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Need for woodfuel standards
| The
importance of a quality fuel supply chain
| Introducing
the Woodsure Accreditation Scheme
Despite efficient, high-technology equipment - and the will to adopt it -
until recently the roll-out of biomass energy systems in the UK has
been hampered by the lack of a coordinated
and effectively regulated supply infrastructure.
Many initiatives are now actively addressing this
situation, but this emerging supply network still needed a straightforward, cost-effective
means of ensuring product quality
standards that could provide consumers with assurance and confidence in the suitability of the woodfuel they were receiving.
The need for an affordable, recognised standard
Such evaluation procedures as did exist until now have been lengthy and complex to fulfil, focusing upon the entire
production process. This had made the attainment of quality accreditation prohibitively costly for producers (costs
that would be passed on to consumers in higher prices).
The woodfuel industry is emerging from its
infancy. To protect its reputation, as well
as the
sector's capital investment in equipment, we
need to ensure consistent fuel quality in
order to secure
customer confidence. Woodfuel producers work
to very tight financial margins; until now,
because of the costs involved, many
have simply chosen not to seek quality accreditation for their products.
This situation meant that many woodfuel
producers had no guidelines within which to assess the quality of their
product, or direction for refining their
production methods to raise quality
standards. For their part, consumers had no
quality mark in widespread use by which to identify whether fuel was of an appropriate standard for their boiler systems.
If woodfuel is sub-standard (that is to say: incorrect moisture content, or uses waste wood contaminated with paint,
nails etc.) it can create serious problems for biomass boilers, including breakdowns, repairs or even
warranty invalidation.
Introducing the Woodsure Accreditation Scheme
Woodsure is a NEW accreditation scheme for assessing the quality and suitability of wood chip, pellets, briquettes and hog fuel
(shred).
Woodsure Accreditation means that these products have been tested to ensure they meet the EN and Önorm standards for woodfuel
quality that have become the established measure in the European biomass industry.
Woodsure accredited woodfuel assures customers that the fuel they are purchasing fulfils the appropriate specification for their equipment.
It helps to guarantee a high standard and reliability in the supply chain.
Woodsure uses an ongoing assessment
regime, ensuring that each accredited supplier is regularly visited and evaluated, thus maintaining a consistently high standard of fuel.
Whilst maintaining rigorous standards, the testing and evaluation procedure is straightforward - testing the product at the
point of production and supply - and achieved with minimal operational impact or expense for producers and suppliers.
Woodsure provides legitimacy for woodfuel providers and confidence for their customers.
Woodsure also seeks to support woodfuel production businesses, enabling them to develop and improve, and in doing so create a strong, reliable supply chain.
Next:
How the assurance works >>
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Woodfuel producers and suppliers now have a practical, cost-effective way to gain recognition for the quality of their product.
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Woodsure grew out of a woodfuel membership
organisation called Westwoods Woodfuel
South West (click here to visit the web site).
This experience identified the
need to protect the customer from the
consequences of receiving poor fuel as well
as a means to provide reputable woodfuel
suppliers with a quality mark demonstrating
that their woodfuel is produced and supplied
to a high standard. |
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