Understanding EU RNFBO certification is high on the agenda

The EU RNFBO certification process is very complex and requires thorough preparation. A series of dedicated workshops with experts from the field provide valuable insights into the EU regulations.   

Companies wishing to sell Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBOs) on the EU market must first undergo a certification process. The requirements to certify a fuel as RFNBO are laid out in the Hydrogen Delegated Acts of the Renewable Energy Directive of the EU. The certification process is divided into several stages designed by EU recognised certification schemes. Each step must be meticulously prepared by the producer and demands a solid understanding of technical, organizational and procedural aspects.

Obtaining a RFNBO certificate for your product requires more than just reading relevant EU legislative texts. Preparing your company systematically is also essential.

Jan-Hendrik Scheyl, certification expert, H2Uppp & PtX Hub

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Growing need for certification consulting

There is a growing need for certification consulting as the RFNBO market is still in its infancy, and many potential producers in emerging countries seek guidance on managing the certification process successfully. This motivated Jan-Hendrik Scheyl, a certification expert at GIZ to conceptualise a workshop series dedicated to preparing companies for RFNBO certification. The training is offered as in-person workshop by the International Hydrogen Ramp-up Programme (H2Uppp) – a programme that is, like the International PtX Hub, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) to promote green hydrogen and the global energy transition. The workshops flank H2Uppp’s main purpose to act as catalyst for the market development of green hydrogen and its derivatives in selected emerging economies along the entire value chain.

Diving into the details of RFNBO certification

The workshop consists of several modules and lasts two days. For potential exporting companies, it is very important to understand the certification procedures from a to z. As is often the case with certification, the devil is in the detail. Therefore, the workshops will also cover largely unknown but even more important details, such as how to combine different power procurement options for RFNBO certification.

Participants learn how the ‘relevant energy’ input is defined as the input that increases the calorific value of the product, and only this relevant energy input needs to be of renewable origin. Experts explain how, when co-processing a derivative, a specific emissions intensity can only be assigned to part of the product if the RFNBO input replaces a conventional input. Also, the important accounting principle of mass balancing in the certification process will be explained, and why the audit process needs to be appropriately integrated into the management system of the respective company.

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Brazil, Colombia, India: the early birds

So far, the workshops have been conducted in Brazil, Colombia and India, with South Africa scheduled for the beginning of 2026. Organised by H2Uppp, the workshops were conducted by the experienced consultancies LBST and Hinicio, with support from CertifHy, an official recognised certification scheme for RFNBOs, and TÜV Süd, a certification body for RFNBOs.

We provided key stakeholders from the public and private sectors with detailed knowledge of European RFNBO regulation and certification. We applied the theory to practical cases and saw very engaged, active discussions.
Nuria Hartmann, Manager Strategy & Consulting at Hinicio

In Colombia and Brazil, SAP contributed to the workshops by strengthening the digitalisation potential of certification processes for green hydrogen and power-to-x (PtX) across the entire value chain. The workshops demonstrated that many data points within the supply chain (e.g. data on greenhouse gas emissions or electricity sourcing) need to come together to a successful certification process and, finally, a successful audit. H2Uppp is now working with SAP in a second phase of collaboration to pilot interoperable digital solutions for certification processes along the hydrogen/PtX value chain with project developers.

The certification of hydrogen is crucial because it allows us to prove that the hydrogen has low emissions over its lifetime and that it comes from renewable sources. This will allow us in Colombia to access markets, for example to reach Germany with competitive renewable hydrogen!

Participant Juan David Giraldo, Technical Leader of Hydrogen Colombia

One-on-one with the auditor

One of the benefits of the workshops is the opportunity for participants to talk to auditors and other certification experts about their very specific projects. Although there are clear rules for the certification process, in the context of hydrogen/PtX the long and often complex supply chains require extra detailed consideration within a certification process.

The training consists of lectures and practical exercises – for example, participants are required to take on the role of an auditor in a group exercise in which four different RFNBO supply chains are analysed for many relevant aspects of certification: Electricity sourcing options, temporal and geographical correlation, greenhouse gas emissions scope, relevant energy inputs or which facilities along the supply chain need to be certified.

The level of detail in the discussions was fascinating. Thanks to the great work of the colleagues from Hinicio and LBST, but also thanks to the highly experienced participants, we were able to conduct workshops that covered specific cases in Brazil, Colombia and India. This will be extremely important for successful preparation within the companies and therefore also for the export of renewable hydrogen and PtX products to Europe.

Jan-Hendrik Scheyl, certification expert, PtX Hub

Generating publicly accessible RFNBO certification knowledge

As a next step, the discussions, results and lessons learned from the workshop series will be made publicly available in the PtX Knowledge Base. This RFNBO certification compendium will consider the contexts of the different economies where the workshops took place and will provide practical knowledge for companies as well as national authorities on the EU RFNBO certification process.