Green Certificates Scheme - Wallonia

A framework-decree of the Walloon government on 12 April 2001 on the liberalisation of the electricity market forsaw the creation of funds to encourage the rational use of energy, financed by a charge imposed on the grid manager, and the introduction of a greens certificates market to encourage the renewable production of electricity.

Targets:

In its implementing decree of July 2002, the Walloon government established a target of 3% of electricity demand to be met from renewable sources in January 2003 at the trading schemes commencement, to rise to 7% in 2007. Following this the percentage is to increase annually by 1%, reaching 8% in 2008 and 12% by 2012, the latter to be achieved by producing 8% of Wallonias electricity from renewable sources and 14% from CHP, the latter to be achieved by producing 8% of Wallonias electricity from renewable sources and 14% from CHP.

Implementation Each quarter, a producer of green-certified electricity receives an amount of green certificates proportional to the green electricity production and the rate of CO2 offset relative to the CO2 emissions of a gas vapour turbine for the same amount of electricity.

Each quarter, an electricity supplier must surrender a quota of green certificates corresponding to its total supply of electricity to the CWaPE (Walloon Commission for Energy). In the event of non-compliance with the quota obligation, the supplier will be fined EUR 100 per missing green certificate, a sum which will accrue to the Energy Fund.

Green electricity producters may sell their certificates to the Energy Authority at aminimum price of EUR 65 per certificate. The Walloon regulator certifies the quota obligation every three months and publishes information about green certificates. Additionally, the Walloon government may allow green electricity producers the choice to participate in the green certificates system or to benefit from a government support system at EUR 65/MWh. This support for green electricity production is financed by the Energy Fund.

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