CBAM Electricity Import Calculator
Default Value Calculation
Emissions Calculation Results:
These calculations are indicative. Official compliance reporting requires production-specific emissions data and detailed tracking methodologies.
EU CBAM: From January 2026, importers need CBAM certificates based on verified embedded emissions (Commission Implementing Regulation EU 2023/1773).
UK CBAM: Starting January 2027, similar requirements will apply for UK imports.
Decerna provides compliant emissions calculations, quarterly reporting support, and training for both EU and UK CBAM requirements.
Get Your CBAM Compliance Sorted
Companies need different levels of support depending on team capacity and import complexity.
Full Service – We handle quarterly declarations, supplier verification, customs liaison
Guided Setup – Get first submissions right, train your team, provide backup
Training Programmes – Build internal CBAM capability from scratch
Understanding CBAM for Imported Electricity
Electricity imports present unique challenges for CBAM due to the complexities of cross-border power trading, varying generation sources, and market coupling mechanisms. The calculation method depends significantly on whether the electricity source can be reliably traced to specific generators or must use default values.
Key Aspects of Electricity CBAM
- Default Values:
- Based on country-specific average emission factors
- Used when specific source cannot be verified
- May include regional adjustments
- Actual Emissions:
- Available for verifiable power purchase agreements (PPAs)
- Requires firm nomination of interconnection capacity
- Must demonstrate no physical network congestion
- Special Considerations:
- Market coupling mechanisms
- Grid losses in transmission
- Mixed generation sources
- Time matching of generation and consumption
Eligibility for Actual Emissions
To use actual emissions instead of default values, all these conditions must be met:
- Direct PPA with a generator
- Direct connection or no network congestion
- Maximum emission factor of 550g CO2/kWh
- Firm nomination of interconnection capacity
- Time-matched generation and consumption
Mathematical Basis
The emissions calculations follow these formulas:
For Default Value Method:
CopyTotal Emissions = Imported Volume × Default Factor
Where:
Default Factor = Country-specific CO2 emission factor or
Average EU Emission Factor (if no specific data)
For Actual Emissions Method:
CopyTotal Emissions = Σ(Generation × Source-specific EF)
Where:
Generation = Verified generation per source (MWh)
Source-specific EF = Actual emissions factor of the power plant
Transmission Loss Factor = 1 + (Distance × Loss Rate)
For Mixed Sources:
CopyWeighted Average EF = Σ(Source Share × Source EF)
Where:
Source Share = Percentage of total generation
Source EF = Source-specific emission factor
Data sources:
- Default emission factors: International Energy Agency (IEA)
- Grid emission factors: National inventory reports
- Transmission losses: ENTSO-E data
- Generation data: Transmission System Operators
- EU average factor: European Environment Agency