Decoding the Complexity of Hydrogen Certification: A Roadmap to Global Standards
Dr. Mayilvelnathan Vivekananthan Ph.D
Leading Green Hydrogen Value Chain - Strategy Advisor l Director @Cipher Neutron I Founder@GH2 Think Tank l Thought Leadership Coach l Innovator | International speaker l Sustainability top Voice
The quest for a sustainable and interconnected energy future is steering the spotlight onto hydrogen. This lightest of elements holds immense promise as a clean fuel, but its potential hinges on the establishment of robust, globally harmonized standards. These standards are not just a technicality; they are the linchpin for ensuring compatibility, safety, and reliability in hydrogen systems worldwide.
Why Green Hydrogen Standards Matter
Green hydrogen's role as a zero-carbon energy carrier, paralleling electricity, is pivotal in sectors where electrification poses challenges, including transportation, industrial decarbonization, and heating. Historically, renewable electricity has received governmental support through subsidies and purchase obligations, given its higher costs compared to fossil fuel generation. Similarly, sustainable or renewable hydrogen, though more expensive than conventional hydrogen, necessitates comparable standards to encourage and regulate its adoption.
The Complexities of Defining Green Hydrogen
Defining green hydrogen is far from straightforward. Current initiatives vary in their approach, focusing on aspects such as the production process, carbon accounting boundaries, emission thresholds, and the selection of feedstocks and technologies. These definitions are influenced by a range of factors, including existing national and international standards and the legal frameworks governing the green hydrogen supply chain. The diversity in these approaches can lead to confusion, offering a myriad of labels like brown, regular, low carbon, and blue hydrogen, which might overwhelm consumers due to limited public awareness of hydrogen technologies and their environmental implications.
Toward a Unified Certification Approach
Green hydrogen schemes are instrumental in demonstrating compliance with sustainability criteria. They encompass various elements - from the definition of green hydrogen and system boundaries (such as point of production or use) to emission intensity thresholds and eligible pathways. Guarantee of Origin (GO) schemes, particularly prevalent in Europe for renewable electricity and biomethane, can provide a template for green hydrogen. However, devising these schemes is challenging, especially when determining carbon intensity details. The use of default values, while simpler, may inadvertently exclude certain producers.
Policy Implications and the Global Hydrogen Market
The formulation of green hydrogen standards and GO schemes hinges on a delicate balance between the accuracy of measurement systems and implementation costs. This includes the scope of the system and ensuring market inclusivity. An in-depth analysis of hydrogen pathways, encompassing both costs and greenhouse gas emissions, is essential to understand the implications of different standards. A stable and clear policy framework is crucial to reducing uncertainty and risks for producers and facilitating informed investment decisions. The ultimate goal is to foster economic growth and job creation through green hydrogen while ensuring that international trade in hydrogen thrives under consistent rules and regulations.
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Dr Mayilvelnathan Vivekananthan M.E.,PhD
Director, Cipher Neutron Inc
Power Industry | Waste to Energies | Reliability Maintenance
9 个月Thanks Dr. for posting.