Enagás, responsible for the system of guarantees of origin for renewable gases

The technical manager of the system is designated as the entity responsible for this new guarantee system, according to the second provision.

Enagás will be the entity responsible for the system of guarantees of origin of gas from renewable sources, as stated in one of the additional provisions of the Royal Decree approving the system of guarantees of origin for renewable gases, published this Wednesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

According to the second provision, the technical manager of the system is designated as the entity responsible for this new system of guarantees, “as long as the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge does not have the human and material resources to exercise its functions”.

In this way, within these functions, within three months of the entry into force of the Royal Decree, Enagás will submit to the Secretary of State for Energy a proposal for a management procedure.

Likewise, within six months of the approval of the management procedure, the company must put into operation the system of guarantees of origin of gas from sources.

In addition, it will present annually to the Ministry led by Teresa Ribera a report on compliance with the activity of issuing guarantees of origin of gas from renewable sources.

The origin of renewable gases

The function attributed to the technical manager of the system as the entity responsible for the system of guarantees of origin of gas from renewable sources will be remunerated in accordance with Circular 1/2020, of January 9, of the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC), which establishes the remuneration methodology of the technical manager of the gas system.

In addition, Enagás must give full access to the Ministry and the CNMC both to the register of gas production facilities from renewable sources and to the system of guarantees of origin of gas from renewable sources.

Despite the attribution of these functions, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge may assume again, or entrust to a third party, the management of the system of guarantees of origin, once the human and material means for it are available.

Enagás in front

On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved this Royal Decree that creates the system of guarantees of origin for renewable gases, such as renewable hydrogen, biogas or biomethane, which will allow marketers and consumers to differentiate them from gas of fossil origin.

The standard also incorporates into domestic law the sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction criteria of the Community legislation for solid biomass and biogas, biofuels and bioliquids for transport, electrical uses, heating and cooling, as well as the penetration objectives of biofuels from 2023, which should reach 12% of consumption by 2026.

This Royal Decree partially transposes Directive 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, as regards the criteria for sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy and guarantees of origin of gas from renewable sources.

With these new guarantees of origin – similar to those already existing for electricity produced with renewables – each megawatt hour (MWh) of 100% renewable gas will result in the issuance of a guarantee of origin with information on where, when and how the gas was produced. Consequently, the guarantees will provide an added value when marketing it that will encourage its consumption, with the consequent environmental benefit.

In addition, the regulations will create a Census of Gas Production Facilities from renewable sources and a Producers’ Committee. Producers and marketers will be able to exchange guarantees of origin transparently and securely within the system, which will document the production, transfer and cancellation of guarantees of origin.

Source: The Energy Newspaper