Essent: use of only 100 per cent sustainably produced palmoil products

Arnhem, 21 December 2007 - After studying the recommendations of the Blok Commission the energy company Essent has decided to use exclusively 100 per cent certified palmoil residues for the production of sustainable energy.

Member of the Executive Board of Essent, Marc van't Noordende says: "We are taking the initiative in the context of a world-wide, 100 per cent responsible use of palmoil products as biomass. Everyone who has a heart for sustainable production and the use of this biomass should join us."

Use of palmoil fully certified
The Blok Commission, which studied the possibilities of the certification for palmoil and palmoil residues, came to the conclusion earlier this year that it should be possible for Essent to purchase all its palmoil products 100% sustainably within a maximum of 5 years. In the meantime, the Round Table for Sustainable Palmoil (RSPO; see also www.rspo.org) in November established definite sustainability criteria for the production of palmoil and a start has been made on setting up a certification system. Therefore, Essent wishes to go a step further and establish a 100 per cent certification requirement for the use of palmoil products (Essent uses principally residues such as fatty acids) immediately and completely, on the basis of the applicable RSPO criteria. The RSPO is composed, among others, of palmoil producers, large international suppliers to foodstuff manufacturers, retailers, energy companies, oil companies, trading houses, brokers, banks and NGOs.

International approach to the certification of biomass
Essent further makes efforts, together with others at national and international levels, to increase the traceability and the testing of the sustainability of biomass types other than palmoil products. They do this, among other ways, by:

• making agreements with other energy companies and oil companies at national level, as a precursor to participation in an international standard;
• employing its knowledge for the development of these standards;
• participating in the activities of the stakeholders group that was set up by the government as a successor to the Cramer Commission;
• participating in the international round tables for sustainable biomass flows.   

Because the challenges in the fields of sustainability and CO2 reduction (countering the climate problem) are enormous, Essent is researching many possibilities for sustainable energy production. In this connection, the use of biomass is at present one of the most favoured alternatives to traditional energy generation. Palmoil residues are also a form of biomass. Essent believes that biomass ought to be used in a responsible manner. Essent wishes to dedicate itself to as much as possible use of timber products and residual currents from the agro-industry. One could think of, for example, coffee husks, cacao pods, palm pulp, fatty acids from the refining processes of vegetable oils, timber and grass-like waste products such as stalks, roadside grass clippings, sawdust and tree trimmings.

Related press release: Investigation into the origins of Essent palm oil led by Professor Blok

Published: 21 December 2007