In accordance with the requirements of the Electricity Market Law, as of 1 December this year, the Latvian transmission system operator AS Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) has joined the unified European Energy Certificate System. AST will issue a guarantee of origin for electricity at the request of the electricity producer, which will serve as proof that the electricity is produced from renewable energy or in an efficient cogeneration process.

The certification system will provide an opportunity for the Latvian electricity producers to receive guarantees of origin of electricity and sell them in Latvia or on the European market. Until now, Latvia has a national system of guarantees of origin, which limited the possibility to sell certificates of origin of electricity produced in Latvia outside the country.

“Latvia’s integration into the unified European Energy Certificate System is an important event for those electricity suppliers and consumers for whom it is important to obtain a reliable and internationally recognized standard confirmation that the consumed electricity is produced from renewable energy sources. In the future, Latvian electricity producers using renewable energy will have the opportunity to access the wide European market in a safe and efficient manner, where they can sell the issued guarantees of origin and earn additional profit,” said Gatis Junghāns, the Member of AST Board.

Guarantee of origin is an electronic document that can be purchased separately from electricity and that can be transferred from one holder to another; the last holder of guarantee of origin will be able to prove the origin of the electricity. For example, if an electricity consumer wants to document that he only consumes electricity produced from renewable energy, the consumer can buy electricity on the market and additionally purchase guarantees of origin, thus proving that he is consuming “green” electricity.

For a producer to obtain guarantees of origin of the produced electricity and the right to sell them, it is necessary to carry out certification of the production unit through an independent, accredited auditor. In turn, under the contract, AST will keep records of the electricity produced and issue guarantees of origin, which the producer will be able to either sell to other operators or de-register, certifying the origin of the electricity sold to the final consumer.

The circulation and trade of Latvian certificates of origin in Europe is possible thanks to AST’s membership in the Association of Issuing Bodies (hereinafter - AIB). AIB maintains a central electronic register of guarantees of origin, which strengthens the implementation of European standards and regulations in the field of energy guarantees (EECS – European Energy Certificate System) and facilitates cross-border trade in guarantees of origin throughout Europe.

More information on the guarantees of origin of electricity and the procedure for obtaining them is available on the AST website https://www.ast.lv/en/content/guarantees-origin.