ENplus hits milestone certifying over 1,000 companies

ENplus has proved its leading role in the global harmonization of high-quality wood pellets by having certified more than 1,000 companies as of June 2020. In only a decade, ENplus has dominated the market with its certification scheme and recent numbers are proof of that.

Today, ENplus includes 526 pellet producers, 471 traders and three services providers across 46 countries. The total production of certified pellets is over 12 million tonnes, accounting for about 77 per cent of the European heating market.

As of 2019, the biggest producer of ENplus-certified pellets continues to be Germany, with over 2.7 million tonnes. Austria ranked second again, followed by Russia, France, and Poland. Apart from France, all countries in the top five have increased their production compared to the previous year.

“Europe is heading for a greener future that foresees more and more use of biomass for production of heat and electricity. The significant number of active certificates proves that high-quality wood pellets are part of this future, as the market demands quality from production to delivery. Therefore, ENplus standards and procedures are highly appreciated,” shared Catalina-Elena Dumitru, the scheme’s director.

The certification is based on the ISO 17225-2 standard but goes well beyond it with additional requirements. Producers, traders, and service providers can get certified for three different quality classes, most of the production being ENplus A1, the scheme’s highest class.

To keep up with the scheme’s developments, ENplus organizes regular trainings for certified companies and partners. Certified companies are also required to have a proper management system in place, which includes self-monitoring activities.

The value of the certification scheme is protected by the constant dedication of ENplus management to investigate trademark infringements. As of June 2020, more than 680 fraud cases have been identified and solved. An up-to-date blacklist with all fraudulent parties is also available on the scheme’s website.

A revision of the certification is near completion, with new documents expected to be launched in summer 2020.