Spain approves rules for guarantees of origin for renewable gases

The Spanish government approved on Tuesday a royal decree to create the system of guarantees of origin for gases coming from renewable sources, including green hydrogen.

The system will work in the same way as it does for electricity produced from renewables -- for each MWh of 100% renewable gas, a guarantee is issued with information on where, when and how the gas was produced, the Spanish ministry for ecological transition said.

Through the latest piece of regulation, the Spanish government partially transposed the EU Directive 2018/2001, incorporating the parts related to sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels into the national law.

The sustainability and emissions criteria previously applicable to biofuels and bioliquids are now expanded to include solid biomass and biogas used for power, heating and cooling, the ministry said. Energy from fuels that fail to meet the requirements will not count towards renewable energy targets, and would not be eligible to receive financial aid, the ministry’s statement reads.

Finally, the royal decree sets the targets for the share of biofuels and biogas in transport. The government wants to see clean fuels account for 10.5% of consumption in 2022, and 12% in 2026.

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