The Register of Certificates of Origin (RCO) is a system of registration of certificates of origin which confirm that electricity was produced in high-efficiency cogeneration, from renewable energy sources (RES) or as agricultural biogas introduced to the gas distribution network, as well as registration of property rights attached to the aforementioned certificates of origin. Confirmation that electricity was produced in high-efficiency cogeneration, from renewable energy sources or as agricultural biogas introduced to the gas distribution network is issued as the relevant certificate of origin of energy. Certificates of origin are issued by the President of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE).

The main functions of RCO include:

• identification of entities entitled to property rights attached to certificates of origin;
• identification of eligible property rights attached to certificates of origin and the amounts of electrical power corresponding to these certificates;
• registration of certificates of origin and the attached property rights;
• registration of transactions concluded in trading in property rights and the holding balance of property rights attached to certificates of origin;
• issuing documents certifying the holding balance of property rights in the register, which are then used by the Energy Regulatory Office for cancellation of certificates of origin.

In 2013, the Management Board of the Polish Power Exchange decided to grant the status of Register of Certificates of Origin member to 206 companies. The RCO listed 1,862 registered entities as at the end of 2013.

RCO members received 29.46 billion property rights in certificates of origin of all types into their accounts in 2013 (1 Property Right is equivalent to 1 kWh of electric power under certificates of origin) and 41.14 billion in 2012. Entities required to cancel certificates of origin cancelled 36.19 billion property rights attached to certificates of origin in 2013 and 43.20 billion in 2012.

Volume of issued property rights in the Register of Certificates of Origin on PolPX (TWh)

Volume of cancelled property rights in the Register of Certificates of Origin on PolPX (TWh)