Clean Hydrogen Definition

December 21, 2022

Clean Hydrogen Definition

Introduction

There are several methods for generating ‘clean’ Hydrogen can generate low CO2e emissions,
(low carbon) hydrogen. This document concentrates in which case the resulting hydrogen can be
on the two methods most likely to dominate future considered ‘clean’. Under other circumstances,
production, namely ‘Green’ and ‘Blue’: manufacture of Blue hydrogen can generate high
greenhouse gas emissions which are detrimental to
(i) ‘Green’ hydrogen is made by electrolysis. the environment.
Renewable electricity is passed through pure water
(H20), which splits the water into hydrogen gas (H2) It is important to note that chemical plant of the
and oxygen gas (O2). Provided the electricity is type used to manufacture fossil hydrogen, typically
renewable with a low Carbon Factor (the amount has an operational life of 30 years, because of
of CO2e1 emitted in its generation, units of kgCO2/ the high cost of capital. Consequently, any new
kWh), then the resulting H2 can be considered processing plant, built in the next decade will
‘clean’ with low embodied CO2e emissions. probably still operating into the 2060s. Fossil
hydrogen production cannot therefore be
(ii) Hydrogen can also be made from natural considered as a temporary or interim measure.
gas (methane = CH4) by processing it with hot Consequently, to be a sustainable solution, any
steam using ‘Steam Methane Reforming’ (SMR) new hydrogen manufacturing process must comply
or ‘Autothermal Reforming’ (ATR) processes. This with rigorous ‘Net Zero’ emissions standards. (See
mainly generates H2 and CO2 gas. If the resulting here for discussion of this point.)
CO2 gas is captured and stored permanently
(possibly in ‘geological’ underground storage), The performance requirements for Green Hydrogen
then the resulting hydrogen is known as ‘Blue’. have been specified by the GH2 organization [1]
(more on this later). Consequently, the purpose of
Under some circumstances, manufacture of Blue this document is to define the conditions under
which Blue Hydrogen can be considered as ‘clean’,
by building on the GH2 ‘standard’.

1 | CO2e emissions are equivalent CO2 emissions, accounting for the global warming potential (GWP) of all associated greenhouse
gases released into the atmosphere.

1
Greenhouse Gas
Emissions from Production
of Blue Hydrogen

There are several sources of greenhouse gas the steam and run the process plant. A significant
emissions in the Blue Hydrogen manufacturing amount of energy is also needed to pump the
process, as shown in Fig. 1. These include: output CO2 into geological storage.

(i) Upstream (‘Fugitive’) emissions of methane (iii) Production emissions: There are emissions of
CH4 and other hydrocarbons released from the greenhouse gases (CH4, CO2, N2O, NOx and H2) from
input gas supply chain. These emissions can come the Reforming process, particularly due to incomplete
from the gas well (flaring, venting or leaking) and capture of CO2 and any methane or hydrogen leaks
leaks in the supply chain infrastructure (eg pipes, from equipment.
pumps, valves, vessels, etc).
All these emissions must be measured and
(ii) Energy source: The process requires included when quantifying the greenhouse gas
considerable energy input which has associated (GHG) emissions associated with the manufacture
CO2e emissions that must be considered. Energy is of Blue Hydrogen.
required to pump methane, provide the water, heat

Figure 1. Greenhouse gas emission generated in the process of generating blue hydrogen.

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Definition Concept The Definition

To be defined as ‘clean’, Blue Hydrogen must at The starting point for the definition of clean
least meet the same emissions levels as Green hydrogen is the ‘Green Hydrogen Standard’
Hydrogen. Consequently, the lifecycle greenhouse proposed by the Green Hydrogen Organization
gas emissions of Blue Hydrogen should be (GH2) [1], as follows:
no greater than those of Green Hydrogen.
This will ensure: “Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced through
the electrolysis of water with 100% or near 100%
(i) A ‘level playing field’ in the hydrogen industry: renewable energy with close to zero greenhouse
all hydrogen should meet the same emissions gas emissions (≤ 1 kg CO2e per kg H2 taken as an
standards and satisfy rigorous ‘net zero’ emissions average over a 12-month period).” [1]
standards into the future.
The GH2 definition of Green Hydrogen includes
(ii) When ‘clean’ hydrogen is used (e.g. for ‘scope 1’ emissions from production, including
decarbonizing industry, transport or heating) it will water treatment and desalination and ‘scope 2’
have equally low CO2e emissions, whatever the emissions from on-site or purchased renewable
source of the hydrogen. electricity. It builds on the methodology proposed
by the International Partnership for Hydrogen and
(iii) Anyone specifying systems that use clean Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) [2]. According to
hydrogen will be confident of the level of GH2, this standard is “the only option [hydrogen
embodied carbon, without having to perform a definition] aligned with a 1.5 degree pathway”2.
detailed analysis of the pedigree of the hydrogen.
This will simplify hydrogen trade by providing To guarantee that the greenhouse gas emissions
market alignment between countries. of clean fossil hydrogen are no greater than for
Green Hydrogen, the Hydrogen Science Coalition’s
(iv) Best available technology will be used uniformly proposed definition has 4 components, as shown
in hydrogen production. in Fig. 2.

(v) Any government subsidies applied to clean

hydrogen manufacture will be applied in the best
interests of the environment, rather than in the
interests of one sector of industry over another.

2 | The GH2 criterion is easy to understand. Since it takes approximately 50 kWh of electricity to manufacture 1 kg of hydrogen by electrolysis, the GH2 defini-
tion implies use of electricity with a low ‘Carbon Factor’ of 20 gCO2e per kWh of electricity: 50 kWh/kgH2 x 20 gCO2e/kWh = 1000 gCO2e/kg H2 = 1 kgCO2e/
kg H2.

Clean Hydrogen Definition 3

Figure 2. Four components of the proposed definition of ‘clean’ hydrogen.

1) Definition of ‘Clean’

The Hydrogen Science Coalition’s proposed ‘clean To comply with the definition, the global warming
hydrogen’ definition uses the same quantitative potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases (CH4, H2,
measure of GHG emissions as the Green Hydrogen N2O and NOx) emitted in the Blue Hydrogen
Standard [1], but accounts for all GHG emissions process should be calculated on a 100-year basis.
in manufacture of fossil Hydrogen and its supply This metric is the most used in international
chain, as follows: agreements, including the GH2 standard [1].
However, it is important to note that the 100-year
(i) The CO2e emissions from the entire supply standard is increasingly viewed as an arbitrary
chain should be no more than 1 kg CO2e per kg choice, which doesn’t align with global goals of
H2 accounting for all ‘scope 1’ greenhouse gas the Paris Agreement. According to Abernethy
emissions from hydrogen production, including and Jackson [3], the timeline of 100 years
methane CH4 reforming and CCS and all ‘scope underestimates methane’s GWP by 63% relative
2’ greenhouse gas emissions from the methane to the 1.5oC target. The authors calculated that a
supply chain and any on-site or purchased 24-year time horizon, using 2045 as the endpoint
electricity. time, with its associated GWP1.5oC = 75 is required
to keep emissions in line with the target 1.5oC
maximum global temperature rise.
Given the large difference between the 20 and

Clean Hydrogen Definition 4

100-year bases for calculating the equivalent 3) Low Production Emissions
CO2 emissions, the Hydrogen Science Coalition’s
proposed ‘clean’ hydrogen definition recommends
that businesses report their emissions on both 20
and 100-year time horizons. The Hydrogen Science Coalition’s clean hydrogen
definition requires that all Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions through the Reforming process3 and
downstream CO2 and hydrogen processing and
storage are certified. This includes:

2) Clean Energy Inputs (i) All process emissions must be certified:

• CO2e emissions from CCS process energy

• Uncaptured CO2 and other GHGs (CH4, H2,
To guarantee that the CO2e emissions of the input
N2O and NOx) released during Reforming
energy used in the Blue Hydrogen process, the
• CO2 leakage during compression,
Hydrogen Science Coalition’s proposed definition
transmission and sequestration
requires that:
• H2 leakage from compression and storage

(i) All input gas used in hydrogen production and

(ii) CO2 must be stored with a long-term storage
all electricity used in hydrogen production and CO2
fidelity of 99% over 1,000 years. This must be
sequestration is supplied with certificates of origin.
guaranteed and comprehensively risk-assessed and
mitigated with provision for long term monitoring
(ii) All CH4 and other GHG emissions throughout
of the permanence of carbon storage.
the gas supply chain are measured and guaranteed
in accordance with the ‘Methane Emissions
(iii) All measurements, calculations and process
Certification Standard’ by MiQ, or equivalent [4].
standards must comply with ISO/TC 265 [5]
This includes all emissions in:

• Production, gathering and boosting

• Processing and liquefaction
• Transmission: all pipes and vessels 4) Independent Process Audit
• Transport, loading, unloading and storage

(i) The calculations performed to determine the

CO2e emissions of the clean hydrogen must be
subject to independent data-led verification
by approved auditors, in accordance with ISO
14016:2020 [6].

(ii) All emissions must be guaranteed during process

design; verified and certified for the end product.

3 | The most common process for reforming methane is called ‘Steam Methane Reforming’ (SMR). Recently an alternative process ‘Autothermal Reforming’
(ATR) has been tried for manufacture of hydrogen instead of SMR. A significant advantage of ATR is that it is easier to capture the CO2 generated by the
process than for SMR. Consequently, there is potential for less CO2 to be released into the atmosphere using ATR.

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References

• [1] Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) ‘The Green

Hydrogen Standard’, May 2022

• [2] IPHE ‘Methodology for Determining the

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated With the
Production of Hydrogen’, Working Paper, v1, Oct
2021.

• [3] Abernethy, S. and Jackson, R.B. ‘Global

temperature goals should determine the time
horizons for greenhouse gas emission metrics’,
Environmental Research Letters, Volume 17, Number
2, 024019.

• [4] MiQ ‘Methane Emissions Certification Standard’,

2022.

• [5] ISO/TC 265 ’Carbon dioxide capture,

transmission and geological storage’

• [6] ISO 14016:2020 ‘Environmental management —

Guidelines on the assurance of environmental reports’

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