Emeryville CA and Atlanta GA, August 2, 2016 – The first Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) certificates issued by SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading global third-party certifier, were presented this week to industry leader, Drax Biomass Inc., for its Morehouse BioEnergy and Amite BioEnergy wood pellet manufacturing facilities.
This certification follows on the heels of last month’s announcement that SBP had approved SCS as its newest certification body. The SBP certification program is the world’s foremost standard for sustainable woody biomass production for use in industrial, large-scale energy production.
“SBP certification marks a major milestone in our quest to become a leading supplier of sustainably-sourced, high quality wood pellets,”
said Pete Madden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Drax Biomass Inc.
“With this achievement, we’re able to further demonstrate our commitment to both sustainable forestry and meaningful stakeholder engagement in the communities in which we operate.”
The Drax Biomass Amite and Morehouse facilities are each equipped to produce up to 450,000 metric tons of wood pellets each year. The wood is Southern Yellow Pine sourced primarily from nearby privately-owned working forests that have supported the regions’ forest-based economies for many decades. Thinnings, low-value roundwood, and harvesting residues are gathered and stored, then debarked and chipped. Woodchips are screened for size consistency, then dried and further processed into compressed pellets of uniform moisture, ash content and calorific value. The assessment by SCS included a comprehensive evaluation of each stage of the sourcing and manufacturing process, as well as an audit of Drax Biomass’s Baton Rouge Transit storage and shipping facility.
SCS, a global leader in third-party certification of forestry operations, food and agriculture production, carbon offsets, green building products and more, successfully completed the SBP approval process in June. This process involved a rigorous review of SCS’ assessment procedures and personnel qualifications, and included independent observation by SBP of the Drax Biomass facility audit conducted by SCS.
Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“SCS Global Services cleared a rigorous and robust approval process to become an SBP-approved Certification Body, offering worldwide certifications of Biomass Producer and biomass supply chain actors. SBP welcomes news of SCS’ first two certifications of Drax Biomass Inc.’s facilities.”
“We’re delighted to have earned SBP’s approval as a third-party certifier, and congratulate Drax Biomass for its important accomplishment,” said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, SCS Executive Vice President.
“SBP certification is playing an increasingly vital role to ensure that biomass production is conducted in a responsible manner. As this certification demonstrates, Drax Biomass takes its commitment to sustainable production principles seriously.”
Additional information on Drax Biomass’s certification, including links to the SBP certificates, Supply Base Evaluations, and other supporting documentation, can be found on the company website at draxbiomassstg.wpengine.com/sustainability.
About SCS Global Services
SCS Global Services has been providing global leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for over 30 years. Its programs span a wide cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, retail, and more. SCS is accredited to provide services under a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized certification programs. SCS is a chartered benefit corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
About Drax Biomass
Drax Biomass Inc., a subsidiary of UK-based Drax Group plc, is a manufacturer of compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA with operations across the Southeastern US, we employ innovative manufacturing techniques to produce high quality pellets that can be shipped safely and efficiently around the world for use as a renewable, low-carbon fuel. Our pellets allow electric utilities to reduce their dependence on coal, lower carbon emissions and provide new sources of safe, reliable and affordable power. Led by an experienced team of operations professionals, Drax Biomass is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local economic development.
About SBP
SBP is a unique certification program designed for woody biomass, mostly in the form of wood pellets and wood chips, used in industrial, large-scale energy production. The SBP certification program encompasses standards and processes enabling users of woody biomass for energy production to demonstrate that the biomass is both legally and sustainably sourced and that it meets the relevant regulatory, including sustainability, requirements. The program also enables the calculation of energy and carbon savings achieved by burning biomass in place of fossil fuel sources.
From a global standpoint, the SBP program complements requirements on sustainable feedstock and chain of custody from existing forest certification schemes and covers the additional regulatory requirements faced by users of woody biomass for energy production. For more information on SBP visit: www.sustainablebiomasspartnership.org
