Biomass fraction of CO2 emissions for carbon emissions trading

Determination of the biomass fraction of CO₂ emissions generated from mixed fuel incineration, as required by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).

CO₂ originating from non-fossil sources like biomass has an emission factor of zero under EU ETS and is therefore not counted towards carbon emissions. This means that the biomass fraction of mixed fuels, such as municipal waste or solid recovered fuel (SRF), must be determined to calculate reportable emissions accurately.

In this analysis, the proportion of biogenic carbon dioxide in total emitted CO₂ from the incineration process is measured using the radiocarbon (¹⁴C) method. The measurement is based on the ASTM D6866 standard. This standard is equally rigorous and based on the same methodology as EN ISO 13833, which is mentioned in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2066 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.

Testing is relevant for industrial plants that use mixed fuels and participate in emissions trading, as well as for municipal waste incineration (MWI) plants, which have been required to monitor and report emissions according to EU ETS since the beginning of 2024.