Serbia’s EMS joins European platform for guarantees of origin trading

The sale of guarantees of origin for electricity produced from renewable sources in Serbia is now possible in European countries and vice versa. Until now, guarantees of origin for energy produced in Serbia were only traded within the country.

Serbia’s issuer of guarantees of origin Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) announced it connected with the AIB Hub, enabling imports and exports of the instruments that are used mostly to stimulate the production of green energy. Association of Issuing Bodies – AIB brings together European institutions responsible for guarantees of origin (transmission system operators, regulators, market operators) in 26 countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Energy Community.

Association of Issuing Bodies manages the AIB Hub, a communication center for registers of 26 countries

AIB operates the AIB Hub, an inter-registry communications center for the exchange of guarantees of origin, EMS noted.

Guarantees of origin are electronic documents that have the exclusive function to demonstrate to the end buyer that a given share or amount of energy is produced from renewable sources. They contain information on the attributes of production of 1 MWh of electricity and are used to publish the structure of consumed electricity.

Guarantees offer electricity buyers the opportunity to stimulate the production of energy that does not harm the environment

Guarantees give electricity buyers the option to obtain energy that does not harm the environment and stimulate its production. The instruments are issued to producers of energy from renewable sources, and they are bought by suppliers or large energy consumers that want to show that they are selling or consuming green energy.

Suppliers are the only buyers of guarantees in Serbia

In Serbia, these guarantees are received by the power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) for production in hydropower plants and three private companies for production in smaller solar power plants. Suppliers are the only buyers of guarantees in the country.

Given the small number of participants in the Serbian market of guarantees, the possibility to trade with European countries should increase competition.

The market grows by 10% every year

Nikola Tošić, Head of Market Development and Administration Department at EMS, said both sides have made big efforts and pointed to previous and current energy legislation, bylaws and audits and other procedure.

Last year 707 million guarantees of origin for 707 TWh were issued in Europe

According to Marko Janković, Market Division Manager at EMS, last year 707 million guarantees of origin for 707 TWh were issued, while 613 million were transferred internationally and 613 million were used and cancelled.

“The market for guarantees of origin continues to grow at about 10% per year and that is great potential for market participants in Serbia,” he said.

Marko Zarić, Head of Balance Responsibility and Balancing Market Administration Unit and responsible for connection with AIB at EMS, said that EMS has been participating in the work of AIB since 2015, actively collecting the knowledge it needs to establish a system that was very little known in Serbia at the time.