The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate issues the mandate for this. This merger will make VertiCer the office in the Netherlands for issuing Guarantees of Origin for all sustainable energy carriers: electricity, heat, green gas and hydrogen. The cooperation puts VertiCer on the stage as a powerful partner for harmonising Guarantees of Origin in Europe.
CertiQ and Vertogas are subsidiaries of TenneT and Gasunie. CertiQ issues Guarantees and Certificates of Origin for electricity and renewable thermal energy. Vertogas does this for green gas and hydrogen. With the merger, the companies anticipate the integration of gases, heat and electricity in the future energy system. To illustrate: Green hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity, among other things. This therefore requires transparent, conclusive registration in the system of certificates of origin for all energy carriers.
Harmonisation in Europe
The Netherlands is highly regarded in Europe when it comes to the design and implementation of the Guarantees of Origin system. Partly as a result of this merger, VertiCer can also steer more adequately at the European level, via AIB and ERGaR among others, towards a harmonised, efficient, robust and transparent MoU system. This is of great importance: the European harmonisation of systems for issuing, trading and cancelling Guarantees of Origin simplifies and encourages free trade of Guarantees of Origin between Member States within the European Union.
Why a merger now?
Geopolitical developments have accelerated the energy transition. But even without that pressure, the, now still two certifying bodies, foresee a substantial growth in the number of certificates required for all renewable and circular energy carriers in the coming years. New roles and tasks may be added. For instance, the issuance of COs for CO2 (for storage, CCS) but also the issuance of COs on a smaller time unit. The system of MoUs also serves as input for the Emission Trading System (ETS) and Renewable Fuel Units (HBEs) - these developments also require attention and expertise.
Purpose and substance of the merger - in the Netherlands
After the turn of the year, VertiCer will be the certifying body in the Netherlands, with all the knowledge about the GvO chain of all energy carriers. By combining knowledge and strengths, we expect processes and tasks to be more efficient, robust and transparent, so that an adequate Guarantees of Origin system will contribute optimally to the energy transition. Within VertiCer, both operations and certification processes will be further integrated and optimised for this purpose. For example, by using a single IT platform, setting up harmonised processes and applying uniform tariffs for issuing, trading and cancelling certificates for all energy carriers. This ensures greater convenience for VertiCer's customers: at one desk they receive service for the entire process for each energy carrier.
Same owners, new relationships
The proposed merger obviously changes the ownership relations of the companies. Vertogas is now owned by Gasunie Certification Holding BV, CertiQ by TenneT TSO BV. With the merger, these parent companies will each become 50 per cent owners of the new VertiCer BV.
