(Berlin, 25. July 2024) Hydrogen has a special role to play in the transformation process of the climate-neutral energy transition: based on renewable energies, it enables greenhouse gas emissions to be drastically reduced and is therefore a key component of the green transformation. Standards and technical regulations are needed to successfully establish a hydrogen value chain. This is where the hydrogen technology standardization roadmap comes in. For the first time, it represents a nationally coordinated strategic roadmap for the technical regulation of hydrogen technologies and defines guidelines for establishing and further developing the technical regulations in this area.
National hydrogen strategy calls for uniform standards
The seven project partners DIN, DKE, DVGW, NWB, VDI, VDA and VDMA presented the first edition of the hydrogen technology standardization roadmap at a virtual event with around XX participants. The roadmap, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of the energy research program, contributes significantly to the demand for uniform standards for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure, which is addressed in the update of the German government's national hydrogen strategy.
Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, emphasizes: "Uniform standards are an important basis for the hydrogen economy and Germany as a business location. The standardization roadmap hydrogen technologies identifies and develops missing standards. It thus makes a significant contribution to ensuring efficient and safe cooperation between the numerous national and international players."
DKE Managing Director Michael Teigeler: "Hydrogen clearly has the potential to permanently change many value chains and also trade relations internationally. In an All Electric Society, hydrogen is an essential piece of the puzzle, as it also makes sectors accessible that have been difficult to electrify up to now. With the Hydrogen Technologies Standardization Roadmap, we are significantly supporting the market ramp-up of this pioneering technology."
Technical rules support the development of a value chain
Since March 2023, more than 600 experts from industry, science, the public sector and civil society have been working with the project partners to develop the content of the standardization roadmap. The now completed document describes the status quo along the entire hydrogen value chain and provides findings on the development and expansion of standardization and technical regulation in the areas of production, infrastructure, application, quality infrastructure as well as training, certification and safety in the form of concrete recommendations for action.
The results show that technical standardization is already very well established, for example in the areas of grid-based infrastructure, industry and road vehicles. In other areas, however, such as aviation and shipping, alternative types of hydrogen production, the offshore sector and hydrogen derivatives, there is a greater need to develop the regulatory framework. The aim here is to close the identified gaps quickly and efficiently or, where still necessary, to initiate corresponding research work.
The Hydrogen Technologies Standardization Roadmap also provides financial support for high-priority implementation projects for technical regulation based on the recommendations of the standardization roadmap committees. The aim is to quickly close the gaps in the technical regulations and drive forward the market ramp-up. Since October 2023, 23 projects have already been initiated. The third initiation round is currently underway, in which 22 further applications are being reviewed.
Getting involved
The project will now consolidate the existing roadmap and initiate further concrete implementation projects to further advance the development of the quality infrastructure for hydrogen. The comprehensive results will be published at the end of 2025. Interested experts are cordially invited to participate in the further development. You can register here.
About the project
The project is a joint initiative of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (DKE), the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), the Association for Standardization and Further Development of the Railway Industry (NWB), the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the Association of German Engineers (VDI) and the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.
You can find out more about the project and the project partners involved on the project website
