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CERTIFHY STEERING COMMITTEE
The CertifHy Steering Committee - Leading the Way in Clean Hydrogen
The CertifHy Steering Committee provides vital leadership in guiding the organization towards a clean hydrogen economy. This committee is comprised of distinguished members representing various stakeholder pools across the hydrogen value chain: Producers & Processors, Traders, Logistic Operators, and Users, and NGOs, Research, and the Public Sector. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise are crucial for shaping CertifHy’s strategic direction and ensuring the certification schemes uphold the highest standards.
Stakeholder Platform - Newsletter of June 2024
CertifHy Steering Committee Members: Chair and co-Chair
As of 2019, Mikaa MERED has created the world's first course in the geopolitics of hydrogen. An analyst and author, he now teaches at Sciences Po, HEC, the École de Guerre and Mohammed VI Polytechnique University. Convinced of the need for dialogue between research and business, he is a member of the steering committee of the Hydrogen Task Force of MEDEF International and France Hydrogène, and in June was appointed "Ambassador for Green Hydrogen" by the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE).
Timo is a seasoned executive with a robust background spanning global financial institutions and international organisations. He is dedicated to contribute to the emergence of a functioning hydrogen market. He consequently co-founded the H2Global foundation back in 2021. Managing Hintco, he works at the interface of the private and public endeavors towards climate neutrality.
CertifHy Steering Committee Members - Group 1: Producers & Processors
James Hayes is H₂ Technical Manager at TotalEnergies, based in Paris, where he works on the development and deployment of large-scale hydrogen projects as part of the company’s energy transition strategy. With nearly two decades of experience across operations, engineering, and project management, he brings deep technical expertise in energy systems and industrial project delivery. Within TotalEnergies’ hydrogen activities, James has played a key role in managing development studies for global hydrogen projects and supporting large-scale green hydrogen initiatives. Prior to focusing on hydrogen, he held a range of operational leadership roles across offshore and onshore assets, including Offshore Installation Manager and Operations Superintendent in the North Sea. James holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Chemical Engineering from The University of Manchester. His experience spanning operations, engineering, and hydrogen project development provides valuable insight into the technical and industrial challenges of scaling low-carbon hydrogen solutions.

“With years of specialisation in carbon markets, CCS, and renewable hydrogen, I strongly advocate for certification of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, where CertifHy stands out, backed by a decade of expertise. As a Steering Committee member, I bring to the table a strong knowledge in trading tools, and registries, I can offer practical insights to fortify certification schemes for renewables and CO2 sourcing, and I am backed by ENGIE’s global H2 and e-fuel initiatives as well as bioenergy certification experiences.”
Throughout her extensive career at ENGIE, Rose has made significant contributions to the Group’s adaptation to carbon markets and carbon capture and storage emergence. Since 2018, she has been a key figure in Hydrogen Public Affairs, focusing on European policies impacting the renewable and low-carbon hydrogen market and its derivatives. She has an in-depth expertise on policy, certification and GHG accounting methodologies. Finally, her practical involvment as the certification lead for projects like MultiplHy and HyNetherlands highlights her proficiency in navigating the intertwined topics of guarantee of origin and RFNBO certification.
Gregory Gilis is a senior executive at Tree Energy Solutions (TES-H2) and an experienced leader in green energy certification, trading, and market innovation. With over 20 years in energy systems, trading, and renewable markets, he brings strong strategic expertise to CertifHy’s Steering Committee as it advances green hydrogen certification in Europe.

“Leveraging my background in hydrogen, academia, and project development, I'm passionate about accelerating the green hydrogen market. CertifHy is a key enabler, and I'm committed to its success for a sustainable hydrogen market ramp-up – from pre-launch advocacy to shaping future updates of the scheme and include imports as well as international trade. Together, we can build a sustainable hydrogen future!”
Timo, mechanical engineer with academic career (GER/USA) and a PhD focusing on Renewables & LCA, transitioned from science of sustainability assessments to Green Hydrogen Expert in various energy companies, currently at RWE Generation SE. He played a key role in establishing CertifHy, including pre-launch advocacy, co-leading producer & off-taker working groups, piloting the CertifHy-GO scheme, and supported the preparation of the CertifHy EU RFNBO Voluntary Scheme.

“I strongly believe that a liquid, global market for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen cannot fully develop in the absence of robust, trustworthy and mutually recognized certification schemes which guarantee customers, authorities and end-users the environmental attributes of the products they purchase. As a member of the Steering Committee, I’m supporting CertifHy into becoming a recognized EU Certification scheme, providing certification services to Hydrogen producers in Europe and Worldwide and unleash its potential of unlocking international trade renewable (RFNBO) and low-carbon hydrogen“.
Alexandru is pivotal at Hy24, the premier private equity manager for scaling the hydrogen economy. He assists portfolio firms in producing renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and securing certifications for global markets. Formerly Head of Intelligence at Hydrogen Europe, he influenced EU regulations and international hydrogen certification schemes critical to the Clean Hydrogen market's expansion.
CertifHy Steering Committee Members - Group 2: Traders, Logistic Operators & Users

“Establishing a robust EU market with proper certification for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen is crucial. CertifHy promotes standardization to facilitate GO hydrogen transfer across Member States' networks, essential for integrating renewables into the hydrogen grid. Involved in the Belgian HYBEX project, I aim to advance these goals and contribute effectively to CertifHy's development as a Steering Committee member.”
Dirk has played a key role in Belgium's gas market since 1990 and has dedicated over 5 years to advancing green gas, including hydrogen. As the BE-expert for CEN 16325, he contributes to certification taskforces like ENTSOG, Waterstofnet, and CertifHy. At Fluxys, Dirk developed registration systems and methodologies for GOs (biomethane and hydrogen) in Flanders, aligning with AIB EECS standards and extending these efforts across other Belgian regions and federal levels.
Emile Herben
Director of Product Management for Clean Ammonia at Yara Clean Ammonia

Emile Herben is Director of Product Management for Clean Ammonia at Yara International, where he leads the development of low-carbon ammonia products supporting the decarbonisation of industry and energy systems. Based in Oslo, he focuses on advancing market-ready solutions that link clean hydrogen production with global ammonia value chains. Since joining Yara in 2018, Emile has held several roles across decarbonisation and clean hydrogen, contributing to the company’s strategy to scale low-carbon fuels and industrial feedstocks. His work bridges technology development, product strategy, and market deployment in the emerging hydrogen and ammonia economy. Earlier in his career, Emile held engineering and project management roles at Procter & Gamble and Givaudan, gaining extensive experience in industrial operations and process engineering. His international background also includes entrepreneurial and educational experience in Malawi. Emile brings a strong combination of industrial, technical, and commercial expertise to the advancement of clean hydrogen and ammonia solutions in the global energy transition.
Daniel Fraile is Chief Policy and Markets Officer at Hydrogen Europe, where he leads policy and market strategy to support the development of the European hydrogen economy. With extensive experience at the intersection of energy policy, market analysis, and renewable technologies, he plays a key role in shaping the regulatory and market frameworks that enable the scale-up of clean hydrogen in Europe. Prior to joining Hydrogen Europe, Daniel spent over six years at WindEurope, where he served as Director and Head of Market Intelligence, leading analysis on market trends, regulation, financing, and grid integration for the wind sector. Earlier in his career, he worked as a consultant at Hinicio and as Senior Policy Officer at Climate Action Network Europe, focusing on EU climate and energy policy and renewable energy advocacy. Daniel holds a Master’s in Renewable Energies from Universidad Europea and a Master’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering. His expertise across policy, market design, and renewable technologies contributes to advancing Europe’s clean energy transition.
Roshni Bham is a sustainability strategist with extensive experience across carbon markets, renewable energy, and climate policy. She currently serves as Strategist – Corporate Sustainability at ACT Group in Amsterdam, where she focuses on advancing corporate decarbonisation strategies. Previously, she held positions as Account Manager in Environmental Trading at Enmacc, Climate Consultant at Sylvera, and Climate Change Consultant with the World Bank’s Climate Warehouse Program. Her professional background spans both consultancy and commercial roles, including experience in emissions trading systems, greenhouse gas measurement, and corporate engagement. Roshni holds a Master’s degree in Global Risk from Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Boston University.

"For consumers certification of RFNBO hydrogen is crucial to determine the conditions under which they can offtake hydrogen. I want to ensure that the consumer perspective on RFNBO hydrogen is adequately represented in certification discussions. The stringent mandates from the EU Commission will significantly impact industry competitiveness, making hydrogen costs pivotal in facilitating emission reductions across sectors.”
Tom is a dedicated professional with a solid background in renewable energy and sustainability, with significant experience in electricity, hydrogen, and eSAF regulation. At SkyNRG, he contributes to eSAF projects from concept to completion. Tom's passion lies in advancing clean technologies and promoting environmental stewardship. He actively collaborates with industry stakeholders to drive innovation and sustainable practices. Tom's commitment to creating a greener future is reflected in his leadership roles and contributions to renewable energy projects globally.
CertifHy Steering Committee Members - Group 3: NGOs, Research & Public Sector
Sausan, Director of Oman Hydrogen Centre (OHC), leads a team pioneering hydrogen technologies for Oman's energy transition. With a PhD in applied science from Kyushu University, her expertise spans electronics, materials science, and nanotechnology. Passionate about sustainable energy solutions, Sausan collaborates globally to advance hydrogen technology and contribute to climate resilience and energy security.

“Until now, hydrogen was produced for the chemical industry, now, within the Sectoral Coupling, the amount in the diversity of uses is much higher. In this process of hydrogen transition from chemistry to energy, the quantities estimated to be needed are very large because the new opportunities imply new and diverse needs. The thing that must be understood, however, is that hydrogen, in addition to being an energy vector, will also be a democratic vector in industrial and economic development”
Ioan Iordache is a recognized expert in fuel cells and hydrogen technology with a background in Environment Engineering and Chemistry, complemented by a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. He serves as Chair of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership States Representative Group and is Executive Director of the Romanian Association for Hydrogen Energy. Ioan contributes significantly through research, publications, and leadership roles in advancing sustainable development and environmental protection initiatives. He is the author and co-author of numerous research and scientific articles and specialist books. Him scientific contribution also includes the participation in international conferences and international research&development projects. He is member of scientific committees and a member of several professional, scientific and technical associations.

“Experience in electricity markets shows that energy certificates systems are effective and efficient, provided they are designed carefully and with contribution from all participants, whether commercial, technical or governmental / regulatory. As a member of the Steering Committee, I look forward to extending this concept into gases and hydrogen. This will require careful consideration, recognising the peculiarities of each energy carrier, providing for the transfer of energy between them – such as the use of renewable electricity to produce hydrogen, and taking into account and leveraging the work by related bodies.”
Phil has been instrumental in shaping the renewable energy landscape through his roles at EnergyTag and the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) and, prior to that, proposing practical mechanisms for UK certificate-based renewable energy policy instruments (Climate Change Levy exemption certificates (LECs), Renewable Obligation certificates (ROCs), green labelling and tradable green certificates (guarantees of origin). EnergyTag leads global efforts to establish a market for (sub-)hourly electricity certificates using a common set of standards, enhancing transparency in energy sourcing. Previously serving as Secretary General of the AIB for 19 years, Phil led the development of and championed the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), which currently promotes and facilitates electricity and gas certification by 37 issuing bodies across 24 EU member states and 7 associated states. His extensive career spans consultancy and senior management roles, driving innovation and regulatory compliance in the energy sector.






