GTI, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and S&P Global Platts launch the Open Hydrogen Initiative (OHI), a collaboration to further transparency into the environmental impact of hydrogen production and help unlock its full potential as an important driver of energy transitions.
There is a high degree of variability in the carbon intensity of hydrogen production, even using the same technologies or pathways, according to GTI. Precise measurements of hydrogen’s carbon intensity at the production facility (also known as the asset level) are reportedly needed to more accurately reflect the environmental bona fides of a given kilogram of hydrogen produced and overcome the limitations of the “color-wheel” labeling model. An apples-to-apples comparison of hydrogen production carbon intensity would hold benefits for stakeholders throughout the value chain—producers, users, engineers, academia, market participants, investors and policymakers, says GTI.
The mission of OHI is to create objective, credible, peer-reviewed, transparent and open-sourced tools that allow participants from across the hydrogen value chain to assess the carbon intensity of hydrogen at the asset level. The creation and adoption of these technical protocols will help build and harmonize the hydrogen market, contextualize climate solutions, advance transparency and support global trade in low-carbon hydrogen, says GTI.
“The world is rapidly preparing for aggressive decarbonization and having access to precise carbon intensity assessments is no longer ‘nice-to-have’ but required,” says Paula Gant, Ph.D., senior vice president of strategy and innovation at GTI. “With hydrogen applications increasing, more sophisticated measurement solutions are needed to assess the carbon intensity impacts of using this energy source.”
OHI’s measurement tools can play an important role in informing market participants, technology innovators, policymakers and others tasked with evaluating and delivering against decarbonization targets, says GTI. The initiative will draw inspiration from Stanford’s OPGEE Model, which has become the industry standard adopted to effectively measure the carbon intensity of oil. The initiative will be discussed at the S&P Global Platts London Energy Forum on February 21, 2022, and again on February 24 during GTI’s public webinar.
For more information, visit: www.gti.energy/OHI
