BIOMASS CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE

INSPECTION PROCEDURE FORM E

Version 2007.8

-Inspection Procedure Form for the Biomass Supply Chain-

Scope

The purpose of this form is to make the mission clear to the inspector, explaining how he has to verify the data included in SUPPLIER DECLARATION FORM (SDF) and which sustainability criteria he is supposed to investigate on the site of the biomass production unit.

Once the auditor fills in INSPECTION REPORT FORM, adding useful comments, it will then constitute the final AUDIT INSPECTION REPORT

This form is divided in 5 parts:

-  chapter 1 - Audit report introduction

-  chapter 2 - Biomass sourcing and certificates

-  chapter 3 - Biomass production chain and energy balance

-  chapter 4 - Inland transportation of the delivered biomass

-  chapter 5 - Contact details and audit report signature

SGS requests that auditors visit the site of the biomass production plant, collect the requested information and update the following pages into a clear and illustrated report. The report may be joined to the Supplier Declaration Form (SDF) as two electronic pieces.

To avoid discrepancies, all parameters mentioned in the Supplier Declaration Form (SDF), must be carefully checked by the auditor and explained in this form but must not be repeated again in this form.

Chapter 1 – Audit report introduction

Basic information on the inspection:

Name of the verification company
Date of audit (on site)

General Information on the biomass factory:

Company name
Pellet company manager
Contact person on site
Function
Address
Telephone
Fax
Location of the biomass site:
(in forest area, next to a sawmill, next to a harbour,..)

Localisation of the biomass factory on a country map:

Chapter 2 : Biomass sourcing and certificates

Aim at delivering key information on the raw material used to manufacture the biomass.

This part is very important in the framework of a sustainable management system of the resources and with respect to this, influences the CO2 emission coefficient.

-  The auditor must carefully verify information delivered in Form B (SDF) and comment on it if necessary:

Verification and comments on the information written in Form B (SDF):

Parameter / Additional comments/information
Example : Origin of the wood used for the woodpellets / As the producer said, the raw material comes from nearby the site. The site in indeed located in a forestry zone. This forestry zone covers 12.000 ha of land and is located on the map X.

-  If the delivered biomass is of certified origin according to recognised international standard, please mention hereunder the approved certificate numbers or references.

In the case of woody biomass:
-  FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), http://www.fsc.org/en/
-  PEFC (Pan European Forest Certification), http://www.pefc.org/internet/html/
-  CSA-SFM (Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management)
-  SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative)
-  FFCS (Finnish Forest Certification System)
-  Approved pre-scope certificate of one of the endorsed forest management certification systems, with the intention of full certification
-  GGLS5: Green Gold Label Forest management criteria; temporary approval
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In the case of agricultural resources:
-  Roundtable Sustainable Palmoil (RSPO), http://www.rspo.org/
-  Agricultural EUREPGAP, http://www.eurep.org/faq.html
-  GGLS2 –Agricultural Source Criteria
-  Agricultural products grown in the EU
Certificate numbers / Delivered by / Delivered to

-  Only if the delivered biomass is not formally certified according to one of those recognised international standard, please check basic sustainability principles for clear violations, according to criteria mentioned in the mentioned websites regarding respect of legislation on forestry or soil use and adequate afforestation and management plans of the natural resources.


Chapter 3 – Biomass production chain and energy balance

1.  Description of the production process

The auditor must describe the biomass production process, focusing on the differences with usual practices. Give a detailed description of the process that raw biomass resources undergo. At each stage, different issues might play a role in the calculation of the net fossil CO2 emission and therefore should be mentioned. A classical example of a pellet plant is detailed hereafter.

Production stage / Description
Raw material, primary product (possibly forests) / a)  Collection of the raw material (e.g. forest cultivation and exploitation)
Alternatively, production of the primary product (e.g. sawlogs) via dedicated process.
b)  Transport of the raw material (e.g. wood) to the processing industry to the biomass preparation unit (e.g. pellet plant).
Processing (e.g. wood-based) industry / c)  Drying process: The sawdust is dried until moisture content of 8 to 10% is reached. The drying is performed by means of a dryer that uses biomass, gas or fossil fuel as energy.
d)  Sieving and milling of the dried wood dust (control of particle size).
e)  Densification process: the dried wood is transformed into pellets and this phase might need some binding additives (e.g. lignin)
f)  Cooling of the wood pellets
g)  Transport of the secondary by-products to the biomass preparation unit (e.g. wood pellet factory)
Biomass preparation unit (e.g. wood pellet factory) / h)  Raw material storage at the pellet plant
i)  Transformation of raw material into a final biomass product (e.g. pelletising)
j)  Storage and handling of the final biomass product (warehouse)

The description has to be illustrated by a minimal set of pictures: the next pictures are at least required

-  Picture 1 Raw material warehouse

-  Picture 2 Overview of pellet or biomass making plant

-  Picture 3 Final product (pellets) storage and handling

A map of the biomass factory and the associate installations can also be added.

2.  Overall energy consumption of the biomass company

The auditor must verify all data delivered in Form B (SFD) and comments on the methodology that has been applied for evaluating them. The auditor has to comment on the following issues (complementary to Supplier Declaration).

Parameter / Description
Comment on the energy resources that are used in the biomass factory:
Example :
electricity, biomass, gasoil, gas,..
If no energy consumption is needed, then please justify
Electricity (if applicable): / Comment on the electricity consumption of the biomass factory
Explain how this specific electricity consumption has been evaluated / ¨ a theoretical evaluation based upon specific consumptions of installed machinery and nominal production capacity of the plant,
¨ invoices of external electricity supplier and statistics of biomass production, on the following period: …………………………………………
¨ specific fuel consumption and electrical efficiency of installed cogeneration plant and biomass production plant
¨ Other explanation: ......
Give the full calculation that lead to the above mentioned energy consumption :
Specify where the electricity comes from:
(If it comes from a cogeneration, the auditor has to add the fuel consumption of the installation) / q from the electric network
q cogeneration
q wind turbines
q other source:………………………………………
……………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………..
Other fuel (if applicable): / Fuel 1 (delete this part if not applicable):
- Fuel consumption (in kWh per metric ton of biomass produced):
-  Explain how this energy consumption has been evaluated : / ¨ invoices of fuel suppliers, on the following period: ……………………………..
¨ fuel consumption (_____ton/h) and efficiency of installed cogeneration plant (____%)
¨ a theoretical evaluation based upon specific consumptions of installed machinery
¨ other explanation: ......
-  Give the full calculation that lead to the above mentioned energy consumption :
Other fuel (if applicable): / Fuel 2 : (delete this part if not applicable)
- Fuel consumption (in kWh per metric ton of biomass produced):
-  Explain how this energy consumption has been evaluated : / ¨ invoices of fuel suppliers, on the following period: ……………………………..
¨ fuel consumption (_____ton/h) and efficiency of installed cogeneration plant (____%)
¨ a theoretical evaluation based upon specific consumptions of installed machinery
¨ Other explanation: ......
-  Give the full calculation that lead to the above mentioned energy consumption :

3.  Description and performance of the dryer process (if applicable):

Parameter / Explanation/unit asked / Comments from the auditor:
Type of dryer(s) used / Supplier + other information + picture / If no drying is needed, please justify
Type of energy resource used in dryer / q wood dust (dust<1mm)
q wood pellets
q other biomass
q natural gas
q electricity
q other
Dryer’s performance / In tons/hour
Average moisture content of the raw material (before the drying process):
(*) / Expressed in %, on dry base:
(i.e. 100% = 1 kg water/kg dry matter) / ¨ low=20%
¨ normal dry=30%
¨ high (fresh wood)=100%
Explain the storage conditions that explains such a moisture content:
Humidity after the drying process (target): / Expressed in %, on dry base:

(*)The energy consumption of the drying process will be evaluated on basis of next theoretical analyses:

This evaluation is based upon

-  the averaged moisture content of the raw material that must be estimated:
low=20%, normal dry=30%, high (fresh wood)=100%, expressed on dry base
(i.e. 100%= 1 kg water/kg dry matter)

-  and the target moisture for the final product
(i.e. 10% for pellets, see row requested drying, column reference):

Calculation of enthalpy for water evaporation is then made in the next table.

The necessary primary energy results from this enthalpy multiplied by the efficiency of the drying process i.e. (see row primary energy, column reference in the table)

-  93% if the energy carrier is hot air;

-  90% if the energy carrier is hot water;

-  85% if the energy carrier is water steam or another carrier (as in the table)

The equivalent loss of green power per ton of biomass is then estimated with respect to a reference combined cycle power plant (CCPP) with an electric efficiency of 55%:

Table :

Excel sheet calculating energy used for drying according to moisture content of raw material.

Chapter 4 – Inland Transportation of the delivered biomass

In this part, the producer must comment on the transport scheme:

-  of the raw material from its origin to the biomass production unit

-  of the final biomass from the biomass production unit up to Belgium.

The auditor has to review the information delivered in Form B (SDF) and verify the data focusing on two parameters that play indeed an important role in the CO2 emissions:

-  type of vehicles used for transport;

-  distances.

The auditor should mention if renewable biomass (bio-ethanol, bio-diesel) is used for powering the vehicles.

The auditor must add a map and possible comments about transport scheme in addition to the data delivered in the Supplier Declaration (Form B).

Sea transportation (if applicable) is not covered here and shall be checked only by SGS Belgium such as avoiding discrepancies between harbours of origin.

Chapter 5 – Contact details and audit report signature

Coordinates of the inspector

Title (Mr/Mrs/Dr)
Name of the inspector
Name of the verification company
Address / Street:……………………………………………………….
City:……………………………….Postcode:………………
Country:……………………………………………………
Contacts / Tel :…………………………………………………………
Fax: …………………………………………………………
e-mail:……………………………………………………….

Signature of the inspector

Date / DD/MM/YYYY
I certify that the data gathered in this form has been checked and validated
Signature
And stamp

------Part to be filled in by SGS Belgium------

Supplier code / _ _ _-_ _
Date and place / DD/MM/YYYY, …………………………….……………… .
Name of the reviewer / ………………………………………………………….……
I certify that the data gathered in this form has been checked and validated Signature and stamp
SGS Belgium

Date (dd/mm/yy): Local inspector’s initials SGS STAMP Page: 10 of 10