FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions on ISCC and on certification of sustainable bioenergy

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Certification Bodies

A certification outside Europe (eg Malaysia) founds a subsidiary in Germany for the certification to ISCC in Malaysia. The application for authorization referred to as 10 auditors have all their jobs in Malaysia. The German subsidiary has no auditor, only on a management role. Is an approval possible?
This is possible if the contractual agreements is ensured by appropriate for the auditors to the German company are bound by instructions.
In the above mentioned case, should the certificates be issued by the German subsidiary?
The certificates must be issued by a recognized certification body, ie the legally independent German company.
Can the above case, a collaborative partner in Germany, which is the subsidiary play in if there is a clear contractual framework in this regard?
This is possible if the German partner has been recognized as a certification body.

Self declaration of farms

Farmers in other European countries want to sign any self declaration, on the German law applies. Can a self-declaration with respect to both European and national law be created?
If the farmer would like to sell its biomass in Germany, he has to fulfill German law (sustainability regulations). Whether a pattern different from the already published guidelines of the self-declaration corresponds to the sustainability regulations are a particular case to be assessed on the basis of the concrete.

Traceability and mass balance

Will a German sustainability evidence or proof of sustainability be recognized by other member states as well?
It cannot yet be assessed how the mutual recognition of sustainably produced biomass between individual Member States' systems will be without regard to the implementation in other Member States.
Can the mass balance be centrally managed for multiple warehouses?
This is possible as long as the individual mass balance for a warehouse on site is verifiable and available.
Can positive credits in the mass balance be transferred to the next period?
At the end of a billing period, existing sustainable biomass is transferred into the next billing period. If it were a negative balance sanctions would have to take effect such as withdrawal of the certificate.
What to do if a company inadvertently has miscalculated the mass balance?
This system must provide the appropriate sanctions. Since this concerns a mistake, it is to be reported to the CB, which will report immediately the error to the BLE. Severe penalties should be guided by and impact of the error. A penalty catalog is required for the ultimate recognition of a certification system.
Can a warehouse, which stores and delivers sustainable products for several customers be certified for one client?
This depends largely on the contract between the customer and storekeeper. After auditing a warehouse, it receives a certificate, regardless of the number of its customers.
Can a company, which is storing sustainable products (after the last interface), have its own database for their mass balance?
This is possible if the database has been recognized by BLE.
Can a headquarter that controls several conversion factories (different locations), rceive a certificate?
No, the certificate is bound to establishments, each of the factories receive a certificate, the Central does not receive a certificate.

GHG emissions accounting

Can excess electricity be given a credit for when it was not produced in a cogeneration plant?
According to Appendix 1, No. 1, and 16-BioSt-NachV only excess electricity from combined heat and power stations can be taken in deductions.
There is a cogeneration plant, which supplies several industrial plants in one location. One is an oil mill, the others have nothing to do with the supply chain. The CHP plant exported surplus electricity. How are potential credits calculated for the plant to be certified?
The answer is given in Annex 1, No. 16 BioSt-NachV. Emission saving from excess electricity from cogeneration, shall be taken into account in relation to the excess electricity produced by fuel production systems that use cogeneration except where the fuel used for the cogeneration is a co-product other than an agricultural crop residue. In accounting for that excess electricity, the size of the cogeneration unit shall be assumed to be the minimum necessary for the cogeneration unit to supply the heat that is needed to produce the fuel. If this size is not reached, emissions savings cannot be taken into account.

Residues, waste, by-products

Is there a general definition for residual material, waste, by-product or product? What is the difference between residue and waste? Is there a difference between by-product and material?
A legal definition of those terms as defined sustainability regulations are not yet available.
Are Emissions assigned to the residues and wastes?
According to Appendix 1, No. 18-BioSt-NachV the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from waste, crop residues such as straw, bagasse, husks, cobs and nut shells as well as production residues including crude glycerine (not refined glycerin) to the collection of these materials are to be set to null.
Is there an allocation of GHG to waste?
No
What is a by-product?
A by-product is one of several products from the same production process and where there is an allocation (of GHG emission).
What products are considered rest materials / wastes?
An exhaustive list does not exist.
Is the process water in a starch factory (in the starch process), which no longer can be used for starch production, a residue?
Yes, there it is a residual material, the emission rate is zero rated.
Has the starch factory to be a member in a certification system?
The starch plant must be a member of a certification system, if it produces process water, sustainable biomass such as ethanol, since in this case, it has to comply with the requirements of a certification system and the specifications (eg leadership of a mass balance system) are to be verified.
When is allowed an allocation of emissions to glycerol?
An allocation may begin with treatment (refining take place).