Taking Europe-wide green and low carbon hydrogen Guarantees of Origin (GO) to the next level: from concept to implementation. This is the objective of the CertifHy study undertaken by a consortium led by HINICIO, composed of ECN, GREXEL, Lüdwig Bölkow System Technik (LBST), and TÜV SÜD and financed by the FCH 2 JU.
The project’s aim is to create the path forward for a concrete and actionable Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme with a pilot demonstration of the hydrogen GO scheme and the creation of a Stakeholder Platform to give the scheme its legitimacy. The project will define the scheme’s governance, as well as its processes and procedures over the entire GO life cycle: from auditing hydrogen production plants, certification of green or low carbon hydrogen production batches, through issuing, trading to “usage” of GOs.
A new market for Green Hydrogen
Guarantee of Origins make green hydrogen transferable EU-wide by labelling the origin of the product and provide this information to customers. CertifHy decouples the green attribute from the physical hydrogen flow allowing consumers anywhere in Europe to purchase green hydrogen to meet their sustainability targets. They will boost green hydrogen demand and supply throughout Europe by improving the business case, providing transparency, empowering consumers and creating market pull for green hydrogen. A well established and transparent market for green hydrogen can be a facilitator for Europe’s energy transition and help reaching EU targets of cutting 80-95% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It helps to reduce carbon emissions for industry and transport that would be otherwise difficult to decarbonize.
Implementing the Green Hydrogen GO scheme
The CertifHy pilot will deliver a scheme for a realistic, detailed and rapidly deployable European-wide green and low carbon hydrogen GO scheme. It will demonstrate how the system will work under real life conditions and provide lessons learnt for a future European-wide deployment.
The project is expected to run over 12 months, with a possible 6 months extension. In the first 6 months (October 2017 to April 2018), the pilot system will be designed – from specification to developing the pilot procedures including setting up the ICT system. Plant operator preparation for plant and batch audits and certification will begin in parallel. Pilot operations are expected to be launched between March and April 2018. Between June and July 2018, the first hydrogen GOs will be issued and between July and August, they will be traded and used.
The pilot is composed of four hydrogen production plants located throughout Europe and covering different production pathways:
- Two pilots located in Belgium and Germany which produce hydrogen with electrolysis with different electricity purchasing strategies;
- A site in the Netherlands using a chlor alkali process to produce green hydrogen;
- A hydrogen production plant using steam methane reforming with a CCS/CCU unit located in France.
Creating a Stakeholder Platform
To support the implementation of the GO scheme and gather momentum, a Stakeholder Platform will be set up with its first plenary session on November 20th in Brussels. This Stakeholder Platform will bring together all relevant and interested stakeholders to ensure the GO scheme and the final scheme meets producer and user expectations, that barriers and gaps in regulations and standards are addressed. Any company with a demonstrable interest in hydrogen may apply. Join us!
Operationally, thematic working groups composing the Stakeholder Platform will contribute to the development of the GO scheme and provide recommendations for the GO scheme pilot. Stakeholders with an interest in hydrogen who want to actively contribute to project may apply to join the Stakeholder Platform working groups.
During the 1st Plenary session, the Stakeholder Platform will become operational with the election of working group chair and co-chairs of the Working Groups and the appointment of a Steering Group. On this occasion, the working group work programmes and the pilot specifications will be presented for designing the first EU-wide GO for Green Hydrogen.
Join the Stakeholder Platform and sign up to one of the working groups: CertifHy – Stakeholder platform and working group registration
For more information please visit www.certifhy.eu and contact Joel Neave via info(a)certifhy.eu .
