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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><h3 align=left style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:left;line-height:normal'>News Release<o:p></o:p></h3><h2 style='margin-top:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal>June 1, 2016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=280 height=78 style='width:2.9166in;height:.8166in' src="cid:image002.jpg@01D1BCA1.53F24D40" align=left hspace=12 alt="ASABE_corp_sig_blue-smaller_file_size" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><span lang=FR-CA><br clear=all></span><b><span lang=FR>CONTACT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'><span lang=FR style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal'>Dolores Landeck<o:p></o:p></span></h3><h3 style='line-height:normal'><span lang=FR style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal'>269-932-7039<o:p></o:p></span></h3><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><a href="mailto:landeck@asabe.org"><span lang=FR-CA>landeck@asabe.org</span></a><span lang=FR-CA><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><i><span lang=FR-CA><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p></div><b><span lang=FR-CA style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span></b><div class=WordSection2><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>STEADY PROGRESS IN DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS TO SUPPORT SOLID BIOFUELS INDUSTRY <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%;text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>ST JOSEPH, MICHIGAN — Development of international standards for solid biofuels advanced at a recent meeting of the ISO committee responsible for that work. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>The meeting of ISO/TC238, Solid Biofuels, was held in Kuala Lumpur. Attending on behalf of the United States were Scott Cedarquist, standards director at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and Chris Wiberg, lab director of Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab. Their attendance was sponsored by the Pellet Fuels Institute and by the US Industrial Pellet Association. ASABE coordinates US input on developing standards and responses to balloted proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>Among the projects discussed were several focused on safety, in the residential handling and storage of wood pellets, in large-scale handling, in industrial applications, and in fighting fires in pellet storage facilities. When approved and published, these standards may be used within Europe, North America, and elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>Interest in thermally treated biofuels, such as torrefied, steam-treated, or carbonized, is increasing. A standard on thermal treatment was proposed but ultimately tabled because research and technology is developing rapidly. The group recommended the alternative publication of a technical specification, which provides flexibility while technology develops and understanding of materials deepens. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>Additional new standards are under development for determination of ash melting temperature, absorptivity and grindability of thermally treated biofuels, and calibration of optical analyzers for determination of particle size distribution. It is anticipated that more than 50 standards eventually will be published by ISO/TC238 for solid biofuels. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>A new ISO committee, ISO/TC300, was created to develop standards for solid recovered biofuels. Initial work will focus on quality and test specifications for biofuels made from lower-grade materials, such as demolition wood and municipal waste. There are no current plans for the US to actively participate in this new area of standardization, but liaisons established between the two committees will facilitate dissemination of information that may prove relevant to US trade and industry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>Initial TC238 standards development began in 2008 and was based on standards published by the European Union’s Central European Committee for Normalization (CEN) and on standards from around the world. To date, 23 standards have been published by TC238 and an additional 20 projects are in various stages of development. Seven of the published standards are classification documents for biomass and graded biofuels, including woody pellets and briquettes, non-woody pellets and briquettes, firewood and chips. In addition, there are 16 standards for testing physical properties and 7 for testing chemical properties of solid biofuels. Other ISO standards are being developed for sampling and sample preparation, including a standard for small-scale sampling. These international standards will ensure a level-playing field among stakeholders, and will help eliminate unfair competition in the market place. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>The US and Canadian delegations have cooperated closely in the interest of the producers and users of solid biofuels in North America. Participation in the development of ISO standards is important to protect North American interests, and to secure fair trade with Europe and other markets around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>There are currently 38 countries actively following this work. When the technical committee was formed, the attendees came from Europe and North America, but participation is widening. In the Kuala Lumpur meeting 14 nations participated, including China for the first time. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>Anyone interested in helping develop these international solid biofuel standards is encouraged to contact Scott Cedarquist, at </span><a href="mailto:cedarq@asabe.org"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>cedarq@asabe.org</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>ASABE is recognized worldwide as a standards developing organization for food, agricultural, and biological systems, with more than 250 standards currently in publication. Conformance to ASABE standards is voluntary, except where required by state, provincial, or other governmental requirements, and the documents are developed by consensus in accordance with procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute. For information on this or any other ASABE standard, contact Scott Cedarquist at 269-932-7031, </span><a href="mailto:cedarq@asabe.org"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>cedarq@asabe.org</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>. A current listing of all ASABE standards projects can be found on the ASABE web site at </span><a href="http://www.asabe.org/projects"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>www.asabe.org/projects</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%;text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Further information on the Society can be obtained by contacting ASABE at (269) 429-0300, emailing hq@asabe.org or visiting </span><a href="http://www.asabe.org/"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>www.asabe.org/</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>. Additional details on international participation and progress can be found at: </span><a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_committee.html?commid=554401"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%'>http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_committee.html?commid=554401</span></a><span style='line-height:150%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>