Discussing the Integration of Europe’s Guarantees of Origin Market at eFocus
The Guarantees of Origin market is undergoing a dynamic transformation. This topic was also addressed at the eFocus conference, where Robert Maier, Product Director at SFÉRA, spoke during the panel discussion “Digital Energy, Flexibility and Green Transformation”.
Demand for energy Guarantees of Origin continues to grow across many European countries, including Slovakia. As the energy sector progresses towards decarbonisation, their role is evolving – from a registry-based instrument for proving the origin of energy to a fully tradable commodity.
In Slovakia, the Guarantees of Origin market is gradually opening up through auctions organised by OKTE. Marginal pricing and financial collateral mechanisms have been introduced, contributing to faster and more reliable auction settlement. At the same time, the range of market participants is expanding, with both producers and traders now able to participate in auctions.
A similar development is being prepared in the Czech Republic, where discussions are underway regarding the introduction of a comparable model. The Czech market is expected to operate on the principles of openness and uniform pricing, with ambitions to extend the use of Guarantees of Origin beyond electricity to include natural gas, heat, and, in the future, hydrogen.
During his presentation, Robert Maier also introduced SFÉRA’s research and development initiative. The DIANA project focuses on connecting national Guarantees of Origin registries across Europe. Its ambition is to create a centralised digital platform for auction management, enabling registry operators to jointly match supply and demand, increase the liquidity of the interconnected market, and support the standardisation of pricing mechanisms.
The project builds on existing European standards and the infrastructure of the AIB association.
As the market continues to evolve, coordinated approaches at the European level will play an increasingly important role. SFÉRA aims to actively contribute to this discussion through its own innovative solutions.