ENplus celebrates 10th anniversary

The world-leading certification scheme for wood pellets celebrates 10 years of operations. For a decade, ENplus has contributed to the development of the premium pellet market by introducing and maintaining harmonized pellet quality along the entire supply chain.

As of November 2020, there are more than 1,040 certified pellet producers, traders, and service providers, in 47 countries on six continents. The total production of certified pellets for this year is close to 13 million tonnes, accounting for about 69 per cent of the European heating market*. Moreover, the total production of certified pellets since the scheme’s establishment has been estimated at almost 74 million tonnes**. In comparison, this volume equals about 8.9 billion gallons of heating oil**.

“The certification scheme has had an immense impact on the pellet market in the past 10 years. ENplus has introduced a common ground for producers, traders, and consumers where they speak the same language and prioritize quality. It is due to this high quality that pellets as a commodity today are considered one of the most efficient and greenest ways to heat your home. I expect even bigger demand for certified pellets in the forthcoming years when we will all be striving for lower air emissions and a more conscious way of living,” said Pablo Rodero, president of the European Pellet Council.

To celebrate the scheme’s 10th anniversary, the ENplus management is organizing a variety of initiatives. A dedicated quiz will test the knowledge of the online users and will give them a chance to win packs of goodies. Pellet consumers will be able also to participate in a photo contest and win up to one tonne of certified pellets for the upcoming winter season. Statistics and videos dedicated to the anniversary will be available on the ENplus social media accounts (LinkedIn / Twitter).

ENplus was initially designed by the Deutsches Pelletinstitut (DEPI) in 2010 in Germany. Later, DEPI transferred the rights to AEBIOM (Bioenergy Europe) for the further development of the scheme at European level. Today, ENplus is managed internationally by the European Pellet Council (a network of Bioenergy Europe), with 14 national partners (12 national licensers and two national promoting associations).

The certification scheme is based on the ISO 17225-2 standard but goes well beyond it with additional, even more stringent requirements. These are enforced by a network of independent auditors and partners, guaranteeing the constant quality of the certified pellets in a transparent and credible manner.

Furthermore, the European Pellet Council and its national partners dedicate significant efforts to protecting the market for certified companies and consumers by actively fighting fraud. In the past decade, more than 700 fraud cases have been identified and solved.

* estimation as of 2019, Bioenergy Europe Pellet Report 2020
** estimations, European Pellet Council