The Spanish government adopted a royal decree last week to establish the system of guarantee of origin for gases coming from renewable sources, such as green hydrogen, biogas or biomethane, which will allow marketers and consumers to differentiate themselves from gas of fossil origin.
The system will function similarly to the scheme for renewable electricity, with a guarantee issued for each megawatt-hour of 100% renewable gas produced, together with information on where, when, and how the gas was produced, according to the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
The guarantees will consequently provide added value, encouraging adoption of renewable gases and thus create environmental benefit.
The guarantees of origin will certify the volume and quality of gas, as they will distinguish between green hydrogen, biomethane, biogas, and other gases, and will cover any renewable gas produced and consumed.
The decree requires the establishment of a Census of Renewable Gas Production Facilities and a Producers Committee. Producers and marketers will be able to exchange guarantee of origin in a transparent and secure system that will document the production, transfer, and cancellation of guarantees.
With the latest piece of legislation, the Spanish government partially transferred the EU Directive 2018/2001 into national law, integrating the parts related to sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reduction criteria for biofuels, bioliquids, and biomass fuels.
The ministry also said in the statement that energy from fuels that do not fulfill the requirements will not contribute toward renewable energy targets and will not be eligible for financial assistance.
Besides, the decree sets targets for the proportion of biofuels and biogas in transportation. The government wants clean fuels to account for 10.5% of total consumption within 2022 and 12% by 2026.
