Product / service / Version / Date
Wood pellets / Advanced / December 2010

Scope

These criteria apply to biofuel pellets made of pure wood that are suitable for use in boilers and stoves, both for private or for community (e.g. apartment blocks, school...).

The criteria deal with quality-, manufacturing-, storage- and transport issues.

The aim is to identify the top-grade quality from an environmental perspective. Examples of criteria covered are emissions on health and the environment, ease of use, physical properties (such as density, size and moisture content) and certified wood origin.

1) Subject matter

Wood pellets produced with environmentally friendly materials and processes and produced in a socially responsible way.

1.1. The subject matter in the framework of the organizations policy.

“For <…..> (name of the public authority), the care for the environment and social aspects is important. It is stated in her <strategic policies>, <mission>, <vision>, <procurement policy>, …”

1.2. “Reserved contracts”

This category of contract is handled separately in Article 19 of Directive 2004/18/EC. This article permits the member states to “reserve” the right to participate in public contract award procedures. It includes contracts awarded to sheltered workshops or awarded in the context of sheltered employment programmes restricted to handicapped persons who cannot conduct professional activities under normal conditions. Paragraph 2 of Article 18a of the Law of 24 December 1993 has already taken a step in this direction by enabling, within the European thresholds, an identical strategy.

2) Exclusion criteria

2.1. Social aspects:

Buyers can take account of social aspects in there procurement. For more information about the different possibilities see:

3) Technical capacity

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4) Market information

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5) Technical specifications

a) Wood raw material (Nordic, Austrian Ecolabel)

­The only allowed raw material is natural or untreated wood as well as residues from wood processing. Impregnated, glued or chemically treated wood products and their waste products are forbidden.

Exception (Nordic):

However, residues of processed wood may be used if pure wood elements have been bonded and the wood product contains less than 1 kg adhesive per 100 kg.

b) Origin of wood raw materials (Nordic, Austrian Ecolabel, FSC, PEFC)

Specification for origin of wood raw materials:

•If virgin raw materials are used to manufacture the pellets, the pellets manufacturer must ensure that raw materials do not originate from forest environments meriting protection due to their high biological and/or social value.

•If virgin wood raw material is used at least 70% per annum of the raw material from virgin wood must come from certified forests. Proof is a chain of custody certificate from an accredited certification body or by an eco-testing laboratory.

c) Additives (Austrian Ecolabel, Nordic)

­Specification for additives :

  • Additives must come from chemically untreated biomass (e.g. maize pulp).
  • Additives must at maximum be 2% of the total mass.

d) Halogenated organic compounds (Austrian Ecolabel, Nordic)

­If there is the slightest hint that halogen-organic compounds have been used, then the limit value (EOX - Extractable Organic Halogen) must apply (limit value ≤3 mg/kg, test method DIN 38414-17(1)).

(1)German standard methods for the examination of water, waste water and sludge — Sludge and sediments (group S) — Part 17: Determination of the organically bound halogens amenable to extraction (EOX) (S 17).

e)Grade specifications (Nordic, Austrian Ecolabel)

­Sampling shall be performed as specified by CEN/TS 14778-1, 2; 14779; 14780.

Samples for testing all limit values shall be taken from the manufacturer’s stock.

The time and date of sampling shall be specified in the test report. The size of the test sample must be specified for each test method.

The parameters described in the table below must be tested and fulfilled. Samples shall be taken from the manufacturer’s stocks.

Evidence:

The compliance with all the criteria mentioned above can be proved with the following label:

Nordic EcolabelAustrian Ecolabel

For criteria “origin of wood”: Also FSC and PEFC

In case that the tendering company can present this label, any further proof is not necessary. Any other suitable evidence from a recognized body can also be used.

6) Awarding the contract:

Criteria --- For example --- / Weight
1 / Price
Calculation (e.g.): Lowest offered price/ stated price x 0,60 / e.g. 60%
2 / Environmental criteria
(The public authority formulates the points it wants to assign to the below mentioned criteria )
Calculation (e.g.): Total scored points / maximum number of points x 0,35 / e.g. 35%
3 / … / e.g. 5 %
4 / … / e.g. ….

In above mentioned table, the weight of the environmental criteria shall be stated by the buyer in function of its particular procurement. Representatives of several sectors federations mention often to not underestimate this weight to give sustainability in the awarding phase a chance at all.

The environmental criteria in the above mentioned table concern the following issues:

a) Wood raw material

­Raw materials must fulfill the current classification according to CEN/TS 14961(1), class 1.2.1.1 “Chemically untreated wood residues, wood without bark” or according to 1.1.2.”Forest and plantation wood, stemwood”. (Nordic)

(1)CEN/TS 14961: Solid biofuels. Fuel specifications and classes.

­Processed (e.g. chipboard) or engineered (particleboard, fiberboard, etc.) woods and their waste products are forbidden. (Austrian Ecolabel)

­Chippings from municipal waste must not be used. (Nordic)

b) Chemical composition (Austrian Ecolabel)

­Wood pellets mustnot exceed the following limit value for the heavy metals chromium and copper given in DIN 517311:

  • Chromium: 8 mg/kg
  • Copper: 5mg/kg

1 DIN 51731/ Testing of solid fuels- Compressed untreated wood- Requirements and testing

c) Additives (Nordic)

­Supplementary requirements concerning additives:

  • The level of heavy metals in the pellets with additives is equivalent to the one in pure wood.
  • The bidder demonstrates that neither emissions nor ash content are influenced from a health or environmental perspective.

7) Performance clauses:

7.1. Environmental aspects:

a) Product delivery (Nordic, Austrian Ecolabel)

­To ensure that fuel delivered loose in bulk is not mechanically degraded and well protected against the weather or wall and floor moisture, the manufacturer must establish requirements for the transport vehicles, the emptying and the storage of the pellets.

b)Customer information: storage (Austrian Ecolabel, Nordic)

­The manufacturer must inform the customer of the best storage solution for the biofuel pellets to minimize pel¬let degradation during handling and storage.

c)Customer information: elimination of ashes (Austrian Ecolabel)

­The manufacturer must give instructions for the use or elimination of ashes.

d)Customer information

­A delivery note shall be provided with each delivery. If pellets are sold in bags the etiquette shall be placed on the bag. In addition to information on the manufacturer and carrier, the delivery note shall specify: (Austrian Ecolabel, Nordic)

•Dimension (size class I or II)

•Calorific value (limit value or measured value)(1)

•Ash content (limit value shall be used)

•Moisture content (limit value may be used)

•Density (class a or b)

•Information on raw materials and any additives (pure wood, and details of any additives)

(1) If the pellets have a higher calorific value and the manufacturer can guarantee the customer that this is the case, the manufacturer may label the pellets with this information.

­Fuels that are burned in manually serviced installations must be delivered with the following information: (Austrian Ecolabel)

  • the volume increase when they are being burned
  • maximum filling of the burning installation
  • possible chopping
  • optimal burning
  • packaging elimination

e)Packaging

­Packaging must not contain chlorine-based plastics. (Nordic)

­Plastics that are used must be free of halogen organic compounds.

(Austrian Ecolabel, Nordic)

f) Packaging: waste management (Austrian Ecolabel)

­Organisations putting packages into circulation either need to withdraw these themselves for recycling or must demonstrably take part in a collection and recycling system.

7.2. Social aspects:

Buyers can take account of social aspects in there procurement. For more information about the different possibilities see:

7.3. Ethical aspects:

“The tenderer undertakes, until the contract has been executed in full, to respect the 8 Basic Conventions of the ILO:

  1. The prohibition of forced labour (C29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930, and C105 Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957);
  2. The right to freedom of association (C87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948);
  3. The right to organise and collective bargaining (C98 Right to Organise and Collective bargaining, 1949);
  4. The prohibition of any discrimination in terms of labour and remuneration (C100 Equal Remuneration, 1951 and C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958);
  5. The minimum age for child labour (C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973), together with the prohibition of the worst forms of child labour (C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999).

The non-respect of this undertaking may, by virtue of Article 20, §1, 4° of the general specifications annexed to the Royal Decree of 26 September 1996, give rise to the application of the official measures described in § 6 of the same article, including unilateral termination of the contract.”

References

[Information of the public authority that used these clauses in a procurement case]

FinanceTower, 8th floor · Kruidtuinlaan 50 / 8 · 1000 Brussels - T + 32 2 524 88 54 · F + 32 2 524 88 70

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This sheet is a product of the Federal Public Planning Service Sustainable Development (