London, United Kingdom | January 05, 2026 – Global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus has launched a new suite of renewable fuel ticket price assessments for the Netherlands, aligning its market coverage with upcoming changes to the country’s renewable energy compliance framework under the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III).
The Netherlands is preparing to implement the latest update to RED III, which represents a fundamental shift in policy. Instead of mandating a specific share of renewable energy in transport fuels, the country will move to an overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings mandate. This change is expected to significantly reshape compliance strategies and trading activity in the Dutch renewable fuels market.
From HBEs to EREs
In response, Argus has introduced daily price assessments for the Netherlands’ newly established emissions reduction units, known by their Dutch acronym EREs. These new assessments will replace Argus’ long-standing price assessments for renewable fuel units (HBEs), which have been a cornerstone of Dutch biofuels compliance for many years.
Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said the new assessments were developed in close consultation with market participants.
“We are pleased to have worked closely with market participants to provide new price transparency which will help them comply with the changed mandates,” Binks said. “Our new assessments underscore the importance of reliable market standards and are supported by careful stewardship of our biofuel and associated feedstock price benchmarks.”
Six New Assessments Covering Road and Maritime Transport
Argus has launched six separate ERE price assessments, structured in line with the Netherlands’ definitions of different transport sectors. These assessments are designed to support emissions reductions across both land-based and maritime transport.
For road transport fuels, the new assessments cover the blending of biofuels produced from:
- Advanced feedstocks as defined under RED Annex IX A
- Conventional waste-based feedstocks under RED Annex IX B
- Conventional crop-based and other waste or crop feedstocks
A mirrored set of assessments has been introduced for the shipping sector, reflecting the growing importance of maritime decarbonisation and the Netherlands’ role as a major bunkering and shipping hub.
A Market Built on Dutch Compliance
Biofuels markets have evolved significantly since the launch of the Argus Biofuels report in 2008. Over that time, Dutch renewable fuel compliance has become a central feature of European biofuels trade, influencing spot market activity and pricing across the region.
Argus said the new ERE assessments form part of its broader effort to support the changing nature of biofuels and renewable fuel markets, while also providing robust benchmarks for the expanding derivatives markets linked to emissions and renewable fuel compliance.
End of Multipliers and Double Counting
The Netherlands’ transition from an energy-based target to a GHG savings-based system will also bring major structural changes. Most multipliers, including the long-standing Dutch double counting of RED Annex IX biofuels, are expected to be phased out. This marks a significant shift for obligated parties that have historically relied on these mechanisms to meet compliance targets.
Part of a Broader European Framework
The new Dutch ERE assessments join Argus’ existing suite of renewable and emissions-related price benchmarks across Europe. These include Argus prices for Germany’s GHG reduction quota, as well as the UK’s renewable transport fuel certificates and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tickets.
How Renewable Fuel Tickets Are Used
Renewable fuel tickets are used by companies that place liquid or gaseous fossil fuels into general circulation and are subject to excise duty or energy taxes. Obligated parties typically include fuel importers and oil companies with blending and storage infrastructure.
Tickets are primarily generated through the blending of renewable fuels into fossil fuels, although additional tickets can also be created through activities such as supplying renewable electricity to the transport sector. These tickets are tradable and can be purchased by obligated parties to meet their regulatory targets.
The Netherlands has also introduced additional classifications linked to other emissions reduction pathways, including renewable electricity use in land transport and biofuels consumed in inland shipping. Argus said it will launch further price assessments once sufficient market liquidity develops to support robust and representative pricing.
About Argus Media
Argus is a leading independent provider of market intelligence to the global energy and commodity markets. The company offers price assessments, news, analytics, consulting services, data science tools and industry conferences, helping to bring transparency to complex and opaque commodity markets.
Headquartered in London, Argus employs nearly 1,500 staff across 30 offices located in the world’s principal commodity trading hubs, serving market participants and public-sector organisations in more than 160 countries, founded in 1970, Argus is a privately held UK-registered company owned by employee shareholders and global growth equity firm General Atlantic.
Source: Argus Media