Wood fuel quality assurance - Requirements
NWA 4 describes the quality assurance requirements for wood fuel to be placed on the market.
The need for this NWA was identified at a wood fuel quality workshop on 21st January 2009 by wood fuel suppliers. There was unanimous agreement that Ireland required a wood fuel quality assurance scheme to inspire customer confidence and promote market growth.
Although there are existing standards for testing wood fuels, there is a limited cohesive structure for the use of these testing standards. This NWA aims to establish the:
- country of origin of wood fuel;
- sustainability of the wood fuel; and branding of wood fuels to show conformity with the requirements of this NWA.
This National Workshop Agreement (NWA) specifies quality assurance requirements for the following wood fuel types produced from woody biomass:
- firewood and logs;
- wood pellets and wood briquettes; and
- wood chips.
Wood fuels produced from used wood are outside the scope of NWA 4.
NWA 4 contains general requirements for wood fuel and in dedicated annexes, minimum testing and specific requirements related to the three main categories.
While NWA 4 can be used for certification as a stand-alone document, integration with other international management system standards (such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001) is encouraged.