Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

We herewith inform you about updates and clarifications in the ISCC System. Please share this information with all relevant members of staff.

1. ISCC Documents

1.1 ISCC EU and PLUS Self-Declaration for Collection Croton

The ISCC self-declaration template for the collection of wild-growing croton under ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS is, next to English, now also available in Swahili. The template is available in the client section of the ISCC website (login required).

2. ISCC Materials

Certificates that have been issued prior the publication of this updated lists do not have to be amended retrospectively.

2.1 ISCC EU Material List

The following raw materials were added in table one:

  • Castor seed
  • Croton seed
  • Empty Palm Fruit Bunches (EFB) *, additional information: EFBs are the remains of the palm fresh fruit bunches after the fruit has been removed (“stripped”) for oil pressing.
  • Matter Organic Non-Glycerol (MONG) *, additional information: The impurities recovered from crude glycerol during the refining process. The material has no further economic or marketable use(s)
  • Pongamia oil tree
  • Safflower

The following intermediates and final products were added in table two:

  • Bio heating oil

Please find the updated ISCC EU Material List here in the ISCC client section (login required).

2.2. ISCC PLUS Material List

The following raw materials were added or adjusted in table one:

  • Mixed plastic waste / Mixed waste plastic, additional information: Different types of plastic material that is collected from households by e.g. municipalities and further sorted by waste management plants. Depending on the legal context, the terminology “Mixed waste plastic” may be used to emphasize the more uniform nature of the material as a plastic rather than a waste
  • Municipal solid waste
  • Waste styrene ethylbenzene mixture

The following intermediates and final products were added or slightly adjusted in table two:

  • Alcohol ethoxylates (specification on number of carbon atoms), additional information: The number of carbon atoms must be specified in brackets (e.g. Alcohol ethoxylates (C12), Alcohol ethoxylates (C12-C15))
  • Allyl acetate
  • Allyl alcohol
  • Ammonium nitrate
  • Aromatic hydrocarbons (specification of aromatic hydrocarbons), additional information: Mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons with similar number of carbon atoms. The number of carbon atoms must be specified in brackets (e.g. Aromatic hydrocarbons (C6) or Aromatic hydrocarbons (C9-C10))
  • Benzaldehyde
  • Benzoic acid
  • Benzoyl chloride
  • Benzyl alcohol
  • Benzyl chloride
  • Butane
  • Butene (specification of type of butene), additional information: The type of butene can be specified in brackets, e.g., Butene (1-butene), Butene (2-butene) or Butene (isobutene)
  • C4 (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C4 hydrocarbons. The type of C4 can be further specified in brackets. Specifications include for example, crude C4, hydro-treated C4, partially hydro-treated C4, Raffinate 1 / C4R1 (C4 without butadiene), Raffinate 2/C4R2 (C4 without butadiene and isobutylene), Raffinate 3/C4R3
  • C4 oligomers (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C4 oligomers. The type of C4-oligomers can be specified in brackets (e.g. C4-oligomers (dodecane))
  • C5 (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C5 hydrocarbons. The type of C5 can be further specified in brackets. Specifications include for example, crude C5, mixed C5, hydro-treated C5, partially hydro-treated C5
  • C6 (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C6 hydrocarbons. The type of C6 can be further specified in brackets
  • C7 (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C7 hydrocarbons. The type of C7 can be further specified in brackets
  • C8 (specification of type), additional information: Mixture of C8 hydrocarbons. The type of C8 can be further specified in brackets
  • Calcium ammonium nitrate
  • Char, additional information: Product from thermal treatment in low oxygen environment of hydrocarbon materials e.g. pyrolysis process of mixed plastic waste, possible raw material category: circular
  • Charcoal, additional information: Product of thermal treatment in low oxygen environment of biomass, e.g. wood or forestry residues, possible raw material categories: bio and bio-circular
  • Cinnamaldehyde
  • Diamine (specification of diamine), additional information: The type of diamine can be specified in brackets (e.g. Diamine (4,4’-Diaminodicyclohexylmethane), Diamines (Hexamethylene diamine)) or Diamines (2,4-toluene diamine)
  • Epoxy resin (specification of epoxy resin), additional information: The type of Epoxy resin can be specified in brackets (e.g., Epoxy resin (Bisphenol A type))
  • Esters (specification of ester), additional information: The type of ester must be specified in brackets (e.g., Esters (benzyl benzoate) or Esters (neodecanoate))
  • Ethane
  • Glycol ethers (specification of glycol ether), additional information: Can be further specified (e.g. Glycol ether (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) or Glycol ether (PMA))
  • Hexene
  • Hydrocarbon resin (specification of hydrocarbon resin), additional information. Includes synthetic hydrocarbon resins. The type of Hydrocarbon resin must be specified in brackets (e.g. Hydrocarbon resin (hydrogenated polycyclopentadiene resin), Hydrocarbon resin (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin) or Hydrocarbon resin (hydrogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon resin))
  • Mechanically processed vegetable oil (specification of vegetable), additional information: The type of vegetable must be further specified in brackets (e.g. Mechanically processed vegetable oil (olive))
  • Melamine
  • Naphtha (specification of processing), additional information: The type of processing can be specified in brackets (e.g., Naphtha (fischer tropsch) or Naphtha (hydrothermal upgrading))
  • Nitric acid
  • Nonene
  • Pentane
  • Pentene
  • Plastic compounds (specification of main polymer), additional information: Mixture of different polymers (plastics), masterbatches and fillers without chemical reaction. The specification of main polymer(s) must be provided in brackets.
  • Polyaryletherketone (specification of polyaryletherketone), additional information: The type of Polyaryletherketone must be specified in brackets
  • Polyethyleneimine ethoxylates
  • Polyethylene glycol
  • Polyethylene glycol ether (specification), additional information: The type of Polyethylene glycol ether must be specified in brackets (e.g. Polyethylene glycol ether (Polyethylene glycol methyl ether))
  • Polyimide (specification of polyimide), additional information: The type of Polyimide must be specified in brackets
  • Polyketone (specification of polyketone), additional information: The type of Polyketone must be specified in brackets
  • Polyvinylidene dichloride, additional information: also known as Poly(1,1-dichloroethene)
  • Primary alcohols (specification on number of carbon atoms), additional information: The number of carbon atoms must be specified in brackets (e.g. Primary alcohols (C12), Primary alcohols (C12-C15))
  • Propane
  • RGP, additional information: Refinery grade propylene, mixture of propylene and propane
  • Rubber hoses
  • Saturated hydrocarbons (specification of saturated hydrocarbons), additional information: Mixture of saturated hydrocarbons with similar number of carbon atoms. The number of carbon atoms must be specified in brackets (e.g. Saturated hydrocarbons (C14-18) or Saturated hydrocarbons (C10-C13))
  • Sodium benzoate
  • Sodium cyanide
  • Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), additional information: Renewable sodium hydroxide from electrolysis processes
  • Sodium silicate, additional information: The sodium silicate must come from biogenic sources, e.g. from the ash of biogenic materials like rice husks
  • Terephthalic acid
  • Unsaturated hydrocarbons (specification of unsaturated hydrocarbon), additional information: Mixture of unsaturated hydrocarbons with similar number of carbon atoms. The number of carbon atoms must be specified in brackets (e.g. Unsaturated hydrocarbons (C6) or Unsaturated hydrocarbons (C9-C10))
  • Urea
  • Urea ammonium nitrate
  • Wood fiber boards/Wood particle boards

The following raw materials and intermediate/final products were deleted form ISCC PLUS material list table one or two:

  • The following intermediates/final products are deleted and now covered in Primary alcohols (specification on number of carbon atoms): Blend of C12 and C13 primary alcohol; Blend of C12, C13, C14 and C15 primary alcohols; Blend of C14 and C15 primary alcohols; C12 (primary alcohol); C13 (primary alcohol); C14 (primary alcohol) and C15 (primary alcohol)
  • The following intermediates/final products are now covered in Alcohol ethoxylates (specification on number of carbon atoms): Blend of C12 and C13 primary alcohol ethoxylates; Blend of C12, C13, C14 and C15 primary alcohol ethoxylates; Blend of C14 and C15 primary alcohol ethoxylates; C12 (alcohol ethoxylates); C13 (alcohol ethoxylates); C14 (alcohol ethoxylates) and C15 (alcohol ethoxylates)
  • Ethylene dichloride is from now on covered as Alkyl chloride (Ethylene dichloride)
  • Mixed plastic waste and Mixed waste plastic are merged into one category

Please find the updated ISCC PLUS Material List here in the ISCC client section (login required).

3. Nabisy: New Application Forms

The BLE has provided additional application forms to complement or add biofuels to the Nabisy biomass code list.

These new biofuels application forms, as well as application forms for the complementation or addition of a biomass type, can be downloaded from the ISCC website (login required).

Completed forms have to be sent to ISCC who will forward them to the BLE. If the BLE confirms the application form, the biomass code list will be adapted accordingly.

4. ISCC Update Regarding the Union Database

Please, read our recent update regarding the implementation and start of operation of the European Union Database for Biofuels (UDB) on the ISCC website, concerning the European Commission’s proposed schedule for the UDB going live, ISCC’s current assessment and temporary withdrawal as Service Provider (SP) for the UDB, as well as ISCC’s recent activities towards the EC.

5. Risk Mitigation Measures for Palm Oil Mills (POMs) 

ISCC is dedicated to further strengthening its risk mitigation measures for certified waste and residue materials generated by palm oil mills (POMs).

Since 01 November 2022, all POMs supplying liquid waste and residue materials need to be audited on-site within the audit of the respective Collecting Point. In this context, information on the location, quantities and production capacities of POMs will be gathered and assessed. In APS, auditors have to generate sample audit reports for all audited POMs. Relevant questions have been implemented in the latest APS version.

The ISCC Guidance Document on waste and residues from palm oil mills provides definitions of POME oil, EFB oil, and PPF oil under ISCC. As these material terms are not globally harmonized, auditors are asked to consider the definitions and all further information presented in the Guidance Document for ISCC audits of POMs. With the help of the dedicated working group, ISCC also currently reviews the indicated threshold of POME oil content generated per tons of FFBs (Annex 7.1 of the Guidance Document) and will communicate any relevant update.

Further, ISCC is happy to announce that as of February 2023, the ISCC Integrity Programme will be supported by an additional integrity auditor in Indonesia to increase the number of integrity audits conducted on POMs in the region.

6. Mandatory Surveillance Audits

The following adjusted requirement shall come into effect for surveillance audits after six months as of today:

It was clarified in the system update of 21 November 2022, that surveillance audits after six months generally have to be conducted on-site. It is furthermore clarified that the surveillance audits must take place regardless of whether transactions have taken place or not. We expect that from latest 1 April 2023 onwards the six months surveillance audits are conducted according to the requirements as clarified.

It is herewith added that for system users certified only as trader without storage facilities, so called paper traders, the surveillance audit after six months may be conducted remotely if a risk assessment of the individual system user by the certification body has demonstrated a regular risk. If the risk assessment has shown a risk higher than regular, the surveillance audit shall be conducted on-site.