From 05 October 2015, all RHI claimants must demonstrate that the woodfuel they are burning has been produced in a legal and sustainable manner, and falls within certain greenhouse gas limits. Claimants of domestic RHI do this by sourcing from an approved list of authorised fuels, of which the only one currently recognised by Ofgem is the Biomass Suppliers List (BSL). Non-domestic claimants may also choose to source from the BSL, or they can make other arrangements, but in that case they must provide additional information directly to Ofgem and submit to an annual audit.
The fuel types that can be authorised under BSL are woodchip, briquettes, firewood and pellets. These might be made from virgin raw materials, waste or a blend of both. The BSL does not include non-woody biomass such as straw or miscanthus.
Companies apply to have their fuel authorised via an online portal. The BSL gathers information about the lifecycle of a fuel, from raw materials through processing, and then selling onwards via traders and retail outlets to the customer. Activities are divided broadly into production and trading, and companies apply to have their fuels authorised in either or both category. Domestic customers must buy authorised fuels from traders, and they can search for fuels and traders in their area on the BSL Find a Fuel site: http://biomass-suppliers-list.service.gov.uk/find-a-fuel
If your customers want to start or continue claiming domestic RHI for woody biomass from 05 October 2015 onwards they need to be purchasing BSL authorised fuel. For further information on claiming RHI you can direct them to Ofgem’s website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive