Postgraduate Diploma in Hedging and Virtual PPAs
Online 800-hour postgraduate diploma in hedging and virtual PPAs. 8 modules covering IFRS 9 (financial instruments and hedge accounting), Regulation (EU) 1227/2011 (REMIT) and advanced Excel (valuation models). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Postgraduate Diploma in Hedging and Virtual PPAs — studying from the United Kingdom
Energy engineering in the United Kingdom spans offshore wind, nuclear, gas, grid infrastructure and energy storage, with regional hubs in Aberdeen, Teesside, Humberside and the South West. The transition to net zero drives investment in transmission and distribution networks, renewable generation and digital grid management. Operators such as National Grid, SSE and Scottish Power employ engineers in planning, operations and asset management. The energy regulator Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator shape market rules and system planning.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £910 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies are relevant to energy and networks engineering qualifications?
In the UK, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Energy Institute are the main professional bodies for energy and networks, and the Engineering Council handles chartered registration. Regulation of the sector is by Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so recognition is for the relevant body and employers to decide.
Do UK energy and network operators value private online qualifications?
UK energy utilities, network operators and grid contractors typically hire on the basis of competence, safety training, professional registration and project experience. A private qualification may support your profile, but its relevance is decided by each employer. Demonstrated practical work and progress towards professional registration usually matter most.
How does online study fit a UK working life, and what about funding?
Programmes are fully online, so you can study around your UK job and no student visa is needed to study from home. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports your progress. Fees are payable in instalments, and some employers sponsor job-related training, which varies by employer. Check the programme hours and funding options before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Distinguish the physical and financial structures of PPAs.
Analyse how virtual PPAs and contracts for difference work.
Identify the volume, profile, price and counterparty risks of a PPA.
Value a PPA using price curves and capture factors.
Design hedging strategies combining PPAs and derivatives.
Apply the accounting and regulatory treatment of energy contracts.
Develop a PPA strategy for a buyer or a producer.
Who it's for
- PPA originator looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Energy market risk analyst looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Energy hedging manager looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Energy procurement manager looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Contract valuation analyst looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Energy contracting advisor looking to specialise in Hedging and Virtual PPAs.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter energy trading.
What you'll work with
- IFRS 9 (financial instruments and hedge accounting)
- Regulation (EU) 1227/2011 (REMIT)
- Regulation (EU) 648/2012 (EMIR)
- IFRS 16 (leases)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1747 (electricity market design reform)
- Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (guarantees of origin)
- EFET master agreement
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Physical, financial and sleeved PPA1.2Corporate PPA versus utility PPA1.3Pay-as-produced, baseload and shaped profiles1.4Fixed, indexed, escalated and collar pricing1.5Terms, volumes and start dates1.6Parties: generator, buyer, retailer and aggregator1.7Guarantees of origin and their transfer1.8Trends in the European PPA market1.9Hybrid PPAs with storage1.10Workshop: comparison of PPA term sheets
2.1Settlement mechanics of a virtual PPA2.2Strike price versus reference price2.3Hourly, monthly and annual settlement2.4Basis risk between node and hub2.5Shape risk and cannibalisation effect2.6Treatment of negative prices2.7Two-way public CfDs and EU market reform2.8Comparison between VPPA and physical PPA2.9Cash flows for the corporate buyer2.10Practice: monthly settlement of a solar VPPA
3.1Long-term price risk3.2Shape and hourly profile risk3.3Volume and resource risk3.4Counterparty credit risk3.5Curtailment and technical constraint risk3.6Regulatory change risk3.7Commissioning delay risk3.8Imbalance and balancing risk3.9Risk allocation matrix3.10Case study: risk matrix for a wind PPA
4.1Long-term forward curves and fundamentals4.2Capture price and capture rate by technology4.3Profile and imbalance discounts4.4Modelling solar cannibalisation4.5Monte Carlo simulation of price and output4.6P50 and P90 resource output4.7Risk premium and management cost4.8Credit risk adjustment (CVA)4.9Price sensitivity analysis4.10Laboratory: pricing a pay-as-produced solar PPA
5.1Hedging with OMIP and EEX futures5.2Profile hedging with shaped products5.3Collars, floors and caps on price5.4Proxy hedges and cross hedges5.5Weather derivatives for volume risk5.6Hedge ratio and horizon5.7Layered hedging5.8Basis risk hedging5.9Measuring hedge effectiveness5.10Practice: hedging the surplus of a VPPA
6.1EFET and CPPA contract models6.2Price, volume and delivery clauses6.3Change in law and force majeure6.4Termination events and payments6.5Guarantees, letters of credit and collateral6.6Additionality and guarantees of origin6.7Scope 2 accounting under the GHG Protocol6.8RE100 criteria and sustainability declarations6.9Negotiation strategies between parties6.10Case study: negotiating clauses of a corporate PPA
7.1IFRS 9 and the own-use exemption7.2Hedge accounting in PPAs7.32024 amendments to IFRS 9 for renewable electricity contracts7.4Implicit leases under IFRS 167.5Embedded derivatives and fair value measurement7.6EMIR and reporting obligations7.7REMIT applied to PPAs7.8Tax aspects of PPAs7.9Information for auditors and regulators7.10Workshop: own-use test for a physical PPA
8.1Analysis of the buyer's energy needs8.2Selection of PPA structure8.3Contract pricing model8.4Risk assessment and allocation8.5Design of the hedging strategy8.6Accounting and regulatory treatment8.7Term sheet proposal8.8Contract monitoring plan8.9Report and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is advanced Excel (valuation models), Python (pandas), MATLAB, Aurora Energy Research (price curves), in free, academic or trial versions. Practicals are based on real PPA contract valuation procedures, price capture scenario simulation and negotiation of contract terms. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Distinguish the physical and financial structures of PPAs.
Analyse how virtual PPAs and contracts for difference work.
Identify the volume, profile, price and counterparty risks of a PPA.
Value a PPA using price curves and capture factors.
Design hedging strategies combining PPAs and derivatives.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme consists of 800 total hours spread over 6 to 8 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
The programme uses advanced Excel (valuation models), Python (pandas), MATLAB and Aurora Energy Research (price curves). Free, academic or trial versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM diploma upon passing continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or diploma in the same area can be credited towards the higher programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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