On June 24, AVEBIOM as a “national support body ” (NSB) in the European SURE certification system . According to Francisco Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM, “this new project will allow us to take another step in achieving one of our main objectives: the promotion of the sustainable use of biomass.”
What is SURE?
SURE is a voluntary biomass sustainability certification system developed by REDcert (a German company with experience in biofuel sustainability certification) and Bioenergy Europe (the European bioenergy association, with extensive knowledge in the biomass market and in manage certifications).
SURE offers a practical solution to all agents that operate within the bioenergy sector and who need to comply with the requirements imposed by the new European Renewable Energy Directive (EU 2018/2001 REDII).
The system has been designed to certify all operators in the bioenergy sector and not only for specific markets or specific groups. It is valid, therefore, for producers of agricultural and forestry biomass, producers of biofuels from byproducts and waste, pellet manufacturers, logistics operators, biofuel marketers or biomass and biogas plants.
The scheme covers forest biomass (including energy crops), by-products or waste (recycled wood, olive pits, pomace) and also agricultural biomass (straw, corn, etc.).
AVEBIOM as a national support entity in SURE
Following its appointment as a national support body, AVEBIOM will contribute with a new and powerful tool in the certification process of companies that are affected by the European Renewable Energy Directive, REDII.
Biomass is a local resource and to ensure its sustainability it is essential to work with local partners who have knowledge of the bioenergy market and its legal framework and help overcome linguistic barriers.
AVEBIOM, like the rest of the national NSB organizations, will provide support to SURE on regional legal issues that may include specificities such as evidence of legality of timber extraction or the analysis of the legal framework.
It will also organize workshops and information events to explain the requirements and approaches of the SURE system in a constant dialogue with all agents in the bioenergy value chain.
Who is affected by REDII?
The REDII directive affects all heat, cold or electricity generation facilities with powers greater than 20 MWt and that operate with solid biofuels and those with more than 2 MWt when they use biogas.
It will also affect the entire supply chain of these facilities, so all agents will have to be certified, from those dedicated to obtaining the biomass to those who valorize it for energy.
