Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Author: Proadpran B. Piccini
The AIB - EECS Gas Scheme, initiated in 2019, was finally released and will be operational to facilitate transfers of Green Gas Guarantees of Origin (GOs) via the AIB hub by the third quarter of 2022.
The EECS Gas Scheme follows the existing EECS Electricity Scheme on the generic part of the document (Section N – Electricity Scheme Rules) with an additional Section O, specifying provisions that apply to gas. The Gas Scheme covers the following Energy Carriers:
According to the scheme, Energy Gas means “An Energy Carrier consisting of chemical compounds, composed mainly of the elements of carbon and hydrogen, being in gaseous state at 15°C and average atmospheric pressure at sea level (101,325 kPa)”, and Hydrogen refers to “an Energy Carrier consisting of dihydrogen molecules (H2), with a concentration of at least 99,9% vol”
In the EECS Rules Release 7 v15, the Section O, Gas Scheme Rules, addresses ten sub-sections in relation to Gas Certificate as follows:
The face value of EECS Certificates corresponding to EECS Products shall be 1 MWh, the standard energy amount associated with GO certificates. In addition, EECS Gas Certificates will only be Issued for Nett Gas Production* and will not be Issued for gas consumed by production auxiliaries.
EECS is the European Energy Certificate System, aiming to ensure reliable operation of international exchange of GOs. The EECS scheme is non-discrimination, transparency, and costs effectiveness. Each EECS certificate is uniquely identifiable, transferable and therefore tradable, and contains standard information on the source of the energy, and its method of production.
While not explicitly mentioning gas, Section C3.6 of the EECS rules covers energy conversion which is relevant to green hydrogen production. These rules were added in March 2020.
*Nett Gas Production = the gas produced by a Production Device as evidenced by measured values collected and determined by an Authorised Measurement Body (or, where appropriate, an Approved Measurement Body) with reference to its Import and Export Meters (adjusted by meter amendments and the outcome of any disputes) minus the demand of any Production Auxiliaries and minus losses due to heating, compression and pumping on the site of the Production Device.
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