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Register of guarantees of origin now to also include gas, heat and cooling

Each EU country must have a register of guarantees of origin to give consumers the option of making a conscious decision to use energy from renewables. Guarantees of origin are used to show where a given quantity of energy comes from.

Article 19 of the Renewable Energy Directive obliges all EU Member States to implement guarantees of origin for energy from renewables. A register of this kind is already in existence for electricity from renewables and is being administrated by the Federal Environment Agency. The register of guarantees of origin for gas and hydrogen and for heating and cooling energy from renewables now gives consumers greater transparency for these types of energy. Its legal basis is the Ordinance on the register of guarantees of origin for gas and energy for heating and cooling (in German only) that has been in force since 1 May 2024 and the Register of Guarantees of Origin Act (in German only).

^{Electronic birth certificate for energy}

Like an electronic birth certificate for energy, guarantees of origin serve as proof to plant operators as to where and how a certain quantity of energy has been produced and fed into the grid. The database used to request, issue, transmit and validate guarantees of origin is administered by the Federal Environment Agency to ensure that the guarantee of origin can be used only once and thus eliminate the risk of duplicate sales. This means that consumers can rely on the information provided in the guarantees of origin. Among other aspects, the new ordinance lays down the rules for the registration of installations in the register of guarantees of origin and for the handling of guarantee of origin for gas and heating and cooling energy. It sets out the minimum requirements for the proof of origin, clarifies the responsibilities of the Federal Environment Agency and lays down the rules for data processing and the sanctions for administrative offences.

^{Guarantees of origin can be traded}

Operators of an installation can also choose to sell their guarantee of origin, for instance to refinance private investments in projects that are part of the heat transition. This could give a boost to the ramp-up of green hydrogen at a stage where the hydrogen core network is not yet operational. The new ordinance serves as a legal basis for the establishment and operation of a register of guarantees of origin for gas and hydrogen and for heating and cooling energy. This is now in the process of technical implementation, with operations due to begin soon.