REDcert-EU certification – proof of sustainability for biofuels
What is REDcert-EU?
REDcert is a voluntary certification system that can be used to prove that the sustainability criteria required by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (2023/2413 – RED III) for the production of biofuels and fuels from biomass are met. The RED III aims to increase the share of renewable energies in final consumption within the EU to 42.5 percent by 2030. REDcert is an association-supported certification system and recognized by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) and the European Commission.
GFA Certification GmbH has been approved by the BLE since 2024 and has since been certified according to the REDcert standard in the field of sustainable biofuels with the highest requirements for quality and integrity. Certification according to REDcert-EU is currently only possible for locations in the European Union and selected third countries.
For whom is REDcert-EU relevant?
The production of renewable energies and fuels from biomass is gaining in importance worldwide. For the European biofuels market, the EU created binding requirements for the sustainable production and processing of biomass in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
In German law, these requirements have been implemented in the Biokraft-NachV, BioSt-NachV and BImSchV (37th and 38th). Biofuels made from palm oil, rapeseed, sugar beet, cereals or waste and residues (e.g. used cooking oil) account for the largest share of biofuels traded in Europe. In particular, interfaces such as farms and collection points, initial collectors, land traders, conversion plants, suppliers and warehouses are obliged to comply with an approved certification system, e.g. REDcert-EU.
RFNBO and RCF
With the revised Directive (EU) 2018/2001, the European Commission has created a common framework to promote the share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption, especially in the transport sector. With the adoption of Delegated Regulations (EU) 2023/1184 and (EU) 2023/1185, the European Commission has set specific requirements for the production of renewable fuels of non-biogenic origin (RFNBO) and carbon-containing recycled fuels (RCF), in addition to the requirements already defined in Directive (EU) 2018/2001 for the production of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels.
Based on the above-mentioned Delegated Regulations (EU) 2023/1184 and 2023/1185, REDcert has developed specific requirements for the certification of RFNBO and RCF, which have been officially recognized by the European Commission by Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/3194 of 19 December 2024.
Within the framework of the REDcert-EU system, both RFNBO and RCF can be certified according to European requirements.
What are RFNBO?
By definition, renewable fuels of non-biogenic origin (RFNBO) are liquid or gaseous fuels whose energy content comes from renewable sources other than biomass.
This means that all the energy stored in RFNBO must come from renewable energy sources such as electricity from solar or wind power. One way to make an RFNBO is to electrolysis water using renewable electricity to produce hydrogen (H2). Colloquially, this is “green hydrogen”. This hydrogen can either be used directly as a fuel or used to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce fuels such as methane, methanol or sustainable aviation fuels.
What are RCF?
Carbon-containing recycled fuels (RCF for short) are liquid or gaseous fuels produced from non-renewable waste or exhaust gases. The waste that can be used for the production of RCF is no longer suitable for recycling, i.e. material recovery. In the case of exhaust gases, these are unavoidable gases that are inevitably and unintentionally produced as a result of industrial production processes. RCFs are typically produced by thermochemical processes such as gasification or pyrolysis of these wastes.
What are the advantages of REDcert-EU certification?
Since RED III explicitly promotes the use of energy from renewable sources, the share of bioenergy to cover our energy needs will increase significantly in the future. Voluntary certification schemes such as REDcert are considered an objective and reliable way to demonstrate compliance with the sustainability criteria set out in RED III.
REDcert-EU certification therefore gives economic operators easy access to the European biofuels market and linked subsidies. In this way, they ensure the sustainable expansion of new sources of raw materials and help our society one step further on the path to greater responsibility for our future.
What does GFA Certification offer and how does the combination of REDcert-EU with other certification systems work?
In principle, all EU-recognized certification systems (SURE, etc.) also recognize each other. For biogas upgrading plants (BGAA) that produce biomethane for the fuel market as well as for the generation of electricity and heat, double certification according to REDcert and SURE may be necessary under certain circumstances. However, this only applies if there is a CHP plant at the same location that produces electricity and heat. In this case, the BGAA would have to be certified according to REDcert for fuel production, but the CHP plant would have to be certified according to SURE.
Due to reduced membership costs in both systems and only slightly increased audit effort, combined audits according to REDcert and SURE are cost-effective. We would be happy to provide you with an individual offer for REDcert certification or answer your open questions.
Important steps for the REDcert certification
Registration REDcert (for companies not yet certified)
– Registration under www.redcert.org
– Verification of registered data by REDcert
– Conclusion of a contract between the company and REDcert
– Confirmation of participation from REDcertcloseInitial information
– Company fills out GFA questionnaire
– If necessary, clarification of further details and open questions
– GFA evaluates informationcloseOffer & Order
– Preparation of an offer by the GFA
– Placing an order by the companycloseImplementation by the company
– Preparation of the necessary system documentation
– Implementation of the procedurescloseMain audit
– System audit by GFA auditor (if necessary, checks at suppliers)
– Presentation of audit results and discussion of corrective measures
– Certification decision by GFA
– Remedy any major deviations identified by the companycloseCertificate
– Issuance and dispatch of the certificate by the GFA
– Registration of the certificate with REDcert and BLE by the GFA
– Surveillance audit after six months (or three months for certain WaR plants)closeRecertification before 12 months
– Implementation of the recertification audit
close
Sabrina Koch
Tel.: +49 40 5247431 130 or +49 151 15056621
Email.: bioenergie@gfa-cert.com
