Requirements and certification of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) and recycled carbon fuels (RCFs):

With Directive (EU) 2018/2001, the European Commission has set a common framework to promote the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy, especially in the transport sector. With the adoption of Delegated Regulations (EU) 2023/1184 and (EU) 2023/1185, the European Commission has defined specific requirements for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) and recycled carbon fuels (RCFs) in addition to the requirements for the production of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels already defined in Directive (EU) 2018/2001.

Certification in the REDcert-EU scheme

Based on Delegated Regulations (EU) 2023/1184 and 2023/1185, REDcert has developed specific requirements for the certification of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) and recycled carbon fuels (RCFs) and submitted them to the European Commission (EU Commission) for recognition in August 2023. The submitted scheme principles were confirmed as "technically compliant" (positive technical assessment) (see EU-KOM website). Now only the formal recognition is pending in order to start the certification process.

This means that RFNBOs and RCFs can now also be certified under the REDcert-EU scheme in future.

What are RFNBOs?

RFNBOs are defined as liquid and gaseous fuels the energy content of which is derived from renewable sources other than biomass. This means that all energy stored in the RFNBO must originate from the respective renewable energy sources through the supply of renewable energy, usually renewable electricity. A possible production pathway of an RFNBO is the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity to produce hydrogen (H2). This can either be used directly as a fuel or used to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) to synthesize fuels such as what is known as e-methanol.

What are RCFs?

RCFs are defined as liquid and gaseous fuels that are produced from liquid or solid waste streams of non-renewable origin which are not suitable for material recovery in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2008/98/EC, or from waste processing gas and exhaust gas of non-renewable origin which are produced as an unavoidable and unintentional consequence of the production process in industrial installations. This type of fuel is typically obtained through thermochemical conversion, e.g. gasification or pyrolysis of the waste streams mentioned above.

Where can I find more information?

Information on the specific requirement for RFNBOs and RCFs can be found in the scheme document "Scheme principles for the production of RFNBO and RCF". This document is part of the scheme documentation of the REDcert-EU scheme.

The scheme document "Scheme principles for the production of RFNBO and RCF" can be found here.