Press and Media

14 February 2020

TÜV SÜD provides GreenHydrogen certification

Hydrogen is set to play a central role in energy transformation as an energy storage medium and energy carrier. However, this only applies to green hydrogen produced from renewable sources of energy. TÜV SÜD’s updated GreenHydrogen certification now offers stakeholders the possibility of furnishing third-party proof of climate-friendly hydrogen production.

At present, an annual volume of over 600 billion m3 of hydrogen is produced worldwide, most of which is supplied to the chemical industry. In the future hydrogen will also be used as a storage system for energy from renewable sources and in the transport sector. “Hydrogen plays a critical role in the context of energy transformation”, says Klaus Nuremberger, Head of Energy Certification at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. “This applies primarily to the much talked-of transformation of the transport sector, where hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies will complement battery-powered electric mobility.”

By providing GreenHydrogen certification (TÜV SÜD Standard CMS 70, Version 01/2020 “Generation of Green Hydrogen”), TÜV SÜD enables stakeholders to furnish proof that hydrogen produced from regenerative sources has significantly lower levels of greenhouse-gas emissions than conventional hydrogen or fossil fuels. A certificate for generation of green hydrogen can be issued if the hydrogen produced has a greenhouse-gas reduction potential of at least 60 per cent compared to fossil fuels. Going further, green hydrogen produced by electrolysis must have a GHG reduction potential of 75 percent. The comparison is based on the current reference values set forth in the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) and the values for conventional hydrogen produced by natural gas reforming. The standard also includes additional criteria that go beyond legal requirements, such as the use of electricity from renewable sources of energy and the use of biomethane. Another element of GreenHydrogen certification is that certificate holders must have a robust monitoring system in place to ensure the certified quality and supply commitments are fulfilled.

The certified amounts of GreenHydrogen can be registered in the CertifHy guarantee-of-origin (GO) system for hydrogen produced from renewable sources, supported by the European Union. According to Klaus Nuremberger, the H2 GO system facilitates green hydrogen trade in the European Union from producer to user.

Further information about services provided by TÜV SÜD Industrie Service in this area can be found at www.tuvsud.com, search keyword “Hydrogen.” There you will also find the GreenHydrogen standard for download in pdf format.

Trade fair information: At E-world 2020, held from 11 to 13 February 2020 in Essen, TÜV SÜD will showcase a broad range of certification services – from GreenHydrogen to Green Power and Renewable Energy Pioneer certification. (Hall 1, Stand 1-413)

Press-contact: Dr. Thomas Oberst