Review of EKOenergy’s criteria for bioenergy – public consultation

Background

EKOenergy’s current criteria for electricity from bioenergy were approved in 2013. They deal with 3 main aspects:

• The efficiency of the production processes (use in cogeneration)
• The sustainability of the origin of the biomass. We only accept residues and specific types of woody biomass.
• We limit the co-fueling with other fuels. At least 50% of the fuel used in the installation needs to be EKOenergy-eligible biomass. Only a proportional part of the generated electricity can be sold as EKOenergy.

In 2017, we approved our criteria for biogas. With regard to biogas, the EKOenergy label can only be used for gas made from organic residues (municipal organic residues, agricultural residues, industrial residues.) You can read more about EKOenergy-labelled renewable gas here: https://www.ekoenergy.org/ecolabel/criteria/ekoenergy-gas/

Review process and approaches

We are now reviewing and updating our criteria, based on the experiences of the past seven years, new scientific findings and new economic realities.

We have been evaluating the pros and cons of 2 different approaches:

Approach 1: As an ecolabel, EKOenergy should implement very strict criteria with regard to greenhouse gas emissions and nature protection. We should do so, even if this drastically reduces the availability of EKOenergy-eligible bioenergy.

Or

Approach 2: As an ecolabel for renewable energy, EKOenergy should also be easily applicable to bioenergy. EKOenergy’s criteria should take the existing market situation as a starting point (i.e. recognize that biomass makes up an important component/share of the renewable energy production) and help consumers distinguish between the best available bioenergy and the bioenergy to avoid.

The proposal for new criteria (see hereafter) mainly follows approach 1.

Text is open for public consultation

Please see below the proposal for new criteria. We welcome all comments before 1 January 2021, via an email to infoekoenergy.org

The proposed changes deal with the sustainable origin and sustainable use of bioenergy. Apart from the sustainability of the bioenergy, EKOenergy also sets criteria for consumer information, reliable tracking of energy and additionality (through EKOenergy’s Climate Fund). These aspects are outside the scope of this review process and will remain unchanged.

• EN: Proposal for new criteria for EKOenergy-labelled energy produced from biomass
• DE: Vorschlag für neue Kriterien für EKOenergie-gekennzeichnete Energie aus Biomasse
• ES: Propuesta para nuevos criterios para bioenergía con etiqueta EKOenergía
• FI: Ehdotus uusiksi kriteereiksi bioenergialla tuotetulle EKOenergia-merkitylle energialle
• FR: Proposition de nouveaux critères pour l’énergie labellisée EKOénergie produite à partir de la biomasse
• NL: Voorstel voor nieuwe criteria voor EKOenergie-gelabelde energie op basis van biomassa

Published on 16 October 2020