After the Russian companies were denied access to the I-REC market in 2022, it was no longer possible to redeem renewable energy certificates.
Since the I-REC providers left Russia and until recently, free bilateral agreements (FBAs, green electricity supply agreements made directly between generators and consumers) have been the only opportunity for a company to confirm it consumes renewable electricity. But with little energy consumed, direct contracts are unprofitable for power generators. The Russian businesses that have made a voluntary commitment to reduce their carbon footprint have been challenged to find a national equivalent to the international renewable energy certificates.
Given the above challenges and the persisting interest of domestic businesses in green certification, the Russian company Carbon Zero has developed a voluntary national certification standard that follows the international principles and guidelines. The company also maintains a register of certificates and provides certificate trading services.
The Russian voluntary certification standard developed by Carbon Zero is the only green certification scheme available in Russia today. Its application enables responsible energy consumers in Russia to offset their carbon footprint and support the development of renewable energy sources with credible and reliable tools.
This April, Delo Group signed the first deal under the new scheme, having redeemed 30,000 certificates confirming that electric power was generated at the Krasnoyarsk HPP. The certificates will offset the emission of over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
For us as green electricity consumers, the transition to the domestic scheme has made the process of acquiring and redeeming certificates much simpler due to the absence of language barriers, common reporting legislation, and lower fees. I am also pleased to note that Rosatom has joined the standard and registered its wind power plants with the new platform, having expanded greatly the choice of green generation tools.
Expert comment
All event materialsAfter the Russian companies were denied access to the I-REC market in 2022, it was no longer possible to redeem renewable energy certificates.
Since the I-REC providers left Russia and until recently, free bilateral agreements (FBAs, green electricity supply agreements made directly between generators and consumers) have been the only opportunity for a company to confirm it consumes renewable electricity. But with little energy consumed, direct contracts are unprofitable for power generators. The Russian businesses that have made a voluntary commitment to reduce their carbon footprint have been challenged to find a national equivalent to the international renewable energy certificates.
Given the above challenges and the persisting interest of domestic businesses in green certification, the Russian company Carbon Zero has developed a voluntary national certification standard that follows the international principles and guidelines. The company also maintains a register of certificates and provides certificate trading services.
The Russian voluntary certification standard developed by Carbon Zero is the only green certification scheme available in Russia today. Its application enables responsible energy consumers in Russia to offset their carbon footprint and support the development of renewable energy sources with credible and reliable tools.
This April, Delo Group signed the first deal under the new scheme, having redeemed 30,000 certificates confirming that electric power was generated at the Krasnoyarsk HPP. The certificates will offset the emission of over 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
For us as green electricity consumers, the transition to the domestic scheme has made the process of acquiring and redeeming certificates much simpler due to the absence of language barriers, common reporting legislation, and lower fees. I am also pleased to note that Rosatom has joined the standard and registered its wind power plants with the new platform, having expanded greatly the choice of green generation tools.
Read also: