logo
menu
← Return to the newsfeed...

SBE Latvia becomes first SBP certified European wood pellet producer

Nepcon has issued a Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) certificate to wood pellet producer SBE Latvia (SBE).

SBE is the first in Europe and only second in the world to earn this credential, expected to be in strong demand by European energy producers.

With the certificate in place, SBE Latvia is able to meet the European energy sector’s growing demands for sustainable biomass documentation.

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) is a European initiative, established by seven leading energy producers, that supports sustainable solid biomass supply chains contributing to a low-carbon economy.

SBP certification is tailored to help biomass suppliers and energy producers meet European government regulations and industry standards.

Managing director of SBE Latvia Ulf Scholander says he is pleased that the company was able to meet the strict requirements of the certificate.

‘Some of our biggest European buyers will clearly demand SBP certified pellets in the future, and we’re now in a position to meet those demands. Already, our buyers often request us to fulfil their codes of conduct that are in many ways comparable with SBP’s requirements,’ Scholander says.

Danish Dong Energy is one of the companies behind the SBP and the key buyer of wood pellets from SBE Latvia.

Lead sustainability advisor Peter Kofod Kristensen of Dong Energy – one of the companies behind the SBP and the key buyer of wood pellets from SBE Latvia – says Dong that SBE chose SBP to document the sustainability of their wood pellets.

NEPCon, an international non-profit organisation, issued the SBP certificate based on a rigorous on-site assessment.

‘The use of woody biomass is growing as the energy industry responds to climate change. SBP certification is about ensuring that it is done in the right way,’ says NEPCon executive director Peter Feilberg.

‘Simply switching from fossil fuels to woody biomass is not enough. The biomass needs to be sourced responsibly to avoid that it is linked to forest loss, which has a negative climate impact. The SBP system is well suited to provide assurance both for the climate credentials and the responsible origin of woody biomass,’ he continues.

SBE Latvia has asked their non-certified suppliers to become certified to enhance their access to certified material, and so far seven suppliers have acted on the request.





207 queries in 0.594 seconds.