Ireland's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has issued two decisions designed to support the development of the country's biomethane sector, establishing a supervisory framework for guarantees of origin and approving an interim solution for reverse grid compression.
Under the new guarantees of origin framework, biomethane producers injecting gas into the network will be issued with a guarantee of origin certificate (gGO) for each MWh of renewable gas produced.
Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) will establish and operate an electronic registry through which producers, traders and suppliers can hold accounts and trade, import and export gGOs. Only licensed suppliers will initially be permitted to cancel certificates, though the CRU has indicated the framework may be updated following further transposition of EU law — including Article 15(8) of the Renewable Energy Directive, which requires that guarantees of origin associated with renewable energy purchase agreements can be transferred to the buyer.
A valid sustainability certificate from an EU Voluntary Scheme will be required to confirm the renewable attributes of gas produced. Imported gGOs will require a sustainability certificate from 5 August 2026, aligned with the transposition date for the EU Gas Directive (2024/1788). Trading of UK guarantees of origin is not permitted under the framework.
GNI will issue gGOs monthly, with a reconciliation and adjustment process to be developed for each issuing period. Annual fees have been set at €2,000 for producers and €3,000 for suppliers and traders.
Registration requirements are expected to be published by GNI no later than September 2026, with gGO issuance through the new registry targeted to begin no later than January 2027.
GNI's existing pilot registry will remain in parallel for a period, but no new certificates of origin will be issued through it after 31 December 2026.
The CRU has also said it will consult further on a fuel mix disclosure regime for gas suppliers and a potential green source product verification process to ensure that renewable energy claims are backed by gGOs.
On reverse grid compression (RGC) — which enables flow from the distribution network to the transmission network to facilitate connection of biomethane plants — the CRU has approved GNI's interim solution pending development of an enduring policy.
To be considered for RGC, applicants must submit a grid connection application with a €10,000 fee, demonstrate a minimum annual constraint volume of 4 GWh in GNI's network analysis, and complete a biomethane producer connection application.
GNI will assess RGC applications against whether implementation would avoid more costly network reinforcement, whether the project supports the National Biomethane Strategy, and whether funding remains available in the Price Control 5 Flexibility Pot on a first-come, first-served basis.
Where RGC is offered, a fee of €370,000 applies, payable alongside the standard 30% customer contribution for grid connection. Applicants must sign a connection agreement within four months of the offer date and provide evidence of planning permission.
