A supplier questionnaire from your European buyer now routinely asks: what share of the electricity used in production comes from renewable sources? If your answer is “we buy from the grid”, the grid average goes into the footprint calculation. If you can show a documented green electricity record, the picture can change. In Türkiye that record is called YEK-G.
This article explains what YEK-G is, what it does and does not give an exporter, and where to be careful with CBAM.
What is YEK-G?
YEK-G stands for the Renewable Energy Resource Guarantee System. For every megawatt-hour of renewable electricity fed into the grid, a certificate is issued: one certificate unit represents 1 MWh. EPİAŞ operates the system and the Organized YEK-G Market, and EPDK oversees the regulation.
Covered sources are hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. Generators, licensed suppliers and eligible consumers can take part in the market.
The logic: electricity mixes in the grid, so you cannot tell which electron came from where. The certificate separates the “this amount was generated from renewable sources” information from the electricity and records it. A consumer who buys and redeems the certificate can claim that amount of its consumption as renewable.
Why should an exporter care?
Three practical reasons.
- Customer demand. Large buyers report the emissions of their own supply chains and ask suppliers for electricity-related emissions data.
- Scope 2 accounting. Emissions from purchased electricity are Scope 2 in a corporate footprint. The market-based method of the GHG Protocol allows documents such as certificates and contracts to be reflected. State clearly in the report which method you used.
- Product footprint. In electricity-intensive production (casting, plastics processing, chemicals, textile finishing), a large part of per-unit emissions may come from electricity. If consumption is measured, the effect of a green electricity choice per product can be calculated.
How does it work? Three routes
| Route | What you do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Buying certificates | Buy from the Organized YEK-G Market or through your supplier and have them redeemed against your consumption | Document the plant and the year of generation |
| Green electricity tariff | A licensed supplier includes certificate coverage in your bill | Have the contract state that the certificate is redeemed in your name |
| Your own rooftop solar | Generate on site and use it yourself | Meter the exported and self-consumed parts separately; never count the same MWh twice |
Double counting is the real risk. If you sell the certificate for electricity from your own rooftop plant, you can no longer claim that electricity as green. Decide who holds the certificate only after running the numbers.
Where CBAM needs care
Set expectations correctly here. Under CBAM, electricity-related (indirect) emissions are not counted the same way for every product group. In the EU rules, indirect emissions come into scope for cement, fertilisers and electricity; for iron and steel and aluminium the current basis is direct emissions. In addition, for renewable electricity to be recognised as an actual value in a CBAM calculation, strict conditions apply, such as a direct technical link or specific contract requirements. Do not assume that a certificate bought on the market meets them automatically.
The practical takeaway: treat YEK-G as a tool for customer reporting and corporate footprint, not as something that zeroes out CBAM. For product groups in scope, check the Commission’s current implementing texts and your verifier’s opinion. We covered the process in general terms in our CBAM definitive period article.
Five jobs before you start
- Measure consumption. Plant, line and, where possible, equipment-level electricity data instead of a monthly bill total. No sub-meters yet means meters come first.
- Set the target. All consumption, or only the export product line? Greening in parts is possible too.
- Run the cost. Certificate prices move; build a few scenarios on your own consumption and confirm the current price with EPİAŞ rather than relying on a fixed figure.
- Assess rooftop solar. Get a technical opinion from an authorised firm on roof suitability, contracted capacity and the current regulatory conditions.
- Structure the report. Keep the Scope 2 method, certificate redemption records and the measurement source in one file. An auditor will ask for it.
The data side: records matter as much as the certificate
The usual snag with YEK-G is not the certificate but matching it to consumption data. Which month, which plant, how many MWh? Does the electricity invoice in accounting agree with the meter data? When these records sit in the ERP next to production data, calculating emissions per unit and answering a customer questionnaire takes hours instead of days. This is why İkiz Eksen handles the measurement, software and compliance chain in a single project: the experience from Qera’s 550+ customers and 100+ ERP projects becomes data collection and reporting on Microsoft Azure. We deliver turnkey projects across Türkiye; see our approach on the methodology page.
For related topics visit green transition and twin transition, or read our Scope 1-2-3 guide for the footprint itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I buy YEK-G certificates?
From the Organized YEK-G Market or through your licensed supplier. EPİAŞ runs the market. Check participation conditions and current procedures on the official EPİAŞ page.
How much electricity does one certificate cover?
One certificate represents 1 MWh of renewable generation. Once you know your annual consumption in MWh, you can work out how many certificates you need.
Does YEK-G reduce my CBAM cost?
We cannot promise that. The scope of indirect emissions in CBAM varies by product group and the conditions for renewable electricity are strict. Assess it under the current rules together with your product group and verifier.
If I have my own rooftop plant, do I still need certificates?
Self-consumed output needs a measurement record. The certificate question depends on whether you registered the generation and whether you sell the certificate. Settle the record flow up front to avoid double counting.
What should I show my customer?
Usually the redemption record, consumption data and the Scope 2 method together. The customer’s own supplier guide decides, so ask for it first.
For a roadmap that handles your electricity data and customer questionnaires together, get in touch or browse our solutions.
Sources: EPİAŞ YEK-G page (epias.com.tr), EPDK, European Commission CBAM pages. Confirm figures and conditions with official sources before acting.