At the Wood Pellet Association of Canada they are constantly seeking ways to be ahead of the curve, expend a significant amount of our time building partnerships that leverage our collective strengths and collaborate on R&D to position our sector for long-term success.Increasingly, global markets and governments are asking for further proof that the products they purchase come from well-managed forests. The EU’s Deforestation Regulation will require new approaches to traceability including geolocation. In the Canadian context this may be impractical and therefore a market barrier for our products.  As such, approaches to traceability will need to be tailored to address some of Canada’s unique attributes: vast forests, species and its public land model, and that the fibre from pellets can come many different areas and suppliers.As with the rest of Canada, Ontario’s wood pellet sector has grown by using sawmill residues.  In the future, there will be an increasing reliance on forest biomass in the form of left-over tree-tops, branches, low quality logs and fire-damaged timber which is often contaminated with rocks and sand which creates wear and tear on mill equipment and increases safety hazards.With funding from BioFuelNet Canada which manages the Biomass Canada Cluster, WPAC is partnering with the University of British Columbia’s Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group (BBRG)  to undertake a multi-year study to determine strategic locations and capacity of agri-pellet production facilities.With support from the Global Forest Leadership Program, International Standards Organization, and approval from the Standards Council of Canada, WPAC will represent Canadian wood pellet interests on ISO Technical Committee 238. Through this support we will assist in the drafting, reviewing, and commenting on solid biofuel standards as well as participating in international laboratory testing. Our key goals in this project are to:Standardize terminology, specifications and classes, quality assurance, sampling and sample preparation and test methods of wood pellets.Establish internationally recognized safety standards for wood pellets.Establish testing standards for internationally accredited testing facilities for physical and mechanical testing methods of wood pellets. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/