In this article
- What exactly changed
- The basis of calculation: energy content vs. chain emissions
- The factor 46: what it does and does not mean
- What happened to your saved HBE balance
- What else changed
- HBE and ERE side by side
- Frequently asked questions
What exactly changed
Through 2025, the Netherlands used HBEs (Renewable Fuel Units). On 1 January 2026, EREs (emission reduction units) took over that role, as part of the introduction of RED III. The HBE is therefore the predecessor of the ERE and now exists only as a historical term.
But more than the name changed. EREs are calculated differently, and that has consequences for anyone used to the old system.
The basis of calculation: energy content vs. chain emissions
The HBE was driven by energy content: how much renewable energy was in the delivered fuel, for example when charging electric cars.
The ERE is driven by CO₂ emission reduction across the chain: how much emission you actually avoid relative to an EU-set fossil reference value. For electricity, that reference value is 183 g CO₂eq/MJ.
Because the basis is different, there is no general conversion from HBEs to EREs. Two deliveries with the same energy content can yield a different emission reduction, depending on where the energy came from. So the question “how many EREs is one HBE worth?” has no fixed answer.
The factor 46: what it does and does not mean
A one-off conversion factor of 46 applied to saved HBEs. On 1 May 2026, the NEa converted one saved HBE into 46 EREs. That applied only to the conversion of HBE-Other (HBE-O) into ERE-Other (ERE-O). This one-off conversion is exactly where the confusion tends to start.
The factor was not chosen arbitrarily. The NEa based it on the CO₂ reduction of 47 kg per HBE, as set for 2026 (and 2025), minus the contribution of cleaner fossil fuel (the emission reduction attributed to improving fossil fuels).
So the factor 46 is two things at once, and you should not mix them up:
- ✓ True: a one-off transition or balancing factor, applied to saved HBE balances on a single date.
- ❌ Not true: a standing equivalence where one HBE is always worth 46 ERE, which you could use to convert ongoing registrations. That does not exist, because the basis of calculation changed.
Missing that distinction can lead to the wrong calculation. The factor says something about a balance converted on 1 May 2026, not about what a delivery is worth today.
What happened to your saved HBE balance
HBE balances were converted automatically. After the annual close, the NEa converted the 2025 HBE-O units into ERE-Other (ERE-O). The NEa carried out that multiplication on 1 May 2026.
As a result, ERE-O in 2026 consists of two groups: the converted HBE-Os, and the EREs from the regular “other biofuels” category (such as intermediate crops and residues from food and feed processing).
What else changed
Besides the basis of calculation, more changed.
- Six types instead of one classification: ERE-E (electricity), ERE-G (advanced biofuels), ERE-R (RFNBOs: renewable hydrogen and e-fuels), ERE-B (from used vegetable or animal oils and fats), ERE-C (conventional biofuels) and ERE-O (other). The full classification is in what an ERE is.
- Sector codes: every ERE carries a sector code. LRE stands for land, BRE for inland shipping, ZRE for maritime.
- A saving limit (the maximum number of EREs you may carry into the next year). EREs above that expire after the annual close on 1 April. You cannot use ERE-Es for the land sector (LRE-E) in other transport sectors.
HBE and ERE side by side
| Feature | HBE (through 2025) | ERE (from 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of calculation | Energy content of the fuel | CO₂ emission reduction across the chain |
| What one unit represents | 1 unit of renewable energy | 1 kg avoided CO₂-equivalent relative to an EU-set fossil reference value |
| Types | One classification | Six types: ERE-E, ERE-G, ERE-R, ERE-B, ERE-C, ERE-O |
| Sector control | Not applicable | Sector codes LRE (land), BRE (inland shipping), ZRE (maritime) |
| Register | REV | REV |
| Start date | N/A | 1 January 2026 |
What Voltico does for you here
Still had an HBE balance? Voltico tracked the conversion to ERE-Other for our clients and makes sure ongoing registrations simply run on the new basis. You do not have to work out yourself which factor applies where.