US port of Baton Rouge closed ahead of storms

Port authorities have closed the US wood pellet export port of Baton Rouge, Louisiana owing to tropical storms Marco and Laura — currently in the Gulf of Mexico and over Cuba respectively.

Tropical storm Marco, which has been downgraded from a hurricane, is causing heavy rainfall and strong winds along parts of the US Gulf coast, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Tropical storm Laura "is forecast to strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico and there is an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts along portions of the US Gulf coast by the middle of the week", the NHC said, although forecast details remain uncertain.

The US pellet export ports of Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida are under port condition X-Ray, meaning gale force winds are expected within 48 hours.

Pellet producer Drax Biomass, a subsidiary of UK utility Drax, exports pellets from Baton Rouge. US wood pellet producers Highland Pellets and Westervelt and Canadian producer Pinnacle export from the port of Mobile. US producer Enviva ships out of Panama City.

By Georgia Gratton