ATHENS – A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday for Maine Woods Pellet Co. in the Somerset County town of Athens.

The facility is located on the site of the former Boralex biomass plant, which closed in 2002. The plant initially will employ 16 people.

Maine Woods Pellet manufactures pellets that have become increasingly popular for heating fuel as the price of oil continues to surge.

The plant is expected to manufacture 100,000 tons of pellets annually for industrial and residential use.