Certification of biogas plants and products
Not all forms of biogas are the same. naturemade star-certified biogas is characterised by a particularly small ecological footprint, all the way from the delivery of substrate through to the gas being fed into the distribution network – regardless of whether certified biogas is produced in Switzerland or abroad.
naturemade star biogas is only produced from organic residue such as organic waste, green waste, manure and sewage sludge. No energy crops are used. The certification process also includes a review of additional criteria, including high standards of production plants in terms of methane leakage, noise and odour, the exclusion of genetically modified organisms and the licensee’s demonstrably sustainable corporate policies.
The naturemade quality label creates a strong foundation for marketing the added renewable and environmental value of biogas. Because energy needs quality!
As a producer, naturemade certification provides you with credible, audited evidence of climate-friendly, green energy production.
As a supplier, certification enables you to provide your customers with 100% guaranteed renewable, green energy – sponsored by a Swiss quality label that enjoys the broad support of environmental and consumer organisations and the energy industry.
As an end customer, certification gives you certainty that your biogas is not only renewable but has also been produced through particularly environmentally friendly processes. The separate certification of biogas production and supplies ensures that only as much naturemade star biogas is sold as has been produced.
Do the “Quick compliance check with key criteria for biogas plants” (see the flyout menu below).
Please contact the VUE executive office for an initial consultation.
Select a VUE-accredited lead auditor from the list provided and organise a time for your audit with your auditor. The audit will examine whether the naturemade certification criteria are complied with.
Complete the following application forms in preparation for the audit (you can do this yourself or together with your auditor) and collate the necessary documentation:
- Application for membership (for non-members only)
- Application for (re)certification of energy production
The lead auditor will submit all documents including the audit report to the VUE executive office. Please note the submission dates (four dates per year; noted in the margin column on the right). Alternatively you may apply for express certification by paying a CHF1,000 surcharge.
The VUE Board examines the applications for certification it receives and decides whether certification is warranted.
The lead auditor carries out annual review audits, which involve checks of the energy accounts, a review of existing requirements and a brief check of compliance with criteria (see the document “Review audit preparation for licensees of energy generation plants” (only available in German and French)).
naturemade licenses are valid for a term of 5 years. After this term, licenses may be renewed following a recertification audit.
In contrast to the certification of biogas plants, there is no need to undergo an initial certification audit when applying for biogas product certification.
Please contact the VUE executive office for an initial consultation.
Complete the following documents to apply for a license for your biogas product.
- Application for membership (for non-members only)
- Application for certification of energy products
Please submit the completed documents to the VUE executive office. Please note the submission dates (four dates per year; noted in the margin column on the right).
The VUE Board examines the applications for certification it receives and decides whether certification is warranted.
Annual review audits must be carried out by a VUE-accredited lead auditor. Review audits involve checks of the energy accounts, a review of existing requirements and a brief check of compliance with criteria (see the document “Review audit preparation for licensees of energy supplies” (only available in German and French)).
Recertification is carried out every five years.
- Enter the key plant data into the biogas parameter model to have a simplified life cycle assessment calculated. In this process, it is verified whether the biogas plant’s environmental impact remains within the limits defined for naturemade star biogas.
Please contact the VUE executive office if you have any questions or if the plant is located in a country which cannot yet be selected in the parameter model. The biogas/biomethane produced must always be fed into the European gas grid to ensure that there is a physical connection to Switzerland via the gas grid. - Certification is only available for plants using substrate that is biogenic residue and waste which does not compete with food and feed production. Biogenic residue and waste is defined as substances listed in category A of the positive list of the Swiss Customs Directorate (OZD) (not available in English). For substances listed in categories B and C, the evidence required in the OZD positive list must be provided. Energy crops may not be used as substrate. Only the net energy volume which corresponds to the biogenic waste portion of the plant's total energy consumption is eligible for certification.
- The biogas plant must comply with the criteria of the current certification guidelines. Certification and compliance with the certification criteria always relate to the entirety of energy production and the entire input of materials into the plant. For biogas plants, the basic criteria for all energy production plants (pp. 13-17) and, depending on the plant type, the specific criteria for biogas plants (pp. 28-34) are relevant. The following points should be taken into account above all:
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- The knowing use of genetically modified organisms for energy generation is prohibited.
- Odour emissions must be prevented by state-of-the-art technologies.
- Exhaust and noise emissions must comply with at least the statutory requirements of the Swiss Clean Air Ordinance and Noise Control Ordinance respectively.
- Methane leakage from the processing plant must not exceed 1% of the methane contained in the biogas.
- Maintaining and promoting the sustainable generation and efficient use of energy must be core parts of the licensees' corporate policy.
- If the licensee of the energy generation plant to be certified employs more than 30 staff, it must establish a certified environmental management system (ISO 14001 or EMAS) or equivalent quality management system within five years of the initial certification of its production.
- End customers receive the full added environmental/green value when they purchase certified energy. Partial added value, in particular greenhouse gas savings, cannot be traded or supplied to end customers separately from naturemade-certified energy. This concerns the supply/consumer level and does not impact on targets/balances at the national level.
- Energy from subsidised plants can be certified, if the subsidising body does not claim the full added environmental value at the supply/consumer level.
For detailed information on the costs of a naturemade license please refer to the schedule of fees. The following summary provides an overview of the annual costs to be expected:
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Contributions and fees payable to the VUE
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Amount (CHF/year)
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VUE membership fee (if not a member already)
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1,000 – 8,000.- (depending on the licensee’s annual gas sales)
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(Re)certification fee (every 5 years)
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100.- (effectively, an amount of CHF500.- is payable at (re)certification every 5 years)
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Licensing fees – production
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39.- / GWh |
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Licensing fees – supply
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500.- / GWh (up to 35 GWh/a; for larger volumes please refer to the schedule of fees)
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Audit costs for the auditor
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(Re)certification audit (every 5 years)
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Depending on the audit body
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Review audit (annual)
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Depending on the audit body
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Potential additional costs
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Additional costs may be incurred when action needs to be taken to comply with the naturemade criteria.
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Please refer to the list of all naturemade-certified plants and list of all naturemade-certified energy products.
While biogas production is continually expanded in Switzerland, domestic demand is currently more than twice as high as supply, and additional biogas is therefore imported via the European gas grid. For imported biogas, naturemade ensures that its tradeable added value is not marketed twice and is instead fully transferred to the biogas customer. As a result, customers buying naturemade star biogas make an important contribution to reducing global CO2 emissions.
Based on current legislation, Swiss biogas customers only impact on the national Swiss climate balance if biogas is produced domestically. According to the territorial principle of the International Climate Convention, the emissions avoided by biogas production are credited to the greenhouse gas balance of the country where the biogas was produced. However, customers buying naturemade star biogas always make an important personal contribution to global climate protection, regardless of where the biogas was generated.
For further information please refer to our factsheet on the origin of naturemade star biogas (only available in German and French).
Find out here whether your energy supplier offers naturemade star-certified biogas.