CERTIFHY NGC CERTIFICATION
About the CertifHy NGC scheme
Fully operational since 2018, the CertifHy Non-Governmental Certification (NGC) Scheme became the first book-and-claim system to certify volumes of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen for the voluntary disclosure market in Europe. Today, it continues to serve users in Germany, France, and other eligible EU countries, and is currently under review by the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) as an Independent Criteria Scheme (ICS).
Similar to Guarantees of Origin (GOs), CertifHy NGCs are unique electronic certificates that verify the production of a specific quantity of hydrogen by a registered Production Device using a defined quality and production method. Upon the use, or cancellation, of a CertifHy NGC, the consumed hydrogen takes on the characteristics specified in the certificate. Within the boundaries of non-governmental certification, the CertifHy NGC Scheme complies with the EECS Rules, promoting sectoral standardisation and harmonisation across the European continent.
CertifHy NGC scheme benefits
Driven by the imperative to transition toward a more sustainable energy system, the European Commission adopted the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost renewable energy production and contribute to broader climate goals.
As a versatile, low-carbon energy carrier, hydrogen has a crucial role to play in supporting decarbonisation objectives, especially in the transport and industrial sectors. That said, meeting the demand for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen relies on the establishment of dependable systems to track and trace the production and consumption of those sustainable products. This need paved the way for the creation of the CertifHy NGC Scheme.
While Article 19 of RED II (2018/2001/EU) directs EU Member States to implement national hydrogen GO systems, such systems take time and resources to develop. To bridge the gap between user demand and certification availability, the CertifHy NGC Scheme is active in countries where no national hydrogen GO system is available and operational. The CertifHy NGC Scheme thus provides an immediate solution to promote the production and utilisation of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen throughout Europe as Member States continue to build and strengthen their own hydrogen GO systems.
NGC scheme documents
Here you will find the CertifHy NGC Scheme documents, which outline the scope and requirements of certification, define the roles and responsibilities of the various actors involved, and introduce the content of a certificate.
These certificates are securely stored in the CertifHy Registry, a central database that manages the full certificate lifecycle from issuance to cancellation, thus ensuring their traceability and preventing double-counting and other fraudulent activity. All certificate activity is recorded in the CertifHy Registry, providing the necessary information for various reporting purposes, including CSR and ESG initiatives, individual client requests, and European and national statistics.
The CertifHy NGC Scheme covers the European Union plus the European Economic Area plus Switzerland, but because it does not compete with national H2 GO systems, is only available in select countries. To find out where the CertifHy NGC Scheme is currently active and/or available, please consult the table below.
Learn more about the advantages of the CertifHy NGC Scheme for the producers, consumers, suppliers and traders of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen:
- Commercial benefits: CertifHy NGCs carry essential information, including production pathway and GHG emissions data, allowing producers to verifiably market their products as sustainable to existing and prospective customers and offtakers.
- Optimize your hydrogen and e-fuels activity: CertifHy NGCs may be used to cover production outputs that are not 100% RFNBO- compliant.
- Low-carbon label: The CertifHy NGC Scheme offers a low-carbon solution while the regulatory framework for low-carbon hydrogen and e-fuels continues to develop.
- Alignment with national H2 GO systems: Because the CertifHy NGC Scheme complies with the EECS Rules, it will likely be compatible with emergent national hydrogen GO systems. This will allow for a seamless transition between schemes, if and when needed.
- Traceability and transparency: The CertifHy NGC Scheme incorporates state-of-the-art standards and works with trusted third-party auditors to maximize reliability and credibility.
- Meet consumer demand: More and more consumers are interested in sustainable products. CertifHy NGCs are reliable, well-established instruments to ensure consumer confidence in the quality and origin of a quantity of hydrogen, addressing that demand.
- Measurable impact: In close collaboration with the CertifHy Stakeholder Platform, we have developed and adopted detailed methodologies that allow hydrogen producers and consumers to measure and report their impact in terms of CO2 emissions. This facilitates voluntary reporting and consumer disclosure.
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