Energy Savings Certificates: a fact sheet for industrial electric boilers

The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0206 of September 4, 2026, a decree dated September 1, 2026 (NOR ECOR2620296A) creating the standardized operation sheet IND-UT-141 “Electric industrial boiler,” its control framework, and the associated bonus. The text applies to operations undertaken as of the day following its publication, i.e., from September 5, 2026.

The decree enhances the Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) scheme, governed by the decree of December 22, 2014, by adding the new sheet to its Annex 4. It also amends the decree of September 28, 2021, relating to controls, by including sheet IND-UT-141 in its Annex II with a control rate of 100% at the site of operations starting from 2026.

A total electrification operation for industrial heat

Sheet IND-UT-141 aims for the installation of one or more new industrial boilers whose sole energy vector is electricity, in order to produce a heat transfer fluid at a temperature higher than 110 °C (steam, superheated water, or thermal fluid), as a total replacement for existing fuel-fired boilers. The operation consists of a total electrification of heat production, with the exception of any backup equipment.

Eligible boilers must have a minimum efficiency greater than or equal to 99% and fall under one of the following technologies:

• jet boilers;
• electrode boilers;
• immersion heater boilers.

Hybridization operations (partial replacement of fuel-fired boilers), hybrid generators combining a flame and an integrated electrical device, as well as the addition of electrical equipment to the body of an existing fuel-fired boiler, are excluded. The sheet applies to operations undertaken before September 1, 2031.

Conditions and amount of certificates

The total nominal thermal power of the fuel-fired boilers at the site before the operation, as well as that of the installed electric boilers, must be less than 20 MW. In the event of replacement, the power of the installed electric boilers cannot exceed that of the replaced boilers. The installation is carried out by a professional and is subject to a prior sizing study.

The volume of certificates is determined at a rate of 8,600,000 kWh cumac per installed MW, multiplied by the nominal thermal power of the installed boilers. The conventional lifespan of the operation is set at 22 years. Backup fuel equipment is strictly regulated: mandatory lockout/tagout, operation limited to 500 hours per year, and annual consumption capped at 8% of the total consumption of the boilers in the concerned network.

A Bonus and Reinforced Control

The decree establishes a bonus: for operations falling under sheet IND-UT-141 appearing in the applicant’s monthly progress report, the total volume of certificates issued is multiplied by a coefficient α, defined based on the sum of the nominal powers of the installed electric boilers (expressed in MW). The progress report template is available on the website of the ministry in charge of ecological transition.

The control framework (Annex B) provides for an on-site inspection after the completion of the works, without sampling or destructive testing. Twenty-eight criteria lead to an “unsatisfactory” classification, notably the absence of a sizing study, exceeding power thresholds, equipment non-compliance, or failure to comply with lockout/tagout rules for backup equipment.

Scope for Industrial Players

By opening a dedicated sheet for industrial electric boilers, the scheme encourages industrial players to electrify their process heat production, a key lever for decarbonization. The bonus and the 100% control rate reflect a desire to secure both the financial attractiveness of the operation and the reliability of the declared energy savings, in a sector where the energy transition is becoming a central issue.

Source : Decree of September 1, 2026, establishing the standardized operation sheet IND-UT-141, the associated control framework and bonus, NOR ECOR2620296A, published in the Journal officiel de la République française No. 0206 of September 4, 2026.