China Hydrogen Alliance Unveils the World’s First ‘Green Hydrogen’ Standard

To promote the high-quality development of China’s hydrogen energy industry and realize the targets to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality as scheduled, China Hydrogen Alliance officially unveiled and enacted the Standard and Assessment for Low-carbon Hydrogen, Clean Hydrogen and Renewable Hydrogen Energy (hereinafter the “Standard”) on December 29, 2020.

This is the world’s first quantitative standard for carbon emissions of hydrogen energy. Based on the life cycle assessment method, the Standard formulated quantitative criteria and assessment mechanism for low-carbon hydrogen, clean hydrogen and renewable hydrogen, with an aim to promote green development throughout the industrial chain of hydrogen energy from the source. According to the Standard, in terms of unit carbon emission, the threshold level for low-carbon hydrogen is 14.51 kgCO2e/kgH2 and that for clean hydrogen and renewable hydrogen is 4.9 kgCO2e/kgH2. In addition, renewable hydrogen must be produced with renewable energy resources.

This Standard is in line with Europe’s Green Hydrogen Certification project relying on the technology of using natural gas to produce hydrogen. Moreover, it gives a thorough analysis to China’s hydrogen supply situation based on in-depth research of hydrogen production projects of companies such as China Energy, and innovatively puts forward a diagram that integrates with international standards in terms of methodology and clean hydrogen indicators while fully taking into account China’s actual situation of mainly using coal to produce hydrogen. The promulgation and enactment of the Standard is conducive to the shift from high-carbon hydrogen production to low-carbon hydrogen production and the interconnection between the carbon market and the hydrogen market.

Building a clean, beautiful world requires pragmatic and concrete actions of all countries. It has been a consensus for more and more countries to promote green recovery in the post-pandemic era. The development of clean hydrogen energy will provide more space and opportunities for countries in the world to cooperate. The EU is expected to promulgate its “green hydrogen” standard in the third quarter of 2021, which will pave the way for international hydrogen trade and cooperation.