Biomass Sustainability Certification NTA 8080 Europe aims to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 by 20%. In order to realise this ambitious objective, the share in total energy and fuel consumption taken by sustainable energy and biofuels must increase. The use of bio-energy alongside wind and solar energy will be indispensable here. Bio-energy is generated using biomass, via fermentation, combustion or gasification. Biomass is an organic material which may be derived from the residue of industrial or waste processes or it can be specially cultivated. Forestry residues, cocoa bean shells or rapeseed following oil extraction are among the sources used. NTA 8080 The true sustainability of biomass is dependent on the entire production and supply chain. For example, sustainability is determined by the cultivation method, the processing, transport through the supply chain, the energy output and competition with food crops. Work is in progress at European level on standards for the sustainability of biomass. However these are not expected to be available before 2012.   In anticipation of this, a Biomass Sustainability Working Group under the direction of NEN, the Netherlands Standards Institute, has produced a Netherlands Technical Agreement on the subject, NTA 8080. NTA 8080 provides criteria for the sustainability of biomass used for energy purposes. These are based on the well-known Cramer criteria. The criteria in NTA 8080 relate to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, competition with food production or other local applications, biodiversity, environmental and health and social welfare considerations. Certification Certification of biomass to NTA 8080 will be available from 2011 onwards. The Dutch Normalisation Institute NEN have drawn up a certification scheme for this purpose, known as NTA 8081. QSC were members of the Expert Panel for the Dutch NTA 8081 certification scheme. QSC can arrange for biomass certification. Certification is available for the production or cultivation of biomass by the "producer", the processing or reprocessing of biomass by the "processor", for the consumption of biomass for the generation of electricity, heat, biogas or bio-transport fuels by the "end-user" and for the trader in the supply chain. The total biomass chain will be deemed to be sustainable where the producers, the processors and the end-users in the chain all hold a valid certificate. Further, the total reduction in emissions from greenhouse gases within the entire chain must meet the requirement as set down in NTA 8080, and the traceability of the biomass stream throughout the entire chain must be ensured. NEN controls a register of NTA 8080 gecertified organizations, click here for the register.

© 2010 QSBV / YellowMind BV