In December Port City Daily in Wilmington, North Carolina, featured Enviva’s latest portside project, highlighting the eco-friendly approach to energy production that wood pellets provide.
The article details Enviva’s Port of Wilmington project, which wrapped up in 2016 after Dome Technology provided two 45,000-metric-ton domes designed to withstand hurricane and earthquake forces. The domes store pellets delivered by truck or train until ready to be shipped via barge.
In the past five years Dome Technology has built four total domes for Enviva. The first two were constructed between 2011 and 2012 at the Port of Chesapeake in Virginia. The domes, which are nearly identical to those at the Port of Wilmington, stand 157 feet high and 176 feet in diameter and feature systems that continuously monitor and control interior temps.
Domes provides ideal conditions for storing wood pellets. The airform surrounding the entire dome prevents water and moisture access. The dome’s insulated nature reduces heating and cooling of the walls and air inside, preventing condensation from forming on the interior. Layers of concrete, rebar, and insulation provide humidity control and moderate externally generated temperature fluctuations. For storage on a port, domes can be engineered with innovative foundation systems that provide ample support on soil near the water.
To read the full Port City Daily text, click here. For information about how domes effectively store wood pellets, click here.
Photo via Port City Daily.
