Work is well underway on two domes for biomass manufacturer Enviva at the Port of Wilmington in North Carolina.
The first dome’s shell is complete, and the curbs located at its apex are complete; these curbs will support the headhouse, dust collector and other equipment at the top of the dome, said project manager Jason Craig. Retaining walls and tunnels are also complete for the first dome and between the domes.
Crews are preparing to pour the elevated slab on the interior of the first dome and beginning the backfill inside the second dome in preparation for constructing its elevated slab. Curbs at the apex of the second dome are also nearing completion.
The pair of domes will stand 170 feet tall with a capacity of 45,000 metric tons apiece. Once completed, these domes will be able to withstand winds up to 300 mph and will store pellets produced from Enviva’s Sampson plant, as well as additional regional wood-pellet production facilities that may be built in the future.
The Port of Wilmington domes constitute the second Dome Technology project for Enviva. In Spring of 2011 and November 2012, two domes were completed for the company at the Port of Chesapeake in Virginia.