H2Global has quadrupled its funding for low-carbon hydrogen and derivatives, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The funding will support H2Global’s contract-for-difference instrument which covers the increased costs of producing “green” hydrogen and provides secure long-term contracts for suppliers.
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMCZCS), RMI, Danish Shipping, and Maersk Oil Trading have released two publications outlining their new Maritime Book & Claim system, which will undergo a pilot later this year. Under the system, ships will be able to ‘book’ emissions associated with individual voyages, which consumers can then ‘claim’. The system seeks to accelerate decarbonisation by empowering green shipping services to find customers offering green premiums, regardless of geographical constraints.
The International Energy Agency has proposed a new taxonomy for hydrogen definitions based on emissions intensity, moving away from color labels. In Towards hydrogen definitions based on their emissions intensity, the IEA proposes a set of nine distinct, technology-neutral emissions intensity bands. The report also advocates for an international approach to ensure interoperability between certification schemes, and suggests that a mutual recognition approach based on the IPHE’s emissions methodology is the best way forward.
The UK government has released a consultation paper outlining its current position on several certification dilemmas, as it works towards launching a fully functioning low-carbon hydrogen certification scheme before 2025. The paper grapples with challenging design choices including chain of custody and scheme participation while emphasising the importance of international collaboration and interoperability.
IRENA and RMI’s new report Creating a global hydrogen market: Certification to enable trade concludes that there are significant gaps and conflicts in current certification schemes. Inconsistent labelling thresholds, accounting boundaries, and production pathways are the main areas of concern. The report offers several recommendations to support the harmonisation of certification frameworks, warning that schemes cannot continue to develop in a “patchwork” manner.