Order No. 494 on sustainability criteria and greenhouse gas emission savings for biomass fuels and liquid biofuels used for energy purposes, etc.

This Order establishes Denmark’s comprehensive framework for ensuring the sustainability of biomass fuels and liquid biofuels and for achieving minimum greenhouse gas emission savings compared with fossil fuels. It applies to companies producing, importing or using biomass fuels and biofuels for electricity, heating, cooling and biogas production, and implements key requirements of the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The regulation prohibits the use of biomass sourced from areas of high biodiversity, high carbon stock or drained peatlands, establishes detailed sustainability criteria for agricultural and forest biomass, promotes cascade use of wood resources, and requires traceability, third-party verification, reporting and independent certification. It also contains specific rules for forest management, biodiversity protection, carbon-stock preservation and limits on the use of energy crops in biogas production
The Order further requires biomass and biofuels to meet progressively stricter greenhouse gas emission reduction thresholds, sets efficiency requirements for biomass-based electricity generation, and introduces a detailed regime for monitoring and reducing methane leakage from biogas facilities. Operators must conduct regular inspections, implement methane-control programmes, report sustainability and emissions data to the Danish Energy Agency, and undergo independent verification. The regulation also governs participation in the EU database for renewable fuels and links compliance to eligibility for financial support schemes. Overall, the instrument seeks to ensure that biomass-based energy contributes to climate mitigation while avoiding adverse impacts on biodiversity, forests, ecosystems and carbon stocks.