Norway-headed biomass and waste-derived fuel aggregators and suppliers Geminor AS have announced that it has received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, which enables the company to manage sustainably sourced wood products and offer greener solutions to the European biomass market.
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Founded in 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) for voluntary certification of sustainable forestry.
The FSC sets the international standards for trading sustainably sourced forest products and promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
With this certification, we take on the responsibility of ensuring the traceability of sustainable biomass, said Kjetil Vikingstad, CEO at Geminor.
Geminor has recently acquired the Chain of Custody certification, which is how the FSC verifies that forest-based materials are sourced according to their standards.
We are delighted to finally be a part of the internationally acclaimed FSC system. This certificate allows us to trade with FSC-certified producers and subsequently deliver FSC-claimed wood products to off-takers with an assurance that it has been sourced sustainably. As such, this is a certification that really makes a difference when it comes to the promotion and use of sustainably sourced biomass in the world, said Kjetil Vikingstad.
Being a certificate holder opens the door to securing sustainable forest-based materials like logs, chippings, and bark from certified producers, and bringing this to the biomass market.
The certification from the FSC also works as a guideline in finding the right partners for Geminor.
By targeting FSC certificate holders we are targeting sustainable forests, no matter which country we operate in. By doing so we are also securing fair and safe working conditions, and preventing forced labour or child labour, Kjetil Vikingstad explained.
Increased demand
There is a growing demand for biomass in the market, but also an increased focus on sustainable sourcing.
In countries such as Sweden, off-takers are now requiring a guarantee that all wood is sourced sustainably. According to Kjetil Vikingstad, the FSC certificate represents this guarantee,
As an FSC certificate holder, Geminor takes on the responsibility of ensuring the traceability of FSC-claimed wood from sustainably managed forests to off-takers looking for a greener solution. This is a step in the right direction for Geminor as we look to imbue sustainability within our business model, Kjetil Vikingstad said.
The company says that it is “well adapted” to handle and trade a new biomass fraction.
Our international organization has extensive experience in treating waste wood and biomaterials, and our existing logistical solutions for waste fractions also work well for the new bio fraction. With an established portfolio of off-takers that handle both bio fractions and waste, we are ready to engage in the international sustainable biomass market, concluded Kjetil Vikingstad.
