(Berlin) - Hydrogen can be generated from different sources - including using different power sources. Both fossil fuels and renewable energies can be used. For reasons of climate protection, hydrogen should increasingly be produced worldwide from renewable energies. Political guidelines ensure this – including in Germany. Parts of the industry internationally are already taking this route to environmentally friendly hydrogen production - both on the part of suppliers and buyers. Sometimes she is already ahead of politics.
Certification makes hydrogen production transparent
However, you can't tell the product's origin per se. And there is currently no worldwide uniform certification system. “The certification of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives is a 
central instrument to demonstrate the renewable properties of the energy source and thus compliance with the requirements for H2 production,” explain Andreas Kuhlmann, Chairman of the Board of the German Energy Agency (Dena), and the Managing Director of the World Energy Council Carsten Rolle. Certification is a prerequisite for trading with it. This makes renewable hydrogen distinguishable from its chemically identical fossil equivalent. As part of a study “Global Harmonization of Hydrogen Certification”, Dena and the World Energy Council examined the extent to which a global certification system for renewable hydrogen could be implemented. “Globally, we are observing a range of regional initiatives to certify renewable hydrogen and its derivatives,” the organizations said. These varied in terms of their requirements for the energy source and its production.
The authors consider eleven standards and regulatory frameworks for green hydrogen worldwide. They looked at certification schemes for the European, German, Canadian, Japanese, UK, Australian and US markets. Their similarities, differences and their potential for harmonization were assessed.
Uniform certification system difficult to implement
The analysis concludes that “a uniform certification system will be difficult to implement on a global scale.” This is primarily because “countries or markets with particularly ambitious criteria for the production of hydrogen from renewable energies, such as the European Union, are unlikely to give up these criteria in favor of a globally harmonized system,” explain Andreas Kuhlmann and Carsten Rolle. In addition, a manufacturer can comply with the standards of his country, but in order to export he also has to meet the geographical scope criteria of his customers. For example, renewable hydrogen from Chile must meet the requirements of the European “RED II” certification so that the producer can benefit from European discounts.
Production facilities as a basis for certificates
Instead of certifying the product, the authors propose a concept that is based on the technological design of the production facilities: direct connection between the electrolyzer and the renewable power plant, a 70 percent greenhouse gas reduction in the hydrogen produced compared to a reference value and the use of atmospheric carbon (direct air capture). “This means that hydrogen could basically be sold on all markets analyzed,” says the study.
Andreas Kuhlmann and Carsten Rolle point out that “different requirements for the production of hydrogen are also accompanied by different production costs and availability”. Hydrogen production based on the criteria presented is comparatively expensive. “We are therefore presenting additional alternative system concepts with which the hydrogen produced could be sold on a variety of markets.” For example, the certification systems in China, Japan and California/USA allow the use of renewable electricity from the grid without additional criteria to be fulfilled for the purchase of electricity.
Politicians are called upon
With its regulatory framework and funding instruments for the market launch of renewable hydrogen, the EU has created incentives that are attractive to market participants around the world. But a global H2 market could also be characterized by other conditions.
“If the regulatory requirements prove to be too strict, there is a risk that large H2 producers will switch to other certification or sales markets and that the EU market will lose its attractiveness in the long term.” Politicians must therefore ensure “that an EU-wide Hydrogen regulatory framework does not hinder trade and development of the renewable hydrogen market.”
The study “Global Harmonization of Hydrogen Certification” is available free of charge as a PDF (English, 54 pages)
Photos
Cover page of the study © Dena/World Energy Council
