The National Electricity Market Operator (MEMO), with the support of the Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, held a public discussion on the rules for administering Guarantees of Origin (GOs) for electricity. This significant step lays the foundation for increased transparency and trust in the energy market in our country.
MEMO is responsible for establishing and managing the Guarantees of Origin Register, including issuing and recording transfers, recognizing, revoking, and canceling them. The public discussion brought together representatives of key stakeholders in the energy sector, private companies, and business chambers to ensure a broad expert dialogue.
In her address, the Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, Sanja Božinovska, emphasized that the Guarantee of Origin is an electronic document that provides consumers with clear proof that a certain share or amount of the electricity they use is generated from renewable sources.
“Guarantees of Origin have been established as one of the main mechanisms in the European Union for tracking and verifying the origin of electricity. They promote environmental responsibility and sustainable development while enhancing transparency and trust between consumers and energy producers,” Božinovska stated.
The CEO of the National Electricity Market Operator – MEMO, Zoran Gjorgjievski, highlighted that MEMO is actively working on implementing the Guarantees of Origin system in cooperation with Grexel, a leading European company in this field.
“Our expert team, together with Grexel specialists, is dedicated to fully implementing the processes for issuing and transferring Guarantees of Origin. We expect them to be finalized, and by April, we will officially start issuing them. This is just the first step towards MEMO’s full membership in AIB and the issuance of Guarantees of Origin that will be recognized in the EU. This is particularly important for domestic companies exporting to the European market, providing them with easier access to consumers who require certified renewable energy sources,” said Gjorgjievski in his address.
During the public discussion, Mitko Ognenoski, Head of the Renewable Energy Sources and Organized Electricity Market Department at MEMO, presented the “Rules for Administering Guarantees of Origin for Electricity,” adopted by MEMO by the Energy Law, the Guarantees of Origin Regulation, and the standards of the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB).
“These rules are also aligned with the principles of the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), which further ensures their acceptance in the European market. The rules govern the registration process for users in the Guarantees of Origin Register, technical rules for issuance, transfer, and cancellation, the publication of publicly available data, as well as the rights and obligations of register users. Guarantees of Origin are issued only for power plants using renewable energy sources that are registered in the Electricity Generation Register managed by the Ministry and that produce electricity within the territory of North Macedonia,” Ognenoski emphasized in his presentation.
In the past period, MEMO, with the support of the Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources, became an observer member of the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB). This leading European association is dedicated to ensuring greater transparency through the standardization of Guarantees of Origin, which will contribute to the further integration of the Macedonian energy market into the European system.
With the establishment of the Guarantees of Origin system, North Macedonia is taking a significant step forward towards greater sustainability, competitiveness, and trust in the energy sector, providing added value for electricity producers and consumers.
