In connection with the energy turnaround, green hydrogen will play a central role as a storage and carrier medium. But only if hydrogen is produced from renewable energies. TÜV SÜD's updated GreenHydrogen certification provides proof of this.
More than 600 billion cubic metres of hydrogen are produced worldwide, mainly for the chemical industry. In future, hydrogen will also be used as a storage medium for renewable energies and in the transport sector. "In the context of the energy revolution, green hydrogen plays a crucial role", says Klaus Nürnberger, Head of Energy Certification at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. "This is particularly true in the area of the much-cited turnaround in transport, where hydrogen and fuel cell technology is complementing battery-supported electromobility".
TÜV SÜD's GreenHydrogen certification (TÜV SÜD Standard CMS 70, version 01/2020 "Generation of green hydrogen") enables TÜV SÜD to demonstrate that regeneratively produced hydrogen has significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally produced hydrogen or fossil fuels. To be awarded the GreenHydrogen certificate, green hydrogen must have a greenhouse gas reduction potential of at least 60 per cent compared to the fossil fuel benchmark. If green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, the GHG reduction potential must be as high as 75 percent. The comparison is based on the current values of the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) and the values for conventional hydrogen produced by natural gas reforming. In addition, additional qualities beyond the legal requirements are provided, for example with regard to the use of electricity from renewable energies or the use of biomethane. A further component of GreenHydrogen certification is a robust monitoring system of the certificate-holders to guarantee the certified quality and delivery quantities.
The certified GreenHydrogen quantities can be registered in the European Union-supported Guarantee of Origin System for Hydrogen from Renewable Energies - CertifHy. According to Klaus Nürnberger, the H2-HKN system simplifies the transferability of green hydrogen in the European Union from the producer to the user.
