Economic operators participating in support schemes or renewable energy obligations in Ireland are required to demonstrate that the biomass fuels they use meet the sustainability criteria set out in the Irish legislation, SI 350 of 2022.

About SEAI's Procedure for Verifying Sustainability of Biomass Fuels

Statutory Instrument SI 350 of 2022* directs SEAI to establish a procedure to verify that economic operators participating in a support scheme or renewable energy obligation have demonstrated that the biomass fuels they use fulfil the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria set out in its legislation.

As part of this Procedure, SEAI has developed three documents:

  1. Procedure document
  2. Supporting Guidance document
  3. Submission Forms

More information on these documents and their download links can be found below.

*SI 350 of 2022 (European Union Renewable Energy Regulations) transposes the recast Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) into Irish law,

This document describes the requirements for economic operators participating in support or obligation schemes, in order for SEAI to verify that solid and gaseous biomass fuels used in their installation for electricity, heating, cooling or as fuels, are certified according to the EU biomass sustainability criteria set out in the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II), and so comply with the sustainability and GHG emissions savings criteria set out in Schedule 3 of SI 350 of 2022.

The document covers the following aspects:

  • Purpose of the Procedure
  • Circumstances under which Partipants are obliged to submit information to SEAI annually e.g. dependencies such as the type of plant in operation and the type of biomass fuel in use
  • Biomass fuel sustainability criteria information that must be submitted to SEAI
  • Third party verification and auditing requirements
  • Submission deadlines
  • Legislative background

Participants should review the Procedure prior to completing their annual submission.

The Guidance document supports the Procedure by offering more detailed information and guidance.  While the Procedure outlines the reporting obligations for scheme participants, the Guidance explains how to fulfil these requirements in detail and why they are necessary. It aims to clarify the Procedure's requirements and the third-party verification and auditing processes. 

Forms

This document contains the forms that participants must complete and submit to the SEAI annually. These forms capture essential data from participants such as installation information, biomass fuel used and country of origin, sustainability certification, GHG emissions savings, and other relevant metrics. The forms are structured to ensure clarity and ease of submission for participants.

Independent Verification / Auditor’s Report

The forms should be submitted with an Independent Verification / Auditor’s Report. For further information on the verification and auditing requirements, please refer to Section 3 of the Procedure document and Section 3 of the Guidance document.

How to make your biomass sustainability verification submission

  1. Download the Verification Procedure Submission Forms and follow the instructions contained within the sheet.
  2. Review the Procedure and Guidance documents to ensure you understand the requirements before completing your submission.
  3. Email your completed Submission Forms to biomass-sustainability-verification@seai.ie with a copy of your Independent Verification Report.
  4. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 5pm on 29th March 2024.

Support

If you require any further support or have any queries, please contact biomass-sustainability-verification@seai.ie

 

Guidance for participants and economic operators in the biomass fuel supply chain

The Guidance document is not only a valuable resource for participants in support or obligation schemes using biomass fuels but also aims to support Irish economic operators engaged in the supply chain of Irish agricultural and forest source biomass fuels for these participants. 

Section 2.4 of the Guidance informs operators within this supply chain which Irish legislation could have an impact on obtaining EU sustainability certification (RED II) from Certification Bodies recognized under EU-approved Voluntary Schemes. It describes how Irish legislation influences the Sustainability Criteria of Biomass fuels and also identifies which factors affect greenhouse gas emission savings so operators can optimize them the best way possible. 

 

Download links

Related links

Contact us

For any queries regarding the verification procedure, please contact us at biomass-fuels-sustainablity-verification@seai.ie