Toombs County, Georgia
The Toombs County, Georgia BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘AA’.
Rating Issue Date: December 12, 2023.
'AA' ratings denote very high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and very low expectations of default risk in the Zone. They indicate very strong ongoing capacity of the region to support new biobased plant operations. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
Toombs County, GA holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘AA’ Rating for Forest residuals, Sawmill residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Dec 2023, the rating certifies approximately 2,030,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mile driving distance from the center point (Lyons, GA).
A ‘AA’ rating is a high investment grade, signalling an abundant, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Toombs County, GA’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- 1,600,000 gt/yr of pulpwood available at low risk
- A highly productive forest products industry guarantees a stable supply of biomass
- Forestry supply chain is well established and efficient
- State and county government support of the forest products industry
- Industrial and transportation infrastructure is compatible with large-scale bioeconomy projects
- Toombs County is a probusiness community with low operating costs and a relaxed quality of life
- A growing global industrial wood pellet industry may result in increased competition for pulpwood
- Insurance requirements are contributing to a shortage of logging truck drivers
- Logging company ownership and management is aging and may face difficulties with ownership transfer upon retirement
- Georgia enacted legislation in April 2006 (HB 1018) creating an exemption for biomass materials from sales taxes; unclear how long this incentive continues
Infrastructure & sites
- New 605-acre industrial park annex under development at U.S. Highway 1 in Lyons, Georgia
- Located 13 miles south of Interstate 16 and less than 90 minutes to major transport corridors and Port of Savannah
- Toombs Corporate Speculative Building: 100,000 sq ft on 12.714-acre site with 30 ft clear height, expandable to approximately 200,000 sq ft
Local grants & incentives
- Property Tax Abatement
- 100% Freeport Exemption
- Land assistance
- Site Work assistance
- Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs)
- Expedited Permitting
- Eligible for USDA REDL loan program
- Eligible for New Market Tax Credits (NMTC)
- Participant in Foreign Trade Zone 104
Contacts
