said, “especially when incremental improvements become more and more difficult to achieve. At that time, we knew we were doing our best, which made me feel proud.”