The import of biogas guarantees of origin (GO) from Europe to Finland rose by 86 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. This substantial increase indicates the rise in European biogas imports to Finland and the replacement of natural gas with biogas. Biogas is imported because Finland’s domestic production is currently insufficient to meet the growing demand. The increased use of biogas contributes to Finland’s carbon neutrality goals.
Gasgrid, the gas transmission company, operates as the administrator of the gas GO registry and the issuer of these GOs in Finland. Gasgrid is authorized to issue both national and European EECS (European Energy Certificate Systems) GOs for Finnish gas and hydrogen production facilities. GOs are the only way to ensure that clean gases, such as biogas and hydrogen, are produced from renewable energy sources. Biogas and other renewable gases play a significant role in achieving Finland’s carbon neutrality targets.
“Finland’s domestic biogas production is still limited, although many new plant projects are underway. To replace natural gas with biogas in line with customer expectations, biogas must be imported from Europe in addition to domestic production. Only guarantees of origin can verify that gas has been produced from renewable energy sources. The import of GOs from Europe is therefore very significant for Finland’s carbon neutrality goals and the purity of gases,” says Service Manager Heli Haapea from Gasgrid.
The majority of GOs were imported from Denmark last year
Most of the gas GOs imported to Finland last year came from Denmark. As a new development, GOs can now also be transferred between France and Finland.
“The import of GOs grew significantly in 2024 compared to 2023, and this growth continues this year. In 2024, the import of GOs from Europe to Finland totaled nearly 450 gigawatt-hours, compared to 240 gigawatt-hours in 2023. This represents an 86 percent increase year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2025, 180 gigawatt-hours of guarantees were imported, which is 20 percent more than in the first quarter of 2024,” Haapea states.
Gasgrid has developed the GO system and facilitated the development of the clean gases market in collaboration with market participants to enable broader use of biogas in Finland. Biogas is used, among other things, for heat and electricity production, as a transport fuel, and in industrial processes.
The transfer of European GOs occurs electronically
The transfer of European EECS GOs between countries is conducted electronically through the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) Hub, which connects the registries of member countries. Currently, the member countries operating within the Hub are Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Brussels, Belgium. In addition, Switzerland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands are preparing to join next. However, since Switzerland is neither an EU nor an EEA country, Swiss GOs cannot be used to verify the origin of gas in Finland.
France aims to become a member of the AIB by the end of 2025, but for now, the transfer of GOs between France and Finland is done manually. Similarly, the transfer of GOs from Denmark is also conducted manually.
For more information
For further details about the GO service and the transfer of GOs, please contact customerservice@gasgrid.fi
For media inquiries, please reach out to Gasgrid’s communications team at +358 20 447 8888, viestinta@gasgrid.fi.