Updated Green Hydrogen Standard welcomed by industry leaders at COP28; includes green methanol and synthetic methane requirements

3 December 2023 

DUBAI - Today at the COP28 climate summit the Green Hydrogen Organisation launched an updated version of its Green Hydrogen Standard. 

The Green Hydrogen Standard defines what renewable electricity can be used to produce green hydrogen; includes an emissions threshold aligned with net zero; and sustainability criteria to ensure green hydrogen projects have a positive impact on the communities where they are located. 

As regional and national regulatory standards are evolving, the global Green Hydrogen Standard has now been updated to:  

• include green ammonia, green methanol and synthetic methane;  

• address hydrogen leakage;  

• include requirements for biomass with sustainability criteria as a source of energy for green hydrogen production;  

• include a prequalification option for early stage projects 

Working with assurance and risk management leader DNV, and other assurance providers as agreed with project developers, prequalification and accreditation under the Green Hydrogen Standard also helps developers build confidence that their projects have been designed in compliance with national and regional schemes such as the EU’s Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) requirements under the Renewable Energy Directive and forthcoming tax credit provisions under the US Inflation Reduction Act 2022. 

Green Hydrogen Organisation Chair Malcolm Turnbull said: “We must be clear on which hydrogen production pathways are 1.5 degree aligned and which are not. Standards without thresholds legitimise hydrogen projects that are not sustainable. The updated Green Hydrogen Standard 2.0 which now extends to new hydrogen derivatives will ensure that green hydrogen is truly clean and has a positive development impact.” 

Consistent and truly low carbon hydrogen standards are essential to addressing the climate crisis and to stimulate global trade and market confidence. There is an urgent need for a global consensus on an emissions threshold for all hydrogen production pathways which is climate-aligned, and a level playing field for measuring those emissions.  

TES CEO Marco Alvera said: “We welcome the Green Hydrogen Standard S 2.0 and in particular, the inclusion of the Synthetic Methane Protocol as an annex to the Standard. This comes very timely as e-NG garners increasing attention and recognition around the world. The standard is a crucial step towards building confidence and transparency within the market, establishing e-NG as a green commodity and facilitating global production, use and trade. 

Hy Stor Energy CEO Laura L. Luce said: “Hy Stor Energy “Robust and secure standards defining green hydrogen and its production impacts are essential to establishing circular, decarbonized global economies. Hy Stor Energy is proud to align its plans and operations with the Green Hydrogen Organisation’s Green Hydrogen Standard. With the introduction of GHS 2.0, we reaffirm this commitment and look forward to collaborating with GH2 and other partners to shape the future of green hydrogen production and facilitate a sustainable, equitable energy transition.” 

Mark Hutchinson, CEO, Fortescue Energy said: “Fortescue is committed to the production of green hydrogen with zero carbon emissions and strong sustainability criteria. The Green Hydrogen Standard sets a benchmark for what can be considered “GH2 Green Hydrogen”, and we plan to implement it across our global portfolio of green hydrogen projects.” 

Also at the launch expressing support for the Green Hydrogen Standard 2.0 were Maarten Wetselaar, CEO of CEPSA and Arun Sharma, Advisor to the Chairman and Group Head for Sustainability and Climate Change, Adani Group.  

ENDS 

Download the Green Hydrogen Standard 2.0 here.

Contact: Joe Williams +44 77 5757 1170 / joe.williams@gh2.org