On July 15th, the ERGaR Certificate of Origin (CoO) Scheme was officially launched, marking an important milestone in the cross-border transfer and distribution of renewable gases in Europe. The first exchange under the scheme occurred between Vertogas (NL) and the Green Gas Certification Scheme (UK), with biomethane certificates being transferred from the Netherlands to the UK.
ERGaR, an international non-profit organization founded in 2016, aims to establish an efficient and reliable administrative system to support the deployment of renewable gases and the achievement of climate targets across European countries. With 29 members from 15 European countries, including both EU and non-EU states, ERGaR brings together national biomethane/renewable gas registries, biogas associations, natural gas transmission and system operators, and other stakeholders.
The ERGaR CoO Scheme facilitates the transfer of CoOs among participating registries, which issue CoOs for injected green gases into national gas grids. The scheme encompasses various renewable gases, such as hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen, and biomethane. Operating electronically, it harmonizes the recording of renewable gas certificate data, incorporating the specific requirements of different registries.
Compliance with Article 19 of Directive EU 2018/2001, which addresses ERGaR CoOs and the issuance of renewable gas Guarantees of Origin (GOs), is a key aspect of the scheme. Furthermore, once the revision of the CEN-EN 16325 standard for gas GOs is finalized, the ERGaR CoO Scheme will be modified, if necessary, to align fully with the new standard.
Matthias Edel, ERGaR Secretary General, confirmed that four additional biomethane registries, including AGCS (AT), dena (DE), Energinet (DK), and GRdF (FR), are in the process of participating in the ERGaR CoO Scheme alongside GGCS and Vertogas. With these new additions, the scheme will represent approximately 90% of European biomethane production by volume, demonstrating the growing interest and participation of countries across Europe.
