Sustainability requirements for solid biomass under the SDE++-scheme

Which installations does this apply to?

If you burn pellets in your installation to produce heat or electricity, your installation must meet sustainability requirements to receive SDE++ subsidy. These sustainability requirements are described in the Regeling conformiteitsbeoordeling vaste biomassa voor energietoepassingen (in Dutch). They apply to the following types of installations if you received approval for SDE subsidy (a decision) before 2024:

• Boilers ≥ 5 megawatts (MW) producing steam from wood pellets
• Burners using wood pellets ≥ 5 MW and ≤ 100 MW
• Coal-fired power plants (≥ 100 MW) that co-fire or mainly fire biomass*

* Since 2018, it has no longer been possible to apply for subsidy for this. If you received approval for SDE subsidy before that time, you still have to meet the obligations.

Do you have a different type of installation? Or did you receive approval for SDE subsidy in 2024 or later? In that case, different conditions apply. For other types of installations, see RED sustainability criteria for biomass for the SDE++ scheme.

How do you demonstrate that the biomass used comes from sustainable sources?

There are a couple of ways to demonstrate that the biomass used comes from sustainable sources:

• One or a combination of several approved certification schemes.
• A combination of one or more approved certification schemes and additional verification.
• Verification only.

Certification schemes 

Do you want to use certified biomass in your installation? Then your installation itself as well as the whole supply chain has to be certified by the same certification scheme (chain of custody). More information about how to get certified can be found on the website of the certification scheme. 

Only certification schemes that are approved by the Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth (minister van Klimaat en Groene Groei) can be used to demonstrate that the biomass complies with the Dutch legal sustainability criteria. Certifications schemes can be fully or partially approved for the sustainability criteria. If a scheme only part of the sustainability criteria covers, it is possible to cover the remaining criteria with another approved certification scheme or by verification. 

Verification 

During a verification, a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) checks if al delivery of pellets is sustainable. More information about the verification process and how it works, can be found in section 2.4 of the verification protocol below. 

A CAB also checks an energy producer, based on the rules of the verification protocol and then issues a conformity year statement. Currently, Control Union is the only CAB allowed to carry out verifications.  

A new version of the verification protocol has been published in January 2025. You must use this version for biomass that you bought after 31 December 2024. 

In November 2025, the verification protocol was updated. You can download this update (addendum) and the verification protocol below.

Do you burn (wood) pellets and is your installation covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)? In some cases, you must also use the verification protocol for your installation to prepare a conformity year statement. You can find more information about this on the website of the Dutch Emissions Authority (NEa) (in Dutch).

What are Conformity assessment bodies (CABs)?

CABs play a rol in demonstrating the sustainabilty of biomass. They are authorised to perform 3 types of activities. A CAB:

• can issue a certificate to economic operators based on a certification scheme that has been fully or partially approved by the Minister;
• can issue a verification statement for an individual consignment of biomass to an economic operator based on the requirements of the Verification Protocol;
• can issue a conformity year statement to an energy producer based on the requirements of the Verification Protocol. 

The Dutch Emissions Autority (NEa) is responsible for monitoring this private system of sustainability certification, and for the activities performed by CABs. 

Which certification schemes and CABs can be used? 

Do you want to know which certification schemes are fully or partially approved by the Minister? And which CAB’s are recognised? This and more can be found on the web page Certification of solid biomass under the SDE++ scheme.

Annual reporting

You can demonstrate that the biomass complies with sustainability criteria by submitting an annual report. This report should specify the sustainability characteristics of all biomass used in your installation. You must include a conformity year statement with the report. This statement must have been issued by a recognised CAB.

What are the criteria that the conformity year statement must meet? And how should the verification be carried out? You can find this information in the Verification Protocol.

The following documents (in Dutch) can be used for your annual report: 

Legal basis sustainability requirements

The legal basis for the sustainability requirements can be found in the publications (in Dutch) below.