Farmers thinking about how much straw to keep or to sell on have been encouraged to use an industry-led register.
As the harvest approaches, many farmers will be looking at market prices and pondering whether to stockpile for their own use or sell.
Those farmers considering selling straw or any other harvest residue for the biomass market have been encouraged to use the Sustainable Fuel Register (SFR).
The SFR is an industry-led register of batches of non–wood based fuels.
It ensures that from field-to-boiler all steps in the supply chain are traceable and all the greenhouse gas emissions accounted for at each stage of the process.
It’s a new way for producers, traders and end users of the fuel to meet and prove the sustainability criteria required by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
The register process captures all the data required by the RHI. According to a recent Ofgem report, one of the main reasons for audit failure is lack of correct fuel records and evidence of sustainability, accounting for 35.5% of failures.
Kevin Lindegaard, co-founder of SFR said: “The RHI is a 20 year scheme and in that time you will almost certainly get audited.
“Many RHI participants are unaware of the ongoing obligations and might get a nasty surprise if their fuel records and sustainability evidence is found to be wanting.
“SFR registration really can help take away this worry and ensure that all your records are in good order and audit proof,” he said.
