A voluntary national emissions certification scheme guaranteeing the origin of renewable energy exports, including green hydrogen, and electrons produced in Australia has been formally launched by the Clean Energy Regulator.
The Guarantee of Origin (GO) is designed to verify the use of renewable energy and low-emission products and was developed by the Federal Government as a key element of its Future Made in Australia program to promote local clean production.
It will be introduced in two branches: Guarantee of Origin for Renewable Electricity (REGO) and Guarantee of Product Origin (PGO).
Under the PGO side of the system, certificates will record the emissions intensity and key characteristics of Australian-made products such as green hydrogen and metals. It also provides access to government incentives such as Hydrogen Headstart and the Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive.
The REGO tranche, meanwhile, is being touted as the successor to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) program, which is currently set to expire in 2030.
According to CER, the REGO will provide a “permanent and expanded framework” for the certification of renewable electricity in Australia, verifying when, where and how renewable electricity was generated.
Initially, REGO is open to eligible renewable electricity producers, including power plants already accredited under the RET program and energy storage systems. Later it will be expanded to include aggregated systems such as virtual power plants.
Federal Deputy Energy and Climate Minister Josh Wilson says the program will give Australian producers the confidence and credibility they need to compete in a global economy that is rapidly decarbonizing.
“The GO program will help Australia realize the full economic potential of the energy transition by supporting jobs and investment in a Made in Australia future,” Wilson said on Monday.
“GO is an important tool in the Albanian government’s energy transition toolbox and will advance the development of renewable hydrogen at the scale we need to drive the growth of new industries and jobs and decarbonize critical but hard-to-abate industrial sectors.”
CER chairman David Parker says establishing a “robust certification system” for new low-emission products is key to their growth and building trust across the supply chain.
“Transparent, highly integrated digital certificates issued under the GO program will enable Australian companies to differentiate their products as low emissions or renewable, gaining a competitive advantage in both domestic and export markets,” Parker said on Monday.
“For example, low-emission hydrogen produced through electrolysis can provide effective methods for decarbonizing high-emitting operations such as ammonia and iron production, and it will be important that these products can demonstrate their low carbon status.”
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