UK: New easy reporting system adds value to biomass fuels
The Sustainable Fuel Register (SFR) has been developed jointly by leading consultants Crops for Energy Ltd (C4E) and FEC Energy. It provides water tight sustainability reporting for growers and users of a variety of non-wood fuels who need to prove the provenance of their material to Ofgem, so Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) subsidy can be claimed when the material is burned in accredited equipment.
SFR is an on-line system, which enables producers and users to register ‘lots’ of fuel so that the greenhouse emissions and land criteria requirements associated with that ‘lot’ can be recorded. This can be done at each stage of production and trading to give a traceable 'history' and proof of the sustainability of the fuel. The system has been developed in accordance with Ofgem requirements and is recognised by them as an acceptable way of showing sustainability.
Until now, the only way to register sustainability was through a time-consuming and complicated self-reporting system. For many fuel producers and users, going through this was simply too onerous to contemplate, so they would forgo their subsidy on non-wood fuels.
Fuels which can be put through the system include straw, miscanthus, grass, bracken, food wastes (such as used coffee grounds), horse manure and bedding.
As well as saving a lot of time, it adds value by giving the end user a traceable history of the sustainability of the product in which they can have confidence. It also safeguards users in the event of audit, as they have the necessary records to demonstrate the sustainability of their fuel.
The system is very cost effective, with registration costing £125 per annum and 1 tonne fuel ‘lots’ being charged at 50 pence per tonne after the first 125 tonnes registered.
SFR, which has been in development for over 6 months, was launched in February and has already helped a number of users gain accreditation for their fuel.
Kevin Lindegaard, Director of C4E says “SFR will raise the bar for sustainability reporting with greater accuracy, transparency and reliability. Our methodology will make life simpler and less worrisome for consumers as all their fuel records will be in one place and easily accessed in the event of an audit”.
Jon Swain of FEC Energy says “The SFR system achieves a more holistic and traceable approach. As a fuel is transferred from producer to trader to end user, the SFR keeps track of its history. Therefore, there is reduced chance that a fuel will go “missing”, or be falsely accounted for. This is really important for the biomass industry in trying to win trust with environmentalists and the public”.
For more information:
Sustainable Fuel Register
c/o FEC Energy
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LS
024 7669 8919
info@sfregister.org
www.sfregister.org