# Our captive solar or power plant feeds the factory. Does that count as a direct technical link for CBAM?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/cbam-direct-technical-link-what-counts

It can. The Commission's verification guidance counts power made inside the installation, or sent over a dedicated line from a generator to the plant, even where that line also touches the public grid. You then need a single line diagram and hourly smart meter data for production and delivery.

## Three set-ups the guidance accepts

- Power produced inside the boundaries of the installation that makes the CBAM good, called on-site or auto-production.
- A dedicated line between a power producer and the plant, isolated from other connections.
- A dedicated line that is also connected to the public grid, or a private grid linking several generators with one or several plants.

## Evidence the operator provides

- A single line diagram showing the link.
- Smart meter data showing production of the electricity claimed, at least hourly.
- Smart meter data showing delivery of that electricity, at least hourly.
- Where the link joins several installations, an electricity delivery contract. If producer and consumer are one legal entity, an intra-company off-take agreement. Either must state the amount of electricity.

## What the verifier tests

The verifier uses the single line diagram to confirm the link. Then it checks that the electricity you claim as consumed was produced in the same one-hour period, or a shorter one, using the producer's and the consumer's meter data. If you also take grid power, each source is checked separately and the weighted average factor is recalculated.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads your fuel, power and steam bills into verified emission records, so the monthly figures a monitoring plan needs are ready to hand to your verifier. Verified here means rule checks passed against the evidence. It is not third-party assurance, and a CBAM verifier still signs the report.

- [PPA evidence for a CBAM electricity factor](https://senseible.earth/answers/cbam-ppa-evidence-for-actual-electricity-factor)
- [Green certificates and virtual PPAs](https://senseible.earth/answers/cbam-green-certificates-virtual-ppa-not-allowed)
- [CBAM Suite](https://senseible.earth/cbam-suite)

Sources: [European Commission, Guidance on CBAM verification and accreditation (24 August 2026)](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/030fe146-38e5-46b8-82b5-5f72da089a7b_en?filename=GUIDANCE%20ON%20CBAM%20VERIFICATION%20AND%20ACCREDITATION%20FOR%20VERIFIERS%20AND%20NATIONAL%20ACCREDITATION%20BODIES.pdf)

Last reviewed 2026-11-04.