In August 2025, AsiaREC completed its second Granular Certificate (GC) pilot in Guangzhou, partnering with China Southern Grid Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau, with support from Guangzhou Hualing Company and Guangdong Energy Group, and aligned with the EnergyTag Standard. The project enabled 20.5% of Guangzhou Hualing Company’s 4 GWh monthly electricity consumption to be hourly matched with solar generation via timestamped government-issued Green Electricity Certificates (GECs). This pilot showcases how EnergyTag-aligned methods can be applied within China’s existing infrastructure, laying groundwork for manufacturers to meet international climate disclosure requirements such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Key takeaways:
- AsiaREC, China Southern Grid’s Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau, Guangdong Energy Group, and Guangzhou Hualing (Midea) completed China’s first hourly-matched PPA pilot in Guangzhou. The December 2024 trial covered solar supply and consumer load.
- Instead of issuing new GCs, the pilot layered hourly timestamps onto China’s existing Green Electricity Certificates (GECs). This enabled verified hourly matching for 20.5% of Hualing’s 4 GWh monthly consumption.
- Aligned with the EnergyTag Standard, the approach shows a practical path for 24/7 tracking within China’s current system. It strengthens exporters’ readiness for schemes like the EU CBAM and feeds into AsiaREC’s APAC Granular Certificate Alliance.
- Granular Energy provided the technical support for this pilot.
Next steps:
- Work with key stakeholders to create an APAC GC Alliance.
- Conduct 10 more pilot projects to continue refining best practices and GC infrastructure.
