Brazil’s new SEGOB system is set to reshape the biomethane market in 2026, creating a regulated pathway for producers to generate and sell environmental certificates tied to biomethane production. Today, much of the biomethane used for self-consumption is not registered with ANP because producers do not need to meet strict fuel-quality standards when using the gas internally. With SEGOB, however, internal users can monetize environmental attributes, as long as their plants comply with ANP specifications and certification rules.
This change in regulations has made it very significant for the biogas professional. The installations will have to purchase chromatographs, have lab reports, and install monitoring systems (all these upgrades could together cost up to R$ 2 million). The large producers will be able to adapt without much of a problem, but the small ones might find it hard to bear the compliance costs.
One of the main doubts is whether double counting will happen or not. The ANP has to decide whether SEGOB can be used alongside other environmental certificates, for example, Guarantees of Origin or RenovaBio CBIOs. The matter is very crucial for landfill-based biomethane as theoretically the same molecule could give rise to two different certificates.
The first mandatory target of 240,000 m³/day of biomethane is seen as small and not creating a new wave of projects. Biomethane-producing facilities are constructed because the buyers need the molecule and not just the certificate. In any case, the mandate can prove advantageous for financing as it allows for long-term contracts with gas distributors having high credit ratings.
In 2026, the SEGOB market will enter a learning phase. Producers, certifiers, and registrars will need to adapt quickly, and the system’s evolution will depend on ANP’s final definitions, especially on validity rules, autoconsumption verification, environmental claims, and double-counting prevention. Broader discussion is expected throughout 2026, including at industry events such as IRC Day, when the regulatory framework and market behavior will be clearer.
Apart from that, the new provisions explicitly state that it is not sufficient for environmental declarations to merely procure physical biomethane. Along with it, the companies have to acquire the respective origin certificate as well. This move not only aligns with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol but also empowers the voluntary market by giving corporations the authority to retire the certificates as part of their decarbonization plans.
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