The world-leading certification scheme to guarantee high-quality wood pellets, ENplus, said it is continuing its expansion, as it now certifies over 1,200 companies.
In 2021, the total production of certified pellets was estimated to be 13.6 million tonnes, and the projection for the certified volumes for 2022 is over 14 million tonnes.
In the recent few years, the certification scheme was embraced by many producers and traders in markets such as Poland and the Balkan region where pellets are being increasingly recognised as an efficient and affordable heating solution to replace old fossil fuel-based practices. Brazil is the country outside Europe with the strongest interest in certification in the past year. As of May 2022, more than 20 Brazilian producers are already certified, while the total number of all certified companies from around the world is more than 1,200.
With over 3.3 million tonnes, Germany kept the leading position as the biggest producer of ENplus certified pellets in 2021. Austria is the runner-up with a production of almost 1.5 million tonnes. Alongside Romania, Switzerland, and Czechia, these countries also report ENplus market share of over 80 percent for 2021.
“The demand for certification is now driven by the consumers who are motivated by the more affordable price of the premium pellets in comparison with the gas and electricity price, and their environmentally friendly nature. Our market intelligence shows booming sales of the pellet appliances which will inevitably lead to a strong demand for certified pellets next winter. Therefore, we are glad to observe a constant flow of new applications for certification, as well as potential increase of the production foreseen by many already certified producers,” commented Catalina-Elena Dumitru, the scheme’s director.
One unique ENplus characteristic that contributes to the scheme’s success is the active fraud management that constantly protects the trademark. As of May 2022, the ENplus management has identified and solved more than 820 fraud cases, with over 160 fraudulent entities being exposed to the public via a dedicated blacklist on the website.
As a result of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the European Pellet Council (EPC) has decided to suspend all ENplus certified producers, traders, and service providers based in Russia and Belarus as of 15 April 2022. These companies are no longer allowed to sell ENplus certified pellets, nor are applications for certifications from these two countries accepted.
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