(Berlin / Germany) – The Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) expert panel has transferred the technical acceptance process for hydrogen refueling stations and their infrastructure to independent testing institutions. The organization was founded in 2002 at the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transport as a cross-sector forum of technology, oil and gas companies, gas producers, automotive manufacturers and suppliers to ensure standards and norms for safe refueling on roads, railways and waterways along the entire hydrogen mobility value chain.
International standards established
A good decade ago, the CEP began developing standardized testing and acceptance protocols for hydrogen refueling stations. These have reportedly been harmonized with international standards, incorporated into the International Organization for Standardization as ISO 19880-1, and are also part of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) (as the European standard EN 17127). This EU regulation defines the minimum requirements for alternative fuels infrastructure and is mandatory for all hydrogen refueling station acceptances in Europe.
Initially, the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) was trained to conduct the tests and prepare the reports. At the same time, the CEP offered free support to filling station operators and manufacturers through training courses and webinars. In November 2023, the Clean Energy Partnership qualified Dekra, TÜV Rheinland, and TÜV Süd to test and accept hydrogen filling stations (we reported). Upon completion of all training courses, eight testing institutions could currently accept hydrogen filling stations according to EN17127:
- Bureau Veritas, provider of inspection, certification and laboratory testing services
- Cesame-Exadebit, French laboratory specializing in gas flow measurement, calibrations and legal controls of the accuracy of gas meters and hydrogen dispensers for vehicles
- Dekra, expert organization in the areas of testing, inspection, certification and provider of services along the entire hydrogen value chain
- Force Technology, technology consulting and services company with more than 1.000 employees in 20 offices in four countries
- LRQA, provider of assessment, consulting, inspection and cybersecurity with many years of experience in technical quality assurance and expertise in the field of hydrogen infrastructure
- TÜV Nord, Technology service provider specializing, among other things, in testing, inspection and certification of various aspects of hydrogen technology
- TUV Rheinland, technology service provider with expertise in testing hydrogen applications and developing standards in this area, including the refueling of hydrogen vehicles
- TÜV South, technology service provider with expertise in the field of hydrogen technology along the value chain, for example regarding the certification and inspection of electrolysis plants, test benches, hazardous goods containers for road transport, hydrogen pipelines, fuel cells and hydrogen filling stations
"The handover to the independent testing institutions enables a scalable and efficient acceptance of hydrogen filling stations, which will significantly accelerate the expansion of the infrastructure," says Elena Hof, board member and spokesperson for the Clean Energy Partnership. The CEP remains available to answer questions about the acceptance of hydrogen filling stations, particularly in cases of ambiguity regarding the interpretation of standards and special applications. The CEP will also continue to offer training courses for interested service providers.
Photos
CEP has trained eight service providers for technical consulting and the acceptance of hydrogen filling stations. © H2 Mobility Deutschland
