Guarantees of Origin System for renewable gases starts this month

REN – Rede Elétrica Nacional S.A., as an Issuing Body for Guarantees of Origin (Entidade Emissora de Garantias de Origem – EEGO), will start issuing certificates for renewable gases (hydrogen and biomethane) this month, similar to what is already done with electricity. This process will be internationalised by the end of the year with the gas sector joining the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB), which will enable the import and export of these Guarantees of Origin within the European area.

The issuance of these certificates begins this month for renewable gases (hydrogen and biomethane) injected into the public service infrastructure, with the certification for self-consumed energy expected by October. By the end of the year, the EEGO system should be connected to the AIB system, thus enabling the start of international operations for Guarantees of Origin for renewable gases. Although some certification schemes for renewable gases are already operational in certain European Union countries and bilateral exchanges between countries have occurred, there is still no European market for Guarantees of Origin in this sector.

In 2025, the issuance of Guarantees of Origin for off-grid gases and low-carbon non-renewable gases is scheduled to start, along with the launch of auctions for Guarantees of Origin for renewable gases. Similarly to the electricity sector, EEGO is expected to play an active role in this process, including the physical settlement of auctions, portfolio monitoring and management, among other responsibilities. However, this mechanism still depends on the publication of regulatory standards.

EEGO started its operations in March 2020 and presently has approximately 440 companies registered in its system, including producers, traders, and brokers. Additionally, over 1000 facilities have their electricity generation certified on a monthly basis within the EEGO system. Since 2020, over 140 million GOs have been issued in Portugal.