The Pellet Fuels Institute(PFI) has announced the qualification of pellet fuel manufacturer NWP Jasper, of Jasper, Tennessee, into the PFI Standards Program. New England Wood Pellet, a company with several previously qualified facilities, also added to the program a newly qualified facility, Allegheny Plant in Youngsville, Pennsylvania.

The PFI Standards Program is a third-party accreditation program providing specifications for residential and commercial-grade pellet fuel, now representing 13 pellet manufacturing companies, among them 22 facilities.

“Acceptance into the PFI Standards Program is a significant achievement,” said Stephen Faehner, chairman of the PFI Board of Directors. “The program continues to grow, with an increasingly larger share of the market earning the right to place the PFI Quality Mark on their product bags. Many retailers look for the Quality Mark when making decisions on which pellet fuel brands to purchase. We look forward to many more PFI Standards Program members.”

In qualifying for the Standards Program, NWP Jasper joins companies with previously qualified facilities: New England Wood Pellet, Curran Renewable Energy, American Wood Fibers, Lignetics, Marth Peshtigo Pellet Co., Forest Energy Corp., Indeck Ladysmith, Energex, Spearfish Pellet Co., Michigan Wood Fuels, Trae Fuels, and Somerset Pellet Fuel.

Program participants can display the PFI Quality Mark on their pellet bags, signifying their qualification to the program requirements. This quality mark demonstrates to consumers that the product comes from a facility that submits its product to regular third-party audits by an independent accredited auditing agency and testing laboratory.

Random audits are regularly performed at production facilities to ensure qualified companies are following a quality control program. Wood pellets are tested according to the program specifications, also on a monthly basis. By taking these steps, participants ensure that their pellet quality remains consistent.

NWP Jasper and New England Wood Pellet’s Allegheny Plant were both qualified by accredited auditing agency Timber Products Inspection. For information on qualifying for the program, the first step is to contact an accredited auditing agency, a list of which can be found on PFI’s website. For further details on the PFI Standards Program, including a list of participating manufacturers, visit the PFI website, www.pelletheat.org.