ENplus, a world-leading certification scheme to guarantee high-quality wood pellets for consumers, reports another year of expansion surpassing 1 200 certified companies.
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According to Bioenergy Europe, the organization managing the quality assurance scheme via its network European Pellet Council (EPC), ENplus continues its expansion.
In 2021, the total production of certified pellets is estimated to be 13.6 million tonnes, with the projection for the certified volumes for 2022 being over 14 million tonnes.
The demand for certification is now driven by the consumers who are motivated by the more affordable price of the premium pellets in comparison with the gas and electricity price, and their environmentally friendly nature, commented Catalina-Elena Dumitru, Director of the ENplus certification scheme.
Nationwide value-chain certification suspensions
The estimation is based on the numbers submitted by all certified producers while the 2022 numbers are estimates before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact of EU sanctions on Belarus and Russia.
On April 15, 2022, the European Pellet Council (EPC) suspended all ENplus certified producers, traders, and service providers based in Russia and Belarus.
Until further notice, companies from these two countries are no longer allowed to sell ENplus certified pellets, nor are applications for certifications accepted.
Growth in Poland, Balkans, and Brazil
In the recent few years, the certification scheme was embraced by many producers and traders in markets such as Poland and the Balkan region where pellets are being increasingly recognized as an efficient and affordable heating solution to replace old fossil fuel-based practices.
Brazil is the country outside of Europe with the strongest interest in certification in the past year. As of May 2022, more than 20 Brazilian producers are already certified, while the total number of all certified companies from around the world is more than 1 200.
Booming appliance demand
With over 3.3 million tonnes, Germany kept the leading position as the biggest producer of ENplus certified pellets in 2021. Austria is the runner-up with a production of almost 1.5 million tonnes.
Alongside Romania, Switzerland, and Czechia, these countries also report ENplus market share of over 80 percent for 2021.
Our market intelligence shows booming sales of pellet appliances which will inevitably lead to strong demand for certified pellets next winter. Therefore, we are glad to observe a constant flow of new applications for certification, as well as a potential increase of the production foreseen by many already certified producers, Catalina-Elena Dumitru said.
According to Catalina-Elena Dumitru, one unique ENplus characteristic that contributes to the scheme’s success is the active fraud management that constantly protects the trademark.
As of May 2022, ENplus Management has identified and resolved more than 820 cases of fraud, with over 160 fraudulent entities being exposed to the public via a dedicated blacklist on the website.
