Essent Trading, now part of the RWE Group, has successfully completed the transfer of over 60 thousand Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) under the UK Government’s Carbon Offsetting Facility.

The Facility offsets emissions from UK government activity - such as travel and purchased electricity - by public sector organisations.

Essent Trading won the first e-auction conducted by Buying Solutions, the national procurement partner for UK public services. Essent Trading supplied CERs generated by a Gold Standard Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project known as the Hebei Shangyi Manjing East project in China. The project is a 49.5 MW wind farm that replaces fossil fuel-based electricity generation and benefits the local community. The Gold Standard, a quality label for emission reduction projects with high sustainable development benefits, is endorsed by over 60 nongovernmental organisations worldwide.

“We are proud to have won the first ever e-auction organised for the UK government,” Sebastian Wurster, Vice President of Emissions at Essent Trading, said. “We are also delighted that we could supply CERs from a Gold Standard CDM project. The competitive web-based bidding process led to an average sale price of £12.34. This considerable premium compared to the market price reflects the added value of the Gold Standard,” Sebastian Wurster added. “Success in this auction not only enhances our position in the voluntary carbon market as a wholesaler of Gold Standard offsets, it helps our endeavor to support the development of the premium segment of the carbon market.