CSA W209:21 PDF Download

The CSA W209:21 standard is a set of requirements, recommendations, and guidance for understanding the potential risks associated with biomass supply chains. The standard covers various risk categories and their associated risk factors, including supplier risk, competitor risk, supply chain risk, feedstock quality risk, feedstock scale-up risk, and internal organizational risk.

Under supplier risk, the standard addresses factors such as the credit-worthiness and solvency of suppliers, supplier contracts, inventory management, conflicts of interest, supplier control over production and transportation, distance from the proponent, supplier experience, and capacity for harvesting, collection, and processing. Competitor risk focuses on the influence that competitors may have on the feedstock market and their competitive advantages.

Supply chain risk factors encompass feedstock availability, historical issues, non-weather-based externalities, risks related to feedstock production, harvest, and collection, transportation, supply chain resiliency, climate and natural risks, political and social factors, and sustainability and environmental concerns, including greenhouse gas accounting systems. Feedstock quality risk considers aspects such as the overall quality of the feedstock and specific quality variables.

Feedstock scale-up risk pertains to the challenges associated with scaling up the production and use of feedstock. Internal organizational risk focuses on feedstock cost margins, on-site inventory management, internal feedstock yard operations, and management and personnel factors.

The standard applies to activities within the biomass supply chain, starting from the harvest point and continuing until the biomass reaches the plant gate. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks and factors that organizations should consider when managing biomass supply chains.