A review of European standards for pellet quality

The quality of pellets is directly related to their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. It affects the emissions resulting from their combustion and also their use in stoves and boilers. Certain European countries have developed standards specifying control parameters and guidelines with a view to guaranteeing the effective and environmentally-friendly combustion of pellets. This paper presents a comparative study of regulations and standards created by government authorities in Austria, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and France. Also considered are the guidelines of the European Standard Committee CEN/TC 335 for densified biomass fuels. The comparison of these standards provides evidence of significant differences in the quality parameters and guidelines for the manufacture and use of pellets in Europe. The results obtained could be used as a technical reference for all issues related to the production, sale and research on pellets. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.