International Paper Riegelwood Mill — United States of America

International Paper Riegelwood Mill is a 51.5 MW biomass power plant in North Carolina, United States of America. It is operated by International Paper Co-Riegelwood. Based on reported annual generation of 377 GWh, it can supply roughly 108k homes. It ranks #3599 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1973, it is around 53 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, biomass supplies about 1.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0054656.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 51.5 MW, International Paper Riegelwood Mill is well above the median biomass plant in United States of America (17.9 MW). Biomass plants burn organic material such as wood, residues or waste-derived fuel to raise steam; they are dispatchable and counted as low-carbon where the feedstock is sustainably sourced.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

83%, from 377 GWh of reported generation; the median for 144 biomass plants in United States of America that report generation is 53%

Share of United States of America biomass capacity

0.8% of 6,324 MW across 184 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

23 of 153 dated biomass plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by International Paper Co-Riegelwood.

Local climate & thermal context

This biomass plant burns organic material (wood, residues) to raise steam for a turbine. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 34.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 48% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 30/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #54 largest biomass power plant of 184 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 184 biomass power plants in this dataset, together about 6,324 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Delco Farm · Solar · 5 MW · North Carolina
• Heedeh Solar · Solar · 4.5 MW · North Carolina
• AGA TAG Solar IV LLC · Solar · 4.9 MW · North Carolina
• ATOOD Solar IV LLC · Solar · 5 MW · North Carolina
• Innovative Solar 43 LLC · Solar · 50.8 MW · North Carolina
• Sutton Steam Plant · Coal · 671.6 MW · North Carolina

Location

Coordinates 34.3533, -78.2137 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions