REGATRACE engages with Irish delegates in creating an efficient international trade system based on issuing and trading biomethane/renewable gases certificates. 

RGFI welcomed over 30 delegates to the first Renewable Gas Trade Centre in Europe (REGATRACE) workshop this month, co-hosted by Gas Networks Ireland.   The workshop was part of the task to engage Ireland and nine other countries, in creating an efficient trade system based on issuing and trading biomethane/renewable gases certificates.

Suzanna Pflüger, Secretary General, European Biogas Association, updated on the status of biomethane markets in Member States and their current legislative frameworks. Each Member State has a different view on the subsidy and use of renewable gases.

• Many countries view biomethane as an interesting alternative for existing biogas plants, as they can decarbonize the natural gas grid.
• The most common support scheme for biomethane in Europe is a Feed-in Tariff, followed by Feed-in Premium and fiscal incentives. Several countries have more than one type of subsidy scheme in place, which either complement each other or differentiate in the end-use application of the biomethane.
• The cross-border trade of biomethane is still limited. For most countries, production and consumption are well balanced.
• GHG reduction compared to natural gas is the aspect of the renewable gas with the highest impact on consumers choice, followed by cost additionally to natural gas.

Ireland is, in fact, a leader within the EU, in that it already has a Green Gas Certification Scheme and Renewable Gas Registry, operated by Gas Networks Ireland (GNI).  Its blueprint was developed in 2018 by the German agencies DENA and DBFZ,, co-ordinated by the International Energy Research Centre and supported by the Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy Research, University College Cork, GNI and RGFI.

The Scheme will certify biomethane produced in Ireland, complies with the sustainability criteria set out in the Renewable Energy Directive II, and is in line with best practice, carbon accounting principles. It provides confidence and assurances to gas consumers, in validating and verifying, in a fully accountable and transparent manner, that biomethane is sustainably produced.
Gas Networks Ireland now operates the Scheme.

Workshop Presentations can be viewed via the links below:

Introduction to REGATRACE workshop – PJ McCarthy, RGFI

Mapping the State of Play of Renewable Gases in Europe, Suzanna Pflüger, EBA

Development of a Renewable Gas Registry for Ireland – Stephan Bowe, Green Gas Advisors

Renewable Gas Registry – Implementation of the Concept – Brendan O’ Riordain, GNI

The REGATRACE project – Stefano Proietti, ISSINOVA

Earlier this year, the REGATRACE (REnewable GAs TRAde Centre in Europe) project, of which RGFI is a partner,  moved a step closer to achieving its aim of creating an efficient, international gas trade system through its report (REGATRACE D4.1) which provides new verification guidelines for cross sectoral renewable gas concepts regarding Guarantee of Origin (GO) and Proof of Sustainability (PoS) under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).

Download the report here: https://www.renewablegasforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/REGATRACE-D4.1.pdf

https://www.regatrace.eu