SBP accepts SCS Global Services as applicant

SBP has announced that certification body SCS Global Services has been accepted as an applicant and is now able to progress towards achieving SBP-approved status.

The SBP Framework of standards and processes enables producers of woody biomass to demonstrate that they source their raw material responsibly and that it complies with the legal, regulatory and sustainability requirements applicable to European power generators. It also facilitates the carriage of energy and carbon data along the supply chain to the end-user.

Under this framework, the biomass producer, typically a pellet mill, is certified by an SBP-approved certification body and is responsible for ensuring that its feedstock meets the SBP standards.

To become SBP-approved, a certification body must first provide evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and it must also demonstrate that it has sufficient resources and competence to manage the certification programme.

The next step for an applicant certification body is to satisfy SBP of its competence to undertake an audit of a biomass producer against the SBP standards in a real-life situation.

Peter Wilson, executive director of SBP, says: 'We have now accepted six certification bodies as applicants which is a key step towards establishing the SBP Framework as an effective scheme enabling users of woody biomass for energy production to demonstrate that the biomass is both legally and sustainably sourced.'