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Green hydrogen : meeting future sustainability requirements
Hydrogen is a key element for the decarbonisation of industry , if low-emission production and logistics follow . However , so far there has been a deplorable lack of binding EU-wide sustainability criteria that cover the entire value chain . A certification assists companies to establish a position in the emerging market for hydrogen from renewables and to prepare for future requirements .
By Michael Landspersky , TÜV SÜD Industrie Service
The EU ’ s 2020 Hydrogen Strategy describes actions to create a clean hydrogen economy . In the long term , the strategy relies predominantly on green hydrogen produced with electricity from renewable sources ( P2H2 ). The EU plans to install electrolysers with a capacity of at least 6 GW by 2024 , which could produce up to one million tonnes of green hydrogen .
But what sustainability criteria must hydrogen fulfil to be marketed as green hydrogen ? How can producers and traders provide their customers with proof of the emission reductions achieved throughout the hydrogen value chain ? So far , there is no harmonised and internationally valid definition for green hydrogen and its marketing . In addition to the electricity used for electrolysis , further factors need to be evaluated for their
carbon footprint , such as water and wastewater treatment as well as the transport of the hydrogen . Since only a few regions in Europe have dedicated hydrogen pipelines , up to now hydrogen has been mostly transported by truck .
Currently , only partial areas of application of green hydrogen are regulated by the EU . The transport sector , for example , is governed by the rules of the Renewable Energy Directive 2018 / 2001 / EU ( RED II ), but it will be developed further by the EU to extend the application of clear requirements to the energy , steel , and chemical industries in the future . These developments are thus relevant for all economic operators engaged in hydrogen production , distribution , and use . Nevertheless , distributors and manufacturers should not wait for the EU to pass its rules and
Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 6 | October 2022 41