SCS Global Services awards two sustainability certifications

SCS Global Services (SCS), an environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development company, has announced the successful certification of two companies utilising biofuel-based technologies designed to advance the aviation industry beyond its dependency on conventional fossil fuels.

The certifications, based on standards set by the Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), were issued to Beijing Shougang LanzaTech New Energy Science & Technology Co., which earned sustainability certification for the conversion of waste steel mill gases to sustainable biofuels at the joint venture's facility in China, and PGF Biofuels, which received certification for the production of carinata, an oilseed crop ideally suited for use as a cleaner, lower-carbon fuel.

'LanzaTech's capture and fermentation of waste gases, and PGF Biofuel's sustainable production and harvesting of oilseed crops, each provide a glimpse of the future of aviation fueling,' said Stowe Beam, managing director of Environmental Certification Services at SCS.

SCS is accredited by the RSB to conduct third-party assessments of biofuel operations. It deploys interdisciplinary teams of natural resource specialists and other experts to collect and analyse written materials, conduct interviews with participating operator's staff and key stakeholders, and complete field and office audits of the operations. Upon completion of this fact-finding phase, the team determines compliance to the RSB principles and criteria. Qualifying companies are authorized to use the RSB logo along with the SCS Kingfisher certification mark.

The RSB is an international multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together farmers, companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), experts, governments, and inter-governmental agencies concerned with ensuring the sustainability of biomass and biomaterial production and processing. The RSB standard, which encompasses a broad range of environmental, social and economic principles and criteria, has been rated the top sustainability standard for biofuels by the World Wildlife Fund.

LanzaTech uses a biological approach to transform carbon-rich waste gases and residues from industry into fuels and chemicals. LanzaTech's proprietary gas fermentation technology has no impact on food or land resources.
Canada-based PGF Biofuels specialises in the production and marketing of Brassica Carinata. This oilseed crop, commonly known as Ethiopian Mustard, has an optimum oil profile for use in the biojet fuel industry and is well-suited for growth in arid and semi-arid regions.