In an interview with FORUM Gas Wasser Wärme, ERGaR President Julian Auderieth sets out what Europe’s renewable gas market needs most right now: trusted certification and a functioning cross-border transfer system.
Renewable gases can help decarbonize sectors where electrification is difficult or costly such as energy-intensive industry and high-temperature heat. But scaling these solutions depends on market confidence: buyers must be able to rely on certificates, and certificates must be transferable across borders in a secure, standardized way.
What ERGaR is—and why it matters
ERGaR (European Renewable Gas Registry) is a Brussels-based, non-profit association that connects national registries through a common European framework to enable cross-border trading of renewable gas certificates. In the interview, Julian describes ERGaR as both:
- an umbrella organization for participating national registries, and
- a platform that helps create trust and transparency in a young and fast-developing market.
The ERGaR-CoO Scheme: the operational core
At the centre of this work is the ERGaR CoO Scheme, which enables the standardized and secure transfer of biomethane certificates and Guarantees of Origin between participating registries. The scheme operates via a central IT infrastructure and harmonized rules and processes. While it is designed to cover all renewable gases, current cross-border transfers focus on certificates for grid-injected biomethane.
Importantly, the scheme’s purpose is not profit: fees are paid by participating registries (not directly by market participants), and ERGaR is financed through membership contributions and registry fees.
Record growth in 2025 and increasing international reach
The interview highlights strong market momentum. 2025 was a record year, with more than 4 TWh of biomethane certificates and Guarantees of Origin transferred across borders via the ERGaR CoO Scheme. Since the scheme launched in 2021, more than 8 TWh have been transferred in total, meaning 2025 alone accounted for around half of all volumes processed to date.
On market flows, demand remains strongest in Germany, with most volumes transferred to the dena biogas registry. The second-highest transfer volumes went to the Swiss registry operated by Pronovo. On the supply side, Denmark and Great Britain dominate—accounting for around 90% of exports via the scheme.
Why regulation needs to catch up
Despite positive market development, Julian points to ongoing regulatory gaps. Existing approaches were not designed for the specific characteristics of gaseous energy carriers, such as storability and grid integration. At the same time, Proofs of Sustainability for biomethane can be closely tied to the physical product and do not always reflect the realities of the European gas grid system.
The conclusion: Europe needs a dedicated, tailor-made certification instrument for renewable gases and proven, market-oriented solutions should be embedded in regulation for the long term.
New members and a broader scope ahead
The ERGaR CoO Scheme continues to expand. After Switzerland/Pronovo joined in 2025, Amber Grid (Lithuania) is set to join in 2026, underlining ERGaR’s growing role as a European platform for cross-border biomethane certificate trading.
Looking ahead, Julian anticipates that trading will expand beyond biomethane to include additional renewable gases and related products—such as synthetic methane, biogenic CO₂, and hydrogen—alongside further digitalization and better integration of sustainability information.
Read the original interview (German)
The interview appears in FORUM Gas Wasser Wärme (1/2026) on pages 14–15.