Bioenergies & BECCS

Eligible projects produce energy (heat, electricity, substances used for energy purposes such as gas, liquid) and/or carbon sequestering substances. This type of project includes processes such as:

• Capturing greenhouse gasses (CH4, CO2) from the atmosphere using biogenic processes, or recovering plant biomass that has captured atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis
• Transforming captured gas or biomass into carbon-containing substances

Specific criteria have to be validated in order for carbon credits to be issued for bioenergies and BECCS.

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Carbon credits eligibility criteria

1. Measurability

Definition: The avoided/reduced emissions are quantitively and rigorously measured.

Information needed:

Need to collect information on 5 following phases:

1. Feedstock provisioning and transport

• Amount of feedstock input,
• Type of feedstock input, transport of inputs

      2. Methanization, upgrading, injection, distribution

• Leakages of methane from any source

     3. Digestate storage and spreading

• Storing finished digestate at the biogas site
• Transport to the farm where it will be spread
• Direct emissions from spreading

     4. Avoided fertilizer

• Digestate amounts and characteristics

     5. Infrastructure

• Materials used

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2. Real

Definition: The emission removal/avoidance has actually occurred, according to the monitoring plan.

Information needed:

‍Agreed upon KIIs, typically:

• Biomethane production
• Mass of each feedstock type in tonnes
• Average distance each feedstock is transported
• Amount of digestate produced
• Electricity use
• Percent of biogas torched and self-consumed onsite, as percentage of biogas produced

This will be used for year on year verification.

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3. Additionality‍

Definition: The project activity would not have occurred without the sale of carbon credits.

Information needed:

Financial additionality:

1. For new projects: Can carbon credits fund new costly installation of a biogas plant as activity development? •
2. For established projects facing financial difficulties: Need Carbon credits to maintain operations, as producing biogas is more expensive than natural gas

• How have changes in the cost of your inputs (electricity, feedstock inputs) increased over time?
• Compared to the expected costs, defined in the budget and planning for the project?
• How has the price that you sell your biogas for changed? Has it kept up with the increased cost of operation?

      3. For established projects seeking to improve/expand: projects may use carbon credits to fund improvements or           expansion of the site

• Are there any material improvements (in machinery, infrastructure…) you want to make on the site that could be funded from carbon credit sales?
• Are there any improvements in efficiency or environmental performance that you could implement with this funding? (Replacing dedicated crops and glycerin with more agricultural waste products? Incentivizing crop feedstock producers to use less fertilizer? Improving sensors of methane leaks? Installing methane capture and reuse capabilities?)5. Unicity
• Definition: Carbon credits are only counted once and are not double-issued or sold.
  Information needed:
• ‍‍Signed contract committing not to use another certification body or label to issue carbon credits for the given project.
• The project developer signed the Riverse Project Developer Contract for exclusivity on carbon credit issuance for the project.

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4. Permanence

Definition: Carbon will be removed/avoided for at least 50 years, and the project outcomes will not be reversed.

‍Information needed: Not applicable as not removal project

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5. Unicity

Definition: Carbon credits are only counted once and are not double-issued or sold.

‍Information needed:

• ‍‍Signed contract committing not to use another certification body or label to issue carbon credits for the given project.
• The project developer signed the Riverse Project Developer Contract for exclusivity on carbon credit issuance for the project.

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6. Co-benefits

Definition: Projects must provide additional positive impact towards environmental and social sustainability

‍Information needed: At least 2 UN Sustainable Development Goals have to be justified with LCA results or KIIs.

1. Goal 7: “Affordable and clean energy”

• 7.2 renewable energy
• KII: amount of energy produced per year

2. Goal 8: “Decent work and economic growth”

• 8.4 resource efficiency in consumption and production
• KII: material footprint

3. Goal 9: “Industry, innovation and infrastructure”

• 9.3 integrate small-scale industrial enterprises into value chains and markets
• KII: CO2 emitted in the combustion of fuels per m2 of biobased material produced

4. Goal 11: “Sustainable cities and communities”

• 11.1 support economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas
• KII: tons of waste avoided per year

      5. Goal 12: “Responsable consumption and production”

• 12.5 reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
• KII: tons of raw material resources saved per year

6. Goal 17: “Partnerships for the goals"

• 17.7 promote public, private, and civil society partnerships
• KII: founding actors of the project

7. Substitution

Definition: The products/services generated as project outputs must appropriately, realistically, and efficiently be substituted to those of the baseline scenario, rather than create new demand.

Information needed:

Biomethane must be able to replace natural gas, having the same technical characteristics and use. This is ensured at every biogas site through measurements before injecting it into the grid.

Confirm that biogas characteristics are measured before being injected into the grid. Contract with GRDF or other utility provider.

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8. Environmental and social do not harm

Definition: Projects must not contribute to environmental or social damage.
Information needed:

Environmental:

• What percent of feedstock is dedicated crops?
• What precautions are in place to prevent liquid leakage and pollution (should be the same for all sites, regulatory requirement to make impermeable surfaces)?
• What measures are in place to prevent methane leakage?

‍Social:

• What measures are in place to prevent methane leakage?
• ‍‍What measures have been taken to improve community acceptance of this project?
• What measures to reduce odors and visual disruptions?

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9. Leakage

Definition: The project’s avoided GHG emissions must not be indirectly transferred elsewhere.

Information needed:

Risk from use of dedicated crops causing competition for food production and increased land needs.

• What percent of your feedstock is dedicated crops?
• Can you commit to less than 10% in year 1, less than 5% in year 2, and less than 3% in the remaining years?

10. Rebound effect

Definition: Efficiency-improvement projects must not lead to increases in overall consumption.

Information needed:

Increased consumption of energy, since consumers are less prudent knowing that biogas has much less impacts than natural gas.

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11. Technology readiness level

Definition: Technology Readiness Level must be 6 or higher.

Information needed: Not applicable, all sites will have sufficiently developed technology.

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12. Targets alignement

Definition: Project’s emission reductions must be aligned with the emission reduction targets for their sector.

Information needed:

Biogas projects must have at least 40% lower emissions than the baseline scenario, according to the Riverse rules for the energy sector.

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13. Minimum impact

Definition: Projects must qualify for a minimum amount of carbon credits.

Information needed: 1000 tCO2e over 5 years, meaning approximately 250 nm3 / hour

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14. Independently validated

Definition: A Riverse-accredited third party must validate the project’s proposal.

Information needed: Riverse will submit the detailed project description for an audit by a third-party Verification and validation Body.

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