BS EN 15234-1:2011

What is BS EN 15234-1 - Solid bio-fuel quality assurance about?

BS EN 15234-1 defines the procedures to fulfil the quality requirements (quality control) and

describes measures to ensure adequate confidence that the biofuel specification is fulfilled (quality assurance).

BS EN 15234-1 the whole chain, from the supply of raw materials to point of delivery to the end-user.

According to the mandate given for the standardization work, the scope of the CEN/TC 335 only includes solid biofuels originating from the following sources:

• Products from agriculture and forestry
• Vegetable waste from agriculture and forestry
• Vegetable waste from the food processing industry
• Wood waste, with the exception of wood waste which may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metal as a result of treatment with wood preservatives or coating, and which includes in particular such wood waste originated from construction and demolition waste
• Fibrous vegetable waste from virgin pulp production and from the production of paper from pulp, if it is co-incinerated at the place of production and heat generated is recovered
• Cork waste

Note 1: The quality assurance systems applied to the operation of conversion plants fuelled by solid biofuels are

outside the scope of BS EN 15234-1.

Note 1: Health, safety and environmental issues for solid biofuels are important and need special attention, however

they are outside the scope of BS EN 15234-1.

Note 3: For the avoidance of doubt, demolition wood is not included in the scope of BS EN 15234-1. Demolition wood is defined as “used wood arising from demolition of buildings or civil engineering installations”

(EN 14588:2010, 4.52).

Note 4: The biofuels covered by BS EN 15234-1 are identical to the fuels exempted from the Directive 2000/76/EC [Article 2.2 a) from i) to v)] on incineration of waste.

Note 5: Aquatic biomass is not included in the scope of BS EN 15234-1.

Who is BS EN 15234-1 - Solid bio-fuel quality assurance for?

BS EN 15234-1 on solid bio-fuel quality assurance is useful for:

• Sold biofuels industry
• Quality assurance agencies
• All involved in the supply chain of biofuel

Why should you use BS EN 15234-1 - Solid bio-fuel quality assurance?

Quality assurance is about reviewing the products and processes, primarily through data provided from the quality control records and using this data. 

• To provide confidence that products are produced within the required specification and processes are operated as they should be, and
• To assure that over the longer-term either consistency is being maintained (stability in process results) or that quality improvements are making the intended impact

The overall aim of BS EN 15234-1 is to guarantee the solid biofuel quality through the whole supply chain, from the origin to the delivery of the solid biofuel and to provide adequate confidence that specified quality requirements are fulfilled.

The objective of BS EN 15234-1 is to serve as a tool to enable the efficient trading of biofuels.

Thereby:

• End-user can find a biofuel that corresponds to its needs
• Producer/supplier can produce a biofuel with defined and consistent properties and describe the biofuel to the customers

Quality assurance measures shall establish confidence in the biofuel through systems that are simple to operate and do not cause undue bureaucracy.