Michela Bruschini about the motivation of Agribiomass srl to become a certification body for ENplus®

 

We are excited to share that a few weeks ago, Agribiomass srl has met all the requirements to become ENplus^® certification body and has already made it to the list of recognised certification bodies for the scheme. Today, we talk with the company’s CEO Michela Bruschini who will tell you more about it.

 

Dear Michela, please tell us about the history of your company and the services you offer. What is your experience in the bioenergy sector?

Agribiomass S.r.l. was founded in 2023 with the goal of providing high-quality certification and inspection services in the bioenergy sector. Despite being a brand new company in the market, we achieved ISO 17065 accreditation in just seven months, showcasing our ability to deliver swift and effective results. We distinguish ourselves by emphasizing efficiency and offering guaranteed response times, which are crucial for companies that require reliable and timely certification services.

We offer certification and inspection services in compliance with ISO 17225 and EN 15234 standards. Our services encompass a wide range of biofuels including wood chips, pellets, and agricultural residues, as well as major biomass schemes such as ENplus^® for wood pellets. Our operations extend globally, provided by our well-trained and specialised staff. This enables us to deliver high-quality service across various countries, ensuring that certification processes are completed promptly and without delays.

In addition to our core certification services, we provide expert support in PEFC and FSC certification, broadening our service offerings to address a wide range of needs within the biomass sector. Our integrated approach allows us to deliver comprehensive solutions, helping companies obtain all necessary certifications efficiently and effectively. We take pride in being a reliable and proactive partner, dedicated to meeting our clients’ needs with both promptness and expertise.

 

Why have you decided to become an ENplus^® certification body?

We became an ENplus^® Certification Body to strengthen our mission of promoting and maintaining high standards in the wood pellet industry. ENplus^® is globally recognised for its rigorous certification process, which ensures that wood pellets meet strict quality criteria throughout the entire supply chain—from production to trading and delivery. This aligns perfectly with Agribiomass’s commitment to delivering high-quality certification services that contribute meaningfully to the industry.

In today’s context of increasing environmental sustainability and the growing importance of green policies worldwide, Agribiomass sees agro-forestry biomass as a crucial alternative to traditional energy sources. The continuous growth of this market depends on the production of high-quality products that offer both low environmental impact and high energy efficiency. As a certification body, Agribiomass plays a key role in ensuring that companies adhere to these stringent quality standards and international regulations. Our decision to focus on ENplus^® was strategic; ENplus^® is the most recognized and respected quality standard in the pellet industry guaranteeing the best quality to the end-users.

To provide the highest level of certification services, Agribiomass has assembled a team of experts with over a decade of experience in pellet certification. Our team has undergone comprehensive training, including courses from Bioenergy Europe, to ensure they remain at the forefront of industry developments. This deep expertise enables us to deliver top-tier certification services that not only meet ENplus^® standards but also elevate our clients’ credibility and market presence.

 

What are your observations of the national and international wood pellet market? Do you see a future for this green fuel?

We believe that in the context of recent energy policies, biomass can play a very important role as а green energy source and thus increases its presence on the market. Pellets in particular, due to their characteristics of easy transportation can play a very important role in the domestic sector as an alternative to fossil fuels. In international markets, there is also a progressive increase in the consumption of pellets for industrial use.

Analyzing the markets, both nationally and internationally, in recent years we must highlight important price fluctuations caused above all by the energy crisis that followed the war in Ukraine. The high increase in the prices of raw materials after the outbreak of the war led on the one hand to a reduction in demand, but on the other hand to an increase in pellet producers and distributors who, with higher selling prices, were strongly incentivized by high profit margins. This immediately led to an increase in requests for certification, even from new markets that had never been of interest until then, such as China and Turkey. The subsequent drop in prices, however, led to a decrease in production to the point of recording a cessation of production and/or distribution activities that became no longer competitive. The energy crisis has also highlighted the impact of transport costs on the price of pellets to the final consumer, especially for the main pellet importing countries.

We are currently witnessing a phase of price stabilization and we believe this is allowing the stabilization of the markets, with a better balance between supply and demand and therefore better planning for all operators in the sector.

 

Could you give some advice to companies that request it?

For companies applying for certification, the advice we want to give is to maintain the highest quality standards throughout the production process.

For those who are starting the certification process and who are still in the construction phase of the plant, we recommend that you pay attention during the design phase to all those parts of the plant that may affect the final quality of the product, such as the storage areas of raw materials and the final product, screening and cooling systems, the control of the raw material drying system. For companies that already have a plant, on the other hand, we recommend that these parts be checked as they can lead to critical issues and affect the final quality of the pellets. Quality control is a very important aspect to consider, which must be constant and carried out by personnel with the appropriate skills, able to quickly identify anomalies in production and intervene promptly. 

Another aspect that we recommend evaluating with the utmost attention is the choice of raw materials that will have to constantly meet the quality requirements. Making sure that the required standards are met through constant control can certainly be a strong point in ensuring the quality of the final product.

For these reasons, we consider it extremely important to train the Quality Manager who defines the appropriate internal procedures and verifies their application as well as maintaining the required documentation.

Prioritizing product quality and staying informed about industry trends can significantly improve a company’s market position. By investing in continuous improvement and innovation, companies can not only meet current standards, but also stand out as leaders in the bioenergy industry.