Hydrogen-powered decarbonization

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Hydrogen has established itself as a promising contribution to the UK’s low emissions energy portfolio, with the potential to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero by offering a pathway to decarbonize some of the most fossil fuel intensive industries such as trucking and shipping. BSI is playing a crucial role in supporting innovation in the hydrogen sector, providing the necessary guidance that will see the technology and its applications deployed more widely. 

A thriving low carbon hydrogen sector is a key plank of the government’s ambitions to build a cleaner, greener energy system in the UK.  With a significant energy potential, hydrogen has broad potential to overcome some of the most difficult decarbonization challenges across a range of sectors, domestic and commercial heating, industrial processes, freight transport, maritime and aviation.  

In 2021, the government published its first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy in which it set out a bold ambition to deploy hydrogen at scale. This will not only help meet decarbonization targets but also boost the economy, create jobs, and generate export opportunities by positioning the UK as a global leader in hydrogen technology development and low carbon hydrogen production.  

More recently, in April 2022 the UK government published its British Energy Security Strategy which committed to an increase in the UK’s hydrogen production ambition with up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen capacity to be made available by 2030. 

How do we support innovation in hydrogen?

BSI has a track record of supporting hydrogen innovation already, having an established technical committee structure to oversee the broad scope of hydrogen technologies, and more recently working as part of the government Hy4Heat programme, and supporting other initiatives such as HyDeploy and Gas Goes Green (GGG). 

In support of the implementation of hydrogen, BSI was commissioned by the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) now Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to develop a fast-track PAS Standard. Published in 2020, PAS 4444 offers guidance on the development and construction of hydrogen-fired gas appliances in support of Hy4Heat. PAS 4444 has been key in facilitating the use of hydrogen appliances in commercial settings by unpacking the requirements of the Gas Appliance Regulations. In this way, businesses have been provided with the toolkit to receive UKCA or CE marking for their hydrogen technologies. This created a pathway for appliances to be certified as they move out of the lab and into trials.  

With Hy4Heat and HyDeploy now having largely proved the feasibility and safety of using hydrogen for heating, and the publication of a long-term strategic approach to hydrogen production and use (reflected in the UK Hydrogen Strategy), hydrogen emerges from feasibility phase to implementation. 

As an active partner in the hydrogen transition, BSI is contributing to the government’s Hydrogen Skills and Standards for Heat Programme to enable the UK’s future hydrogen village trial and a potential town pilot. This work looks to establish an agreed set of principles, requirements and guidance on functionality, safety, operating and servicing requirements for ancillary equipment, pipework, materials, meters, and appliances through the development of an initial suite of three PAS standards – PAS 4441 Functional and test requirements for hydrogen gas metering, PAS 4442 Material requirements for ancillary components and devices, and PAS 4443 Functional and test methods for complex ancillary components and devices. 

BSI’s Hydrogen for Heating Standards programme has thus far seen BSI collaborating with key standards partners and a wide range of stakeholders to scope the PASs with a view to develop and publish the guidance in 2023-2024. 

In the programme BSI is working closely with the Institution of Gas Engineers and Manager (IGEM) and the Energy and Utility Skills (EU Skills) to deliver standards and training support of the planned village and town hydrogen trials, and beyond. 

In other areas of hydrogen application, BSI is also supporting two new programmes of work being run by the Connected Places Catapult to establish the feasibility of using hydrogen in decarbonizing road freight transport – the mode of transport with the largest carbon emissions – and in aviation. 

The ZERFT (Zero Emissions Road Freight Trials) programme, backed by the UK government, is assessing the safety and regulatory compliance of hydrogen fuel cells in heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Meanwhile, the ZEFI (Zero Emissions Flight Infrastructure) programme is supporting the aviation industry in preparing airport and airfields to service hydrogen-powered and battery electric aircraft. In both programmes, BSI is aiding the effort by exploring the need for new standards in the use of hydrogen to decarbonize road freight and flight while also shaping the role that new and existing standards might play. 

Critical convening role for BSI

In addition to working on specific standards, BSI has an overarching role as a convening body. Connecting industry and government stakeholders, BSI is well positioned to navigate a range of different hydrogen initiatives to identify opportunities for collaboration, co-operation and co-creation. As a convening organization, BSI is committed to connecting to stakeholders across activities, building on the existing network of standards committees involved in hydrogen standardization and net zero initiatives to ensure standards provide an agile solution to the market and low-carbon technologies like hydrogen are implemented effectively.

“The contribution standards can make in providing real-world solutions for the implementation of low-carbon technologies - like hydrogen is significant. However, while developing a standards framework that underpins an interoperable low-emissions energy sector is critical, it is just as important that BSI brings together industry, technical experts and government to encourage knowledge exchanges to ensure we are leveraging from one another’s expertise in this emerging area.

Being well positioned to survey the range of initiatives in the hydrogen space, BSI acts as a convenor streamlining ongoing industry discussions through a coordinated approach closely aligned to the standardization framework. Hydrogen, as an area of incredible opportunity and growth is inundated with new projects, initiatives and stakeholders. While disintegrated at times, the opportunity that hydrogen technology represents in the UK provides fertile ground for a range of stakeholders to exchange knowledge and look to identify challenges in delivering net zero commitments with BSI as a proactive partner" said Abbey Dorian, Energy Sector Lead, BSI. 

BSI’s links to the European and international standards network also means it is well-placed to articulate the UK’s social and economic interests, influence and contribute to international standards development in hydrogen technology and production.  

In 2021, BSI held a workshop for key technical committees involved in the development of hydrogen-relevant standards. The intention of the workshop was to achieve greater coordination between ongoing standards development activities that directly or indirectly affected hydrogen technologies. Following on from the workshop, a new coordination committee (GSE/5 Hydrogen) was proposed and established in early 2022. GSE/5 has held 2 meetings since its establishment and is chaired by Dr. Kerry-Anne Adamson of Women in Green Hydrogen. 

At its last meeting, the Hydrogen Coordination Committee (GSE/5) discussed the hydrogen industry in the UK and the priorities for standardization to support the transition to net zero. Noting the hydrogen industry was in ‘peak chaos’, the group agreed the path forward was to support the market structures that would promote swift, safe and reliable development of the hydrogen industry.

As a coordination group focused on supporting a strategic approach to hydrogen standardization, the group emphasizes that the transformation of the hydrogen industry in the UK and the complementary standards framework requires long-term thinking, and that standardization through ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a leadership opportunity for the UK. 

“The UK government is committed to supporting the UK as a global leader in hydrogen technology, production, products, and services and recognizes the role of standards in paving the way for this international leadership. As the UK’s representative to ISO and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), BSI is a ready partner to capitalize on the expertise of the UK’s contributors to oversee agile standards development in support of the successful deployment of hydrogen in the UK and beyond” said Abbey Dorian.

Hydrogen explained

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Hydrogen is a gas with a distinct set of characteristics. It can be used in a fuel cell or combusted in a boiler, turbine, or engine to generate heat or electricity. It can also be stored in various ways, including at very large scales, and can be transported to different end users, in much the same way as natural gas or liquid fuels are. 

Hydrogen is largely used today as an essential input to a range of chemical processes and in industrial production. However, low carbon hydrogen can play an important complementary and enabling role alongside clean electricity in decarbonizing our energy system and other sectors of the economy. 

It is suited to use in a number of sectors where electrification is not feasible or is too costly, and other decarbonization options are limited. This may include generation of high temperature heat, as in industrial furnaces, and long-distance and heavy-duty transport. Similarly, it is useful in areas where the flexibility and stability of a gas is valued, for example, large scale or long duration energy storage and flexible power generation. However, hydrogen can only be considered as a decarbonization option if it is readily available, at the right price, the right volume and, with sufficient confidence that it is low carbon. 

Potential users must also be able to purchase hydrogen-using equipment with proper assurances about safety and reliability. The UK Government has committed to a focus on safety and reliability in the 2020s, in order to deliver the UK 2030 ambition and set us on the pathway to Net Zero. 

There are almost no abundant natural sources of pure hydrogen, which means that it has to be manufactured. The most common production route currently is steam methane reformation, where natural gas is reacted with steam to form hydrogen. 

This is a carbon-intensive process, but one which can be made low carbon through the addition of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) – to produce a gas called ‘blue hydrogen’. 

Hydrogen can also be produced through electrolysis, where electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen – gas from this process is often referred to as ‘green hydrogen’ or zero carbon hydrogen when the electricity comes from renewable sources. 

Today, most hydrogen produced and used in the UK and globally is high carbon, coming from fossil fuels with no carbon capture; only a small fraction can be called low carbon. For hydrogen to play a part in our journey to net zero, all current and future production will need to be low carbon.