European Energy Exchange launches biogas production certificates registry in France

The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has launched the biogas production certificate registry (CPB) in France.

The initiative, mandated by the French Ministry in charge of Energy, aims to support the development of biomethane as a renewable energy source within the country.

The CPB scheme, established under the 2021 French Climate and Resilience Act, requires natural gas suppliers to offer their customers a minimum share of biomethane.

This is achieved through an obligation to return CPBs to the French state, thereby promoting the integration of renewable gases into the national energy mix. The first restitution period of CPBs runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.

Natural gas suppliers have the option to obtain CPBs by producing biomethane themselves or purchasing certificates from biomethane producers.

A CPB can be issued for an installation outside of the French feed-in tariff scheme. A certificate can be issued a year after the last day of the injection period and valid for five years from the date of issuance.

A CPB corresponds to 1 MWh if the biomethane was produced by an installation put in service less than 15 years ago.

France’s biogas capacity is seeing sharp growth, with a focus on biomethane injection into the gas grid, and it aims to reach a 4 bcm biomethane target by 2030.

TotalEnergies commissioned BioNorrois in Fontaine-le-Dun (Normandy), its eighth biomethane production unit in France, in February, raising its biogas production capacity in the country to more than 800 GWh.

Two weeks ago, France and Singapore announced they will jointly develop a biomethane supply chain and certification framework for shipping.