Biomass Supplies applies for RSB sustainability certification

Renewable energy company Biomass Supplies has applied for sustainability certification under the RSB.

Biomass Supplies is pioneering partnerships with small farmers and land owners to access biomass supply that can be used both for pellet production and for power generation.

RSB's planned sustainability certification will cover Gliricidia, a fast rotation coppice tree, used as a fence in Sri Lanka. By working with smallholders, Biomass Supplies is creating new revenue streams for local farmers and helping promote local industry and employment. In the last 12 months, Biomass Supplies has been supplying Gliricidia to two garment manufacturing companies who use the fuel wood for their biomass boilers.

The first of these companies is Brandix, a Sri Lankan exporter of apparel. The Brandix factory in Polonnaruwa has been receiving regular supplies from Biomass Supplies since last May.

'By committing to RSB certification, Biomass Supplies is confident that its business model and operations are compatible with the highest environmental and social standards available through voluntary certification,' says Rolf Hogan, RSB's executive secretary.

'We wanted rigorous sustainability certification to verify our biomass raw material – Gliricidia – which is obtained from a myriad of small farmers. We decided to progress with RSB certification on the advice of WWF, adds Lucky Dissanayake, founder of Biomass Group (the parent company). 'RSB certification will also help in our expansion plans.'