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Statistics

NOTES FOR USERS OF THESE STATISTICS 

This statistical report will now be provided on a monthly basis, and provides:

  1. Relating to electricity produced during a specific year: the number of certificates issued, expired and cancelled
  2. Relating to the date when transactions actually took place: the number of certificates transferred, exported, imported, expired and cancelled.

The number of domestic and international certificate transfers have not been reported by production year, as this information does not seem to have a use. For the same reason, the number of certificates actually issued during each month is not reported.

Fuels
Further, the fuels displayed reflect those used by member registries, normally at the most detailed level. Due to the more detailed information now being kept, some information is at a high level. For instance, "Solid - unspecified wood" might contain forestry products, energy crops and so on. Similarly, "liquid - renewable fuels" may contain black liquor. However, when this has been recorded, then it is displayed as such. Hopefully, over time, all registries will provide information at the more detailed level, enabling more accurate analysis.

As other certificates are issued for technologies not on the current list, so these categories will be added and reported against.

Missing and seemingly contradictory data
A further point for consideration is that the new data has only recently started to be collected by registries. Hence, it will be found to be absent in the earlier data; and for those countries where the registries have yet to be converted to capture and report this information. However, given the recent restriction on the lifetime of certificates, this matter should all but disappear within the next year or two.

This explains a number of anomalies - for instance, the difference between the total number of certificates cancelled for all production years, and the total number of certificates cancelled by year of transaction: while all registries report when certificates are cancelled; not all registries report the production year to which they relate.

Production and Transaction statistics
Production statistics refer to the month and year when the electricity was produced, whereas Transaction statistics refer to the month and year when the transaction took place.

Thus Production --> issue is the number of GOs issued for electricity produced in a specific month, while Transaction --> issue is the number of GOs issued during a specific month, regardless of when the associated electricity was produced (note that GOs are issued one or more months after the electricity is produced).

Similarly, Production --> cancelled is the number of GOs cancelled which relate to electricity produced in a specific month, while Transaction --> cancelled is the number of GOs cancelled during a specific month, regardless of when the electricity was issued.

For each of the above (Production and Transaction):

  • Issue = GOs created in a month for electricity produced in an earlier month
  • Transfer = GOs transferred within a country or region
  • Export = GOs transferred to another country
  • Import = GOs transferred from another country
  • Cancel = GOs which have been made non-transferrable by the holder of the account in which they reside (or its agent)
  • Expire = GOs which relate to electricity produced more than a year ago, and which have consequently been cancelled

There is further information about the statistics within the AIB Newsletter from 2006 to 2018. This can be downloaded from this website, at: https://www.aib-net.org/news-events/newsletters?year=2018. For statistical data in the period 2004-2008 please download the 'RECS AIB Certificate Trading Reports'. Here is the report during the test phase 2001-2003.

Benchmark Regulation 2016/1011
The use of data and statistics displayed on the AIB website for the elaboration of a benchmark for derivatives for guarantees of origin is subject to the European Benchmark Regulation 2016/1011. The AIB asks benchmark administrators who use data from this website in this respect to make sure to fulfil their obligations under the Benchmark Regulation.